Hanami on the Quad



3/30/13 Zig markers, watercolor, Stillman & Birn sketchbook

Greg wanted to try out his new camera, and we knew the blossoming cherry trees wouldn’t be around long, so we went over to the Quad on the University of Washington campus. Since it was Saturday, we expected it to be quiet, but it turned out to be an informal cherry blossom viewing event. (In Japan, they even have a term for it – hanami.) Hundreds of people were simply standing around in the Quad, looking up at the huge cherry trees, soaking up sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s. The trees there are unusually white instead of the pale pink I see elsewhere.

 

Wearing flip-flops in March, sketching in the sunshine: I can't think of too many things I'd rather be doing on a Saturday afternoon.

Urban Sketching at Union Bay Natural Area

first field sketch done with Uniball pen and watercolor, 30 minutes

I went to the "Montlake Fill" last Saturday to find some inspiration for a field sketch as a project for a friend. I remember coming to this area with my dad in the late 1950s when the "dump" was where the "dime lot" is.

finishing touches to first field sketch, with Faber-Castell PITT artist pen

second field sketch done with Uniball Pen and watercolor, 15 minutes

finishing touches to second field sketch, with Faber-Castell PITT artist pen

I chose this view of the birding snag, Husky stadium and the silt fence and posts marking the new native grass restoration because it represents the contrast of urban and natural use on this habitat.

ps  The author has chosen the first sketch (my favorite)!

Last two.

Drawing this series of eight houses was unusual in that I went out looking for something specific to draw: large houses in Magnolia that could be seen easily from the street. There were other interesting homes that were partially obscured by hedges, or too close to other houses, so I didn't choose them. Some were tempting but you looked down on them from the road above, and I wanted these drawings to all to have the same POV-- looking up at them from a lower vantage point, since they'll be viewed together as a set. I had to wait for clear days so there would be shadows to help define them. Now that it's getting warmer, I'll be glad to get on the bike and go draw something else, someWHERE else.

March Gathering

When you walk into Emerald City Trapeze Arts you are ask to remove your shoes, it was the variety of foot wear that initially caught my eye. That and they weren't swinging back and fourth and doing back flips.....

Pen and ink with a watercolor wash in a Moleskine.

Sunday along the Columbia Gorge

I was disappointed to miss the sketching in Seattle this past Sunday, but instead went with my husband to an amazing ceremony of the Wanapum Tribe along the Columbia Gorge.  Afterward, we walked to my husband's project site where I sat in the wind and cold and painted this view.  
The sky was overcast--the gray light really muted the colors, but it is such an incredibly beautiful landscape. I overworked the painting trying to get the right values, always a challenge for me.

Central Washington is one of the most beautiful places on the planet!!

More Trapeze

This was an interesting sketch location in that the views were tighter than normal, the transparent nets added a layer that was difficult to capture the true nature of the space, and then the person subjects were in continual motion!!!

I felt everyone tackled these problems in real creative ways.   I chose to avoid these issues by sketching at the back of the balconey and drawing the Sketchers who were on the balconey madly trying to sketch the aerialist in flight.  The Sketchers all stayed still for many minutes!

After everyone left, I decided that I needed to capture one more view of the setting from the exterior that shows the high bay of the warehouse where all the high wire training occurs.

More Trapeze Arts

I found a long view on the stage of the main floor and attempted to take in the view step by step. After we gathered and shared our sketches I went back to the ariel arts room and managed a couple of gesture drawings then headed across the street to get the exterior. 

It was a very interesting and challenging sketch location. It actually looks like a lot of fun to swing through the air... and a gift certificate is on the Top Ten List for Mother's Day. 

Emerald City Trapeze Arts

Emerald City Trapeze Arts with Seattle Urban Sketchers on the balcony

tenacious trapeze artists by tenacious sketching artists

This was the most challenging experience for me. I was awed by the building but could not capture its essence. I struggled with a new Aquabee tablet as well as new PITT artist pens. And I could not find a comfortable place to spread out my supplies.

I ultimately gave up on the architecture and painted in some washes later. But the artist pens worked wonderfully for portraying acrobat motion. Each time an acrobat climbed the ladder, I knew I only had one chance to capture the swing and flip before the drop into the net. So the simple pen strokes were fun.

The sandwich board sign was actually out on the sidewalk.

Thanks, Gail, for arranging this great opportunity!

Emerald City Trapeze Arts

Drawing people sitting or standing still is difficult enough. But trying to capture them as they twirl through the air thirty or forty feet above the ground is really challenging. So I stuck to drawing the space of the old factory building and then merely suggesting the students in motion. In this view drawn from the balcony, Frank B. was nice enough to serve as a foreground element to indicate where we were standing, overlooking the tall space.

