Sketches from the "Art of Preservation" conference in Geneva NY

The "Art of Preservation" Conference was a couple of days of lectures and networking that was a bit exhausting.  We listened to talks about how communities have worked to find new uses for old properties, Churches remodeling some of their property to lower cost of maintenance and make money off of it, how younger groups are working to bring attention to long forgotten spaces and make them attractive and a miriad of other subjects.

For me, the lectures were cool but it was a weekend of networking for me.  New business cards and brochures, new posters and just plain meeting people.  Most of the time I was tired, but I plastered that smile on my face and made a point of talking to total strangers - a lot.  Still, I made a point of sketching the day away too.  Mostly, in the sessions, it was drawing the backs of peoples heads.  And having to get the spirit of the session and place down meant very quick, sometimes exagerated drawing.

Some parts I felt like an outsider - so - the sketchbook was a way to keep myself busy, and get people to come to me.  Very often sketching is what keeps me from nodding of and able to concentrate on the speaker.  Other times it is a way to relax.

The venue for the weekend was the Geneva Opera house.  Very dark and simply covered in gold on the inside.  There was detail everywhere.  Even the ceiling had tiny lights mimicking stars.  the last session on Saturday took place in there and I was having a hard time staying awake. So I took out the pad and quick sketched the stage.  Not an easy task in almost total blackout.  I did it in pen and ink and memorized the colors around me then water colored them in later.

The next day was really only 2 sessions - one on how to use social media to your advantage(a great one for me) and a field session.  I chose to go on the "Urban Sketching as Activisim"  A group of 8 of us spent 2 hours going around the area sketching scenes.  It was the last and least developed one that intriqued me the most, an alley way.  But I put my attention on each location we went to to draw