The Story of One Maple

 

Oct. 27, 2021 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Our days of high winds and heavy rain did a number on many trees. When I walked around Green Lake today, I saw lots of newly bald trees as well as torn limbs strewn across the path.

I went to check out the same maple in the ‘hood that I’ve been watching: Just a few yellow leaves are barely hanging on. This is probably the last time I’ll sketch it this year, but if I remember next spring, I’ll continue this story of one maple.

Previous sketches are shown below.

Oct. 21, 2021

Oct. 12, 2021

Pike Place Market People

10/17/21 Pike Place Market

Today was the international Urban Sketchers 24-hour event, USk Sketch Together, with sketchers around the globe taking part with live videos and images from their respective sketch outings. USk Seattle chose iconic Pike Place Market for our event. The forecast all week was for rain, but once again, the weather gods were with us: Not a drop!

Before the pandemic, I used to happily sketch people on buses and light rail trains whenever I had somewhere to go. Throughout the wet-weather months, I had taken for granted being able to draw people in coffee shops. The thing I missed most during the worst of the pandemic was sketching people in public. For Sunday’s outing, I decided it was time to get back on public transportation. As a personal celebration during the Sketch Together event, I dedicated the outing to sketching nothing but people. In fact, I used the “observational cartooning” technique I learned from Taylor Dow in his workshop a couple of weeks ago to help tell the story of people at the Market: drawings made from life combined with written commentary.

On the level below the Market Commons, I could look up at a corner of the pedestrian area with one of the best waterfront views (at right). It turned out to be a popular corner to take selfies and other photos. I started there but realized quickly that my view was limited.

Next I got up on the upper level myself so that I could see and sketch more people, especially their various photo stances – both taking and posing. Many were selfies, but others were couples and families who asked a passing stranger to snap a photo for them. When I wasn’t sketching, I timed a few: On average, I have about six seconds to capture a selfie. If someone else is taking the photo, I have a bit longer. The typical pose for couples is for one to put an arm around the other. When couples take a selfie together, they snap one, then usually one person is more interested than the other in the result and often needs a retake. I had as much fun people-observing as people-sketching.

It feels good to sketch people again!

To see what the rest of the world sketched that day, search the hashtag #usksketchtogether.

Many snoozers on the light rail train, a.m. and p.m.

I seem to be the only one awake
on this train.

USk Seattle knows how to Sketch Together!

Anna

Jane

Kim

Throwdown

Roosevelt Light Rail Station

 

10/1/21 Roosevelt Station the day before it opened to the public

Of all of Seattle’s light rail stations, I probably have the strongest connection to Roosevelt. It’s the closest station to home – about a 15-minute walk – but more significantly, it’s the one that I had the greatest intention of documenting with sketches while it was being built. I had big plans to walk down every few months to document its lengthy progress. In the early years, I sketched whatever heavy equipment I could see, and the cranes got bigger and bigger. But I was frustrated most of the time because the action was concealed by fencing. By the time the best parts of the station were finally revealed, the pandemic kept me from feeling comfortable standing around in the Roosevelt business district.

10/1/21 I like this thumbnail better than
my color sketch!

We all know where the pathway of good intentions leads to.

In any case, I finally got around to sketching Roosevelt Station – the day before it opened to the public. I thought Northgate Station was challenging, but Roosevelt was much worse! Standing across the street so that I could include the bright yellow sculpture and other colorful design elements (not to mention the crane, which is back there working on yet more apartments), I was cowed by the station’s scale, perspective and, well, everything. But it was just a first shot – I’ll certainly have more opportunities to try again.

Walking home, I kicked myself because a more sketchable view is on 12^th Northeast north of the station. I made a quick thumbnail to remind me of it next time.