Another quick view, this time looking up from the ground floor level.

Taking Flight at Emerald City Trapeze Arts.

 We had a great turn out today at Emerald City Trapeze Arts.   I would consider this one of the most challenging venues we have attempted to sketch. It was also thrilling to watch the flying trapeze class.  Both adults and children attempted working on the flying trapeze.  It was impressive and fun to watch.  The structure itself felt like a cathedral to trapeze arts from below.  I would love to go out there again to sketch.

Watching Flying Trapeze class.

View from below.

Trapeze sketch outing

We met for our March sketch outing at Trapeze Arts.  It was in interesting and challenging venue.   I picked out the support for the net as my first sketch of the day.





It was a rather funky setting.  There were all sorts of  furniture, sculpture and things on the walls.  My second sketch was a set of skulls.

Sharing our sketchbooks. A couple people left early.

The rest of my photos are in a set on my flickr.

Emerald City Trapeze Arts

3/24/13 fountain pen, Stillman & Birn sketchbook

My heart was racing and my palms were sweating so much that I could hardly hold a pen. Safety net and harnesses notwithstanding, it was a thrill to see the students of Emerald City Trapeze Arts practicing their moves on the flying trapeze. Maybe some of them will perform under the big top someday, and it was fun to think I might have seen their first flights today.

 

As for my own aspirations, I had hoped that my life drawing sessions at Gage would have been somewhat helpful, but. . . not so much. I was happy to get a few gestural sketches from the balcony, where the students seemed to fly right past my face.

 

Many thanks to Gail and Jane for organizing a unique Seattle Urban Sketchers sketching opportunity!

3/24/13 fountain pen

3/24/13 Zig brush markers

March 24th 2013 Sketch Outing

Join us for the March Sketch Outing Sunday March 24th 10:00 am to 12:30 at 

Emerald City Trapeze Arts:  2702 6th Ave S. Seattle, WA 98134  

Sketch and watch Flying Trapeze Class and mixed Aerial classes.  

It should be fun!  Contact gail@glwarc.com to let her know if you will be coming. 

We need a head count to let ECTA know how many are coming.   Note the following restrictions for use of the facility.

"The general rules for our facility are no shoes to be worn (socks ok!), and the large net in the trapeze area cannot be walked under for safety reasons.  If any persons need to keep their shoes on for medical reasons, we ask that they do not walk on any mats that are on the floor.

Other than that, we ask that you do not disturb the classes that are going to be in session (trapeze and aerial) by being quiet, respectful, and out of the way of their usage areas.  I'm sure your group has no problem with this, but we just wanted to reiterate that our students will be in session!  :)  There are multiple of areas in our large facility with great vantage points that would not disturb classes in the least. 

Thank you so much, and we are looking forward to hosting you!"

Emerald City Trapeze Arts  |  2702 6th Avenue S.  |  Seattle, WA 98134 |  206.906.9442
www.emeraldcitytrapeze.com
 

Cancer Survivor's Park ~ Dallas, Texas

I was in Dallas for a conference at the Sheraton for the past few days. This park -- called the Cancer's Survivor Park is just in front of the hotel. I didnt have much time to sketch so I started this on the sunny first day of the conference in a few minutes of time I had. I had to leave before I could finish and didnt get back out until early this morning when it was cloudy and rainy and the lighting was very different. It started raining pretty hard so I had to go inside to finish from a photo in the few minutes before I had to catch the shuttle to the airport. The final touches were done waiting to board the plane and then in the air on the way home. As I sat in the park I thought about my stepmom Bea Feit who died from ovarian cancer a couple of years ago. She fought the cancer for 10 years. She was a survivor. I also thought about my friend Fran's husband Bob Godlove who was her best friend and a magnificent dad to their two kids. He died years ago from sinus cancer a very painful death. He fought hard. He was a survivor. At first I didnt want to sit in the park, but it was the only place I had time to draw. I'm glad I did and now I understand the purpose of a cancer survivors park.

Two more.

Loathe to repeat myself, I start up a project and near the end I'm completely done with it. When art turns to craft I get restless. I like how these are turning out, but I'm ready to move on to something else. It's nice to be working in color again, though. I'm reading Bayles' Art and Fear for the umpteenth time. Words to live by. Highly recommended.

Sky Nursery in a Snowstorm!

