Multi Media Amazon Spheres

My sketch from Friday's Ad Hoc sketchup at the Amazon Spheres. I think I may have gotten a little carried away with this! I started with a page in my sketchbook that had been randomly pre-painted with white brushstrokes and splatter. Then a black line drawing, colored pencil and some hand-painted collage papers (applied at home) to top it off. It was a blazing hot and sunny day, and the Sphere's construction site pretty much stops traffic. There were crowds of people with both locals and tourists snapping photos of the Spheres each time traffic paused in front of the site.

The bridge that DNA built

Seattle Urban Sketchers had been to the Helix Pedestrian Bridge before but I never knew about it until it was our scheduled outing for this month.  So this was my first time seeing it. 

It is a marvel of a bridge!  Here is some information I found about it:   "Spanning 11 railroad tracks, this bridge connects Amgen’s office complex on the waterfront to a major arterial road. The bridge is designed after the double helix structure of DNA. (Amgen is one of the world’s largest biotech companies.)"  [I think I heard Amgen no longer occupies the building there.]

In 2004, the Amgen Helix Pedestrian Bridge received the "Outstanding Project" award under the Bridges and Transportation category given by the National Council of Structural Engineers Association.

Fabric Type: PTFE Fiberglass
Architeect: Johnson Architecture and Planning; Seattle, WA
Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers; Seattle, WA
General Contractor: Sordoni Skanska Inc.
Completion Date: 2004

It's a very complex structure to sketch.  I picked this view as I thought it was a bit challenging but not beyond what I might be able to do.  That's Susan H. sitting in front of me.


We were supposed to all begin by meeting at "Fish On" Bait and Tackle Shop/Cafe along the trail.  It was hard to find and many didn't make it.  I headed back to find a view of the pier.  These are the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ships.

Then back to the bridge for our sharing session.  There were a few new people and a couple people had to leave early so we're missing them in the group photo.

The Amazon Spheres

We met to sketch the Amazon Spheres under construction.  I hadn't been feeling well the past couple weeks (a cold) and I was dreading the high heat.  For most of our sketch outing, though, it was warm but there was a breeze so it wasn't uncomfortable.  As I headed home about 1400 it was getting hotter.  Once at my car, it's gage said 91 degrees (30 C !).

First, I left early enough to do another sketch in my series on the art in the light rail stations.  This is "Soundings" by Clark Wiegman at the Tukwila station.



I arrived at the construction site early enough to get started on my first sketch by about 0900.  There are 3 spheres and each of them here is at a different point in construction.



The block features three 80-to-90-foot-tall (24 to 27 m), 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) glass spheres facing Lenora Street that will house five stories of flexible work space for 1,800 employees and retail.  Here are couple recent articles about them:
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-biospheres-will-happen-inside-giant-
glass-orbs-company-building/
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazons-giant-seattle-spheres/

I walked down the street looking for another view and saw this section being craned into place!  Once it got close, it seemed to hold for a while, long enough for me to gt a sketch.



The third sketch of the day is the least finished sphere with a big crane next to it.  I thought of Tina, who likes to sketch cranes. From where I sat on the sidewalk, I could see 10 cranes at different construction sites!


We gathered again to share sketches and have a group photo.  Several sketchers reported being asked about our group.  I had a couple construction workers want to see my finished sketches.

Second July Sunday outing

Sunday July 31

Amgen Helix Pedistrian Bridge
10 am - 12:30

We'll meet up at the Fish On Bait Tackle and Cafe at Terminal 91. (See Monthly Outings tab for parking I found on Yelp.) This is a funky little cafe that has parking nearby. There is also parking in a very small lot just across from the east entrance to the bridge on Elliot.

We've been to this spot in the past and everyone wanted to return because of the variety of sketch opportunities, the bridge, the industrial silos, the park and water views.

It should be a great summer outing. Hope to see you there! 

Very late Fisherman's Terminal

It's been a whirlwind since our June sketch outing, but I want to do my part to post from June's sketch outing. I actually did two sketches, but I can't find the first one. Like I said... a whirlwind.

So here's my Darla, the most popular of the teminal's boats that day.

Onion Domes at St Spiridon

Seattle Urban Sketchers in the South Lake Union area. It was cool and damp, but the rain had stopped by the time the sketchers assembled. St Spiridon is an old (old in Seattle means the mid-1800s) Russian Orthodox church which is now surrounded by modern condos and hip cafes. Those onion domes were irresistible, but quite a challenge to draw and I did a lot more of a pencil underdrawing than I usually do. The ink and colored pencil were done on site, but I finished with some collage papers when I got home. edit - After checking my dates, the congregation of St Spiridon dates from the 1800s, but the church from the mid-1900s.

