Folklife on the First Day of Summer

5/26/17 Didgeridoo player

OK, May 26 isn’t officially the first day of summer, but as far as I’m concerned, the Pacific Northwest has skipped spring altogether!

Urban Sketchers Seattle celebrated the start of the outdoor sketching season at the 46^th annual Northwest Folklife Festival. One of the last remaining donation-only music festivals in the country, Folklife has been a USk Friday event for at least a few times, but I guess I must have missed it in recent years, because the last time I went was in 2014. After having been away for several weeks, it was especially fun to join the other sketchers at this event, which is a field day for people who like to sketch people in action – especially buskers! And that would be me!

5/26/17 Warming up! Me, not them!

Despite all the sketching I got to do in Italy, I missed opportunities to sketch buskers there. (I’m thinking busking must be unlawful, because I saw only two the whole time.) Pulling out my sketchbook today, I felt more than a little rusty when I started with the South American band (you can see me warming up as I started with the guitarist on the right and worked towards the left).

I felt a little warmer by the time I got to the young harpist (playing the Star Wars theme, a popular tune today) and finally the didgeridoo player, with some practice in between on other musicians, a face painter, and a balloon man.

5/26/17 face painter

And speaking of warmer, we’re scheduled to have sunshine and temps in the low 80s the entire Memorial Day weekend, which is historically cool, wet and gray. It’s a long-deserved treat after a record-breaking soggy winter! Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!

5/26/17 Young harpist

5/26/17 Balloon man waiting for customers

5/26/17 Jammin'

5/26/17 caricaturist

5/26/17 Relaxing in the grass, listening to music.