People sketches

Of all sketching themes, people are definitely my favorite. The more history they reflect in their faces, the more interesting they are for me to sketch. Fellow urban sketchers, friends, family and random people on the go, have served as models. 

Now, I would like to start a series of portraits to reflect Essen's amazing diversity.  Volunteers, please contact me via e-mail:  

dorisraecke@yahoo.com 

 

The Ruhr river in all seasons

 

These are watercolors and acrylic paintings completed during the last couple of years.  The Ruhr river is always an inspiring and relaxing place to be, 10 minutes from our home.  It once resembled a sewer. Now, its water is surprisingly transparent.  Policies have changed and efforts have been made to recuperate this river for nature and the inhabitants of the Ruhr region.  

A dam in Essen gave way to the Baldeney sea, large enough to allow sailboats on it.

This sketch will allways remind me of the terrible floods in Western Germany on July 14th last year.  While sketching, it started to drizzle. A bit later, to pour heavily.  Then, we rushed to our car.

Sun shining through the tree leaves.

"Maple meets oak", watercolor, 12 x 9 inches, 2022

Sketching while waiting at the Dusseldorf airport

 

Some cruise ports of call

 Lovely places, far too little time to sketch and tour them all. A few sketches remain unfinished.  Perhaps some day I get back to them.