Someone asked me about the sketch group I've mentioned here a few times. It has an interesting story.
The Saturday sketch group began long ago, in a very different era. It started in 1948 when a handful of men--Drake art professors and a writer for the Des Moines Register and Tribune--decided it might be fun to drive into the countryside and draw or paint watercolors. The original members seem to have been Karl Mattern (an artist and teacher at Drake University); Jim Morrison, a fine artist; and George Shane, a feature writer. They enjoyed themselves enough to recruit others to join them on Saturday afternoons. Leonard Good, a noted painter who had come to teach at Drake, joined in 1952, as did numerous others as the years went by. Rain or shine, ice or snow, they spent their Saturday afternoons sketching. The group grew to twenty or more (all men) to include artists, art teachers, attorneys, physicians, bankers, a cartoonist, and even a detective. Women only began coming during the 1970s and today comprise a majority of the group.The sketch group is very informal, having no constitution or rules, nor dues, and yet has continued for eight decades, meeting and sketching together regularly after lunch on Saturdays.
One member with a very long tenure is Dwight James, a retired attorney who has been coming regularly since 1968. Dwight hadn't painted before coming to the Saturday group, though he'd taken a few drawing courses at the Des Moines Art Center. From watercolor landscapes, the forte of the Saturday group, he later branched out to acrylics and oil portraits. Dwight is the source of much of the information in this post, both from personal memory and from his files, having been given archives of the group dating into the 1950s. He also invited me to participate a few years ago.
At first the Saturday sketch group met at a member's house to decide on the day's location. Later on it switched to the current spot in the parking lot west of the Des Moines Art Center. Then as now the group meets after lunch on Saturday, decides on a place to paint after a brief discussion, and heads out. After about two hours we meet at a local cafe for conversation and discussion of the work. The original group met similarly but would knock off a pint or two at various local bars instead. Most still adhere to the watercolor medium because of its portability and simplicity, though a few do pastel and occasionally someone makes a small oil painting. The looseness of the organization means that some of us come regularly, some sporadically. Regardless, the Saturday sketch group goes on.
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| Gary Hoff, "Grandview Park," watercolor on paper, 2020 |
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| Leslie Leavenworth, "Des Moines Botanical Center," wc, 2021 |
Current members include respected professionals like Leslie Leavenworth, who says, “I
have spent most Saturdays afternoons since 2003 with this intrepid group.
The camaraderie of painting outdoors is inspiring and motivating. I
love that there are no dues, no membership, and no rules except to be on time
or be left behind! We all share a mutual love for painting plein
air in beautiful Des Moines." Leslie has recently begun teaching outdoor watercolor workshops.
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| Chuck Mertes, "Winterset Bridge," pastel on paper, 2021 |
Chuck Mertes is a member of the group who completes large pastels en plein air during our Saturday forays. He's also at home in other mediums and says he feels lucky to have "the
vast experience of the plein air group as a resource." He looks forward to each
Saturday as an adventure. His brilliantly colored pastels like the bright red covered bridge above, are beautifully composed and painted.
Mary Helen Grace is an avid painter with more than 30 years experience teaching art in public schools. She is a regular participant and loves our afternoons at various locations, from sites along the Des Moines River, the Botanical Center, and many others.
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| Mary Helen Grace, "At the Botanical Center," watercolor on paper, 2021 |
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