USS Indianapolis Memorial

KAREN MASBAUM

"At 12:14 a.m. on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 men on board, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remainder, about 900 men, were left floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats and most with no food or water. The ship was never missed, and by the time the survivors were spotted by accident four days later only 316 men were still alive." from www.ussindianapolis.org

This is our Memorial to the USS Indianapolis, built on the downtown Canal Walk. I sketched it on Veterans' Day.

Indy Skyline, From the Circle

KAREN MASBAUM

The weather has been amazing, another chance today to sketch. Susan S. and I walked from the Stutz to the circle and sketched. This is the result.

At the Eagle Creek Coffee Shop, Zionsville

KAREN MASBAUM

Had a nice Sunday breakfast with friends from Urban Sketchers. This is Susan, busily sketching another diner. Definitely need to go back to Zionsville when all the shops are open!

Zionsville Main Street

JERRY POINTS

This is a quick sketch from Fall Creek Cafe in Zionsville. Gathered with several Urban Sketchers last Sunday.

Bluebird

MINDI EPSTEIN

Spent a wonderful Saturday morning with Karen at the new Ornithology Center at Eagle Creek Park. A true sport would have sketched the live birds over the reservoir, viewed from the comfy, heated outlook. The more practical would opt for sketching a stuffed bird on display, one that was sure not to move. Call us practical, but it worked. The Ornithology Center is a wonderful resource and there is no charge for visiting. Please support Eagle Creek Park and their conservation efforts by visiting the educational resources, including the new Ornithology Center.

Ducks at Eagle Creek

KAREN MASBAUM

This sketch may not look urban, but was done at a city park, Eagle Creek. Mindi and I met there to see the new ornithology center. It's awesome, worth another trip. We stayed indoors and sketched from the panorama they had set up. Thanks to taxidermy, these ducks didn't move, so it was much simpler to draw! I'm embarrassed to say that despite the informative staff of the center, I still don't know what kind of ducks these are.

Starbucks at the Circle

MINDI EPSTEIN

My first meeting with Urban Sketchers yielded this sketch at Starbucks on the Circle. The coffee was hot, the sketching was challenging, and the company was great. I'll be back for more.

Sitting on the Circle

KAREN MASBAUM

Started this sketch sitting outside at a table at Starbucks, but after several other sketchers arrived, it got quite chilly. We decided to go indoors where our fingers would work better. Fortunately, it wasn't long before there was room at the bar facing out the window at the same view. It was a fun afternoon!

At the Alabama St. Park

KAREN MASBAUM

This is the view from the small park on Alabama St., sketched near dusk. There's a great climbing-jungle-gym thing, big enough for grown-ups who are tired of sketching!

Side Door

DEBBY PETERSEN

We took a 10 year old to the park on Alabama St. and I sketched this side entrance to the house next door. The door standing ajar was intriguing.

Downtown & Canal from Creations Cafe

KAREN MASBAUM

Just finished the sketch at home, hopefully it has a little more depth to it!

Canal From the North End

KAREN MASBAUM

This is the view from the north end of the canal, near Buggs Temple. Couldn't finish it because we ran out of time on the parking meter!

Creations Cafe

DEBBY PETERSEN

After eating lunch at this cafe, we went down to the canal level to sketch. This is looking back up at the outdoor seating at Creations Cafe

DEBBY PETERSEN

This was done at Crown Hill Cemetery when 3 of us met to sketch.

Gravestones in a Row

DEBBY PETERSEN

There is something appealing about the geometric arrangement of gravestones in a cemetery.

Mausoleum at Crown Hill

KAREN MASBAUM

Crown Hill Cemetery is easily mistaken for a park in the middle of the city. So beautiful!

DePew Fountain

JERRY POINTS

This is one of the figures that dances around the DePew Fountain. The sculptor was Alexander Milne Calder (not the Calder that we know) The nymph like figures dance around the fountain in a spirit of play.

Fountain Fishes

KAREN MASBAUM

The large fountain in University Park has been drained, so it was possible to sit on the edge and get close to these concrete fishes which usually spout water from thier mouths. It was a quick sketch, done in about 15 minutes

Downtown Nymph

DEBBY PETERSEN

Statue from the fountain in University Park.

Blacherne Faces

PAULETTE LANCASTER

These are some of the faces that are carved into the Blacherne underneath the windows.

Blacherne Face

PAULETTE LANCASTER

Finding carved faces in Indianapolis's architecture is like discovering a little piece of gold among all the rocks. The Blacherne building's facade with it's carved faces had caught my eye as I waited at the stoplight a while back and they had been calling to me since then. I asked Karen and friend Debbie, to join me Tuesday morning to sketch them. This lady is under a set of windows on the northeast side of the building.

Eiteljorg Statue

PAULETTE LANCASTER

loved the juxtapostion of the ancient Eagle Statue against the background of new construction.

Creatures on the Blacherne

DEBBY PETERSEN

Debby sketched these images while visiting Indianapolis from Key West. The facade has a great deal of detail in the carvings over the front door.

Drawings from King Tut Exhibit

JERRY POINTS

Had an opportunity to see the King Tut Exhibit at the Indianapolis Childrens Museum, so took my small sketchbook along. I discovered it is very difficult to stand and draw in the dark, but managed to get a little light to make this sketch. Exhibition was fantastic. Nice feeling to be around art that was made 1000s of years ago.

