3/30/24 Seattle waterfront from the Colman Terminal pedestrian overpass
Sunshine made the stiff waterfront breeze tolerable when USk Seattle gathered at the newly renovated Colman Ferry Terminal this morning. Although we didn’t need them that day, the terminal would make a great all-weather sketch location because the many deep, wide overhangs above the walkways would shelter us from drizzle.
Looking for a sunny spot instead of the cold shade, I walked out to the middle of the pedestrian overpass crossing Alaskan Way (above). I bit off more than I should have been chewing, but I wanted to capture as much of the waterfront as I could. Those strange frame-like things in the foreground are probably remnants of the old Alaskan Way Viaductthat was taken down in 2019. Right now, they look weird and unattractive, but I hope there’s a plan for them. The yellow excavator is standing where the new waterfront park will eventually be. Since work began quite a while ago, I was surprised to see how unfinished it still is.
After that overwhelming sketch, I walked to the terminal and made a much more comfortable page spread of small scenes (below): a state ferry that had just filled with passengers; my beloved Smith Tower; the terminal entrance; and a sketcher.
It was also fun to fill a few pages with fellow commuters on the light rail trains to the waterfront and back home again.
LINK light rail southbound train
Northbound train
A fresh view of the skyline from the new pedestrian walkway
I think everyone enjoyed sketching the wide choice of subjects which could be seen from the relatively newly renovated Colman Ferry Dock.
I liked this view from the north end of the large plaza next to the ferry terminal. This is the fire boat "Leschi". Two freighters are anchored out in the bay. And the Olympic Mountains are glorious in the sun.
I used the opportunity to explore a little further away. This is a newly opened pocket park on the beach next to the ferry terminal. It is a small, delightful spot. It's not very quiet, though, as it's next to a busy city street. It is Pioneer Square Habitat Beach.
I very much enjoyed meeting new sketchers and having some good chats with several others.
Until I had learned about it from my yoga instructor last year, I didn’t know that this usually quiet street on Capitol Hill needed to be a permanent addition to my petal-peeping tour. I sketched there with a few friends then, but this year I felt greedy if I didn’t share it with USk Seattle. I even ordered up some sunshine that was delivered just in time for our outing on Sunday afternoon. The rain and wind the past few days had already sprinkled pink snow on the pavement, but we caught the blossoms just in time before they passed their peak.
(To maximize sketching opportunities on our limited dry days during cherry blossom season, a second group met at the State Capitol in Olympia the same afternoon.)
To give gouache another try, I found a typical Capitol Hill bungalow framed by pink on this residential street (at left). Then I followed my ears to the other end of the block, where a teenage violinist was busking for all the petal peepers (below). From the looks of the cash in his violin case, he seemed to be doing a brisk business, and he certainly gave a pleasant soundtrack to our pink fairyland.
When I turned around, I spotted a sketcher dwarfed by an enormous cherry behind him (top of post). Frustrated (as usual) by the gouache and watercolor I had used previously, I resorted to my tried-and-true brush pen and watercolor pencils. (I’m not sure why I keep trying paints when I like the results of my “usuals” so much more.)
Although sketching the cherries at theUW Quadwill always be a mainstay, I have to admit that I prefer neighborhood streets like this one andmy favorite in the Sunset Hill neighborhood. There’s something special about walking slowly down the middle of a residential street (moving to the sidewalk when occasional cars come through, always slowly as their drivers and passengers take in the splendor) lined with these majestic trees on both sides. I imagine it must be especially magical for the residents who wait for their block to transform each spring.
Note: My sketch of these trees last year is dated April 13 – three full weeks later than this year.A recent article inthe Seattle Times talks about how the dates of cherry blossom peaks are giving researchers data about climate change.
3/19/24 cherry trees, University of Washington Quad
Using the search term “Quad” on my blog, I pulled up posts as far back as 2013, which was probably the first time I attempted to sketch the blossoming cherry trees on the University of Washington campus. Other than the pandemic pause, I think I’ve sketched the blossoms there every year, usually with USk Seattle. It never gets easier – simplifying the massive complexity; trying to capture that ethereal near-white hue and sheer volume of dense blossoms; the inevitable crowds of people; the backdrop of the Quad’s stately buildings. Every year I come away feeling a bit disappointed that I still haven’t figured out how to nail them, which encourages me to try something different the following year.
And so it was again last Tuesday, when USk Seattle was treated to phenomenal weather – clear skies and temps in the 60s – an ideal afternoon to meet my annual frustrations. I made a total of four sketches, each with a different mix of materials or approaches and all with a limited color palette.
Despite my frustrations, it was impossible to walk through the spectacular trees without feeling the joy and freshness of spring! And it's always fun to do it with USk Seattle.
3/16/24 The Trading Musician store, University District
Since I don’t play an instrument or have anything to do with the music industry, my only interest in The Trading Musician is its sign of a grumpy guitar head. Whenever I drive to the U-District, I pass that sign, which has been an icon for more than three decades. The Stranger reported in January that the guitar and drum sales and repair store was closing, a “devastating loss” to the musical community. Later it was reported that the owner is retiring, and the property has been sold. My guess is that the iconic sign’s days are numbered.
It’s been on my “must sketch” list since then, so I picked Saturday’s 72-degree sunshine to walk to the U-District and sketch the sign before it disappears. Despite seeing it regularly for its entire existence, I did not know until I sketched it that the sign slowly rotates! When I’m driving by, I’m paying attention to the busy traffic at Roosevelt and Ravenna, so I don’t stare at it long enough to watch it turn. But if there’s any time when one will notice a rotating sign, it’s when one is trying to sketch it!
On March 10, 2020 – only days before Gov. Inslee shut the state down for the potentially deadly “novel coronavirus” –Urban Sketchers Seattle met at Bellevue Square. Planned weeks earlier when most of us were still uncertain and confused about COVID-19, the outing suddenly seemed more ominous, now that it was upon us. The day before the outing, the other admins and I discussed at length whether we should go forward with it or cancel. Although we did go ahead with the outing, it was not without trepidation on my part. In retrospect, I’m happy that we did because we would not see each other in person again for a year and a half.
All of that was still a vivid memory almost exactly four years later when USk Seattle met at Bellevue Square again. Like last time, the objective was to sketch people for the One Week 100 People online drawing challenge – except this time we all did so without anxiety; in fact, we all had a great time. Meeting there again for 100 People felt like an important circle to close.
As always with this challenge, my goal was to capture quick gestures: not much more than stick figures, really, except that I wanted them to be unique, individual stick figures – not generic.
I thought I got 50 that first day of the challenge, but after I posted my sketches on social media, someone pointed out to me that I had counted wrong – I actually got 54!
We got a much better turnout than expected for a Monday morning in
Bellevue! Quite a few first-timers joined us, including several from the
Eastside who were happy not to have to cross the lake.
What a great group at Urban Sketchers #uskseattle today!! So. Many. Interesting. People.🚶♂️➡️ 🚶🚶♀️➡️🧍♂️🧍👨🦯🏃♀️
And "people" were our focus, as we are kicking off #oneweek100people2024 , brainchild of Liz @lizsteelart and Marc @m.holmes.art . So much to see, so much to sketch, so many people to catch, and so much to talk about! One sketcher was trying to catch all 100 people today. 😲😲😲
I thought I would paint first and ink later, but I kind of liked the effect of the direct watercolor so much that instead I got my smaller brush out for details. Met so many interesting people today. AND I got to ride in Tina's snazzy red convertible too!
