Ugly scetch walk: Christmas!

This is Ugly Sketch Walk on Christmas!

Same rule as always — quiet the inner critic, give yourself permission to draw badly, don't try to make anything nice. This time the theme kind of does the work for you: lights everywhere, trees, windows dressed up, the whole city being a bit much about Christmas. If you want a material suggestion — gold or metallic pens are fun once it gets dark. Not required, just fun.

It's a short route, just three stops close together — but each one comes with a little story, something to actually look at instead of just walking past it with your phone out. And since we're doing this four days before Christmas, the city's going to be fully, shamelessly in its holiday era.

Where we're going:

• Fontana della Barcaccia — We start right at the center of Piazza di Spagna, by Bernini's "little sinking boat" fountain. Still some daylight left. A good, calm place to settle in before we start moving — a quick story about this square to get us in the mood.
• Via dei Condotti — From the fountain, we loop together up Rome's most elegant shopping street — every window dressed for the season. We're not shopping, we're hunting for inspiration: reflections, gold trim, tiny details in the decorations.
• Back to the steps, up to Trinità dei Monti — We circle back to the Spanish Steps, now lit and properly festive, and climb to the top to finish. By now it should be dark — the city spread out below, lights on. A quieter, calmer place to sit after the buzz of the square.

How this works:
We meet at Fontana della Barcaccia, Piazza di Spagna, at 4:00 PM.
At each stop: a quick, 5-minute story to set the scene, then about 25 minutes to sketch. We move together between stops. Total time: about 2 hours.

A note on what this is (and isn't): I'm not an art teacher, and there's no lesson here. But I am a painter myself — so if you're stuck, or just want a nudge, I'm happy to suggest a direction, an idea, a new angle to try. Beyond that, my job is mostly to point us toward something worth looking at and get out of the way. Nobody's checking your drawing.

What to bring: Sketchbook, your usual materials, and dress properly for the weather — scarf, gloves, the works. Bring a thermos of something warm too, if you have one. We're outside for two hours, and December evenings in Rome look festive, but they're not warm.

Cost: €15, paid on the spot at the beginning.

Joining: Groups capped at 5–10 people, added to a WhatsApp group for this event once you're in.

Cancellations: Life happens — let me know in the WhatsApp group as soon as you can if something comes up.

After party (optional): If you'd like to stick around a bit longer and warm up, I'll usually find somewhere close by — casual, nothing fancy. Come if you'd like, skip it if you're ready to head home.