Memorial Jorge Royan

all that is not given is lost.

jorge royan 18 october 1952 – 7 august 2014

This sketchbook is dedicated to the memory of Jorge Royan by his fellow sketchers and friends at The Sketching Workshop, a group of 150 artists from around the globe who meet on Facebook to share work and learn from each other. “A school is just a teacher and a student under a tree�

~Louis Kahn

All images in this book are the copyright of the individual artists and cannot be copied, stored or transmitted without written consent of the artist.

Varios años para estas fechas - seguro un poco antes- Jorge nos venia con sus propuestas: parecían “un chino” para algunos; “geniales” para otros; “muy difíciles” para varios.

Aún así, el las empujaba hasta el final, como siempre hacia cuando algo que se le metía en la cabeza. Y, al tiempo, cuando eso cobraba su forma final... todos, los que habíamos dicho “es un chino”, “genial” o “qué difícil”... aún los que no habían participado por fiaca o falta de tiempo, se admiraban por el resultado.

Muchos recordarán el cuadradito de 2009, con los deseos de todos para el otro año.

Yo, como todos saben, soy del mundo de la palabra; pocas cosas me son tan ajenas como la imagen y todo lo que tenga tres dimensiones (siempre me cargaba con esto).

Las energías este año no me dieron para proponerles, al estilo Jor, una creación colectiva con la palabra -quizá, el próximo-, pero quiero decirles que su creatividad, innovación, y especialmente su empuje, están en cada uno de los integrantes de su familia, que en estas fiestas estarán brindando por él y por ustedes, sus amigos que tanto nos acompañaron en este complejo año.

Felices Fiestas para todas las familias y amigos royanezcos.

Gracias por acompañarnos.

No dejen de levantar la bandera de los proyectos y la creatividad en el 2015... y a volar lo que la vida permita.

~Los Royanes

Sketching Workshop began in April 2013. Jorge had been part of the team behind the Urban Sketching Symposium in Barcelona and had stepped back from it for personal reasons. He offered all those registered for his workshop an online equivalent honouring his commitment. I was a friend of a friend but was welcomed onboard with a study, practise and online sharing plan.

Facebook has always been the home of Sketching Workshop.

PHOTO BY TONY KUEHN Jorge constantly tweaked the idiosyncrasies of the site to make it work for the group. He was vigilant in imposing the structure by which posts are shared and commented upon, for good reason. It worked to maximum effect for each individual who was sharing information or looking for feedback. Sketching Workshop has never been about ego or empty compliments.

As the group morphed, Jorge was constantly aware of not dominating it. He suggested ideas and often stepped back to observe them unfold. The Sherlock Game was an early suggestion where new techniques and materials challenged us and gave us the chance to interact with fellow sketchers. SW Chats was another way to pick the brains of individual members in a virtual visit to the host sketcher’s head space and home.

Sketching Workshop draws sketchers from around the world together, our common language pen, pencils and the paraphernalia that goes with that. Shared map building has brought members together to work on building a city with line and colour either visiting it for the first time or sharing information about where to find the best coffee.

Jorge has always been about sharing. Tutorials grew out of his own and others’ knowledge on specific subjects and were posted for all to benefit from. We enjoyed the intensity of heated debate and the humour of a shared love for literature or salsa dancing through Jorge’s enquiring mind.

SKETCHES BY JORGE ROYAN

As the house that was Sketching Workshop grew, and there were so many who felt it to be a safe house, Jorge pulled members behind the scenes to assist with the housework and to allow it to develop into the complex it is today.

Jorge touched the lives of so many unobtrusively. Even those who felt his caustic side are changed for the interaction. He was larger than life and expected the same from those whose paths he crossed. His manner was gentle and kind to those emerging sketchers new to the process of opening up to others and hungry for support.

Jorge was about angles and viewpoints and framing. He was about constant questioning. He was the architect of a sharing, caring structure, the mortar that held it together and the heart that made the house a home.

I will always miss his unique way of commenting on life and his carefully observed images where line told a story.

I feel honoured and blessed to have been touched by the life force that was Jorge Royan.

~Di Metcalf

Left: Cathy McShannon, South Africa

Above and right: Bravo Juliet, Tanzania

Left to right: HoĂ ng Linh, Vietnam Ramon Mues Florit, Spain Debo Boddiford, United States After learning Jorge was gone, I discovered this young oak growing in a forgotten pot in my garden. It was a tangible reminder that not all is lost. Some has already been given, and there is much more waiting for those who search and dream. Jorge was instrumental in helping many find their voices and visions for the future, and his influence will live on. The seasons and hardships will come and go, but the promise of spring is always ahead. Jorge, may God be with you until we meet again. ~Debo Boddiford

Clockwise from lower left: Dominique Eichi, United States Yves Giroud, Switzerland Amy Forsyth, United States

Clockwise from above: Pei Yeou Bradley, Malaysia Rob Sketcherman, Hong Kong Roger Klaassen, Netherlands

Clockwise, from lower left: Robert Dodd, United States Don Culver, United States Katie Powell, United States

Left to right: Aislinn Adams, United States Cat Andrew, England Joan Ramon FarrĂŠ, Spain

I have been thinking a lot about Jorge and what I could do to show what it means to me to be part of this wonderful community, which he created with the help of others. He reminds me that we are all connected at a deep human level.

