waterfront sketchcrawl

It was great to have such a large group for the sketchcrawl today, and I'm bummed I didn't arrive in time to meet up beforehand for coffee. 

I often bike over the Hawthorne bridge, but I don't often get a good look at it, so today was a great chance to notice some of the details that I miss in transit.

I'm not used to attempting such a large field of view, so I took a break with some smaller sketches..

...and then attempted to bridge one more time in the last 20 minutes.

I still didn't get the whole bridge in -- now I understand why it always seems to take so long to cross. 

Thanks for another great sketchcrawl and getting me outside on such a lovely morning!

More from this morning's sketchcrawl.

A Terrific Sketchcrawl on the Waterfront

We couldn't have had a more perfect day for sketching in Portland today. It was great to have the large turnout today, too. I hope that the newcomers will keep returning because it was fun to see the variety of sketches and get to talk to some of the sketchers. I also hope that folks will post their work, because we all love to look at pictures.

In order to get the ball rolling, here are a couple of my sketches from today. (Ink on the first one, watercolor then ink on the next.)

I've been in a sketching slump lately and although I haven't climbed out of it, I at least didn't rip any pages out of my book today. The sunshine, the view, and the enthusiasm of my fellow sketchers must all have helped!

Reminder: Join us this Sat, Sept 20!

Next Sketchcrawl: Saturday, September 20. Let's crawl South Waterfront!

• 9:30 am: Meet at Bean and Tree for coffee and snacks: 0315 Montgomery St., Portland.
• 10 am: Sketch boats, bridges, buildings, plants, dogs, the river, and/or people on the South Waterfront.
• 12 noon: Optional sketchbook sharing and lunch: Thirst Bistro - 0315 SW Montgomery Street #340, Portland.

Oregon City's Carnegie Library

Oregon City's Carnegie Library:

 This is from last week. I thought I should wait for somebody else to post before I put up another one!

This is a beautiful building, still in use as a library. It was constructed with a $12,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie. As for all the Carnegie libraries, the host city was required to match the construction costs and demonstrate it could fund operations. Last year the library celebrated its 100th anniversary with a delightful civic event involving the Mayor in period dress and a reference librarian who could have passed for the venerable Andrew himself. Next year the library is beginning an expansion project. The original building will remain as the front entrance to the new facility which will wing into the hillside behind.

Last Days of Summer

Holding on to summer.  It was a hot day this weekend at the Art Carts.

Random pause at Pioneer Courthouse Square, practicing people (drawing) skills.  It attracted attention, 2 of my subjects wanted to see this and one wanted a picture of it.

 

I had the good fortune to get to go to a cabin and swimming hole last weekend.  Hold on to summer as long you can!

Director Park

A few of us met up to sketch that crane again.  But the top of the crane didn't make it into this sketch.

9/20/2014, 3rd Sat. Sketchcrawl - South Waterfront + other upcoming sketchcrawls

Next Sketchcrawl: Saturday, September 20. Let's crawl South Waterfront!

• 9:30 am: Meet at Bean and Tree for coffee and snacks: 0315 Montgomery St., Portland.
• 10 am: Sketch boats, bridges, buildings, plants, dogs, the river, and/or people on the South Waterfront.
• 12 noon: Optional sketchbook sharing and lunch: Thirst Bistro - 0315 SW Montgomery Street #340, Portland.

October Sketchcrawl:  PSU
Saturday, October 18.  Let's enjoy the beautiful fall colors at PSU!

• 9:30 am: Meet at Revolucion Coffee for coffee and/or tea: 1432 SW 6th, Portland.
• 10 am: Sketch the farmer's market, Walk of the Heroines, libraries, musicians, dogs, people, flowers, and/or coffee.
• 12 noon: Optional sketchbook sharing - if the weather is good, pick up lunch from the farmer's market and meet at the Walk of the Heroines (SW Montgomery and SW 11th).  If the weather is bad, let's still pick up lunch and meet inside the Smith Student Center cafeteria area, between SW Montgomery & SW Harrison on SW Park, just below grade level.

 
November Sketchcrawl: Lumberyard Indoor BMX Rink
Saturday, November 15
Details will be forthcoming.

December Sketchcrawl: Downtown Central Library
Saturday, December 13
I propose we do December on the 2nd Saturday to avoid the holiday crush - and also because I might be gone on Dec. 20.

• 9:30 am: Meet at Case Study Coffee for coffee and/or snacks: 802 SW 10th.
• 10 am: Sketch the Central Public Library, inside or out, whatever suits you: 801 SW 10th.
• 12 noon: Optional sketchbook sharing and lunch - Kale (Japanese comfort food, very simple menu): 900 SW Morrison.

Vegetables All over the Place!

I am a little shy to post again when no one else has filled up this space. But here I am anyway.

These are a couple of quick ones done last week. I am trying to train myself to be quicker, looser, and to evoke a sense of the thing without dwelling in fussiness. Next month we will be in Europe for a couple of weeks, and I know the sketches I do will have to be made on a time budget. I'm hoping to be competent enough to feel some pleasure in the drawings I bring back.

This is Spicer's produce market in Oregon City:

 And this one (inspired perhaps by the wonders of a produce market) is the gathering basket from the kitchen garden at home.

Both: ink and watercolor. (I love my little Micron pen!)

The View from KQAC

Here is one more, just to prove I do get into Portland now and then. We did the tour of the new KQAC studios in the building they now share with the Portland Opera. They have fantastic views of the river, and of the new Tillicum Bridge, still under construction. I did a quick view of a man in a little wheeled cart suspended next to one of the large concrete things (pylons?).

Sepia micron (that was actually a mistake; I grabbed a pen from the box when I left the house, and it turned out to be sepia), watercolor, and a little white ink.

SusanLayne