Sparkly Devil update!

Wow! Got an email from Sparkly tonight:

I wanted to let you all know that I am the centerfold for this week's issue of the SF Bay Guardian, for their annual Style magazine!

If you're local, you can pick up a copy anywhere in SF, but for those of you who aren't, you can see the image online.

It was shot by a wonderful photographer named Merkley -- you can check out his site at www.threequestionmarks.com.

Dr. Sketchy retrospective

Here as promised, some art from the past that i don't think ever made it to the blog until now! First three from Tom Dow:



Two from Jim Anderson (I think, correct me if I'm wrong, someone):


A few from Michelangelo Cicerone:




And a couple by me. Send yours in too!

September Blues

Things are rough all over in Dr. Sketchy land. First the Temple of the American Dream got vandalized, then this month's session, scheduled for today with the local Burning Man folks as a benefit to help with repairs, is rained out (theoretically... I haven't seen any actual rain yet today, despite the razzin-frazzin forecast...) Hopefully we'll get something together before the end of the month.

Worse yet, Molly Crabapple forwarded this to me from Katie at the Portland, OR Sketchy branch:

We've had a pretty upsetting event happen this past weekend here in Portland--my September model was attacked. Two men approached him around midnight on Friday, and started saying homophobic slurs to him, and then proceeded to beat him enough to concuss him and cause bleeding of the brain. You can read more about it here.

A close friend of our model has created a website -- healportland.com -- to let people know about our model's status, donate money (since he has no healthcare), and leave well-wishing messages.

I'll make a donation on behalf of Dr. Sketchy Detroit.

The good news is that our October session is set to go, with Christopher from Causing a Scene modeling along with his grandmother! We'll be at the Belmont from 7-10pm on Tuesday, October 28, so expect Halloweeny goodness all around.

Also good: Matt Feazell sent along the sketch above of Lana from August, and I'm gathering up a little art from past sessions that haven't been posted yet, as a sort of retrospective, so I'll post that soon. If anyone has any past art they'd like to see, send it along!

Dr. Sketchy Detroit Turns 2

Technically, August was DS:MCD's two-year anniversary! If plans come together as hoped, we'll be celebrating belatedly later this month. Until then, relive that first Sketchy session with these photos of Sparkly Devil. (Photo credits if/when I figure them out!) Stay tuned for the scoop on DS's upcoming late-September birthday party.

More of Lana

This time from my own sketchbook.

Doug Blanchard sketchbook exhibit

If, like me, you've marveled at the sketchbook drawings and collages of Doug Blanchard on this blog, and if you'll be in NYC next month, be sure to check out his exhibit at the Riviera Gallery in Brooklyn. He says he'll have some of his Sketchy work in the show. Congrats Doug!

She moves in mysterious ways

Some sweet art from last Thursday from Jim Anderson. Check out his blog for more sketches and some of his thoughts on electronic art tablets and figure drawing.

Lily LaRue Update

Wow, check out what former DS model Lily's been up to:

"Wheew! So I have spent the last month on a film set working as Drew Barrymore's stand in on the movie WHIP IT. A film about Roller Derby!"

Also see Lily's updated website.

DS21: Swords & skulls & wings & things

Well, Dr. Sketchy's trip to Dearborn was an experiment in trying something new, and it was a big success! Wow, we haven't had so many new faces all at once at a Dr. Sketchy in some time, and it was good to see. Many thanks to Paul and everyone at Blick art supplies for supplying not just the venue but some great door prize/goodie bags and snacks, and for turning so many new folks on the DS.


Among our new participants was Dennis Orlowski (in the foreground above), a muralist who's done several well-known local works, in Hamtramck especially but elsewhere around town too.


Many many thanks of course to Lana, who dazzled us with her dancing, costumes, music and her greatly-underestimated ability to hold a pose for several minutes. She's a joy to draw from, and a glance around the room at everyone's sketchbooks confirms she was an inspiration.


DS's reliable photog Agnes sent some super photos to share. She even got the skull we used as a tip jar into one shot!


More art to come! ( and PS: If you check the comments section of the last post, you'll get a hint at what's in the works for September...!)

NEXT SKETCHY: THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 6-9PM!

Good news everyone - I ran into Lana of Detroit Bellydance at World Hoop Day Friday afternoon and she's all set to model for us this month. So the next Dr. Sketchy session will be Thursday the 21st at Blick Art Materials on Michigan Ave. in Dearborn (between Schaefer and Greenfield, a few blocks west of Green Brain Comics). Manager Paul Flowers has been nice enough to offer us the front of his shop to use as modeling/sketching space, after the shop closes at 6pm. Expect cool prizes, snacks, music and probably a performance by lovely Lana too. See you then!


By the way, Hoop Day was a big hit, with lots of kids and adults too (including the crew of a DFD fire engine) showing up for some hoop-spinnin' and general community and good feeling in the shadow of the Temple of the American Dream, an intricate cut-plywood pagoda you need to see to believe (click the link for info on the project). IN FACT...

...you might get to see it up close if you come to Dr. Sketchy in September! A very special session is in the planning stages, so watch the blog and your email inbox for details.

