by Jessie Ammons
photograph by Travis Long
“The world is so high-paced, everybody on their phone and looking down. Just sitting there and staring at something and drawing it slows your presence. You slow down and you really observe things.” – Scott Renk, art teacher and leader of the CAM Raleigh urban drawing group
Twice a month, a dozen or so artists of all skill levels meet at CAM Raleigh bearing sketchbooks,
portable watercolor sets, pens, and pencils. They pick a spot within a few blocks of their downtown meeting place to sit and draw the urban landscape before them. “You really learn about environments, people, and neighborhoods that you would normally just rush through,” says Renk, who spearheads the group. As afternoon turns into evening, they usually walk down the street for a beer. “And we keep sketching each other, usually. We’re all sketchy characters.”
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