Seattle Center with WSU Students

10/11/24 Pacific Science Center

Chihuly's "Sonic Blooms"

A long-standing USk Seattle tradition has been to host interior design and landscape architecture students from Washington State University for an urban sketching meetup. Organized by prof Bob Krikac and his colleagues, the annual outing is always a fun opportunity to sketch with engaged and enthusiastic young people.

I missed last year’s outing, so I was especially eager to attend today’s gathering at Seattle Center. In fact, the last time I was at the Center, it was for a rainy Folklife, so I had done all my sketching indoors. Friday was chilly but dry, and I was in the mood to hit a few icons that I hadn’t sketched in a long time: the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center’s white arches and Dale Chihuly’s whimsical and colorful Sonic Blooms outside the glass artist’s museum (at left and below).

Knowing that the Center grounds are full of trees, I came prepared for color, too, and found some brilliant yellow ones in front of the Science Center arches (top of post).

This was the first time I sketched the Space Needle close enough to see people walking around on the newish transparent platform up there!

Including the 49 students, we had a huge throwdown full of impressive drawings. Bob and fellow instructors Michael Sanchez, Steve Austin and Alaina Pulay stress the importance of practicing drawing by hand from direct observation for the design work their students are studying. It was exciting to see from their sketches that they are well on their way to careers that will make use of their observational skills.  

It was a bit unnerving for this lone Husky to take a selfie with so many Cougs behind me. ;-)

I wasn't the only one who tackled the Space Needle!