Lan Su (wtih bonus Samurai!)

Lan Su was very chilly when we visited last week. I picked a spot to sit that was sunny and then started looking for something to draw--the fabulous rockwork that made up the floor of the plaza was an excellent warm-up for my brain.

Grey and black brush pens can give a sense of depth quickly and efficiently.

Drawing other sketchers can make a scene more fancy!

Coincidentally, my friend Violeta happened to bring her kids to the garden that same morning. She took some snapshots of sketchers in action--and gave me permission to share them here.

The black brush pen has been super useful when out sketching with the baby, because I can get interesting lines down fast while standing, rocking, or bouncing with the darling little wiggler. Here are a few quick sketches from the Samurai exhibit at the Portland Art Museum as a little bonus!

Hanging out at the Kennedy School

At least 15 people were at the Kennedy School sketchcrawl, so cool! We kind of took over a big table in the restaurant and I spent most of my time there chatting and sketching other sketchers...

But I also took a crack at that nifty iconic fireplace/chimney thing in the courtyard.

Tuba Christmas

About 7 sketchers turned out for a chilly and grey (but not at all rainy!) Tuba Christmas event. At first I could see where the tuba and euphonium players were assembling...

 ...but as the crowd packed in more densely, all I could see were the folks standing around me. Time to sketch the sketchers, then!

Andrea was all bundled up and sporting a nice knit hat.

Aaron was drawing with a Magic Pencil, fancy! It was fun to draw his puffy coat's texture.

 Young Bucky requested his portrait...

...and then drew my portrait in exchange! (Notice how he included the top of baby Magpie's head, as she snuggled in the carrier on my chest?)

I added the watercolor to this sketch of a bright pink raindeer kid at home, since none of my modest sketch kit supplies that I had packed with me could capture her incredible pinkitude. Quite a fun afternoon people-watching to the tune of 300 tubas, and folks in the crowd around us were very entertained to watch is doodling away.

Scavenger Hunt: Food Cart and Portland Sign (sorta)

Tonight I finished off the watercolor sketchbook that I've been carrying around since October of 2012! This painting is a combination of different scenes from various neighborhoods in Portland. Hopefully it captures something of the creative, humorous element of our city. * Esta noche terminé el libro de dibujo con papel para acuarela que he llevado conmigo desde octubre de 2010! Esta pintura es una combinación de escenas en distinctos vecindarios de Portland. Ojalá que capture la eséncia del lado creativo y chistoso de la ciudad.

I painted this with a kind of watercolor that comes applied in a dry layer on sheets of paper, a interesting invention by the "Peerless" company. The colors are super-bright and intense. Normally my instinct is not to go for such a vivid look, but it works so well for this composition. This side of Portland isn't meant to be subtle. * Lo pinté con un tipo acuarela que viene aplicado en una capa seca al superfície de a una hoja de papel; es una novedad hecho por la companía “Peerless.” Los colores son muy intensos y vibrantes. No es mi insinto natural escojer colores tan vivos, pero es perfecto para esta composición—este lado de Portland no es nada sútil.

For the scavenger hunt, this one scratches the food cart off the list. The Cambodian food cart here is so pretty, look for it at SE Clay near 11th, my sketch doesn't do it justice! I've also decided that the "Keep Portland Weird" mural should count for the "Portland Sign" component. (Isn't it fun to creatively interpret the rules of this game?) * Para nuestra búsqueda de tesoro por la ciudad, esta pintura tiene una restaurante móvil (la más bonita que he encontrado ya; mi bosquejo no captura la elegáncia de veras). Y he decidio que la muralla “Keep Portland Weird” merece cualificar como una version del rótulo de Portland tambien. (Es divertido interpretar las reglas en maneras creativas, no?)

Scavenger Hunt: Elephant's Deli

Did you know that there was a branch of the Elephant's Deli in the Portland Airport? I didn't realize this until I found myself waiting for a friend whose flight was delayed for an hour.

I had forgotten to bring my sketchbook, but luckily I did have some sketching pens with me...and the back of a paper bag works wonders to sketch on in a pinch! Delicious sandwich, here immortalized.

Scavenger Hunt: Item 9, Musician

So I was headed to meet a friend downtown last weekend, and the big city fair along the riverbank had very catchy rock music broadcasting off the stage. I knew the song, hummed along. I knew the next song, hummed along. I knew the third song, and started singing along, and started wondering whether it's common to have Tom Petty cover bands in this town?

And then I got up close enough to the stage, and realized that it was actually Tom Petty himself, singing away. So I drew him--tiny and from the back--while I caught the tail end of his performance (from the free side of the fence.) Been humming "Freefalling" all week.

Scavenger Hunt on Hawthorne: Coffee and Stripes

It was great fun meeting up with folks along Hawthorne for this month's sketchcrawl. I was very glad that my fellow sketchers were drinking coffee at the tea-house where we met up...

...and that a young woman at our lunch stop was wearing a lovely striped shirt, as well.

That's items 21 and 11 checked off of the Scavenger Hunt list!

I also did a sketch of Vicky, because her hair was looking so lovely and my fancy new brush pen was eager to leap into action. Her glamorous movie-star sunglasses attest to what amazingly lovely weather we enjoyed over the weekend.