Cathedral Park Sketchcrawl

Sunshine, music, friends chatting--prefect sketching conditions at Cathedral Park today for the sketch crawl.  I knew my sketching buddy would sit still for awhile so I took advantage of the situation.

London Plane Tree on Reed Campus

We had a fun meet-up on the Reed College campus, which holds many memories for me since I grew up nearby and spent many childhood hours exploring the campus and nature preserve.  Today, I was taken with this old London Plane tree that stretches out it limbs in front of the library.  I was about halfway done with my sketch when we met for the throw-down, but went back afterwards and finished up.

Sketching Willamette Falls from the McLoughlin Promenade

We took the public elevator that goes to the top of the bluff in Oregon City.  Along the bluff, a beautiful park, the McLaughlin Promenade, overlooks Willamette Falls and a huge complex of abandoned industrial buildings that sit below the falls.  Native maple and oak trees cling to the bluff, among massive basalt boulders.  It's a perfect place for sketching and picnicking on s sunny spring day.

Shadows and Mists

The corner of SW Park and Jefferson seems to be a hub of activity--from tour buses, people on rental scooters and bikes, and all kinds of eccentric characters passing by! In the midst of the hubbub, the shadows played peacefully on the doors of St James Lutheran Church.

When it's hot in Portland, often it is cool at the beach.  We spent some misty, even chilly, days there recently and loved every minute of it.

Machinery Up Close

The once clanging, booming foundry was silent as sketchers concentrated on capturing the relics of the building's industrial past in their sketchbooks.  I focused on the interesting shadows of the machinery.

I used diluted grey ink in a water brush, with a little red watercolor for the signage.

Afterwards, our soft voices discussed the various sketches in the cavernous building.  I think the huge space and massive machinery made us feel small yet not intimidated.  It was a peaceful, fun time with friends.

Lan Su Garden Sketches in Ink

I met some Urban Sketcher friends at Lan Su Garden on this overcast day and enjoyed tea, conversation, and the soft shadows.  I've been using water brushes with diluted ink to speed up my sketching...a little bit anyway! (Thanks for the idea, Deb!) In these two sketches I used my favorite, Noodler's Lexington Grey, and J. Herbin's Lie de The or "Dregs of Tea" which seemed appropriate somehow.

I haven't posted here for awhile but since I just came to the last page in my sketchbook,  I thought I would post a few recent sketches before I consign them to the shelf.

This is the Ferry Terminal in San Francisco, drawn lightly in pencil, then the shadows added with a water brush filled with watered down ink--thanks for the tip, Deb, it was a great time-saver for this slow sketcher!

A foggy day at Yaquina Bay...hmmm sounds like a song, doesn't it?

This apartment building on Glisan is just one of the many beautiful historic brick buildings in Portland.

These old fire houses are another example of fine brick-work.  This one is transitioning into a residence.

Well, now its time to face the blank pages of a new sketchbook--I'd better get busy!

Last of 2015 Sketches

I had several opportunities to sketch this week, which was a great way to end the year.  Here's to many more sketches in the new year with all of you in our sketching community!  Btw, we welcome visiting sketchers as well, so if you travel to Portland in 2016 be sure and join us if you can.

Four windows across from a downtown coffee shop, each with its own story to tell.

One of those charming craftsman style doors at Timberline Lodge.

John's sketch of the architecture at Timberline Lodge.

John's sketch of the fascinating 'transformer' cornices on the Hotel Governor, now newly named the Sentinel Hotel after these robotic figures

Another sketching day in a different coffee shop presented a view of this glorious tree...I can't get enough of Portland's mature Elms.

Sketching Around the Central Library

Even though it was cold, I set out to find a spot in the sun...hoping for the side benefit of an good view.  I soon found that the canyon-like streets of downtown were mostly in the shade, including the spots with the most interesting vistas.  Finally I noticed this cupola sparkling in the sun behind the shaded buildings, and found an unobtrusive spot to set up my stool on the sidewalk where some rays were coming through.  My fingerless gloves served me well while I sketched...I didn't notice that my feet were almost numb until I tried to get up!

I used a cool grey to shade the cupola in the distance, and warmer shades of grey to bring the buildings closer.

