Last Week Around Town

Planet Java Diner

The Bounty, Stone Way

Mr. Allard's Classroom

Planet Java

In-class Demonstration

Out of necessity, my Gage class uses the still-life to practice the ink wash and Uniball technique. The class was conceived as an outdoor experience but the unpredictable Seattle weather and the after-dark hours of the winter class made that impractical. However, the approach is exactly the same: little to no penciling, committing to gestural contours, quick diluted washes and a little hatching.

1516 Melrose Avenue

A series of pathways zigzag up to this dark house that sits back from Melrose Avenue. How much longer will it withstand the forces of development?

Starbucks Reserve

A bit late, but here are the photos from our January outing at Starbucks Reserve.

2016 Manchester Symposium Registration starts January 30!!

Once a year, the Urban Sketchers community convenes in one place for its annual symposium.  This is a fabulous, impressively well-organized 3-day event that brings together hundreds of sketchers from all over the world to sketch, learn, and share!  The energy and inspiration are amazing, and the opportunity to take workshops, learn from, and yes, sketch next to people I admire, is just incredible. You can arrive knowing no one and leave with friends you'll keep the rest of your life.

End of 2015 symposium photo in Singapore, photo by Azzam Bre Mahputra, USk.

This year's USk Symposium will be in Manchester, England, July 27-30, 2016.

Now, the reason for this post...
early bird registration starts THIS SATURDAY, January 30 online.
If you are interested in attending, I strongly suggest you set your alarm and sign up as soon as registration is open, as this is going to be a popular and well-attended event--it may sell out very quickly!!

For more information on how to register and the different passes that are available, go to 
the newly updated Urban Sketchers website www.urbansketchers.org and click on the 
"Symposium" tab...

Hope to see you in Manchester!!

January 2016 Sketchcrawl-Starbucks and Melrose Market

Click here for closeup

1/24/16 Sunday's sketches from USKSeattle Sketchcrawl -- I sketched here with USKSeattle in February, 2015

Last time, I spent the day outdoors. This time, I decided to come inside more often.

I started out on the corner across the street from Starbucks Roastery, drawing the logo sign on the roof corner, (if you zoom in, top right, you can see Gail siting her sketch) then I followed the bronze coffee beans embedded in the sidewalk in front of Starbucks' front door.

A trail of bronze coffee beans and a rain-soaked leaf pointed the way downhill to Melrose Market

I ended up half a block down the street at the Melrose Market. What a wonderful place! From the main corridor, you can get an overview of the entire marketplace, but it was fascinating to watch the busy chefs at work in the kitchen at Sitka & Spruce. A beautiful tray of fresh baked scones loomed tantalizingly on the butcher block counter, tiny flowers were placed at the chef's table. I realized my sketches were mostly brown and grey, so I was happy to find a red chair with two fresh baguettes sitting in it and the red door at the end of the hallway.

A pair of sketchers, an "evergreen" sticker, a red door, and pussy willows in a vase atop an old oak barrel.

Harris was kind enough to let me get this shot with her cell phone camera. Thanks, H!

I counted 36 sketchers on the sidewalk outside the Melrose Market sharing their "catch of the day", but I know several who were not able to stay the entire session. I'm sure Jane will soon post up one of the group photos she got in front of Starbucks.

Starbucks Roastery & Tasting Room

Nice to get out and see everyone at today's Sketch outing. This was my first time at the Starbucks Roastery & Tasting Room. When the place first opened, I saw the line around the block and then forgot about it. I thought I was a Starbucks snob, until I saw this. I think I may be old school. This is some serious coffee. But there is an odd sort of Hollywood-not-Seattle feel. I can't put my finger on it...the tourists? the shiny objects? the airbrush tans? I'll have to go back to figure it out....

Capitol Hill Starbucks Roaster and Melrose

With vacuum tubes, conveyor belts and whirring churning caldrons, Starbucks has turned their roasting process into a Willy Wonka coffee factory. This hammered copper roaster was lit to be the show piece of the lower lounge.

At Boren looking west down Pike I framed the Plymouth pillars between the entrance to Tango and the trolley strand pole. The perspective down Pike gives  some depth to what was otherwise a flat skyline.

Melrose Avenue

I spent my time down the street from the Roastery and sketched the Pine Box formerly a mortuary and now a pub.  I will have to return and take a look inside.  Their website showed a beautiful interior with wooden pews for some of the seating.

For my second sketch I was starting to draw a view toward the Metropolitan Towers when a garbage truck pulled up and decided to sit in front of me for about 15 minutes.  The driver must have stopped to have lunch.

Coffee Roaster

It was a pleasant surprise to see a few of my former Gage students at this morning's outing. Tons of detailed "still-lifes" inside the shop to choose from. I think I'll go back when there aren't quite so many tourists and do more like this.

Jittery Roastery Redux

1/24/16 My tasting and the "Experience Bar" on the lower level.

Since I was planning to spend the morning with Urban Sketchers Seattle at the Starbucks Roastery, I reduced my usual caffeine intake at breakfast to half a cup. It’s a good thing I did, because by the time I finished the sketch above (during which I enjoyed a fun Origin Flight tasting of three Starbucks Reserve coffees), my lines were getting a little wiggly!

1/24/16 Baristas at the Experience Bar.

Jitters notwithstanding, I had a terrific time sketching at Starbucks’ flagship location. The coffees, food, décor, furniture, cups, even the napkins are different from any other Starbucks I’ve been to. The biggest difference, though, is the customer service. Although almost all Starbucks baristas are friendly and service-oriented, the Roastery people are a cut above. They really made me feel special there (and OK, I paid top dollar for that specialness, but I still feel like going back for more!).