I created this illustration from a quick sketch I made several years ago. I have combined it with an old Irish (Gaelic) proverb because I think it really speaks to this idea - of us all being connected. ~Best, Aislinn

Thank you, Jorge, for making me part of this crazy, fun, fantastic family. I will always try to give so nothing is lost. ~ Paula Raudenbush

Left column: Paula Raudenbush, United States Below: Dhruba Mazumder, India

Clockwise from top: Amanda Lee Condict, United States Kerry Davies, England Roderick Byatt, Australia

Clockwise from below: Di Metcalf, South Africa Laura Sfiat, United States Alexandra Zonis, United States

I sketched brilliant red flowers for someone who came across to me as being very intense and passionate. I didn’t know him for long but I could tell that he was someone who really left an impression and an impact on people. I used to call him ‘King’ and he would laugh. Well, rest in peace, Jorge. You will live on in many hearts.

~Palma Rea

Above and far right: Palma Rea, Italy Near right: Marion von Oppeln, Germany

This genius pierced us with his lightning. The echoes of this thunderstorm surround the globe watering the seeds buried in the depths of all of us.

I still hope that you will pop in in any moment, in any comment, undoing this cruel prank with another bolder one.

Forever, Jorge.

~ Sakerinox Idable

This is my Portrait of Big George.

Clockwise from above: Carol Case Siracuse, United States Sakerinox Idable (David Marcos), Spain Tomas Baisi, Argentina

There are no words for me to express my grief.

It is very difficult and I am not very good at this. I’ve been praying for him and his family all of this week.

George was a giant and incredibly generous person, we will miss him..

Thank you.

~Tomas Baisi

Clockwise from below: Marco Guizzetti, Italy Phil McDonnel, United States Linda Cascio Engstrom, United States

I remember when you sent me a private message asking me to join this group. I was happy and a little bit scared about the other’s judgement, instead I found a lot of friends and inspiration. Thank you for everything, I will miss your beautiful drawings. My condolences to your family.

Ciao, Jorge.

~Marco Guizzetti

Jorge always seemed to have a twinkle in his eye and I tried to capture that spirit in this sketch.... young at heart and bold in spirit!

~ Linda Engstrom

Clockwise from upper left: BĂŠliza Mendes, Luxembourg Jim Scheel, United States Jennifer Lawson, United States

Upper left: Esperanza Jimenez, Spain Above and left: Wes Douglas, United States

Oh heck, loss of salt in sketching this..... this unexpected passing of a remarkable man has certainly stopped many of us in our globally different tracks! What a shock for all of his loved family, if it can (and has) affected so very many within Sketching Workshop, and far beyond, like it has. From early May 2013, (when SW began) I've had such treats of debates, laughs, 'checking levels', working lines to a superbly raised and angled bar, explaining "why blue/ball point?," stirred-up and strived-for delights in sketching and so very much beyond too, captained by an original, innovative, charismatic, curious and utterly generous Jorge Royan and a splendid, gregarious, multi-cultural sketching clan. Oh, OH (we had a joke within SW, we'd call him OH, for 'Oh Hero'!), you leave a gigantic aching hole in this 'SW Space'. Sketch up a storm amidst the stars and heaven. RIP, never to be forgotten.

Drawn with an EberhardFaber tri-colour pencil crayon.

Jorge was often asking me about why I used so many colours or a blue ball-point Bic pen! He was full of an original, energetic spirit....he truly brought more colour to my sketching plans!

Above: Jane Pereira Siebert, South Africa Near and far right Margaret Taylor, England

~Jane Pereira Siebert

Clockwise from above: Chris Haldane, Australia Wendy Shortland, Australia Amit Gal, Israel

Clockwise from above: René Fijten, Netherlands Christina Wald, United States Percy Acuña, Peru

Clockwise from lower left: Agnes Den Hartogh, Netherlands Annette Kombrink, Netherlands Martine Pittet, France

“​​-Small nice towns without much tourism, places here I can park this car without much trouble, get my bike (inside) and move around without battling tourist hordes. But also, towns with some charm.“​ “​Once each year I spend a month there. It’s my freedom, and I long for that all through the year.​“ And he had suggested we might meet somewhere in France during his next trip.

Jorge was creative, open-minded, full of energy and humour. He created here, on Facebook, a tremendous group: Sketching Workshop I am lucky to be part of. He always had new ideas for challenges, collaborative work and he loved starting lively discussions with enthusiasm without ever imposing his personal ideas. He succeeded, despite what some people may think of Facebook, in creating here a group of TRUE friends.

Thank you, Jorge.

~Martine Pittet

Clockwise from bottom: Marie-Catherine Codine, United States Donna Campbell McMenamin, United States Phil McDonel, United States

Jorge invited me to the SW groups and encouraged me, being friendly and patient with me and respectful of my crazy ideas, a true artist and wonderful man. I tell myself that, at least he saw his son’s graduation – his pride was so obvious, he loved his family above all, and often told us so.

I never thought I’d miss so much someone I’ve never met, he was that kind of exceptional person.

RIP Jorge, hey, amigo – in heaven do a lot of sketching there, along with Vincent and all the others, it will be fun!

A hug to all your family, Jorge, what luck they had to have a father like you! ~Anton Von Flugelhorn aka Marie-Catherine Codine

Clockwise from near left:

Ashley Marie de JongDoucette, Netherlands Jane Harrison, United States Jansi Wessenberg King, United States

These colors and shapes make me think of Jorge Royan. He will continue to be such an inspiration.

~

Jane Harrison

Clockwise from bottom left: Holger Wendt, Sweden Joe Milazzo, United States Jonas Ericson, Sweden

Clockwise from near left: Carlos Merlo, Argentina Luis Migel Frasco, Portugal Judith Alsop Miles, England Luis Miranda, Portugal

Clockwise from upper left: Not Not Tana Luc, Italy Terry McMahon, Ireland Serena Lewis, Australia

SKETCHING WORKSHOP