Centennial Mills

It was an enjoyable meetup with the urban sketchers on Saturday! I enjoyed meeting so many new people.

However, the weather was a lot better this morning when I returned to finish my sketch. I had put down Saturday's gray clouds already though the sky was blue today. I have sketched this building several times before and I always enjoy it. 

The Fields

I've often been to the Fields to sketch, most recently to watch some of the buildings across the railroad tracks being demolished.  Today I realized that, due to that demolition, you can now see the grain silo across the river.

There certainly were some dramatic, and changing, clouds out this morning.

The Fields

Here's a photo of most of the sketchers (and a couple of dogs) who were at today's sketch crawl. It was nice to have several newcomers as well as people who sketch with us occasionally and the regulars. This photo was taken at the start, when most of us (in true Portland style) had loaded up on coffee and were ready to make the most of the morning before the weather changed.

I only got in one sketch in the time that Deb managed to fill three pages. (I need to watch how she does her magic.) I know I spent some time just watching the clouds change, reflected in the glass of the new high-rises that surround the park.

Our timing was perfect and we finished up just as the rain started. We shared  conversation, lunch and sketchbooks under the umbrellas at the Ecotrust building. It's always a pleasure to chat and see everyone's sketchbooks in person and, like I heard at lunch: it's always a little sad when it's over. I hope to see you all at next month's sketchcrawl.

At the Fields in NW Portland

A very nice group of urban sketchers arrived at the Fields to sketch today. The park was filled with activity; like the Ciderfest, children in the play area and people with their dogs. But typically I ignored all that and instead looked out toward the buildings and construction!

The morning sky started out blue with white wispy clouds and then progressed to darker grey clouds with just a bit of wispy white. I tried to capture some of that in this last sketch as it started to rain.

The Fields - Sketch Crawl Tomorrow - Saturday June 18

JUNE 18, 2016 - THE FIELDS

Let's go to one of Deb's favorite places to sketch: The Fields Neighborhood Park.  There's a great view of the Fremont Bridge, Cedar Mills, people, buildings, dogs, train tracks (maybe even trains) and a playground.

• 10:00am - Meet at Ovation Coffee & Tea (941 NW Overton St ) for coffee, snacks, and socializing.
• 10:30am - Sketch the park, the bridge, or other such things from 10:30-noon. 
• 12:00noon - Optional lunch and sketchbook sharing at the the Ecotrust Building, 721 NW 9th Ave.

JULY 16, 2016 - SOUTH PARK BLOCKS

It may be really hot so let's go to a leafy area.  You can't go wrong with the South Park Blocks.  Always lots of shade.

• 10:00am - Meet at Museum Grounds Coffee Shop (1219 SW Park - it's the coffee shop at the Portland Art Museum) for coffee, snacks, and socializing.  It's small in there so we may have to take turns getting coffee.
• 10:30am - Sketch the farmer's market, trees, people, musicians from 10:30-noon. 
• 12:00noon - Optional lunch and sketchbook sharing upstairs at Smith Memorial Student Union (1825 SW Broadway).

Broder Nord and N Misissippi

Just catching up on posting these from our May gathering.

I spent a bit of time inside Broder Nord enjoying a breakfast (cheese and fruit fritters...yum!) and sketching out the window toward this very interesting industrial area of Portland.

Somehow I used up a lot of the time and only had a bit left (before we met at Widmer Bros to share) to do another sketch of the Coraggi building (the one next to Broder Nord).

Travel Sketches: Santa Fe

I made my first trip to Santa Fe last week. Luckily, the weather didn't turn out to be the predicted rain and thunderstorms, so there were plenty of opportunities to grab a sketch in the afternoon sunshine. The big dramatic skies, changing colors of the adobe, and the large expanses of landscape  (as well as the friendly people) all are reasons to return.

There are more sketches on my blog, http://draw2c.blogspot.com.

3rd Saturday, June - Sketch Crawl at the Fields

JUNE 18, 2016 - THE FIELDS

Let's go to one of Deb's favorite places to sketch: The Fields Neighborhood Park.  There's a great view of the Fremont Bridge, Cedar Mills, people, buildings, dogs, train tracks (maybe even trains) and a playground.

• 10:00am - Meet at Ovation Coffee & Tea (941 NW Overton St ) for coffee, snacks, and socializing.
• 10:30am - Sketch the park, the bridge, or other such things from 10:30-noon. 
• 12:00noon - Optional lunch and sketchbook sharing at the the Ecotrust Building, 721 NW 9th Ave.

JULY 16, 2016 - SOUTH PARK BLOCKS

It may be really hot so let's go to a leafy area.  You can't go wrong with the South Park Blocks.  Always lots of shade.

• 10:00am - Meet at Museum Grounds Coffee Shop (1219 SW Park - it's the coffee shop at the Portland Art Museum) for coffee, snacks, and socializing.  It's small in there so we may have to take turns getting coffee.
• 10:30am - Sketch the farmer's market, trees, people, musicians from 10:30-noon. 
• 12:00noon - Optional lunch and sketchbook sharing upstairs at Smith Memorial Student Union (1825 SW Broadway).

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.

Trinity Episcopal Church Doors

Trinity Episcopal Church, at the corner of 19th and Everett,
across from where the NW Outdoor Market is often held has lovely red doors.  
The three doors around the side are amazing, shocking high-gloss bright red.
I can imagine these doors glow in the dark, if you are visiting the church at night, with their bright happy color illuminated by the overhead lanterns.

Colors used, above, mixed on the page:
Stone is Tigereye, Shungite, and Hematite;
Doors are undercoat with Quin Coral and overbushed with Perylene Red.
Undercoats done in field; overcoats in studio.