Faces in Concrete

KAREN MASBAUM

Paulette, Debby, and I met downtown to sketch some of the faces you can see carved into building facades all over downtown Indy. These are found over the entrance to what used to be a mens' club on Meridian St.

Church on Meridian Street

KAREN MASBAUM

My friend, Debby, and I went to the top floor of the Central Library to sketch this view. This church was recently converted to condos. What a great place!

Pedestrian Bridge over the White River

KAREN MASBAUM

Did this sketch on Wed. morning when Jerry and I met. It's taken me this long to figure out how to load it into my new Photoshop Elements program. Still trying to figure it out, but so far so good... This pedistrian bridge can be seen when you get off the Monon at the Indianapolis Art Center, and go down to the river. Hard to believe you're still in the city!

Art Center Sign

JERRY POINTS

Saturday was a beautiful morning to sketch. Set up in front of the Indianapolis Art Center and sketched the logo sign and tree behind.

Monon Bridge

JERRY POINTS

Karen and I met at the Art Center and drove down to the White River landing looking up at the Monon Bridge. Drew in the shade in what turned out to be a hot day. I've painted the bridge before and find it a very interesting subject, be it pen or brush.

Indiana State Fair

NANCY ARICK

Indianapolis Bus Station

NANCY ARICK

Holcomb Observatory

KAREN MASBAUM

What a beautiful day to sketch! Holcomb Observatory is on the Butler University Campus. It's early in the morning, and school's still out, so the construction workers and us sketchers were the only one's there to enjoy it!

Snack Time

BARBARA COHEN

I ate these Oreo cookies one evening after we sketched at the White River State Park. I hated my canal sketch, so I tore it up and resolved to do something to overcome my frustration. First I ate some cookies, and then I sat down to sketch the shiny wrapper.
I definitely had trouble representing the various layers of the wrapper, and I don’t think I succeeded in adding dimensions to the sketch. But I was satisfied that I didn’t accept total defeat from the prior morning’s efforts.

Petite Chou

BARBARA COHEN

Although I didn’t have much time to sketch in July, I did meet up with Karen and Connie one morning for breakfast and sketching at Petite Chou. Karen sketched me while I tried to work on a perspective drawing of the Broad Ripple intersection we could see from the café.

Circle Center Kiosk

NANCY ARICK

Canterbury Inn Lobby

NANCY ARICK

War Memorial – South View

NANCY ARICK

Saxophonist

NACY ARICK

Broad Ripple Bungalow

JERRY POINTS

At one time Broad Ripple Village was filled with small bungalows. Over the years, many have been torn down for commercial spaces, but several still exist. Save the bungalow.

Barbara at Petite Chou

KAREN MASBAUM

Three of us met this morning to have breakfast and sketch. I started over 3 times, just not feeling it. Eventually I realized I wanted to draw people, and this is the result. With all the starting over, I didn't really spend too much time on it, maybe 20 minutes.

Eiteljorg Grounds

PAULETTE LANCASTER

I was working on drawing from different perspectives, and liked this view of the Statue that stands near the canal behind the Eiteljorg Museum. Between the mosquitoes and approaching thunderstorm I left before I thought to write down the name and artist of the statue. I'm finding as I sketch outdoors that there is a lot to "see" and I am learning how to look and translate it in my drawings.

Indianapolis Scottish Rite

JERRY POINTS

Back to the top floor of the library, one of my favorite places to draw from. This time, I looked to the right and the one building that stood out was this one. A lot of detail...major editing needed to make it work.

Citizens Thermal

JERRY POINTS

The Citizens Thermal plant has always fascinated me with all of the nearby construction that has been completed in the last 10 years. The factory/plant which looks like something from the 19th century now has the new convention center and Lucas Stadium in it's late afternoon shadow as well as the new Marriot Hotel to the North.

Get Organized on the Canal

JERRY POINTS

Drawing Sunday on the South side of the Canal, looking over to the small house that has survived the changes and construction over the past 15 years in Broad Ripple. At one time it was a small retail shop selling hand-made furniture. Thousands of people pass it every week walking, jogging, riding along the people trail. Probably wondering why Get Organized was painted on the side of the building.

Down for the Night

JERRY POINTS

Looking around at the Art Center Friday morning the John Deere caught my eye. I was able to complete the drawing before the construction workers arrived and jumped into action. Colored in Photoshop, I went for the 9pm look instead of 9am.

Children's Museum

PAULETTE LANCASTER

Anubis stands out in front of the Children's Museum in Indianapolis welcoming everyone to the new Eygptian exhibit. I sat on one of the big stones that line the sidewalk and tried to convey in my drawing just how enormous he is.

Banks of the White River

KAREN MASBAUM

I wasn't going to sketch today, but...
Drew this from a very quiet spot - below the level of the towpath, near to the water's edge. I had just come from jogging a lap around the canal and needed a quiet cool down. It was a cloudy day, so didn't need to look for shade!

Drink Stand

JERRY POINTS

It was 5pm and had to be 90 degrees at the White River State Park. The drink stand in front of the Indiana State Museum was a good subject to draw as well as a source for a cold drink.

NCAA Headquarters

KAREN MASBAUM

Sitting on the grassy area by the bridge over the White River, at the south west end of the canal. The NCAA building was just re-opened after major renovations. I have to look up to see the building and skyline beyond.

New York St. Bridge

JERRY POINTS

Monday morning sketch looking across the White River. IUPUI housing on the other side. Great morning to sketch. (Click on image for larger view)