Brace Yourselves for the 2nd Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers Sketchcrawl!

Last summer in the Bay Area of California, an experiment was proposed: What if folks organized a big old Urban Sketchers event that was very simple: no workshops, no registrations, no fees, just an open invitation for folks all over the west coast to come and sketch together? The event was a huge hit, with more than 100 people attending from locations as far-flung as Mexico City and Montreal.

This year, the experiment will repeat--in the fine, funky city of Portland, Oregon. Mark your calendars for a sketching hootenanny on July 11 and 12, 2014. Click the image below for the event overview so far, and stay tuned for all the fabulous details!

"2nd Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers Sketchcrawl"

Image by Linda Daily

Join us this July in Portland.

Architectural artifacts

What fun to be warm and dry and sketching all of the variety of architectural artifacts on display at the Architectural Heritage Center.
A big hit was the transfer decorated toilet, which we were informed was not all that unusual.....but decorated inside the bowl....now that was unusual!

Noodlers Blue Heron ink

How would you like to pay homage to the Greek God Nilus whenever you flushed the bowl?



Some of the other items on display were ones that I had sketched before on a previous visit...it is nice to see the differences or sameness of approach.

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I seem to remember doing this figural bracket before but couldn't locate it for comparison.

































I did find a 2010 sketch of the carved brackets though...

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Watercolor and ink

After lunch with the other sketchers I returned and did some other sketches and talked to the gentleman at the desk who was a fountain of information.

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Historians and Historic Plumbing

Our visit to the Architectural History Center this weekend was fun, but as the baby gets more engaged with the world I think I'm going to have to plan on sketching faster and faster. Here are the few doodles I did pull off...

 The comfiest chairs for nursing were in the room where the local history authors were showing off their wares. Really interesting to listen to them chatting about everything from the politics of historic preservation to strategies for self-publishing.

 This young man was entertaining himself with the computer tablet while his mom rocked the history table.

Highlight of the beautiful exhibition on old-growth wood in local architecture: "The Nilus," a fabulous 19th-century toilet. The lid and seat are rich dark wood, and the base is white porcelain with very intricate floral patterns in black linework. The butterfly and arching sheaf of wheat are some details of the pattern on the exterior...but I didn't have time to record more of the details. (There was art on the inside of the bowl too!)

A snapshot of the group assembling to head out towards delicious Robo Taco. We had probably around 14 people out for the event? Good fun, nice to welcome a few new faces to the crowd as well.

Architectural Heritage Center

So relaxing yesterday to sketch inside while it was pouring rain outside.

Looking forward to seeing a toilet series from you guys....

Here's my version of the toilet at the Architecture museum.

Jenifer

                                                     Front (east) side of  old Taos church

                            West (back) side of old Taos chuch

A  sketch of the old church at Rancho de Taos....done in Tombo pens

Another Water Tower

 What is so special about water towers?  I don't know but I am glad that there was one outside the waiting room window...just waiting to be sketched. 

Sat, Feb 15: Architectural Heritage Center

Join us for a morning of sketching at the Architectural Heritage Center on Saturday, February 15! The ACH features museum exhibits, a research library, and public tours "which help people appreciate and preserve older and historic buildings, neighborhoods, and traditional commercial areas".

• Meet 9:30 am at Nirvana Cafe (510 SE Morrison) for snacks and socializing. 
• Sketch at AHC (701 SE Grand Ave) from 10-noon.
• Optional lunch at Robo Taco! (607 SE Morrison).

View Larger Map

Chinatown my Chinatown,

I hope it is alright to share non-Portland urban sketches. This is from a day shopping,eating and sketching my way up Grant Avenue. The Dim Sum was delicious though I think the waiter wondered why I was drawing my food.

Three tiny tea tins

Frustrated by trying to paint a snow scene, I decided to paint these tea tins I recently purchased

in San Francisco's Chinatown. It was fun to paint all those colors on a rather colorless day.

Inside,outside

I also tried to do a sketch from inside. I thought the tropical orchid a great contrast to 

the winter wonderland outdoors. From where I was sitting the panes looked angled but I

think this might have looked a little better if they were an even frame.  

It's Melting!

This morning, my eye was drawn to these diagonal icicles on the rhododendron outside the living room window. I couldn't figure out how some of them were diagonal until we realized that the branch had broken or bent after the icicles formed.

I really haven't had much practice drawing snow and ice scenes, but Andrea's sketch inspired me to give it a try.

 I haven't had much practice drawing dogs either (as noted by the extra large head), but we're happily dog sitting this weekend. Paisley was a willing model as she napped in her vest.

I hope all my fellow sketchers are warm and cozy and maybe as relaxed as this dog.

Snow Day at Fehrenbacher Hof

I was cuddled up today at the Hof, drinking coffee, and watching the snow fall.  I knew they'd be open.

This egg beater is from a while back - from the Hof's egg beater collection.