Waiting for Matthew

While waiting for my son Matthew to get out of his Driver's Ed Class at Swerve I parked adjacent to a neighborhood park.  There was a beautiful shade tree framing this view so I thought it was a good opportunity to practice trees and creating spatial depth in the picture with values.

Summer Fun At South Lake Union Park

While waiting for my Architecture students to arrive for a sketch outing,  I started this ink sketch of the kids playing in the water fountain on the plaza.  It was on one of our hottest days in the summer.  The kids were running back and forth so it was a hard thing to capture.  The painting was done a couple of days ago.  I kept meaning to get back to paint on site but have not had the chance.

The Great Wheel from Bainbridge Island Ferry

We went to a friends house for an end of summer bbq.  Saturday was a great day to go on the top deck of the ferry and sketch!  Here is a sketch of the Great wheel.  Had just enough time to try to capture everything in ink as the moving Ferry  changed view points.

Riding the Sound Transit Light Rail

On our way back from California we decided to take the Sound Transit Light Rail to International District where my husband picked us up at the station... instead of driving through rush hour traffic.  I highly recommend taking the Sound Transit.  It was so easy..just the cost of the bus fare.  And a pleasant ride home.  I was even able to do a sketch.  The painting was done recently from memory.

Car Wash 2

The second car wash sketch from the Garfield XCountry Carwash.  That's my son cleaning the top of our van at our request.  Used regular Daniel Smith watercolors on this. 

Workin' at the Car Wash

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Garfield High School  XCOUNTRY TEAM had a car wash to raise funds for this year's team.  My son was doing his volunteer time in the afternoon.  I brought in two cars and each time was able to get a sketch in.  This is the first sketch using neocolor watercolor sticks.  Tomorrow I will post the second sketch.

Back Streets of Georgetown

Yesterday we had our monthly sketchcrawl in Georgetown south of the SODO.  It is an historic neighborhood with a saloon from 1888, great vintage shops...where you can buy vinyl records and comic books.  Where the Old Rainier Brewery still stands and parts of the bottling factory are now converted in to artist lofts.    ( I think I got this right?)  Anyway here is my homage to Georgetown.
We had 32 sketchers show up.  Check out Seattle Urban Sketchers blog for additional sketches.

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On flight sketch

You can never be bored if you have your sketchbook with you and your pen, pencil and watercolors.
On this short flight this is what I was doing!  Perfect timing for a sketch or two.

On the way home

Sketches from the airport are interesting.  You  have a limited amount of time to sketch.  While we were waiting for our plane to arrive and boarding I did a sketch of gate 25 at the Oakland airport.  Right across the way from the food stands.  It was painted later from memory which helped me simplify.

Gate 25 South West Airlines Oakland Airport

Sketching with Bay Area Urban Sketchers

Euclid Avenue. Berkeley California

The nice thing about Urban Sketchers is the ability to connect with other sketchers around the world. Knowing I was going to be in the Bay Area I contacted a couple of Urban sketchers in the area to see if I  could join them on a sketchcrawl.  They graciously rearranged their typical sketch date so I could meet them.  We sketched together on the northside of the UC Berkeley Campus where Euclid Ave. meets the campus.   There are wonderful turn of the 20th century building still standing and in use...giving this street a quaint historical feel.  The scale is so human.  Here is a link to the Bay Area Urban Sketchers Blog.

Mission San Jose

Side door of Mission San Jose,  Fremont, CA

Took a quick tour of Mission San Jose in Fremont, CA.  It was founded on June 11, 1797 by the Franciscan order and was the 14th Mission built in California.  I was under an olive tree sitting in the middle of the courtyard.  Chose this spot because it was one of the only places with shade.

NIles Historic Train Depot

Niles Historic Train Depot

Covered walkway at the Train depot looking out towards the rolling hills of Niles and the Train.

Niles Historic Train Depot, Niles, CA

Niles California founded in 1850 is where Bronco Billy owned a film studio Essanay Studios and stars like Charlie Chaplin were filmed  during the 1910s.  This town has been saved as an historic district.  It is a wonderful place to sketch which I have done a couple of times when visiting my sister in Fremont CA.
http://nilesmerchants.com/historyofniles.html

My Sister's Back Yard

 In California the one thing you notice is yellow hills with a few Oak trees dotting the grassy rolling hills.  So different from our lush greens in Seattle, but just a beautiful.
This is a sketch of my sister's back yard.  She had peaches growing on the tree in the back.

Seatac Airport on the way to California

SeaTac Airport Food Court

Last week I went to California with my son to visit family.  When you get to the airport two hours early you end up having to kill a little time.  Here is a sketch I did at the food court while the sun was setting.   There was amazing color change as the sun went down.  From the plane the sky at the horizon was bright red moving toward a rich blue sky.

Gas Works Park on a Beautiful Sunny Day

Panorama's give you a wide expansive view.  Last Thursday I had my students try sketching panoramas from two different places at Gasworks park.  First down by the platform viewing area ....but we were interrupted by a wedding in the middle of our sketch.  Then we moved up to the top of kite hill.  To sketch at a higher location with a higher eye level.  Here is my sketch from that day.

