Animal Heads and a Surprise at Sculpture Park

 

5/30/26 Ai Weiwei's Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, Olympic Sculpture Park

After a long delay and much anticipation, Ai Weiwei’s monumental installation, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, officially opened at a community event May 30 at Olympic Sculpture Park. According to the Seattle Art Museum, “The works reconceive the 12 zodiac heads that decorated an 18th-century Qing imperial fountain before they were looted during the Second Opium War (1856–60). Seven are based on the original heads that have survived, and Ai researched and reimagined the five animals still missing to complete the zodiac.”

Lunch sketches

Despite the cool, cloudy morning, USk Seattle came out in full force to sketch the bronze animal heads, each standing 10 feet tall and weighing 1,500 pounds. I sketched different parts of it twice from different angles. Then later while eating lunch outside, I still had a good view of the sculptures, so I sketched a few more heads, this time with Jane in the composition.

Sponsored by SAM, the community event included live music and dragon dance performances by Wei Dai. The page below is a composite of Dai’s performance (lower right) and park visitors playing with long, colorful dragon streamers similar to the one Dai used.

Dragon dancer Wei Dai (lower right) and park visitors 

After lunch, I still had an hour before the throwdown, so I took a walk down to the waterfront. To my surprise, while I’d seen the fountain before, I discovered a figure in the fountain that I had never noticed. Not finding a placard, I had to do some online digging to learn about it, and it turned out to be an intriguing story:

Father and Son, a fountain with sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, was the result of a bequest to the city by a Seattle man, Stu Smailes. The avid art supporter stipulated in his will that the $1 million gift be used to build a fountain in Seattle. “The fountain(s) shall include one or more unclothed, life-size male figure(s) designed in the classical style, i.e.: realistic,” were the requirements, according to the Seattle Times.

Father and Son by Louise Bourgeois 

Eventually, the bequest was assigned to Seattle Art Museum, and Father and Son was installed at the western park entrance in 2005. According to Wikipedia, “The 15-foot fountain and sculpture depict a na    ked man and a naked boy reaching out to each other. At timed intervals, two separate sides of the fountain will either rise or fall to reveal or obscure one figure or the other.” Interestingly, I never saw the “son” appear the whole time I was sketching, and the water level didn’t seem to change.

The Wikipedia article goes on to say that “Father and Son is the first public sculpture in Seattle featuring nude figures. While the SAM’s statement on the artwork focuses on the emotional distance and vulnerability of the two figures, others in the local community saw the sculptures as overtly sexual and pedophilic.” I don’t recall any of this controversy from 2005 – and it took me more than 20 years to discover the figure!

One of many benefits of being an urban sketcher is all that I keep learning about my native city, one sketch at a time.

This Time, Lenin and the Bridge

 

5/23/26 Fremont Bridge and Lake Washington Ship Canal, Fremont neighborhood

Sketching in the Fremont neighborhood is always a game of “choose your icon.” The Troll, JP Patches & Gertrude, Lenin, Saturn, the Rocket (bonus points if you can get both Saturn and the Rocket in the same composition), the Fremont Bridge, the topiary dinosaurs – did I miss any? USk Seattle hit them all last Saturday on a cloudy afternoon.

Although I’ve sketched all of them multiple times, I picked an icon that I may not have sketched as often. It was breezy and chilly by the Lake Washington Ship Canal, but I wanted to start with a peek-a-boo view of the brilliantly blue Fremont Bridge.

After walking around Fremont for a while to warm up, I ended up at the statue of Lenin, where several other sketchers were already settled in at the former Soviet Union leader’s feet. Always a bit daunted by the formidable monument, I walked across the street for a more distant view (below). I chose a purple and green palette that would contrast strongly with Lenin’s red hand.

In fact, the red hand was just what I needed to fill the short time remaining until our throwdown, when the sun finally came out.

