SketchCrawl: Drawing All Over the World
Guest Contribution by Joan Sutherland
On September 23rd, 2006, people all over the world took to the streets with a common purpose, to sketch. At least 200 people in 40 different countries participated in the 11th World-wide SketchCrawl. The idea for SketchCrawl originated in 2004 with Enrico Casarosa, a San Francisco artist and animator. A SketchCrawl is a drawing marathon where people from around the world participate by "drawing, sketching, journaling about their day and what's around them for as long as they can (be that 20 minutes or 8 hours)." SketchCrawlers connect with each other on the SketchCrawl Forum to find out when the next event is, view the results, and to plan the next SketchCrawl in their area. No experience is necessary—everyone is welcome to join in and spend the day sketching.
This September 23, my husband and I participated in my first SketchCrawl, and even though we were not able to connect with other SketchCrawlers in Vancouver, we felt connected to other people drawing all over the world. Taking the time to notice where I am on this planet and capturing the ordinary moments of life in this city was magical, absorbing and exhilarating. Equally inspiring was the excitement of viewing sketches posted on the forum. All were sketched on the same day, yet each one was a unique reflection of an individual and a place. Anticipation builds as sketches at first begin to trickle and then pour into the SketchCrawl forum. Stories are told and comments are shared as the worldwide conversation unfolds.
In Enrico's words, the idea behind the SketchCrawl is: "to get the great feeling of drawing with and at the same time as people from all walks of life and from all corners of the world; and ultimately by sharing the day's sketches and photos... to see places and details from corners of the world we might not see at all in our life time!"
If this sounds like fun, check out the website, www.sketchcrawl.com/forum for details of the next World Wide SketchCrawl on December 9, 2006. "For a day, slow down, look around you, see ... and draw or write. Record your day. No specific level of skill is expected! Anyone is welcome." I have included a sketch (above) from our brief attempts in Vancouver, however for a true sense of the shared adventure of SketchCrawl check out the many amazing sketches from many different places online.
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