Virtual Sketchbook Club: Drawing Meaningful Objects

You don’t have to go far to find something worth drawing!

While spending excessive time at home during lockdown, artist Laura Raborn started looking closely at objects right around her and considering the beauty in the mundane. This revived a lifelong interest in the power of objects and how they’re presented in art. Drawing and painting items in our everyday lives gives us endless subjects without ever leaving home. The objects we choose can pulse with beauty, history, and symbolism, making each sketch a little snapshot of our lives.

In this class, we’ll discuss thumbnail sketches, blocking in basic shapes, and how to capture the essence of the objects around us. You’ll learn fundamental drawing skills, how to use ordinary objects as drawing practice, and learn to better “see” the things in our lives, including how drawing deepens our understanding and appreciation of what we sometimes overlook.

All you need for this class is a sketchbook, a drawing tool of your choice, and two small objects to draw. There’s no pressure to choose a “meaningful” object. If you want to look closely at, say, a banana, that’s fine! Grab a banana, and we will see you Wednesday night!

Free, registration required. Register online or by calling Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 to reserve your spot today.

Laura Raborn’s paintings have been exhibited in Arkansas, the U.S., and the Bahamas and are in multiple collections such as the CARTI Collection, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and the Bill and Hillary Clinton private collection. Her work has earned numerous awards, and she has a thriving portrait commission business, one of which was presented to the former Governor of Arkansas Mike Beebe. An interview about her most recent work can be found at https://www.arkansasartscene.com/home/interview-with-artist-laura–raborn.

Her Little Rock studio is open for appointments and her paintings can be viewed at www.laurarabornart.com or by visiting Cantrell Gallery in Little Rock, Arkansas, Justus Fine Art in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Princess Street Gallery on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. To see process videos, interviews, studio shots, and the most recent work, follow Laura on Instagram @lauraraborart.