# urban sketchers symposium (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover urban sketchers symposium. Page: Feed: --- ## [Today is Independence Day of Ukraine](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/today-is-independence-day-of-ukraine) _2026-08-24 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ I celebrate with sunflowers! ## [New Stillman and Birn Sketchbook](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/08/21/new-stillman-and-birn-sketchbook/) _2026-08-21 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ After finishing my previous Stillman and Birn pocket Beta sketchbook I started a new one. I normally use the first page to draw my palette, but this time I just skipped the first page and started a full page spread. I was sketching in my favourite cafe after a hot and humid run and for \[…\] ## [Looking takes time](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/looking-takes-time) _2026-08-17 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ Multiple drawings from the same places. ## [Book Review: Pachincko by Min Jin Lee](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/08/12/book-review-pachincko-by-min-jin-lee/) _2026-08-12 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ I read this book as part of the NYT Summer Reading Challenge, but it has languished in my Kindle since 2018. I purchased it as part of following The Tournament of Books, and I intended to start reading it but each time I did I encountered its mixed reviews and selected another book instead. It’s \[…\] ## [Publications, Dragon, and People](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/publications-dragon-and-people) _2026-08-10 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ More Sketches From Toulouse! ## [Last page in my sketchbook](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/08/09/last-page-in-my-sketchbook/) _2026-08-09 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ I filled the last page of my Stillman and Birn pocket beta today, a bit less than a year after starting it. After a hot and humid run this morning I went to my favourite cafe and sketched Orit, my favourite barista. The line drawing was done with a Staedtler 0.8 pigment liner pen. Then \[…\] ## [Weekly Update: New Job](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/08/08/weekly-update-new-job-2/) _2026-08-08 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ It’s been a while since my last update, and though I drafted a post in my blogging notebook over a month ago, I didn’t get to posting it here. I got a new job! The process was much quicker than I expected both because of my excellent friends and colleagues network and because I aggressively \[…\] ## [Book Review: The Odyssey, Robert Fagles Translation, Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/08/07/book-review-the-odyssey-robert-fagles-translation-narrated-by-sir-ian-mckellen/) _2026-08-07 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ This was the first audiobook that I’ve ever listened to, and if it wasn’t part of the NYT Summer Reading Challenge to listen to an audiobook, I never would have listened to it. While I listen to podcasts, I don’t listen to audiobooks because I find that my mind tends to wander while listening and \[…\] ## [Happy Interactions: People, Art Materials and Rooftop Views.](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/happy-interactions-people-art-materials) _2026-08-04 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ Three things I wanted to share today: ## [I'm Back Home!](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/im-back-home) _2026-07-27 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ But part of me is still in Toulouse. ## [Fast, secure international transfers (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/9eOjAM7vzOif) _2026-07-27 · **Sponsored**_ Bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile wallet — low fees and real-time tracking ## [Morning cafe sketch](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/07/22/morning-cafe-sketch/) _2026-07-22 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ I really like today’s cafe sketch, so I decided to post it. Here’s the line work before I added watercolour: Cafe sketches are a great way to get used to sketching people in real life. If you want to get started, take a sketchbook and a pen to a cafe near you, and just spend \[…\] ## [Three tools sketch](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/07/22/three-tools-sketch/) _2026-07-22 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ I wasn’t feeling well earlier this week, so I decided to sketch close to home and to simplify my setup. I was feeling the “Toulouse Blues” (where you’re part of the urban sketchers community but miss out on the urban sketchers symposium in Toulouse), so I wanted to sketch to cheer myself up. The setup \[…\] ## [Post-USk Symposium Feels](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/post-usk-symposium-feels) _2026-07-20 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ Are many ## [My Working Vacation Begins!](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/my-working-vacation-begins) _2026-07-13 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ Greetings from France - it is warm here :) ## [Sunset at the Sea Overlook](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/07/13/sunset-at-the-sea-overlook/) _2026-07-13 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ I had about 10 minutes to sketch yesterday, so I took my new Stillman & Birn Nova sketchbook (5 1/2 in. x 8 1/2 in.) a fineliner in sepia and black and a sepia brush pen and sketched this: I edited out the bench in this scene as the people were more interesting. I’m trying \[…\] ## [Three Art Supply Stores Worth Visiting in Central Paris](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/07/10/three-art-supply-stores-worth-visiting-in-central-paris/) _2026-07-10 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ As part of the Urban Sketchers symposium in Toulouse and general summer travel I know that a lot of sketchers will be visiting Paris this summer. Paris is full of wonderful art supply shops but I wanted to highlight three in particular that are worth visits. Each store caters for a different need, at a \[…\] ## [Tips for the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/07/09/tips-for-the-urban-sketchers-symposium-in-toulouse/) _2026-07-09 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ The Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse is starting next week, and this year I won’t be participating. For the lucky few that are going to be there, whether as official symposium participants or as “free range” sketchers I thought I’d write down some insights and tips that I gathered from last year’s symposium in Poznan. \[…\] ## [A Week Before I Travel](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/a-week-before-i-travel) _2026-07-06 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ Is super packed! (and I am not) ## [Rose Garden Watercolour on Location – Full Process](https://writingatlarge.com/2026/07/02/rose-garden-watercolour-on-location-full-process/) _2026-07-02 · writingatlarge · Writing at Large_ I went to Ramat Hanadiv garden today, and created a quick watercolour sketch on location. There were a lot of details in the scene, and I wanted to capture a relatively wide angle, so I had to do a little planning ahead. I normally don’t take photos or videos when I sketch (only once I’m \[…\] ## [Getting Ready for The International Urban Sketchers Symposium](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/getting-ready-for-the-international) _2026-06-30 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ I am two weeks away from the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse! Preparation for my teaching is underway (thank you to people who take my trial classes - you know who you are!!), and I ordered some stickers to distribute to my workshop participants and just people I hope to sketch with. ## [Ultra-Quiet Business Mini (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/029owsTT67RS) _2026-06-30 · **Sponsored**_ Compact business mini, ultra-quiet for focused work. ## [Astronomical Summer is Here: Hello](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/astronomical-summer-is-here-hello) _2026-06-23 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ What is summer to you? ## [New Pencil Sharpener, Peonies and Still Life with Holes.](https://ninaapplepine.substack.com/p/new-pencil-sharpener-peonies-and) _2026-06-16 · Nina Khashchina · Nina Khashchina_ I got only one peony bouquet this season - but enjoyed sketching it - here are five sketches that I share. I am secretly hoping to find one more this week! It had a wonderful fragrance and such a delicate color that I could not decide what to paint/draw it with. And now I want a screaming pink one with a smell so strong I have to draw it outside!