Saturday, March 16, 2024

Cherry Blossoms on the Waterfront

It looks like we lucked out with both the weather and the blossoms this year.  Here are the photos that Amy took this morning, which you may have already seen on facebook.








Monday, March 4, 2024

March 16th Sketchcrawl - Japanese American Historical Plaza

sketch by George Schweser

Predicting cherry blossoms in advance can be hit and miss, but let's try heading to the waterfront again this year.  
Weather permitting, we'll meet at the Japanese American Historical Plaza at the foot of NW Couch at Naito Parkway.   (If it's raining, under the awnings at the Oregon State University Building, directly across Naito)

For coffee and food, there's Floyd's Old Town Coffee, The Society Hotel at NW Davis & 3rd, and the Saturday Market is open again.
  • 10:00 am - Gather and do intros in the central square of the Japanese American  Historical Plaza 
  • 12:00 pm - Gather again at same location for optional sketchbook throwdown

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Pill Hill

It was good to see everyone who made the trek up the hill to OHSU.  It was dry, but so cold and windy that nobody ventured outside to sketch. And cloudy, although some people managed to catch glimpses of the mountain. 






(Sorry about the belated posting.)

Sunday, February 4, 2024

February 17 Sketchcrawl - Pill Hill

sketch by Andrea

Let's go back up to OHSU, which we haven't visited since before the pandemic.  With luck, there will be great views of the city and mountains.  And if we're not lucky, then we'll at least have architecture to sketch.  And yet more construction.

sketch by Vicky


The tram might be the easiest way up the hill, but it's gotten pricey, at $8 for a round trip.  There are three buses (8, 43 and 56) that serve Pill Hill.  And there might be free parking on top of the hill on weekends.  

NOTE: If you want to take the aerial tram up, then you can start here and we'll see you at the top:

South Waterfront Lower Tram Terminal
3303 S Bond Ave, Portland, OR 97239
Or, if you're getting to OHSU by bus or car, you're headed to this address, and just head for the top of the aerial tram.
OHSU Hospital, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239

Pre-sketching caffeination might be, uh, sketchy.  If you're coming up the tram you could visit the Starbucks at Tilikum Crossing.  The only place at the top of the hill that I could find open on a Saturday was the cafeteria on the third floor of OHSU Hospital.  They have coffee, but only in urns.

  • 10:00am - meet at the atrium in front of the elevator banks next to the upper tram station.
  • Noon - meet at the same place for an optional sketchbook throwdown.





Saturday, January 27, 2024

Lower East Burnside

The weather started out wet and I was expecting a low turnout, but a bunch of people braved the rain.  It all worked out, because there was enough shelter under the arcades for those who wanted to sketch outside.  And, of course, all of Hippo Hardware for those who wanted to stay inside.












Monday, January 1, 2024

Lower East Burnside - rescheduled to January 27

We'd planned to do this on January 20, but repeated ice storms intervened. Hence, we've postponed the sketchcrawl to January 27.
Everything else remains the same.

We were thinking of just going to Hippo Hardware, which is chock-full of interesting things to sketch.  But there's also some great architecture, old and new, in the neighborhood, and a series of arcades to keep us out of the rain.  So you get to pick whether to be inside or out.

Grendel's Coffee House, at Burnside and 8th, is a good place to fuel up, but is a tad too small to meet up in.  So we'll meet under the arcade across the street.


  • 10am - Meet in front of Le Pigeon, at E Burnside and SE 8th
  • noon - Meet again, nearby, at a place TBD, for an optional throwdown.

Saturday, December 16, 2023

Lloyd Center

It was a dry day, but a cold one.  So I'm glad we picked an indoor venue.