Painted Gurls in the Alphabet District

We see these sweet homes on the way to our vet, and on walks.
They are no where near special enough to be saved when the bulldozers come,
which they will, and so very soon the
ugliest high rises in the world will be sitting here….
 

These are not grown up Painted Ladies,
they are teeny bungalows, so charming, a slice of history.
They probably started out identical to the center one,
with little trim applied and no fancy front porch.
Over time they were painted different colors,
one added a bigger porch, and two a LOT of trim…

But they kept the RED DOORS!  They’ve been repainted so the reds are

a bit different, ranging from orange-red to brick red, but they are all still red!

I am charmed, and would love to have one — I’d fight to save it when the bulldozers came, chain myself to the porch and make them drag me kicking and screaming into the street.  The stuff they are building here in NW Portland are not charming.

That one in the center will be our house,
with the clear red door and the prayer flags…

BTW, Thank you for comments in advance. 
FYI I read the blog and want to comment on other posts as well,
but there is a glitch and it won't allow me to comment.  It has been this way for months (probably because I don't have a blogger or gmail account),
and when I try to write you it won't take my email address either.
Doesn't ask me to verify and doesn't allow me to post though
I hit post when it refreshes, as if it is going to take my comment.

St. Honoré Boulangerie, Lake Oswego

I am so much more comfortable with objects, not people!  But pushed to include a couple in this sketch as I am working on it with Marc Holmes class.

 

I spent 90 minutes at St. Honoré Boulangerie.  I took the time to setup, studying the overhead lighting to see how it aligned with the front counter and how the odd angles aligned with the counters.  This assisted in showing me I needed to flatten the lighting in back a bit and saved my proportions overall.  Later I used the set-up to test mixed watercolors.

The waitress took an inordinate amount of cleaning (several times) at the condiment stand next to me and finally admitted she was making excuses to watch me and could she simply look over my shoulder.  No problem with that for me.  The set-up also allowed me to take some notes on colors so I could add color in my studio -- and I took images with my old phone but have NO idea how to remove them.  Hardly worth it; I have an exacting eye for color.  The paint is the color of yellow split peas.

I wrapped up about the time Mitchell was to pick me up.  I decided to move to the bar and sketch the big oven.  No set-up -- no time!  Finished the rough sketch in about 15 minutes (color added in  studio.)  They were just starting to fill the coffee eclairs in front of me when Mitchell called!  Yeow!  I added my meal.  I really do not like white plates!  Boring!

 

Drawn in an Strathmore Mixed Media journal with a Platinum Carbon pen, a Sailor Pen (new pens, getting used to), with De Artramentis Document ink (black), and Daniel Smith / QoR watercolors.