Washington State Highway 26

Beautiful country in the Palouse.  Here are sketches on the trip back from Idaho.  There were so many more times I wanted to stop and paint red barns in the snow.  But the lighting was bad so here is a coffee stop...an espresso shop and gasoline station at Washtuca, WA with the grain elevator in the back.
Also the view at sunset from the car.

WA 26

Washtuca, WA

Garfield Vocal Jazz @ Lionel Hampton 2011

We just got back from the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho on the University of Idaho's Campus.  The festival started Wednesday and will continue until Sunday.  Our son Ian is one of the members of a 20 person Vocal Jazz Group directed by Carol Burton.  They had adjudicated performances starting at 8:15 am in the morning.  Some students performed solo pieces that were judged and then the Vocal Jazz group performed 3 pieces in the multi-mic division.  Garfield did well enough that two students Lucie Saether and Otienno Stevens-Terry were asked to perform their solo pieces at the large afternoon performances at the Kibbe Dome and Garfield Vocal Jazz was asked to sing "Blues for Stephanie".   Congratulations to Garfield Vocal Jazz and Director Carol Burton!

Here is the sketch of the Multi-mic performance in Haddock Hall.

Garfield Vocal Jazz @ Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest 2011

Sea Monster Lounge and Rain Sushi

Last night we were planning to go to  Rain Sushi a modern Japanese infusion restaurant for dinner however, the wait was 45 minutes to an hour.  When this happens they send people next door to Sea Monster Lounge and call when a table is ready.  So we decided to do that.  We walked into Sea Monster Lounge.  The place was empty except for a bunch of people who were sitting at the bar having a drink....and no bartender visible.  We asked... "How many of you were waiting to get into Rain?" You guessed it! They all were. The bartender showed up and we had a drink and conversation with others there...I had enough time to sketch the bar.

Sea Monster Lounge

Dinner at Rain was well worth the wait.  Yakisoba was good and the sushi rolls were great.  All beautifully presented on platters.  It isn't just the traditional sushi rolls... they have a modern twist to it....like served with a spicy aioli sauce or another is served with a spicy tangy and sweet sauce, another had peppers, avocado (almost guacamole like) sprinkled on top.  Really quite different.  But very good!

Sushi at Rain (Japanese Modern Infusion) Restaurant

Painting in the negative spaces

Painting the negative spaces is a challenge and something that takes time to learn.
Here is an example of it. The yellow of the chrysanthemum was painted as a loose wash first no detail.
Then the shadows between the petals were laid in and the background that define the flower and the leaves.  But you have to think about the shadow and paint the shadows and background in to get the form of the flower.

Mud

Sketched my plumeria again and the background turned to mud.

Vocal Jazz Practice

Garfield Vocal Jazz Choir was practicing for the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival coming up in a couple of weeks.  I went to hear them.  My son Ian is singing a duet in one of the pieces.  Here is a sketch of the group under the direction of Carol Burton choir director.

Rainier Club Interiors

Last night we went to a fundraiser dinner at the Rainier Club in Seattle.  This is one of it not the oldest private club in Seattle.  I have always wondered what it was like on the inside.  After the dinner I took a few moments to sketch the lobby.  Here is  the view of the art deco columns.  The building was designed by Charles F. Gould in 1929.  This portion was an addition to an older building which was complete in 1904.

Plumeria

When I see something that is native to Hawaii it reminds me of the wonderful time I had when living there for 3 years.  So last year when I saw a Plumeria plant at a friend's home here in Seattle I got excited about the possibility of growing one myself.  The plumeria flower is very fragrant and is used to make leis that are given to people.  An ex-student of mine was going home to Hawaii and I asked her to pick up a plumeria stick if she had the time.  She brought one back for me and I have had it in a pot since late August.  Just a stick in the dirt.  I try to remember to water it every now and then.  Just last week I noticed a leaf starting to grow.  So I am going to keep a pictoral journal of its growth.