MORE NEWS: Dr. Sketchy Empress Molly Crabapple needs our help!

"I recently wrote a panel called "DIY Empires: Taking Your Online Following Offline," It's about movements like Dr. Sketchy's that, despite being started by creative folks with low budgets, have spread all over the world. The panel's for presentation at SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive), an international conference about digital technology and its effect on culture. We got past the first round, and now our fate is in part decided by voting."


Click the image above to go and vote for Molly and help send her SXSW!

Hoops go digital

More art from DS20. First, a few painterly photo treatments from Lou Salazar:




Next three sketches from the cool digital drawing tablet of Jim Anderson (and there are more on his web site).

DS20: Spin city

Many thanks as always to all who came to the latest Dr Sketchy at THC last Wednesday. Despite the rush to get it all put together, we even had a couple new art monkeys in the crowd and managed to raise around $140-150 for World Hoop Day charities. Our hooper/models, Revolva, Elise and Faith definitely earned it, they got quite a workout over the three hours, I think. So thanks for your generosity!

To find out more about World Hoop Day (coming up on Friday, August 8, 4-8pm), visit the site for the The Detroit Dream Project. There's lots of other links there too, to Motor City Blight Busters, Flickr pages with photos of the Temple of the American Dream project and more.

Next up: Plans are back on to sketch at Blick art supplies in Dearborn, with the lovely Lana as our model, this month. Then with luck it'll be back to our old HQ at the Belmont for September. I'll keep you posted. Meantime, send hoop art and photos to share!

DS AT THC THURS. JULY 31

Hey all,

It's official - I just spoke to the guys at THC and that's where it's happenin' tomorrow night, 7-10PM:

10241 Jos. Campau at Trowbridge, a few doors north of the Belmont. Call 313-285-9822. They're a cozy place with a good food & beer menu, plus of course coffee drinks, and a great atmosphere in an impressively renovated bar. They've even got a DJ spinning. Here's a link to a write-up about them.

Revolva has three hooper friends at least who've volunteered to model and dazzle us with their skillz, so be prepared to draw fast and stay portable (you might want to move around a bit!) Remember, proceeds go to charity, so bring tip money as well as the usual $5 (and a little for the DJ too!)

Thanks again for your patience, everyone, but this is gonna be a great one, so don't miss it!

Sean

DR. SKETCHY THURSDAY, JULY 31, 7PM

Hey there art monkeys,

Sorry once again to drag this out to the (very!) last minute, but strange and cool things have been transpiring here at DS HQ.

Revolva, who's modeled with her hula hoop for us before, is bringing some of her hooping friends to town:

"Part of the reason I'm coming back is to take part in World Hoop Day Detroit -- an August 8 charity event where a bunch of the Detroit Hoopers are giving away hoops to inner city kids and hosting a big hula hooping party at The Temple of the American Dream (in old Redford). It's in conjunction with Blight Busters, Detroit Dream Project and the non-profit SPARC. Here's the myspace page for the event:

http://www.myspace.com/888hoopdaydetroit

http://www.worldhoopday.com/

So we've had a change of plans - she and her pals will be modeling and hooping for us Thursday with proceeds going to the charities! It meant some rescheduling with Blick's in Dearborn, but it's way worth it. Trouble is, the venue is still TBA!! So here's the deal:

• We will either be at the THC coffeehouse on Jos. Campau in Hamtramck (just a few doors south of the Belmont)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=385770560

OR

• We will be at a gallery space hosted by the Contemporary Art Institiute of Detroit in the Russell Industrial complex, at Clay & the I-75 service drive on the outskirts of Hamtramck (still waiting for this to get confirmed, but it'd be a greta idea if it works...)

I will post and email you all again as soon as things get firmed up for sure. I know this is nuts but I think it'll be worth the craziness in the end! Thanks for your patience, stay tuned everyone!

Sean

DS19: On with the show

Brief (and way late) post...

The Art of Dr Sketchy exhibit opened last Friday, and it sounds like it went well. I can't say from first-hand experience since I MISSED THE DAMN THING! Had to work late, early deadlines... But the show did get some ink in the local alt-weekly and a good bunch of people showed up at Cafe 1923 to draw DS fave Muana in full-on geisha costume. They even went outdoors for a while to draw, a DS:MCD first! Many thanks to all who helped out in my absence, especially Suzanne, Jim, Laura, Krysti and Matt, and all at the cafe. Photos by Agnes Domanska.

DS ART OPENING FRI. JUNE 6!

Hey everyone! The art show is up! We hung it at the Cafe 1923 this weekend and it looks damn fine if I say so myself. Take a look:




The official opening is THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 6-9pm, and will include a drawing session featuring our most stalwart model, Muana The One & Only, from 6-8pm. PLEASE COME! Tell your friends, and grab a short stack of postcards while you're here and spread the word. Many thanks to Mike Oberdier and Jim Anderson for letting me use their art on the postcard! There'll be a mention of the show in this week's Metro Times as well, also featuring Jim's art.

The show will be up until July 12. The cafe is at 2287 Holbrook in Hamtramck, between I-75 and Jos. Campau, across from the Kowalski sausage factory neoen wiener sign.

See you this Friday!
sean