Save the Date: Sunday, May 20 - Oregon Humane Society's Annual Pug Crawl

Sunday, May 20

12:00 pm

Portland Brewing Company Taproom
2730 NW 31st Avenue, Portland

Save the Date: If you're willing and able to spend $10-30 on a benefit for the Oregon Humane Society and like the idea of sketching pugs in top hats, join me for a special Sunday sketchcrawl on May 20, 2018, for the 2018 Pug Crawl: "Blast to the Past"! 

Entry is $10 if you purchase in advance or $15 at the door. I'll announce again closer to the event when ticket sales are open. We'll meet outside the main entrance just before noon and go inside to sketch the pugs as they gather before the actual parade, which starts at 2pm.

This event is in NW Portland, reachable on Trimet with the 15 line. Portland Brewing has a parking and there should also be sufficient street parking in the area.

Here are some fun photos from last year's event.

March for our Lives- Portland OR

It was not the most inviting day to be out marching through the streets of Portland but that did not seem to deter the crowd of passionate students and supporters.

Parking myself at a good spot (about 9:30 am ) across from the gathering place in North Park Blocks to do some warm up sketches. It was exciting to see the crowd grow ever larger there.

I then moved to SW Broadway to get a view of the beginning of the march up SW Broadway to Pioneer Courthouse Square. I was a little sheltered when the light rain started so it worked out to be a good vantage point.....however eventually I had to give it up and move on. My feet and fingers where just too cold to continue standing there. Walking seemed to help a bit and the route to Pioneer Courthouse Square warmed me up.  However when I got there it was so crowded (a pretty good thing, I think) so that I couldn't get any view nor really hear any of the speeches.

Tried a few spots but nothing seemed to work so I headed for some warmth and relief.

I was struck throughout the march by some of the signs and chants. This one sign, carried by a young woman student, though was so poignant...... I had to record it.

Recording these passionate people, and especially the young students marching was an inspiration.

March for Our Lives

Cherry trees in two cities

On Saturday, I went down to the waterfront to sketch the cherry trees with the Portland Urban Sketchers.  Unfortunately, they weren't out yet.  Not really.  There was a promise of pink, but the reality was of green and gray.   But the Steel Bridge was floating prettily above the trees.  So I did that scene, sneaking in the blossoms that I knew would soon show up.

Then I turned my attention to the people...

That afternoon, I took a train up to Seattle for a concert.  And the next morning, while walking through the UW campus to take light-rail back to the train station, I decided to detour through the quad, just in case those trees had popped.

And had they ever.  And just about everyone in the city had come by to take them in.  I sketched a small part of the scene (while overhearing a photographer complaining about how to deal with the crowds of people in his way).

April 21, 2018 Sketch Crawl - Woodlawn / Dekum Triangle

Janene's sketch from 2016

APRIL 21 - Woodlawn / Dekum Triangle

Let's sketch the Woodlawn neighborhood.  There are a couple of nice indoor locations for us in case it rains.  Outdoors we have the Firehouse Restaurant and Woodlawn City Park for fun sketching subjects.

• 10:00am - Meet at Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry (808 NE Dekum St, Portland, OR 97211) for coffee, snacks, and socializing.
• 10:30am - Spread out and sketch the Woodlawn neighborhood from 10-noon. 
• 12:00noon - Optional lunch at Breakside Brewery (820 NE Dekum St, Portland, OR 97211).

Today's Sketch Crawl

Another nice turnout today.  It was wonderful to make new friends and connect with old friends.

A couple of people sketches at Floyd's:

Then I found a seat at the bus stop on the Burnside Bridge for a street scene.  I will have to go back for the cherry trees.

And for the final throwdown - wonderful renditions!

Urban Sketching 10x10 Workshops of 2018 are almost here

Our first Urban Sketching 10x10 workshop of 2018 "The Cave You Fear to Enter Holds the Treasure You Seek: Overcoming Obstacles and Becoming a Sketching Superstar" is only 10 days away. It is now full! Thank you for everyone who registered and all of those who helped to spread the word, including Kay French, Andrea Matthews, Jason Roberts, and many others. I can't wait to embark on this adventure together. If you would like to check out other workshops this year follow this link: http://www.portlandsketcher.com/p/workshops.html