We had a full house for the Line Drawing Coffee House.

Susan Irving ably led the event with newsprint, pencils & years of drawing experience. 

She demonstrated the possibilities of creating a drawing with a single line without lifting the pencil. You are allowed to go back over lines. Phew! And we followed suit.  

Then the same single line exercise but without looking at the drawing, blind contour. Laura doesn’t peek while drawing a landscape.

Folks were set up in pairs to draw one another. With a single line. Without looking.

Hilarity ensued.

This blind portrait of Lucie looks just like her. If you squint the right way.

For the next exercise Susan was an excellent model – she didn’t move a muscle.

Folks were getting the concept of looking & drawing without lifting the pencil.

The final exercise involved drawing with both hands, at the same time.

The 90-minute coffee house demonstrated many ways to draw. Folks learned that by giving up control – not lifting pencil, not looking at their drawing, not using the dominant hand – they could see better! And, as usual, they also had a great time.

The final gallery of fave works shows that.

The next Coffee House is scheduled for Wednesday, 27 May 2026.

Photos: Bobi Leutschaft Poitras