What a great day! Excitement is building as we begin the countdown to the expressive urban sketching workshop that I will be co-teaching with Paul Wang on Fri-Sat.

Today Paul arrived and I also met Uma who arrived here yesterday from Montreal Canada. .. And fun to run into her in the lobby of the place they are both staying. And then to be down at Circular Quay at the same time as Alissa and her mum. It is almost like a USK symposium feeling(in a very small way!) and I am really getting the ‘USK buzz’. What is this?

The reason I love Urban Sketchers is that it brings together people who are crazy about sketching (or who want to be) – brings people together from distant lands and across the country. We have been connected via the online community where we share our work but meeting in real life and sketching together is always so much richer and inspiring. I am very very excited about doing the workshop with Paul (we have some really fun content) – but bringing people together over this weekend brings a whole new dimension to the excitement (and fun!).

Today – lovely late breakfast at a cool cafe Reuben Hill in Surry Hills. Might need to go back for the coffee and cake!  We were too busy doing workshop prep to sketch….look at that teacup – amazing that I didn’t sneak a sketch in. After a few chores it was time for a late lunch at a cafe in The Strand arcade and a little sketching.

Then I went down to the quay and ran into Alissa and Lola down there. We watched a cruise ship leave the harbour and then Uma and I went out for a quick dinner. It was a little crazy to sketch as there was not much room on the long communal table but still I went for it.

More workshop prep tomorrow and then people from other states start arriving… can’t wait.