Gas Works Park Play Barn

Last thursday I went to Gas Works Park with my Architecture Students.  While waiting for them to arrive I did the following sketch.

Richard Serra's Wake Sculpture

Richard Serra's Wake Sculpture

Sunday I sketched with California Urban sketcher Suhita Shirodkar.  I have greatly admired her work and contacted her because I will be in California. She was coming up here as a stop before Alaska.  We went to Olympic Sculpture Park which is a wonderful place to sketch.  Here was the sketch I did of Richard Serra's Wake.  I love the negative spaces this sculpture creates giving you peekaboo views of surroundings framed by the edges of the sculpture.

Union Station Tacoma Washingtion

Union Station, Tacoma, WA

This is the view from Washington State History Museum looking directly at the Union Station Building. Why are there so many railroad stations named Union Station?

Sketching in Tacoma

Saturday the Seattle Urban Sketchers met up with two other groups the Portland sketchers and Whidbey Island sketchers for a regional sketchcrawl.  It was a great day for sketching and nice to meet sketchers from the Pacific Northwest.  We look forward to more regional meet ups.

Here is the first sketch I did on the Bridge of Glass that links the Tacoma Museum of Glass to the Museum District on Pacific.

Getting a simple line

Yesterday my sketching class met at Olympic Sculpture Park.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to have them throw out their concerns about perspective and just have fun doing drawing with a continuous line.  I tried to have them do blind contour drawings of sculptures and space.  It is so hard to let go and not try to get that perfect perspective.  But I wanted them to concentrate on the quality of their lines.

Olympic Sculpture Park cushions

Here is a sketch I did while waiting for them to return.  I wanted to test out what I had asked them to do. 

After adding the greenery.

Jefferson Park View

This is what the fuss was all about!  The opening of the Park.  Here is a view of the park from the vantage of the Beacon Mountain Lookout. I was looking towards the fields, skate park, kids park and driving range...behind me which is not in the sketch was the zip line and the water park.

Beacon Mountain Outlook

Map of the Park

Taiko Drummers

Taiko Drummers

Jefferson Park Jubilee Taiko Drummers performing for the Grand Opening Celebrations.

36th WW Sketchcrawl and a Jubilee

Yesterday was the 36th WW sketchcrawl.  Seattle sketchers organized a last minute sketchcrawl at the Jefferson Park Jubilee Celebrating the opening the this new park.  The park is located on top of two lidded reservoirs.  Great views and a beautiful park.  Here is a sketch from the opening ceremonies.  A parade of Japanese Bon Odori performers,  Taiko Drummers and Samoan Cricket players added color to the festivities. 

St. Ignatius Chapel

Today my architecture sketching class met at St. Ignatius Chapel.  So far we have had great weather each year we go there.  Today my friend Cindy Esselman taught and demonstrated Watercolor to the students she was guest lecturer,  which gave me time to touch base with each of them and talk to them about their progress so far.  Cindy and I arrived early and were able to get in a sketch before the class met.  Here is my sketch. I was trying not to subdue the colors and brighten then up. Also practiced water in the reflecting pool.

St. Ignatius Chapel, Seattle University

Useless Bay Cafe

Useless Bay Cafe

After sketching at the Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio Demonstration booths,  I went to Useless Bay Cafe for lunch.   This is the garden patio out side with a stage for music in the deep background. 

Choochokam Arts Festival

Saturday we took a day trip to Langley on Whidbey Island.  We were invited by the Whidbey Island sketchers to sketch at the Choochokam Arts Festival.  It was a great day with a lot going on.  The whole town of Langley becomes one big arts festival. 
The Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio has put on arts demonstrations for the last three years.  Live models sat for artist to paint, sketch and sculpted.  They also raffled off art pieces done by locale artist.  I used my last $5.00 to purchase a raffle ticket.  Sunday I found out I was one of the winners!  What a windfall!

Choochokam Arts Festival Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio demonstration Booths.

Up at the Top

View at the top of Whistler Mountain looking down at Whistler Village and Green Lake and Lost Lake below.

The last sketch from Whistler. This is the view from Whistler at the top of the mountain.  The stacked rock man was the 2010 Olympics symbol.  Lines of people gather around to take pictures with the view behind them.  Pretty astounding vantage from up here.

Peak 2 Peak

We took the Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler  which gave us an incredible view at the top of the mountain.  The span from one peak to the other was amazing and frightening as well.  The woman in the sketch couldn't look out.  You just hope that the engineering and the clamps on the Gondolas were designed well!  According to Wikipedia "Peak 2 Peak holds records for the highest and longest unsupported cable car span in the world."  The ride took exactly 11 minutes and 27 seconds.

Exterior view of Squamish, Li'l Wat Cultural Centre and Istken Pit House

Squamish Li'l Wat Cultural Centre

Istken Pit House