Since this was my third sketching trip to the Roastery (the first was in January last year, and the second was a month later, both times with USk Seattle), I decided to focus on different challenges. After sketching my tasting experience, I captured a couple of the knowledgeable and hard-working baristas busy at the “Experience Bar” on the Roastery’s lower level.

1/24/16 Roastery exterior

Thoroughly buzzed by then, I walked across the street for some fresh, cold air (a little too cold – I didn’t last long) to make a quick sketch of the Roastery’s exterior. I made a note to come back in warmer weather to spend more time on the exterior – it’s a really beautiful old building.

My favorite was Pantheon in the center, followed closely by Sumatra.

Starbucks Roastery and Tasting Room

Last time I was here I wanted to sketch the Bar but didn't have time.  It's really a beautiful center piece.

January Sketch Outing

Sunday January 24 * (yes, this is a repeat of February 2015)
10:30 - 1:00 **


3 locations: 
1. Starbucks Roastery  - meet here at 10:30 am
2. Melrose Market
3. Six Arms Brew Pub

1. Starbucks Roastery
1124 Pike Street, Seattle 98101
(In the building that was Utrecht )
More photos of the Roastery 

  

2. Melrose Market

1501-1535 Melrose Avenue, 

Seattle, WA 98122

Six Arms   300 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122
across the street from Roastery; opens at Noon

 * We're changing the date to the fourth Sunday instead of the third to avoid conflicting plans on the holiday weekend (Jan 16-18)

**We're changing the time because Melrose Market doesn't open until 11:00. This way we have more indoor sketching options and we won't overwhelm one place or the other.
 

Parking map for the area:

Friday Ad Hoc for January 22nd

Friday Ad Hoc January 22  "Gab & Grab"

This is not necessarily a sketch outing  There may be opportunities to sketch, but it's primarily a sharing session (see below).

We'll meet at 10am at the Northeast Branch of Seattle Library.  It is in the Wedgwood neighborhood.  If you’re not familiar with the neighborhood, Wedgwood is a bit northeast of the U-District. Easily accessible from the 65th St. exit of I-5.

6801 35th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98115

http://www.spl.org/locations/northeast-branch

This is our 3rd Annual "Gab and Grab".  Here's how it works:

1.  Bring your sketch bag for a "What's in your bag" sort of show-and-tell.  If you like, take about 5 minutes to talk about some aspect of your kit that is a favorite,  most useful or newly discovered. That's the "Gab".
2.  Bring items (art supplies or art books) that you no longer want.  Trade with others.  That's the "Grab"!

If you have the time, bring a sack lunch and we'll stay until 1pm to chat.

Sketchers at Top Pot Donuts

I have to admit I was not tempted by the Elvis Presley special Maple-Bacon donuts available at Friday's USk meet. I went for a chocolate glazed old-fashioned. And for sketching I went for the row of sketchers silhouetted against the windows of Top Pot Donuts Alki shop. I had to leave early, so missed the sketchbook sharing at the end. :(

King's Rings

Urban Sketchers met at the Top Pot Doughnuts on Alki Beach.  The morning was rather chilly so I stayed inside.  I already knew I wanted to sketch the large fabric doughnut hanging over the counter.

Hanging over the counter is the Seattle Seahawks 12 flag.  They're headed for the playoffs on Sunday.  There were send off rallies around the city.  As I drove home at the end of the day I saw them in their 4 buses with police escort moving from one to another on the freeway!

I had no idea.... it is Elvis Presley's birthday today.  He would have been 81.  So in The King's honor, Top Pot made "King's Rings", Maple Bacon doughnuts!  I did not dare.  But I did dare to add them to my sketch.




I was amused by the paints and doughnuts all together on the table.  We joked about having a contest for "best doughnut sketch". 



Sharing sketches and group photo.





A few of us had lunch together. So as I left about 1400, the day had cleared and there was a beautiful view of a ferry and the Olympic mountains.  We live in such a beautiful place!

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

1/8/16 Ken sketching outside Top Pot.

If the Friday sketchers hadn’t met at Top Pot Doughnuts this morning, I probably would have gone through the day unaware that today is Elvis’s birthday. But thankfully we did meet at the shop’s West Seattle location on Alki Avenue, where the “hand-forged” doughnut company was recognizing what would have been the King’s 81^st birthday. I decided to pass on the King’s Rings (maple-frosted doughnuts encrusted with thick squares of bacon), but there was plenty else to sketch in the large yet cozy space.

During a typical 2.5 hour sketch outing, I tend to do two or three sketches. Today I felt like doing a series of small sketches. I even ventured outside the store for one sketch of the street, but that didn’t last long (my phone weather app said it was 37 F).

The last time I sketched Elvis was three years ago at Drawing Jam. Thinking that the King’s Rings might prompt an appearance, I was ready, but no Elvis was sighted. Maybe next year.

1/8/16 Top Pot's counter

1/8/16 Alki Avenue Southwest

The view from Ampersand Coffee shop

We arrived a little early, as usual, to scope out our subject. I drew the Pepperdock Burger joint a year or so ago (you can just see the sign in the distance of the new drawing), and I like how this little stretch of beach maintains it's California Surf town flavor, even on a chilly day like today.

New construction and postings for public hearings on even more development mean this will all be gone before too long and Alki Beach will lose its character to more bland condos, so see it while you can.

Learning to use the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.

To learn how to use this new tool I've been drawing from photos so haven't been able to share here until today. To see my practice drawings you can look here: http://stevenreddy.blogspot.com

Save the dates.....

Urban Sketchers Tacoma will be hosting this.  We think there could be 100-150 sketchers from all up and down the west coast. 

There are both a Blog/website and a Facebook page: 

http://4thwcuskskcrawl.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/609852259154110/