St. Spiridon Onion Domes

Waking up to the sound of rainfall, I wondered if it would dampen the spirit of the Seattle Urban Sketchers ad hoc outing to St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral this morning.  Undeterred, several sketchers showed up ready to go. Later, everyone had something interesting to share. The rain diminished leaving cool temperatures and overcast skies, a perfect situation for open air sketching on a city street. 

St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral 

The blue onion domes of St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral are a unique feature of the South Lake Union district in Seattle.  Reminiscent of Russian churches I’ve seen in illustrations and photographs, it’s a reminder of cultural heritage often forgotten by descendants of immigrants. Mesmerized by the complexity of the facade, domes, and crosses, it took me a bit longer than usual to lay down the composition. My concept was to draw the cathedral in the style of a Russian icon, facing the building head on, using a strong contour outline.

 Built in 1941, now sandwiched between modern apartment buildings and workplace towers, the cathedral offers an extraordinary contrast to the surrounding minimalist contemporary architecture. 

Immanuel Lutheran Church

7/22/16 Immanuel Lutheran Church

Two distinctive and strikingly different churches dominate the South Lake Union area’s historic Cascade neighborhood. The most eye-catching is St. Spiridon Russian Orthodox Cathedral, with its deep blue onion domes. Since I’d sketched St. Spiridon about a year ago (and since I should have been home packing my bag instead of sketching with Urban Sketchers Seattle this morning and was short on time), I decided to focus on the second church: Immanuel Lutheran.

Completed in 1912, the church has been on the historic register since 1982. Although it doesn’t look like anything I’ve sketched in Europe, the round and arched windows evoke the same architectural details I saw on Gothic buildings in Spain and Germany. It’s exactly the kind of building that makes me freeze with the deer-in-the-headlights look if I try to go at it with a fine point pen. But with only an hour to sketch, I immediately pulled out my brush pen to hit it as hard and fast as possible. It’s probably a good strategy even when I can be more leisurely.

The rain earlier in the morning may have kept some sketchers away, but the seven of us who showed up shared sketches afterwards at Espresso Vivace. Those blue onion domes captured a lot of attention!

In back, from left: Marvin, Ching, Kathleen and Sue. In front: Tina, Anne and Natalie
(Thanks to John Pound for taking the photo.)

Lincoln Park Foliage

I challenged myself to draw something besides man-made geometry and piles of clutter. Extremely difficult to find an inroad to a scene without platonic solids but a good opportunity to stretch. Next time I'll draw the play structure or the camping sheds.

Seattle Obon

7/16/16 Dancers at Seattle Buddhist Temple's Obon festival.

I look forward to Seattle’s Obon festival each July. A Buddhist event to honor ancestors and loved ones who have died, Obon (also called Bon Odori) is a time of celebration that includes dancing in the street, literally. 

Here’s the back story: Long ago, a man was grieving his mother’s death (forgive me if this story lacks detail; Sunday school was a long time ago). He was informed that his dead mother had reached Nirvana, and his grief turned to joy. So happy was he that he began dancing in the street (well, I’m sure it was a dirt road back then).

7/16/16 Taiko drummers

I don’t know if I got all of that story right, but I do know that the Obon tradition has managed to survive in many Japanese American communities. This fact astounds my Japanese friends and relatives, who see the tradition rapidly dying away in their own country. They find it hard to imagine that such an archaic, quaint festival is being kept alive in places like Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

When I was a kid, Obon was all about socializing with friends as we dressed up in traditional garb, participated in the choreographed folk dances and ate shaved ice. Back then, shorts and T-shirts were strictly forbidden; after all, it is a religious event at its core. In recent decades, though, rules have loosened to be more inclusive, and people of all races and religions join the fun. Baseball caps and jeans dance right alongside brightly colored kimono. A local taiko drumming group always performs, a highlight of the evening. You can still eat shaved ice and noodles, but you can also sit in the beer garden and listen to reggae or jazz.

As an adult, I still enjoy Obon as an occasion to see old friends and sometimes even join in the dancing. This year I enjoyed it even more because I brought my sketchbook to try to capture the color and energy. 

Lincoln Park

Yesterday was a very fine day for sketching at the beach!  The Friday Ad Hoc group met at Lincoln Park in West Seattle.  We had a beautiful view of Puget Sound and the Fauntleroy Ferry to Vashon Island. 

I was there early.  While I waited for others to arrive, I sketched the interesting houses across the street from the park.



Nearly everyone headed down to the beach.  I stopped part way down the path to sketch this classic view of the ferry. 



I had just a few minutes left so I did a quick sketch of Marvin sketching.  He got up and left before I was done, but I'd followed my practice of "sketch first what could move"!   There were some young boys hunting interesting things at low tide.  I wrote some notes about what they were yelling out.



At least 2 people aren't in the group photo as they had to leave early. 

