Happy Holidays. Keep working those words and images together in your sketchbook.

This quick sketch was made in the tiny hill town of Vallo di Nera in Umbria, Italy. The lamp and iron support caught my eye and the rest quicky followed.

"Remarkables" in New Zealand

I'll teach a two day workshop through Sitka in Portland November 10, 11, 2012. I invite former sketchbook workshop people to drop by and say hello and show me their sketchbooks at the Forestry Center near the Zoo. 

Queenstown, NZ

Back from teaching in Italy. This is a Copic marker sketch while in the Carsulae town ruins along the Via Flaminia. It was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to  the coast of the Adriatic Sea. 

I'm teaching in Italy at La Romita School of Art. This is an ink sketch of the hill town of Civita di Bagnoregio. The walking pathway bridge, in the foreground, is the only way to get to this amazing place.

Article on Ken's Sketchbooks by Ann Wiens

Here is the cover of the Summer issue of OREGON QUARTERLY which features a six page story on Ken's sketchbooks.  http://oregonquarterly.com

Sketchbook number 72, May 31, 2012

This sketchbook page is full of experiments with boarders or frames around the banana and the text.

I've returned to this page to add new colors different markers, some air brush with the Copics and finally some decorative pattern paper tape around the edges of the page. One could work on this another hour and build the density of texture and colors. Try it. 

Push yourself to see how far you can take the bands of patterns and panels and frames.

sketch, glue, and paste

Labels, stickers, stamps can help compose your sketchbook page. Sketch small details of brick walls, doorways, windows, rooftops, and clotheslines around the stickers.

Drop in Studio at Duck Store

March 17, 2012. Drop in Studio at UO Duck Store in Eugene.
Travel sketching tips with Ken O'Connell. 2:00pm to 4:00 pm.

Informational gathering about La Romita School of Art summer workshops and hill towns in Umbria.
Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene, Oregon at 3:30pm Sunday Feb. 26, 2012.

Try using more text with your images in the sketchbook.
At least the date and location of sketch can be added.
Then try a sentence or two about your previous sketch.
Write about what you want to learn to draw better.
Make a list.

Three spaces left in my summer "Sketchbook in Italy" program.

Sketching trees and fields

Sketch the branches of the bare trees this month.
Only 5 spaces left in my 2012 Italy Sketchbook Workshop.
Please let me know if you are interested.