JANE WINGFIELD

Meet Jane Wingfield

BY MONIQUE CHIAM

As we all know, the birth of Urban Sketchers began in 2007 in Seattle, Washington, with founder Gabi Campanario. In November 2009, he organized a sketch crawl at Volunteer Park Conservatory, and it was just another typical urban sketchers outing on a typical wet, drizzly Seattle day. Except that, on this day, Jane Wingfield was driving 60 miles from Olympia to attend this event for the very first time. It would be the beginning of her urban sketching journey and she was all-in. From then on, she made the 120 mile round-trip drive to every meet-up she could, and she volunteered to set up a Facebook page for the group.

A civil servant by day, Jane had been an art major in college, but kept her art practice low-key, or “closeted”, as she puts it. Thanks to urban sketchers, Jane’s love for art was reawakened. Now we can admire her loose and wonderfully expressive sketches online.

Jane’s philosophy, when it comes to sketching, is about the experience of drawing in-person, being present and in the moment. Her approach is inspired by the work of Frederick Franck (sculptor, writer, Renaissance man), particularly his books, The Zen of Seeing, My Eye Is in Love and The Awakened Eye.

“TO ME, THEN, DRAWING IS A WAY OF LIVING, A WAY TOWARDS LIFE’S FULLNESS. IT IS NOT JUST A TECHNIQUE AND CERTAINLY NOT MERE SKILL. IT IS A TOTAL RESPONSE.” – FROM MY EYE IS IN LOVE BY FREDERICK FRANCK

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Postcards from India

INDIA HAS AROUND 10 USK CHAPTERS. HERE ARE THREE KEEN SKETCHERS WHO HAVE EMBRACED THEIR NEW PAST TIME.

MAHESH: I am a fine artist and every week I enjoy walking in nature, towns and villages, drawing and doing landscape paintings. In fact, it has become an integral part of my life. I have been sketching at the Prayag River and Panchganga River bridge (right).

JESMON K J, KOCHI, KERALA: I work as a UI developer for an IT firm. I am really passionate about art and I do it consistently. This sketch was drawn from the Copt Avenue walkway in Kochi at my first meetup with USK Kochi (left, right and below). It was a wonderful experience for me. I was able learn a lot from this community and now my art is improving. SHRUTI PAWAR, LUCKNOW: I follow the Urban Sketchers page on Instagram and also participate in sketch meets organised by Urbansketcherslucknkow. I did this sketch at the fourth sketch meet with USK Lucknow in August, at Sadat Ali Khan Mosque (below).