Statue of Lenin

Throwdown at Evanston Plaza

Inside Google

 

5/15/26 Sixth floor of Google's Valley Building, South Lake Union

Inclement weather is usually an urban sketching inconvenience, but last Friday it worked to our advantage (at least for some of us). Ikroop, a sketcher and Google employee, had invited USk to join her artist colleagues to sketch together at Lake Union Park. If the weather turned unpleasant, we had the option of going inside their office building a short walk away. Since we all agreed at the meetup that it was too cold and windy to sketch at the park, we took advantage of their invitation to take us inside.

Initially skeptical about what we would have to draw inside an office building, I was surprised – and impressed! In addition to sweeping views of Lake Union, Queen Anne Hill and downtown, the sixth floor employee lounge had colorful, cushy chairs, lots of tables, a visiting dog and even pinball machines.

We ended the sketch outing across the street at Flatstick Pub for a drink & draw. Sketching South Lake Union’s glassy buildings, I got to know a few new sketchers I hadn’t met before while enjoying my brew and snacks.

5/15/26 Flatstick Pub, South Lake Union

Google throwdown...

A small group of sketchers who were late for the initial meetup got left behind at the park. Hardy sketchers and good sports, they opted to sketch at Lake Union Park anyway and had their own throwdown!

...and simultaneous Lake Union Park throwdown!

Rare Himalayan Blue Poppies

Small group today, but the flowers are just GORGEOUS. Come down to Federal Way's Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden to see ALL KINDS of rhodies, but especially the rare Blue Himalayan Poppies that are blooming now. It's a beautiful serene spot with lots of trails to explore!

Thanks to Roxanne, Sharon and John for joining me in our merry band of sketchers!

Fishermen’s Terminal for USk Week

 

5/6/26 Fishermen's Terminal

For our second outing during International Urban Sketchers Week, USk Seattle chose Fishermen’s Terminal, which we think of as our inaugural site. A bit chillier and windier that day than I found comfortable, I ducked in and out of pockets of shelter from the wind (and found a boat aptly named Windswept).

I found small vignettes of fishing boats, the Fishermen’s Memorial Monument, and other nautical pieces to put together on the page. Floral arrangements were still in place in front of the memorial, where families gather each May to remember lost fishermen. Many names of fishermen who have died at sea are engraved in paving stones, and it’s always moving to see how many were very young.

Bittersweet at Gas Works Park

 

5/2/26 Cranes are poised for destruction at Gas Works Park

Back in February when I participated in a “heart bomb” for Gas Works Park, the decision to dismantle some of the historic structures had been tabled by the city. There was still hope to find alternative solutions that would address safety concerns while retaining the structures. 

The usual park residents

Then in April the Historic Seattle organization reported that one Seattle department had ordered another city department to remove “character-defining features (catwalks, platforms, railings, ladders, pipes, etc.), or “appurtenances,” on the iconic towers by May 15. It seems a decision had been made quickly without the knowledge or involvement of landmarks preservation organizations (see the full story and context at the link above).

USk Seattle had been thinking of a different location for our May 2 outing for International Urban Sketchers Week, but we made a quick decision to meet at Gas Works Park instead. We had to sketch ASAP if we wanted to capture as much of the original structures before they were forever changed.

Knowing that it would be the last time we’d see the gas works as they had always been, it was a bittersweet outing, and USk Seattle came out in full force. The blow was somewhat softened by the amazing weather: Temps in the low 70s with sunshine and a soft breeze off Lake Union! I was among the many sketchers who sat or stood comfortably in full sun without feeling too warm. What a treat!

I stood at the top of Kite Hill for most of my sketches so that I could include the backside of the gas works, where cranes were already in place to dismantle pieces that could be climbed. While it’s tragic that several trespassers have fallen to their deaths over the years, it’s important to note that the entire area has always been surrounded by fencing with signs everywhere prohibiting entry and climbing.

It’s also a great spot to capture kite fliers, people and dogs enjoying the sunshine at the crest of the hill.

Top of Kite Hill

Because I’m feeling sentimental about my favorite city park, I’m showing below some of my many sketches of Gas Works Park from the past 11 years.

1/19/26

4/18/25

9/17/22

9/2/21

6/22/17 The piping and catwalks that cast these cool shadows will soon be gone.

7/2/16

9/9/15