Summer at Last at Lincoln Park Beach

7/15/16 Lincoln Park beach

It was only 55 degrees when I got up this morning. When Urban Sketchers Seattle met at Lincoln Park, several of us were toting Polartecs or raincoats, just in case the weather changed the wrong way. (We joked that Seattle beachwear always includes Polartec.) But sitting in the blazing sun to make these sketches, all of my layers came off right away, and I was glad I wore a tank top. It’s finally summer!

I was almost finished sketching the pink and lavender vehicle parked next to some driftwood when its driver came by and drove off, so I had to fake some of the shading. The Vashon ferry in the background, which I was afraid would also pull out before I was done, took a lot longer to unload and load its long lines of cars. 

7/15/16 Vashon ferry

Georgetown Scenes

A little late but here are three sketches I managed to during last Sunday's gathering in Georgetown.

Amazon Spheres, Take 2

7/14/16 Amazon spheres from Sixth and Lenora

The last time I sketched the Amazon spheres, I stood on the Seventh Avenue side of Lenora Street. The balls’ amoeba-like skeletal structure was still entirely exposed. This morning, two-and-a-half months later, I chose the Sixth Avenue side where I could stand a bit closer. Though still visible, the skeleton is now almost completely covered with a glass skin, and a few workers were way up at the top installing the last of it. 

Above them was one of the ubiquitous cranes towering over the north downtown/South Lake Union area.

Disc Bound

On Sunday Gail W. looked at my book and suggested I write ablog post about it. Here it is.

For some months now, I've been using this Circa Sliver Foldover Notebook as a sketchbook. It's my preferred size at 5 x 8.5 inches, light weight and adaptable. I like this particular notebook because it has a firm cover for support and the cover easily folds over so I can stand to sketch.  The source is on-line from Levenger's Circa line.



I tear full sheets of watercolor paper down to fit.  If I want a double page spread, I don't do the last tear but, instead, fold the paper.  All pages are then punched with the Circa desk punch.  There is  a travel punch available but it can only accept watercolor paper of about 90 pounds. I also like to have a page of card stock to hold the stickers I used to put on the cover of my sketchbooks.









I can easily remove just a single page to attach to my coroplast lap board if I want to sit.  Then I can put the page back so all my sketches can be reviewed in the book.





My book holds a divider with a pocket, some notebook pages and a zip pouch.  You could add other items, such as calendar or planner pages.  Letter sized paper can be cut in half and punched to fit the book so you don't have to buy the pre-punched refills from Levenger.  If more pages are desired, larger discs can be used.







As the book fills, I remove sketches and store them in envelopes.  I could "reconstitute" a group of sketches into a disc bound book at any time.



There is also the Arc system at Staples and Tul at Office Max/Depot.  So far, I haven't liked their notebooks as much because they are either too heavy or too flimsy.  Their choices are limited to leather (heavy) and "durable poly" (flimsy).  Except for the discs with which the books are sold, they do not offer any replacement .75 inch discs, which is what I prefer.  On the pro side, they are less expensive than Levenger.  I signed up for Levenger's email notification so I am alerted when items go on sale.

Of course, you could work out the same system using a 3 ring binder.  That would be cheaper and more easily sourced.  However, I've not found very many that fold over well so I still prefer this disc bound book.

Seeing the Bigger Picture with The Northwest School

7/12/16 Roham and David sketching Pine Street.

“At The Northwest School, students experience the exhilarating chemistry between academic disciplines and the arts. They learn to see the interdependence of all aspects of life in the real world. A bigger picture comes into focus. The school day becomes less about isolated subjects—and more about dynamic, interwoven concepts and ideas.”

Before today, the statement above was all I really knew about the Northwest School, because that’s the philosophy I read on its website. But this morning I got a brief look at what exactly that philosophy means – and wished that I had been exposed to such a philosophy when I was in grades 6 through 12!

David and Roham

The school and the Seattle Architecture Foundation invited Urban Sketchers Seattle to visit Lily Hotchkiss’s design/architecture-based art class to introduce the kids to urban sketching. In this summer session, the students are learning to design different elements through sketches and models. “I thought it would be great to start out by learning how to see buildings and sketch them,” Lily said. “I love Urban Sketchers and think this will be an exciting way to begin!”

David Chamness and I talked briefly to the five students, ages 10 through 15 and from several countries, in the classroom about our experiences sketching from life and showed them our sketchbooks and sketch kits. Then we all spent the rest of class time sketching in the area of Boren and Pine in the heart of downtown.

As I expected, the kids didn’t need us at all J – they all jumped into urban sketching with gusto. Engaged and enthusiastic, some were impressively aware of art, design and architecture in our urban world. Those bright young people will someday be our architects and urban planners – and hopefully urban sketchers, too. Like I said, I sure wish I’d had the Northwest School to attend when I was their age!

Instructor Lily Hotchkiss and two of her students

In true Urban Sketchers fashion, we all threw down our sketchbooks to share at the end of class!