Sketches & Watercolors by Alan Butler
I am honored to be the Sketcher Spotlight in the September issue of the online magazine Drawing Attention. The “zine” is the official quarterly publication of Urban Sketchers (USk) a world-wide organization with 500 chapters in 70 countries. The Urban Sketchers-North Bay (California) has 451 members while the SF Bay Area Urban Sketchers chapter has 3,400 members. Drawing Attention has a subscribed readership of about 16,000.
You can see the September 2025 issue at:
https://mailchi.mp/urbansketchers.org/drawing-attention-september2025?e=befc5ae5d0
I have been gratified by the reception of my book The Petaluma River, A Sketch Journal and Brief Historical Overview. I was fortunate to work with my co-author, Katherine J. Rinehart, who was vital in creating the history narrative and providing access to historical photos and documents.
As the article states, I have come to realize the importance of the Petaluma River in regional history and its ongoing presence as the focal point of the city. The preservation and enhancement of the river and its wetlands will be critical in the future as the city faces the effects of sea level rise and global warming. I am pleased to be associated with the Friends of the Petaluma River, Petaluma River Park, Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, and other non-profits working on behalf of the river environment.
Alan Butler
September 5, 2025
The book is available at Copperfield’s Books
in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, & Sebastopol
Usher Gallery, Petaluma
Riley Street Art Supply, Museum of Sonoma County,
& Corrick's | Stationery & Gifts in Santa Rosa,
Petaluma Historical Library & Museum.
Online at the Petaluma Historical Museum & Amazon
click the link to see more about the book
How I Sketch
Almost all of what I do is sketched onsite. I have traditionally done the watercolors later at home in more controlled conditions, but am now working to do the watercolor on site where I can get a first hand impression of the colors and values. I have sketchbooks dating back more than twenty years. The Sketches link contains pages with many years of my work in various locales. The Featured Work link below contains some of my more recent work and some of my favorites from past years. I would suggest starting there and then exploring subjects and locations that interest you.