Yet More Bridges

I joined up with yesterday's sketchcrawl at Reed College.  I started out by heading down to Reed Lake and sketching the bridge from underneath, to get a workout in doing curvy things in perspective.

Then I went on a stroll around the lake, stopping once to do a study of a tree trunk.

I couldn't stay for lunch, but had to run to Union Station. But before my train left I had time for a quick sketch of the pedestrian bridge behind the station.

And then, this afternoon, I had a little bit of time to spare at King Street Station in Seattle.  I wanted to do its pedestrian bridge, but couldn't find a good view of it, so I strolled around the stadium complex.  And found a section of the Alaska Way Viaduct still standing.  With a marvelous little wedge of a historical (unreinforced masonary) building in front of it.

Weekend in Seattle

I was up in Seattle for a concert last night, and stopped for some sketching on the way back to the train station.

This is looking across Union Bay and Lake Washington, from the UW shellhouse.

Then I went to meet up with some Seattle urban sketchers, across the street from the Seattle Center.

Pompeii

We made the run up to Seattle for a quick over-nighter, to see the Pompeii Exhibit. Here is a little sketch, but much larger than real life, from the handle of a bronze jug. The tiny face is at the base of the handle, beautifully worked.

I haven't done much in just-pencil for a while. Should try it more.

I thought the items in the exhibit were wonderful -- I am especially taken with the household things. But, honestly, I didn't think too much of the presentation. Some items were labeled in puzzling ways, some items were displayed so that you could not see the details of the work, and some of the video screens weren't operating. It's unfortunate. Most folks will never have another look at these things.

Line to Color Workshop in Seattle

This weekend, I took a two and a half day Urban Sketchers Workshop with Gail Wong and Frank Ching, in Seattle. It was terrific and filled with useful, individualized instruction as well as lots of time to practice what we were being taught. We met a few more Portlanders there and I hope that they will join us for future sketchcrawls and maybe post their sketches, too.

Here are a few sketches from the weekend. If you want to read more about it and see more, go to http://draw2c.blogspot.com

This is the canal in the Fremont neighborhood. (We went straight to pen in this workshop, so all the guidelines and mistakes, remain.) At one point, the bridge opened and a tall sailboat passed through.  It held a violinist at the bow, playing as the boat moved along the canal.

Besides trying to use appropriate perspective and measurement, we were trying to have our subject placed in context (i.e. the surrounding area). I was pleased to see that those plants (with clusters of three leaves) that were surrounding me, were blackberries and not poison oak.

Next, we moved up the hill for street scenes. Here's Saturn, with solar panel rings, atop a building.

Strangely, there is a statue of Lenin nearby. Appropriately someone painted with blood on his hands.

On the final day, from a place on the crowded sidewalk, I sketched this iconic view. (Full disclosure: a few of those lines are Frank's.)

 A couple of children came by and painted with us for a few minutes. Here is one of the little charmers...

Back in Portland, I decided to try some of my new skills on a view I've sketched before and here's the result....

Thanks to Gail and Frank and my fellow sketchers!

Black and White and Red All Over

I have such a backlog of urban sketches that I want to share... I'll start with a little lesson I am learning about working on toned paper. Very often I only pack a dark pencil (black or brown) and a light pencil (white or cream), leaving the middle tone of the paper to do the rest of the work. But every now and then a splash of additional color is so helpful!

Example #1:
Raindrops on maple twigs, sketched in Poulsbo, Washington. My brother-in-law loaned me his red editing pencil for the color detail and I was so glad to have it.

Example #2:
Took the Bolt Bus to Bellingham a few weeks back, and got these doodles during our layover in the International District of Seattle.

As you might guess from the red lanterns in the tree, it was right about the time of the lunar new year. I had only packed two pencils--a black and a white. Luckily my husband had a red ballpoint pen with him, because that little scene really needed its splash of color!

Cheating on Portland with Seattle

This past weekend for a little early birthday celebrating I went up to Seattle to whoop it up. In between market walking, ferry boat riding, and just whooping it up in general I found a few moments here and there to get a sketch off. Mostly in the calm of the train. I'd like to go up to Seattle again sometime to do some more focused city sketching.

Seattle Sketchcrawl

Here are my sketches from the wonderful sketchcrawl in Seattle last weekend. Since Alanna and I sketched in the same places, you'll see some repeating scenes.

On the train ride north, we talked and sketched eachother, (as well as an agreeable young woman who offered to model for us). I think by about an hour into the trip, Kalina had convinced her to become an urban sketcher.:)

After the warm welcome from the Seattle Sketchers, I joined the group going to Pioneer Square.

The first sketch I did was of Merchants Cafe, Seattle's oldest restaurant. It still seems to be pretty busy.

Then I sketched in the park. Lots of tour groups left from here. There was an artist who was displaying his work in hopes of sales. In drawing the group, I was trying to put into practice Veronica Lawlor's symposium advice of seeing the group as one whole, rather than as individual people.

Windows and signs... It's pretty hard to imagine that rooms were once that cheap.

After the group sharing of sketchbooks, Gabi took us down by the ferries which were unloading huge numbers of soccer fans. I sketched the ivy covered viaduct. I'm hoping that Gabi will post his sketches, since some of us were lucky enough to have been sketched by him.

This man, all in purple head to toe, was smoking near the garbage can.

This family seemed to be waiting silently for a ferry to come in. Maybe they were entranced by the gorgeous bay and mountains.

It was a beautiful fall day in Seattle and it was very fun to meet the other sketchers and to sketch in their city. I'm looking forward to another group sketchcrawl together.

Seattle sketching

33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl-Seattle

The Portland Urban Sketchers caught the train to Seattle for a gorgeous day of sketching in Seattle!

On the train, were Kalina, Joely, Sidne, Gregg, Vicky, Tad and me (Alanna)

It's a three hour trip with ample time for sketching, drinking coffee, reading and chatting.
Once we got to Seattle, wow, were we surprised by the great crowd of sketchers waiting to sketch with us! Thanks Seattle Sketchers for welcoming us! Portland's Bill Sharp was already in Seattle and was there to welcome us. 27 of us in all met at the train station and drew around the Pioneer Square and International District before meeting up to share our sketchbooks.
Here are some of my sketches:

After meeting up at the cafe, Gabi Campanario took us down to the waterfront for some sketching. It was such a gorgeous day--perfect sketching weather!

Back on the train (a day trip is hardly enough time to sketch Seattle properly), we enjoyed the gorgeous sunset skies over the sound from Seattle to Olympia). These two gals who I sketched below were very friendly. We gave them our blog address, so maybe they will see this sketch now that I finally blogged!

Back home, I had time, waiting for my bus, to do some night sketching, and capture Union Station.

This trip was so much fun that we're talking about making it an annual event! Stay tuned for a possible sketch trip to Whidbey Island in the summer!

Portland / Seattle USk meetup

Portland / Seattle USk group photo

Laurie, who photographed the group

I joined 20 or so sketchers from the first Portland/Seattle joint sketchcrawl last Saturday for a glorious fall day of urban sketching.

We met at the train station and divided into 2 groups. One group went to the Pioneer Square area and I went with the other group to the International District.

My two sketches below. I hope others will share their work soon.

Seattle skyline from Hing Hay Park

Skyline from S 4th and Jackson

Gabi caught up with us later and we met at a coffee shop to share our work and pressure Gabi into revealing the location of the next Symposium.

Gabi led most of the Portland folks to the Ferry Terminal for a few last sketches before many of them had to board the train for home.