Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Dodging May raindrops

Here in Portland, we're ready to be out there sketching in the sunshine but we're not getting much sunshine - it's still dumping rain on many precious weekend days. I haven't even started on the scavenger hunt, and am impressed at all the drawings pouring in here at the blog - great work, sketchers!

Much of my sketching is still happening during the daily commute or various other stolen moments.


On the bus
Recently, Vicky and I both managed to drop by Sunnyside Piazza during the street repainting, though we missed each other. It was a challenging scene, with a lot of fast motion, standers-by blocking the view, complex shapes of vegetation and houses all around.
Sunnyside Piazza - annual repainting party Sunnyside Piazza - annual repainting party Sunnyside Piazza - annual repainting party

I attended Wonder Northwest, a "pop culture subculture" convention. Most of my sketching happened at the "Engineering Trek in the Park" panel discussion. The Trek in the Park folks enjoyed the live sketches I did at their awesome event last year, so I was particularly happy to sketch them again!
Wonder Northwest Wonder Northwest - "Engineering Trek in the Park" panel Wonder Northwest - "Engineering Trek in the Park" panel
A few of us met up to visit Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Funeral Home during their annual open house.  We started off at Staccato Gelato in Sellwood, and I sketched the view down Bybee...
Memorial Day SketchCrawl - from Sellwood Staccato Gelato

Alanna, Pascale, and I continued on to Wilhelm's. There was a sizable crowd already, mostly waiting to visit the Rae Room. The funeral home itself turned out to be a remarkable labyrinth of several buildings and outdoor areas all connected below with weaving, meandering corridors. There is a large fountain inside, alcoves with lovely stained glass, an outdoor pond with a stone bridge, the largest outdoor hand-painted mural in the nation, a great view of Oaks Bottom and Oaks Park, and corridor upon corridor of memorial boxes and urns.
Memorial Day SketchCrawl - Wilhelm Memorial Funeral Home Memorial Day SketchCrawl - Wilhelm Memorial Funeral Home Memorial Day SketchCrawl - Wilhelm Memorial Funeral Home

It was a great place to visit and I'd love to go again! Next year, sketchers.

1 comment:

  1. I love how you managed to capture the color and the gestures of the street painting event--what a challenge that must have been. And hey, you've gotten the rose item knocked off of the scavenger hunt list with your funeral home visit...that looks like a food cart in one of the street painting sketches too. Lovely work!

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