Casey McQuillen showed off what he called “stupid doodles” but that were charming line drawings that might live in a kid’s inner comic book. His buddy Jonathan Jucaban meanwhile manipulated an outsized marking pen that made him look like a kid with a with a new toy. “We’re here for the first time and are just having fun,” said McQuillen, a Laguna Hills resident. A graphic designer, Jucaban noted that he was also screen printer and a registered nurse. The latter might have come in useful at this monthly First Thursday Art Walk where revelers tend to consume notable amounts of wine offered by participating galleries.
On the block between Brooks and Oak Streets, merchants included the Logan Bros. Barbershop, Aviator Nation, Lala Boutique and the Spice Merchant.
Organized by Artists Republic gallery owner Torrey Cook, they had allowed artists to turn their front sidewalks into a mini street fair by setting up easels and stands.
Laguna College of Art and Design graduate Grigoriy Peppo showed off superior classical drawing skills depicting characters ranging from European grandees to the eminently drawable Albert Einstein. “I am in part color blind, so I rely on earth colors that are applied in thin layers until I achieve desired effects,” he explained.
Others were not quite as lofty in their ambitions offering printed teeshirts, cards and embellished skateboards which sold for roughly $250.
“Over the past year, I have invited artists to live draw and paint on the sidewalk. Allowing the artists to draw and paint outdoors gives the area an ambience found in other metropolises of the world,” said Cook.
