Saturday, March 16, 2013

OHSU Views

We met at the same cafe once before, but ended up staying in the area of the South Waterfront instead of taking the intended ride up the aerial tram to Oregon Health & Science University.  This time a group of us made it all the way up and the views were certainly worth the wobbly ride. We had our work cut out for us, but the sketchers were up to the task.

Here's long-absent sketcher Janene finally returned to the fold, and camped out for a lovely view of the river and Portland's east side...


I made this sketch while seated next to Janene. The great bridge/overpass shape was hard to resist.


When I went searching for a new scene I passed a few of my fellow sketchers hard at work...


Finally I chose a spot in the skybridge (as shown in Katura's post). The resulting sketch looks weirdly abstract, due to the strange shape of the building that houses the aerial tram dock.


OHSU was full of great views, but it was also a surreal place to spend time.  Once as I sat there touching up watercolors, a woman walking by exclaimed loudly to her friend, "I'm so glad my mother didn't die!"  There were doctors walking briskly through the halls in their scrubs and patients with crutches making clattering sounds as they passed. Of course, this is a place where lives are saved... and lost.  I felt grateful today to be visiting simply as a sketcher.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for capturing those snapshots of sketchers at work! I love the composition of the view of the freeway overpass, and the colors on that one are very evocative of the almost-spring conditions as well.

    OHSU does walk an interesting line between tourist location (key site on the 4-T trail, tram marketed as a fun ride for families and tourists) and a serious working hospital where lives are on the line. Ditto on the gratitude.

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  2. Kalina, It was great sketching with you (and the rest of the group) again! I like how your delightful sketch from 'our window' moves the eye from the warm colors in the foreground to the cooler in the distance. And those tree shapes are wonderful!

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  3. The panoramic view is great and the soft colors in the background give a real sense of the distance involved. Would love to see a grouping of the others' sketches of same all together.....
    Am also really enjoying your graphite work....the line quality and shading lend an emotional edge to it for me.

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