This Elm tree in front of the Central Library was begging to be drawn...and I could do it from the comfort of a coffeeshop!

It's always enjoyable to meet up with my fellow sketchers, so thank you for the opportunity!

PSU Sketchcrawl

These is something about a nice comfy bench that enhances the view in front of it, in my opinion anyway.  We found a bench and this was the view.

I did the drawing in ink but ran out of time so added the watercolor later.

Someone I know pretty well sat beside me & did this sketch--pretty ambitious, John!

I did this sketch at a Plein Air event at Tryon Creek the weekend before.  Everything had a velvety coat of moss.

Line to Color Workshop

I had a great time at the workshop last weekend with Frank Ching and Gail Wong.  They were able to put complex concepts into simple, understandable terms and I gained some useful sketching tips...now to try to put them into practice!

Frank Wong commenting on sketches from workshop.

Here are my sketches from Sunday, the last day of the workshop.  It was fun to have the PDX Urban Sketchers join us for the afternoon sketching session!

Lake Oswego Railroad bridge and Bird's Foot Trefoil

Here's a little sketch I did during a break on a kayaking trip.  I wanted to try to combine the botanical with the urban.  The challenge was to keep the ink sketch simple and open enough so as to not overwhelm the little plant painted on the left.  Although I drew the plant on site, I added the watercolor later.

St Johns Sketchcrawl

Last Saturday about fifteen Urban Sketchers met at Proper Eats Market and Cafe on Lombard in the St John's neighborhood of Portland.  St Johns is one of my favorite places to sketch because of its quaint, small town feel plus the main street is only a couple blocks from the lovely St Johns Bridge and Cathedral Park, which spreads out beneath the bridge.  After coffee and a good chat by the shaded tables outside Proper Eats, the group spread out to sketch--some headed over to the park, some down the main street of St Johns, and some remained in the comfort of the shade at the cafe, with generous coffee refills forthcoming!  Afterwards we met at Cathedral Park to share our sketches and chat some more.

PDX Urban Sketchers enjoying each others sketches.

Sketchers chatting at the park.

My sketch done from a comfy seat in the shade of a tree outside the cafe. I added a little of the shading later.

John said I could share his sketch from the same vantage point.

Rose City Cemetery Memorial

As I wandered through the cemetery with my fellow urban sketchers, I was drawn to this lovely grave marker.  I settled myself down onto the grass and began to imagine the sunshine streaming through a kitchen window onto a happy family scene from long ago.  This loving memorial was to someone precious to that family.

Concrete Pouring & Fibonacci Spirals

The cement trucks were lined up ready to move into place when the last one emptied its load.  I didn't have to worry about losing that perfect moment to sketch something because it was the same scene over and over.

I've been thinking about Fibonacci spirals and golden proportions lately, and I imagined that the arch of the long arms pumping the concrete into place was roughly creating the famous shape, and some of the buildings proportions and relationship to one another seemed to fit too.

It was beautiful weather for sketching, and the great company of fellow sketchers added immensely to the delight of the day!

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. 

Another great day of sketching with the PDX Urban Sketchers!  We met on a busy day at the convention center, with several simultaneous events drawing crowds. I found a quiet spot on a balcony where I had a great view of this fierce figurehead on the huge dragon boat that dangles from the ceiling.  It's always good to meet up with my sketchy buddies, particularly on World-wide Sketchcrawl Day when groups are meeting on the same day to sketch all around the world!

Salmon Springs Crawl

We had a good turnout on Saturday despite the chilly weather.  A lot of people were walking in the area, so we had ample people-sketching opportunities, although understandably no one ventured into the fountain for a dip!  I couldn't decide whether to focus on the bridge, the fountain or the street light so got a bit of all of them in this sketch.  Besides, just a slice of the complex Hawthorne Bridge seems less daunting!  I sketched the other half at a sketchcawl a few years ago, so do I get credit for the whole thing? 

View from OHSU

One of the things I enjoy about sketching with others is seeing all of the different interpretations of the same space or scene. It expands and enriches my own understanding. This is my rendition of the same view that Kalina sketched, as we sat looking out the window. Different sketching styles, materials and sketchbook format really change-up the end results!

It felt good to re-join the group after a long hiatus, and I hope to become 'a regular' once again!

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.