Algorithmic Walk around 23rd

Last Wedneday I met up with Linda D and Vicky to try out the algorithmic walk that Colin had mentioned in a previous post as something interesting to do... The photos below are in reverse order (sorry something that I thought I had figured out but the blogger seems to have taken over). I started at Starbucks on 23rd and Hoyt ...the map below shows where I was and what direction the drawing was in relation to it.
I limited the drawings to 15 minutes and then followed the Algorithmic formula...first right, second right, second right, and repeat....
This is something I will do again. It's an exercise and a discipline that gets me out there to draw!

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.

Fleeting Moments

Sitting in a coffee shop in  Beaverton a girl walks up to the counter, my friend with me says, "Sketch her." I quickly open my book bust out my pen and I sketch her as quick as I can, because in just a few seconds she'll move, or be gone. I try to remember the details, the colors, the pattern on her pants, the wrinkles in her sweatshirt, her lean. She is gone, and I fill in the background with little scratchy bits of pen here and there taking note of the details, colors, and textures. When I'm home I use my watercolors and pencils and fill in the colors and patterns from memory. A sketch, an idea, a fleeting moment, is captured.

Edge Coffee - Beaverton

A Portlander in Scotland

As my fellow Portland urban sketchers are aware, I have just arrived back home after a wonderful 3 week visit to Europe. It had been many years since my last serious vacation and what might once have been a travel bug had swelled into a travel mammoth! It felt so good to be back in that traveler's mindset, thinking only about the day. What shall I sketch? What would I like for dinner? Perhaps I shall have a beer? I'm pretty sure I went at least five days in a row without once remembering that I work for a living - the traveling lifestyle swept me up that entirely.

The first two weeks were spent in Scotland, and have been reported extensively at my blog. Here are some sketching highlights from that time.

I flew out of Portland on September 1...

Made my "base of operations" in Glasgow (which I love), and managed to meet up with awesome Glasgow Urban Sketcher Stuart Kerr...

Did a couple of day trips to Edinburgh, which is possibly the most beautiful city I have laid eyes on (though my heart belongs to Glasgow)...

Then took train and bus to the Highland fishing village of Ullapool, where I did some hiking but also had wonderful views from cafes and pubs when the weather turned wet...

Traveled to the Isle of Skye, which was mostly a lost opportunity because weather was bad and most of the dramatic vistas were obscured...

Continued by bus, ferry, and train to gorgeous Glenfinnan, also in the Highlands and currently gaining some notoriety as a Harry Potter filming location...

After that, I visited with friends in London and then continued on to Belgium... but more on that soon!

It's not Portland but...

... I figure urban sketching is urban sketching. I'm back to life in Portland, still trying to settle into a normal routine. No more wedding planning, or impending trips... Anyway, we had a honeymoon in New Orleans, and between site seeing this and that and while the wife napped I sketched and in the airports... I sketched. New Orleans has so much to see and has such a surprisingly vibrant art scene. If I wasn't on the honeymoon I probably would've drawn stuff all day. Anyway, a couple of sketches from the trip. Glad to be back, and hope to see some of you soon.

At the Zoo

The session at the Oregon Zoo was very challenging for me. I have never had much practice and of course the animals almost never stood still! The Colobus Monkeys were spectacular with their striking contrast of white and black.....they seemed to be a little shy however and stayed in the far corner of the area.
The sketches of the Zebra and Gerenuk went reasonably well because they were relatively still during the whole time we were there. The Giraffe although pretty still while eating from the high wall was incredibly difficult because of it's strange head structure...or at least I thought so. I'll have to study up on this one!
Not so with the lions and elephants...the only one to stay put was the male lion and he was a pretty good distance from me.

The day ended with the Penguins. We got there right before feeding time and then they were pretty active! All told the day was fun and challenging.

travels east to Bristol RI

Bristol is the home of Herreshoff boats and Museum and although no longer building boats the museum and shop are busy restoring and caring for their fleet of vintage Herreshoff designed vessels. On one of our first nights we sailed on 'Kestral' a Fisher Island 41 Herreshoff design. The wind was a fresh 15-20 knots so the sailing was dramatic....with some 'rails in the water' too. Wonderful!

Coggeshall Farm is another notable place in Bristol. It is on the pennisula of Poppasquash and is a 'living museum' relating the lifestyle of an early 18th century New England farm. It is a small operation with one couple living and working the farm. I was perched on an old rock wall while doing these drawings and wanted to continue some other scenes but a rooster thought I was pretty interesting and just wouldn't leave me alone....the crowing was annoying but the thing that eventually got me out of there was that one huge, sharp spur. I didn't think I wanted to stay and annoy him further!

The Herreshoff Museum also houses some great America's Cup memorabilia and this boat "Defiant'. Not sure but this could have been Dennis Connor's attempt to bring the Cup back after the Australians took it...it has one of those keels with double 'pontoons' on the bottom (not shown in drawing).

Off To Jersey...

... to get married. Haven't been out with any of you to sketch in a long while. I've been busy planning a wedding. Heading to New Jersey in the morning. Figured I'd post one more Portland sketch before I head out. I'll join you all again in a few weeks. Have a new website set up to host my blog as well. Come on by and check it out. marcoserido.com

I apologize for most of my Urban Sketches being of the urban
dwellers, but it's what I love about living in an city. The people.

Time for a New Sketch

Hey, Portland Urban Sketchers, have you noticed that our local blog is now shown on the sidebar to the Urban Sketchers blog? I have been very flattered to have my last post there for a week, but I think it's time for a new one. I think someone else should post, so to get you started, I'm putting this up. This is a sketch of a young woman in Laurelhurst Park who had her keyboard attached to her bike. She was practicing her music in the shade of the trees the other day, and it was lovely. I bet someone else has a nice summer sketch to post now. (Hint, hint.)