Sketching with heart and soul and friends. Or this could also be called “Won’t You Be My Sketching Friends?”

I thought of the beautiful documentary movie on Mr. Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor , in connection with our sketching trips.

Ink with Pencil, line drawing by Marilyn, sketchbook at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 9″ x 11″

The legacy of Fred Rogers deeply touched my heart in these troubled times of chaos and turmoil, bullying and hysteria, the imposition of force rather than living from positions of power within oneself.

I find so many people everywhere going out to sketch. I sat in a waiting room where women went in and out for “waxing”. One young woman from another city, passing through, opened her sketchbook to work on one of many Mandela drawings she was doing in this sketchbook. My heart so warmed to know this is the other side of the troubled times we live in—a side of gentleness, beauty, and inner joy.

My Denver Urban Sketching Group in July at the Botanic Gardens with their sketchbooks.

We had such a good time again last week on our sketching outing; friends sketching together.

Art is One of the Highest Hopes of our Troubled World today – Beauty out of Chaos must be one of our Intentions

When I was very young, we would lament how America wasn’t an artistic country, unlike places like Bali where everyone is also an artist. Today is different. Where there were 10 artists in America whose names everyone knew, now there are 10 artists in every 4 block radius in every city in America. Sketchers and painters abound, working from their hearts for a moment in peace and joy. It is so heartwarming to participate in this movement and to be aware of it.

Sketch by Marilyn #2 at Botanic Gardens in July, Ink and Pencil in sketchbook

I’m really enjoying my simple line drawings, like the ones above. They feel so peaceful to me.

Our love for art is one reason to have hope for America. Beauty is order out of chaos, and so many are searching for it in this gentle way. Literally hundreds of thousands of such blessed souls are in America. God bless the sketchers and amateur artists of today.

We must actively seek to find beauty in every aspect of our lives, with our neighbors, with our friends, and with open hearts of love and compassion. You cannot have true beauty without compassion. The two are synonymous or neither have any meaning.

I have been truly blessed and privileged to teach and make art my entire lifetime.

Frank sketching at the Botanic Gardens in July

Frank started sketching with us a couple years ago and has grown by leaps and bounds. I can’t encourage you enough to jump in and and get started, everyone!

Diana sketching at the Botanic Gardens with our Denver Urban Sketching Group

I love this photo I took of Diana sketching in the idyllic garden setting.

We all went in different directions. Kathy often comes, Jason brings his lovely daughter Helen. Sometimes we have 4 sketchers, sometimes 14.

The art of sketching gives me hope for our world, coming from the source of beauty in our hearts.

I hope everyone hears the yearning for such peace and hope – to be not complacent about the world situations, but to be moved to help preserve our world in togetherness, oneness, sharing and living in harmony, such as happens in our sketching outings.

You can join up with us on Meetups, Denver Urban Sketching. We try to go out once a month and I schedule the meetups on that site. Keep being artistic and creative and have Courage!

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