Ten Years of Community

11/11/17 King Street Station's tower sketched over my
Global 24-Hour Sketchwalk badge

Urban sketching – the act of going out to sketch in my neighborhood or wherever I travel – tends to be a solo activity for me. It’s become such an integral part of my day-to-day life that, more often than not, I sketch whenever I’m out on an errand or commuting. It’s like writing in my diary – a reminder of my day with a sketch instead of words. But Urban Sketchers, the worldwide community, is about much more than that. Yesterday afternoon at King Street Station and online during the prior 20+ hours, I was once again reminded of what it means to me to be part of that community.

Ten years ago this month, Gabi Campanario tapped an icon on Flickr to create a new image group and started inviting sketchers around the globe to add their sketches to the group. That was how Urban Sketchers began – an online community. Very soon it evolved into local groups meeting in person to sketch together, and eventually sketchers began gathering annually in one place for an international symposium. But the heart and soul of Urban Sketchers has always been local groups and individuals sharing in person and online. The 24 hours of Nov. 11 were a visual representation of that worldwide heart and soul, and I was thrilled to be part of it.

11/11/17 One of King Street Station's globe lamps and Smith Tower.

Beginning in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii, local groups in each time zone began posting photos of their part of the Urban Sketchers Global 24-Hour Sketchwalk on Instagram. Volunteer social media organizers in each time zone uploaded those images to the global Urban Sketchers Instagram account, and anyone following the account or searching the event’s hashtag saw a continual stream of sketchers and their work throughout the day.

I started viewing Instagram on Friday around the time New Zealand began posting, and then Asia, and it really felt like I was attending a worldwide party! In fact, I was restless to get the party started in Seattle – but I’d have to wait until Saturday afternoon for that!

It was worth the wait. We all agreed that Seattle USk had a record-breaking turnout, including some new members and several members who hadn’t attended in quite a while but wanted to be part of this special event. With sketchers sitting quietly on the benches of King Street Station’s waiting area, looking down on the waiting area from the upper level, or braving the cold drizzle outdoors, it didn’t look like a party, but it felt like one in the best possible way: people with a common passion coming together to enjoy their favorite activity.

11/11/17 Passengers waiting for their train.

When I first joined Urban Sketchers in May 2012, I was a nervous introvert who had feelings of doubt and unease as I left the house for my first outing to Magnuson Park. The group I found there was so friendly and happy that I got over my doubts immediately. I had found my community, my tribe.

Happy 10^th anniversary, Urban Sketchers! I’m honored and proud to be a member.

To see images from around the globe, search the hashtag #USkGlobal24hrSketchwalk. USk Seattle’s images can be found with the hashtag #uskseattle.

Initial meet-up: Blank sketchbook pages ready!

Thank you, Gabi, for clicking that Flickr icon!

I got a sore neck sketching the tower!

Halfway through the sketchwalk, we took a group photo to include as many participants as possible.

Gabi

Suzanne

Sue in a precarious position.

Michele

April, our Instagram manager, finally gets to sit for a sketch!

Swagatika

Michele, Gabi, Tina and Kate

Final end-of-sketchwalk photo

11/11/17 Post-sketchwalk drink & draw at Elysian Fields brew pub

Ujjwal and her husband, Mel and Gabi

Global Sketchwalk at King Street Station

Sketches from Urban Sketchers 10th Anniversary Global Sketchwalk. Seattle USk met at the King Street Station and it looked like about 50 sketchers participated, many new (!). I spotted the taxi lineup as I walked in and decided they would be my first sketch of the day. Thanks to Tina for the loan of a yellow pencil! #USkGlobal24hrSketchwalk

My USK 10x10 Visual Journaling Sketchbook, WIP

Right now it's 84° in the shade as I work on the finishing touches for my Visual Journaling urban sketchers sketch book. I'm gluing in a few bits of ephemera and adding some narrative to the sketches I did while on location with my students at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle last Saturday morning.

I'm going to have to go inside where it's a bit cooler to finish this up and I will post those results as soon as possible.

For photos taken at the workshop, please visit my Flickr album. 

A Celebration of Spring on the 10th Anniversary of USK

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of Urban Sketchers worldwide. As we met at Seattle Art Museum on Sunday morning, I knew several of my fellow urban sketchers would stay in the lobby to draw the new installation of John Grade's "Middle Fork". In the spirit of group reportage, I decided to make the short walk up to Pike Place Market and find something iconic and celebratory to commemorate the first weekend of spring. Winter was finally over in the city where Urban Sketchers was founded.

The Gum Wall, the Balloon Man, an abundant display of cherry blossoms--all seemed a celebration of the first  weekend of spring.

Everybody says "Ewwwww!"
  
The gum wall was my first destination. After a steam cleaning in November of 2015 removed 2,350 lbs of accumulated gum, for the first time in 20 years the brick walls in Pike Place Market's Post Alley were clear. I thought it was about time to see how the "mural of gum" looks now. Jackson Pollock would be proud. I doubt, however, that his work was usually greeted by exclamations of "Ewwww!" and warnings of "Don't touch it!" as people do when they first encounter the gum wall. But then you can't contribute to one of Pollock's compositions either. And it reminds me of a freeze frame photo of confetti and fireworks!

At the corner of 1st and Pike
 Farrell Thomas The Balloon Man, aka Twister Thomas, is one of the colorful denizens of the Pike Street Neighborhood. Balloon animals are quite festive aren't they? Thomas has a spot by the information booth. Brass hoof prints at his feet lead to another market icon, Rachel the pig. A few drops of rain fell from the overhang I was using as cover and blotted my sketch of his face a little, but I think it just gives more character to the quick study.

As it continued to rain, I retreated further under the shelter of the entryway of DB Laurenti's on the corner of 1st and Pike. I considered sketching the iconic news stand, but the full blossoms across the street looked like puffy pink kernels bursting out of the top of the trees like movie popcorn. A celebration of spring!

I finished my sketch of the cherry trees and the street corner. By now it was time for me to walk back down two blocks and meet with Seattle Urban Sketchers at the SW lobby of SAM to share our sketches. We covered the entire Pike Street Neighborhood, the museum and more.

As you can see by other posts on the subject, we had a great turnout for our first weekend of Spring!

I saw wonderful sketches of the installation "Middle Fork", the stone sculptures of camels on the stairs, street views up and down the block, the "Hammering Man" and examples from various exhibits that were personally chosen by each artist. It turned out to be a celebration of Seattle, urban sketching, reportage and spring!