"Jim's Santo Domingo Adventure"

In the summer of 2010, the Urban Sketchers had their first international symposium in Portland, Oregon.  I was signed up to go and almost talked Lapoynte in joining me there, but he backed out; then I decided to do the same.  Afterwards, when I saw the work published from that symposium, I regretted pulling out and the desire to attend one of the syposiums grew even more. 

Last year they were in Lisbon, Portugal, too far, too much airfare.  So when they announced they were back in this part of the world for 2012, I decided I was going to attend.  July 10 - 16 of 2012 were special days for me as I traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for the Third International Urban Sketchers' Symposium.

Not wanting to arrive the night before the symposium started, I flew out of Pasco on July 10th, Tuesday and arrived about mid-day on the 11th.  The first thing I noticed on leaving the airport was that sickening humidity.  Uggghhh.  I knew when I decided to go it would be hot and humid in the tropics, especially in July; but still I wasn't prepared for the blast. 

The symposium was all I hoped for and more.  I met so many new people, many of them folks I have been communicating with and following online for as long as five years. The highlight was finally meeting with Gabi Campanario, founder of Urban Sketchers.

Each day was packed with activities and started at 9am with a meet-up at the Cultural Center, only a few blocks from my hotel, the Hotel Dona Elvira.  At 10am the sessions began at various places around the Zona Colonial.  There were 8 sessions offered both at 10am and 4pm, each lasting three hours. Lunch was from 1pm until 2:30 with either a panel discussion, or a lecture, back in the Cultural Center from 3 to 4pm.  Usually by 7pm, I was dragging.

The Zona Colonial is the oldest European establishment in the western hemisphere.  Some of the architecture dates back to the early 1500's, also, the oldest European architectural designs on our side of the globe.  But, for me, the humidity was overwhelming.  On Sunday, the 15th, I had the option of going back into the Zone for some final drawings, or staying at the hotel, which didn't have good air-conditioning, or heading back to the fully air-conditioned airport.  I was there at 10am, flight out at 4:20.

On the way out of Miami, on the flight to Seattle, I came down with a nice little case of traveler's diarrhea.  With an overnight room scheduled in Seattle and a 10am flight Monday morning to Pasco, we can honestly say the trip home fairly closely defined the word, "misery." 

Will I go again?  Not sure.  I learned some new techniques, some new ways of thinking about my art and art in general; but some time is needed to let it all percolate through my thickening cranial tissues.