Last week two new members joined our Tuesday night sketch group and we had a great time sketching in the bar at Spenger’s, an old, formerly family-owned seafood restaurant filled with ship-themed objects including giant mounted fish trophies (which we learned are just plastic), models of old ships, steering wheels, ropes, etc.
I tried several times to draw some of the mounted fish but mostly failed except for the one on the back wall above. Then I drew the lanterns hanging from the ceiling (below), interested in the perspective and how they overlapped as they receded in space. Then I used the rest of the page for a different view.
I was drawing the guy in the foreground with the hat, cellphone and martini, when I noticed the man behind him kept smiling at me when I looked up. I wondered aloud whether it might be a bad idea to stare at men at the bar—would they think we were flirting with them?
Everyone around our table laughed as it turned out we were all intently drawing the same foreground guy. He was a good sport and when we all finished we showed him his many portraits.
You can see Cathy’s and Sonia’s sketches on our Urban Sketchers blog.
Jana Bouc, Artist 
3 replies on “Sketching in the Bar at Spenger’s Fish Grotto”
Good stories and beaut sketches, quirky and showing the characters very well. Limited colour works very well.
Happy Christmas. We are having cool damp days and it should be hot and dry! Australia is certainly an upside down place these days – after ten years of drought many places have been flooded
w.
LikeLike
Wendy said it…the quick, loose lines and sparse colour does it.
I was drawing in a cafe once and, miles away with my thoughts, must have been looking past as if I was looking at a chap. He tilted his head and sat very still…and then came over to me and asked if he could see his “portrait.”
Oops! I’d been sketching a jacket pattern!;-)
LikeLike
Great sketches and stories.
Merry Christmas.
LikeLike