Next Sketch Outing

Tuesday, March 19, UW Quad

Monday, March 18, 2024

City Hall Sakura

 

All of a sudden the Yoshina cherry trees at Renton City Hall have peaked!

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The Trading Musician

 

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!

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Back to Bellevue for People

 

3/11/24 Bellevue Square

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.


Monday, March 11, 2024

Bellevue Square to Kick Off One Week 100 People



What a great group at Urban Sketchers #uskseattle today!! So. Many. Interesting. People.🚢‍♂️‍➡️
🚢🚢‍♀️‍➡️🧍‍♂️πŸ§πŸ‘¨‍πŸ¦―πŸƒ‍♀️

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!
















Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Give Astra a Chance


2/24/24 Astra, a 100-year-old western red cedar, Wedgwood neighborhood

Astra, an ancient western red cedar, first came to my attention last fall when the organization The Last 6000 put out a call: The 100-year-old tree was in danger. Although architects had shown ways in which the development could be built while still allowing the tree to live, the developer of the property where Astra stood had applied to have the healthy tree cut down.

A Gratitude Gathering had been scheduled for Feb. 24 to raise awareness of the tree’s imminent danger. Two days before that, the tree was vandalized (suspected by the developer) and injured so that it would be at risk of falling, giving the developer legitimate grounds to cut it down.

Unlike many major US cities, Seattle allows trees to be managed by the same department responsible for development. That seems like a direct conflict of interest. The result is that laws are in place to protect old trees, but the laws are not always enforced. Even when they are enforced, developers simply pay the penalty and go forward with their plans with no consequences.

I joined the substantial group at the Gratitude Gathering in the Wedgewood neighborhood, where the block in front of the property had been closed so the event could take place. Police cars blocked either end of the street. Neighbors and other concerned citizens listened to speakers describe the challenges and answer questions. At the close of the ceremony, people sang a variation of the John Lennon refrain: “All we are saying is give trees a chance.”

9/17/23 Astra's forked trunk sketched last fall.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

The Gab & Grab is Back On!


Natalie recites limericks she wrote to honor the USk Seattle admins.

After a four-year pandemic pause, USk Seattle’s formerly annual Gab & Grab is back on! If I counted right, this was the seventh edition of our popular winter event. On Saturday we met in the Greenwood branch library to swap unneeded art supplies, chat over lunch, and talk about sketching or materials.

I filled a huge bag that was so heavy, I could hardly carry it out to my car! I swore I would only give at this G&G – the intention was to clean out my studio, not refill it – but I couldn’t resist grabbing a couple of things, including a nearly full box of premium grade Tombow Mono pencils!

Score: Tombow Monos!

I had intended to take photos of our five full tables piled with loot before the grabbing began, but I forgot. The photo shown here was taken after we were nearly done. Unclaimed materials were donated to nearby Seattle ReCreative, an art community center and thrift store specifically for art and craft supplies.



We were a lot more excited at the beginning of the Grabbin' than shown in this photo, which was taken toward the end.
A member brought along Clementine, a sweet dog she was sitting.


The highlight of the brown bag lunch was when Natalie concluded the event with limericks that she had written to honor each of the Seattle USk admins. In the style of the NPR program Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, members participated by filling in the name of the appropriate admin based on the clues in the limerick:

Simplicity, no frills or drama
diplomatic as Barak Obama
when she sketches she stands
pencils neatly at hand
cuz she’s short and on point, Ms. Koyama.

We have never once heard her complain,
she gives workshops in snow, heat and rain
with whatever’s nearby
she is cheerful, that’s why
students soak up superb tips from Jane.

At McMenamins most of us ate
while Tina first sketched her plate
then this admin explained
(wearing outfit handmade)
what to do, when and how, thank you Kate.

An expert on nose, cheek and chin,
perfecting the tones of the skin
she’d rather sketch people
than some famous steeple
which also does well, dearest Kim.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

New Year Dragon

 

Urban Sketchers Tacoma invited Seattle to their regular third Wednesday outing. Today we met at Southcenter Mall to sketch their impressive dragon.

Almost everyone did sketch the dragon.  Some of us did another scene as well.  

Since I'd already done two views of the massive 25 foot tall sculpture a couple weeks ago, I chose a different view...from above.  I also drew it on a larger sheet of paper.

 

There was still some time left in our session, so I sat in the hallway to sketch a view of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling. 




Thursday, February 15, 2024

Back to the Burke Museum

We met yesterday at the Burke Natural History Museum on the campus of the University of Washington.  There are three floors of artifacts and exhibits. 

I spent some time on the ground floor with Indigenous artifacts.  I drew in pencil in the gallery and then went out to a lobby table to ink and watercolor.

I later found the prep room for mounts interesting.  Friends I knew in college were biology grad students who did mounts for our university museum.  I've seen the process up close.

This is the skull and front leg of a Grizzly Bear from Woodland Park Zoo.  It will eventually be cleaned by the museum's colony of beetles.  The braincase was removed to allow sampling of brain tissue.  "This is typical for zoo animals who go through a necropsy to determine cause of death". 


That's the tail of a whale skeleton in the background.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The Burke Nearly to Ourselves


2/14/24 Mastodon replica, Burke Museum


2/14/24 Columbian Mammoth


The last time USk Seattle met at the Burke Museum was right before the pandemic hit, so it was high time for us to visit again. I started on the top floor where all the paleontology labs are and some of the museum’s best specimens, like the Columbian Mammoth. I’ve sketched it from the other side before, so this time I focused on the skull and those incredibly long tusks (at left).

Next I looked through one of the lab windows to sketch a grizzly bear skull (below). A former Woodland Park Zoo resident, the bear was being cleaned and preserved.

2/14/24 Grizzly bear skull


My last stop was the Mastodon replica. The first time I sketched it was from the staircase above. Spotting Janet in a corner, I went to the opposite side of the gallery so that I could capture her in the composition and show the scale of the enormous beast (top of post).

On most visits, the museum has been filled with young students on field trips. On this Wednesday afternoon, we sketchers had the place nearly to ourselves, which was an unusual treat. The Burke is back on our list as a winter-weather standby!

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

The Anderson School, Bothell

A small group of sketchers - including someone for the first time - met at the Anderson School in Bothell @mcmenamins this rainy afternoon. The local residents helped as guides for those of us who hadn't been here before. (Thank you!) I even got to meet the chickens, who came running up, clucking away.

Some got soup, others got coffee,  but everyone got some good sketching down. As always, it was great to see what everyone came up with - at least one caught some natural PNW rainwater to add a little extra "je ne sais quoi" to the sketch. πŸ’¦πŸ˜ŠπŸ’¦


#uskseattle #urbansketch #pencilsketch #watercolors #penandink #rainyday

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Gingerbread Village @ Sheraton Hotel







Had fun with this crowd today. Most of us sat in the hotel lobby, and some wandered outside and got some good sketching in. Though the Gingerbread Village was smaller than in years past, there was no shortage of subjects to be drawn! 

We had a couple of first-timers join and a number of the veterans too, so all in all, a great mix to round out 2023. Happy New Year, everyone!

#uskseattle #urbansketchers #usk