Swanson's in winter

We met at Swanson's Nursery for a winter outing to sketch remaining decorations.

I wandered around outside for a while. It was drizzling but there was cover. However, I got a little chilled so I sat in the warmth of the cafe to sketch the small Dino Santa.

Several of us drew this Swanson's 100 display.

 

 It was a big group of over 25, with at least 2 missing from the photo. Stephanie Bower took the photo. Srinath V., who just moved here from a USk chapter in India, had to leave early.

 

More photos here.

On the drive home, I got caught on highway 99 with the First Ave S. drawbridge up to allow a crane to pass underneath. Sigh. But, then I realized the Urban Sketchers' joke and took it as a command. I drew the draw bridge up while I waited. Draw Bridge while sketch-waiting!

Bananas and Plants at Swansons

 

12/27/24 Swansons Nursery

At most USk Seattle visits to Swansons Nursery, I typically start sketching outdoors, then move indoors if it’s cold. But the chilly drizzle on Friday morning pushed me indoors right off the bat – first in one of the large retail areas, then a nice table in the café with a few other sketchers. It was a fine view of plenty of plants and the popular koi pond.

New at this visit were lots of banana-shaped caution cones scattered all over the store – bright yellow, eye-catching and fun to draw!

Welcome to new Seattle resident (but longtime USk member) Srinath Vasireddy!

presbyterian badminton

 

On Thursday evenings, people from age 10 to 70 gather to play competitive badminton in the gathering space of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Kent, WA.

Unlike most other courts, the surface is carpeted. It makes the game feel foreign to your body. Also, unlike the outdoor badminton you may have played in your backyard, this is a very fast-paced sport.

No one seems to know why there are badminton courts inside this place, but putting the space to use in the off-hours makes sense. There are also markings for basketball, but imagining that big heavy ball getting thrown around a space where there are stained glass windows makes me feel a bit stressed.

Despite the incongruity of playing in front of a giant wooden cross, it is a pretty nice place to play, especially when it's free. But because of that the sessions are quite busy, so you end up waiting a long time for your turn to get on the court. 

We went to New Hope a few times recently, when my partner was participating in a league. It's quite far from us, especially in rush hour traffic, so we probably won't become regulars. But I think it's interesting that it's a thing that's out there.

Farewell, Middle Fork

 

12/14/24 John Grade's Middle Fork in Seattle Art Museum lobby

In 2017, a remarkable piece was installed in the Seattle Art Museum’s lobby: John Grade’s Middle Fork, a 105-foot-long sculpture hanging from the ceiling. Built with the help of many volunteers, the sculpture is made of thousands of tiny pieces of cedar glued into a horizontal likeness of the tree that inspired it.

Meeting at SAM shortly after Middle Fork was installed, members of USk Seattle had been stunned and awed by its size and scope. Nearly eight years later, it is still no less daunting to sketch, at least for me. Since Middle Fork will come down in February (and returned to the Cascade forest floor near the 140-year-old tree that inspired the work), USk Seattle met in the SAM lobby again for one last chance to sketch it.

Since I had just been given a new Seawhite of Brighton concertina sketchbook, I thought it would be the right format for the 105-foot-long subject. First I filled six panels of the book by looking up at it from the lobby (above).

Then I went up to the second floor and sketched the “trunk” end head-on (I notated the spot in my first sketch where I was standing to make the second).

From upper level

With 15 minutes to fill before the throwdown, I went back down to the lobby near the admissions desk (below). I liked the contrasting patterns of Middle Fork’s organic “limbs” and the power-line-like rope stanchions.

Lobby admissions desk area

Farewell, Middle Fork – you never stopped inspiring awe whenever I visited. And now we are all wondering what kind of spectacular artwork will take your place. It will have large limbs to fill.