A few of the Urban Sketchers met up at Sky Nursery today.  Hard to believe on March 22nd, but I drove up there in a wild snowstorm (albeit so brief, it had stopped before I got there.)  It did keep one would-be sketcher away, but the other 3 made it just fine.  It was good to be inside (outside was 36 degrees when I arrived!) and the flowers tempted all of us, but we each found other interesting subjects.  The nursery was full of yard art, and every manner of pottery.  In this sketch, I was taken by the repeated circular images.

Sitting and sketching in a rather cool nursery, I knew I had to go into the "Indoor Plants" room to do my second sketch.  Ahhhh, warmth, and green all over, and by the time I was finished, we had sunbreaks adding to the glow.
Definitely a fun place to go, and it was the first time I ever went to a nursery and did not buy any plants!!

Making it a Habit

The other day, dashing to a meeting, I stopped in the Roosevelt Bartel's to wait for a prescription.  But I had grabbed my sketchbook, and in a 2nd floor corner window,  facing south, I had a great little view towards Roosevelt and 50th St. You can see Sacred Heart, of course, and signs of spring.  It does help me sometimes, to have only 15-20 minutes to sketch, and adding the color at home, I was able to stay in the quick sketch mode.

LOTT* WET** Science Center

Saturday, March 9 my husband and I volunteered for an event at Hands-On Children’s Museum in downtown Olympia. We herded kids while parents participated in the education and outreach. Around noon we all headed next door for lunch at the Lott Wet Science Center. It was a beautiful sunny day so afterwards I headed outside to sketch these two views.  

The science center houses hands on interactive displays that teach us about water, the environment and conservation. One display shows the green features of the Lott building. Another allows you to see how much water can be saved by specific actions like taking four-minute showers or installing front-loading washing machines. The science center is open for visitors Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

*   LOTT – Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater Treatment

** WET – water, education and technology

Up On The Hill

Doing some "portraits" of big houses near my tiny apartment in Magnolia for an upcoming show. Driving home from a just completed sketch, I was waved down by someone who recognized my '77 Chevy Nova. "You should draw my fiancé's house," he said, pointing down a sloping driveway. "It's pretty unique." On the next sunny day, I just might do that.

Volunteer Park Kodak Moment

3/11/13 Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri ink, watercolor, Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook

Among Volunteer Park’s many treasures (which include the Conservatory, the historic water tower and the Seattle Asian Art Museum) is a quintessential Seattle viewpoint: the Space Needle framed by the Isamu Noguchi sculpture Black Sun.

 

During the 30 minutes or so that I took to sketch the view of the Needle, which was dwarfed by the park’s many types of trees at the edge of the reservoir, at least four parties of tourists came by for a Kodak moment. Typically one person in a party would pose in the donut hole of the Noguchi sculpture while a companion snapped the photo (surely destined for Facebook). Another popular pose is holding one’s hand up, as if supporting the Needle. What amused me was how quickly these tourists snapped their photos and then left, all within the course of a minute or less, hardly even viewing the view.

 

I guess that's why it's called a Kodak moment.

Gallery North, Edmonds

Last Sunday, the Gallery North in Edmonds opened their Miniatures show.  

Afterwards I had time for a sketch in the sunshine.

Friday Sketching

I met up with a few other sketchers yesterday.   We had planned to sketch inside King Street Station. However, the website mislead us with photos of what seemed to be nearly completed renovation.  I arrived an hour early due to the train schedule so I scouted around for another option.  I found the charming Court in the Square.

I also got some coffee and sketched the view out the window.  Thanks to Tina, I now know the modern tower in this sketch is the "1201 Third Ave", formerly the WAMU Tower, and is the second highest in Seattle.

Once we met up at the station, we walked over to the courtyard.  There was a lot of looking up as we sketched!

Tina sketching

Lynn sketching

Me, Nilda, PeggyJG, Tina, Lynn

sketchbooks

Woodinville Cemetery

pioneer cemetery Woodinville Memorial Park

I sketched this morning in Woodinville at the pioneer cemetery where my great-grandparents and other Ormbrek family are buried. This was the first time I was able to enter the cemetery and stand at the foot of grave of the Norwegian immigrant who raised my dad together with her ten children. The Ormbrek homestead lies now where Woodinville Town Center is.

grave of Kari Fosberg Ormbrek, born in Lom, Norway, oldest of five daughters and three sons, came to Norway at age 19.

  

Photo taken in 1925, the year my dad was born, Kari and Gunnleik and nine of their ten children. Son Fritz, buried in Woodinville Cemetery, had already died 1919.

We have been members of the Sammamish Valley Pioneer Association for many years.Sketch challenges were cold temperatures, not having my stool to sit or put my paint pallet on, dog walkers wondering what I was doing, cold temperatures, forgetting my gloves...and numb fingers.

 "Farvel, oldemor! Takk for alt!"