Urban Sketchers on the Eastside Rail Line

9/14/24 Redmond Technology and Wilburton stations

Late last spring, Kate, Roy and I rode the new Link light rail line 2 from south Bellevue to Redmond. Getting off at each station, we sketched briefly before hopping back on. In addition to simply having fun, we were also scouting the route for a potential USk outing. Since most stations have enough sheltered areas that the outing could work during transitional seasons, we pushed it to fall.

As it turned out, Saturday’s drizzle didn’t faze any of the enthusiastic sketchers who showed up. In fact, I was impressed and surprised by the number of sketchers who did exactly what Kate, Roy and I did. Blitz-sketching at each station, they got right back on when the next train came and made it to the northern-most Redmond station in time for the throwdown!

Making one stop at Warburton Station to grab lunch at Whole Foods, I made a quick sketch of the light rail supports, which always make an interesting composition. After that, since I already did the whole tour in May, I saved most of my sketching time for Redmond Technology Station. Microsoft’s extensively landscaped pedestrian/bike overpass is challenging fun to sketch. (Both sketches above.)

Sketcher Jyoti works for Microsoft in one of the many buildings on the tech company’s main campus on the far end of the overpass. Walking with me, she noted key points of interest, such as the archway behind the colorful Microsoft “windows” (likely a good selfie spot for new employees and visitors). The triangular structure covered with foliage is a cave-like space where employees can take a break from all the glass and concrete. At lower left is a distant view of the pedestrian overpass. (Sketches below.)

Microsoft's main campus, Redmond

After the throwdown, most of us rode the train back to the southend park-and-ride lot, so I had time to sketch a few of my co-sketchers as well as other commuters. A fun day!

A green escape from glass and concrete

O'BOP

This afternoon I was sketch waiting again in Bellevue. I'd heard about this excellent Korean BBQ on the King 5 Evening TV show and put it on my list to sketch.There have been a few trips to Bellevue over the past couple months and today was a good day for sketching.  OBOP

The outside is painted like a food truck.  The small food counter is inside a gas station! I sat in the shade at the edge of the pavement.  One of the Food Mart workers kept coming out to look in my direction.

Once I was finished with the sketch I went into the store.  I showed them the sketch.  And I ordered some BBQ, which we had for dinner. It was very good.  

 

Toe-Tappin’ Sketchin’ at Wintergrass

2/23/18 Wintergrass jammers

It’s hard to sketch when your toes are tapping to lively bluegrass music!

For the fifth year, Urban Sketchers Seattle met at Wintergrass, the Puget Sound area’s weekend-long annual bluegrass festival at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency. I missed it last year because I was out of town, so I was especially looking forward to this year’s event, which is one of my all-time favorite sketch outings.

As I sketched the musicians who had gathered in the hotel hallways for impromptu jams, friends greeted and embraced each other, happily reuniting. Some had apparently come from distant states to participate in this long-anticipated event. I overheard them comparing program notes and planning which concerts and demos to attend. All morning, even as I heard the literal vibes of traditional music, I also sensed the vibes of happy people doing what they enjoy most – playing and listening to music. I don’t play an instrument, yet somehow their excitement felt familiar . . .

And then I suddenly realized what Wintergrass reminded me of: The Urban Sketchers Symposium. Instead of sketchbooks, pens and paints, they used fiddles, banjos and mandolins to express their common passion. Tapping and nodding to the music, I knew how they felt.

Jammin' at Wintergrass!

2/26/16 Wintergrass jammers

Today was Wintergrass, one of my favorite Urban Sketchers indoor sketching events! We’ve sketched the annual bluegrass music festival at the Bellevue Hyatt three years in a row (see 2015 and 2014), and it gets more fun each year. It’s hard to beat all that toe-tapping music as an accompaniment to sketching. I also see a parallel between bluegrass jammin’ and urban sketchin’ – people with a common passion getting together to do their thing. My only regret today was that I couldn’t stay longer.

2/26/16

Having just finished Suhita Shirodkar’s Craftsy course, Figure Sketching Made Simple, I warmed with a few pages of gesture sketches trying to capture the “lines of action.” Then I roamed around the Hyatt enjoying the music and impromptu dancing, stopping now and then to sketch groups of jammers.

With 10 minutes left to kill before the sketchbook sharing, I stood on the stairwell overlooking the main lobby, where bright red lanterns hang in a small bamboo grove.

2/26/16 more jammers

2/26/16 Bellevue Hyatt lobby

Wintergrass

The Friday ad hoc group met for the 2nd annual outing to Wintergrass, a bluegrass music festival in Bellevue, WA. 

I was there enough early to start a sketch while awaiting others.  This is the Wintergarden atrium.  There are comfortable chairs and very tall bamboo plants, still with the red lanterns from Chinese New Year.



This is a composite of various groups of musicians.  The two standing on the right were actually together.  But then they stopped playing and the group broke up so I couldn't get the rest of them.  The same happened with the man on violin.  I decided I could squeeze in one more musician if I could find one sitting down.  I wandered the hall until I found one!



I've been drawing from live, short-pose, costumed models at AFK Drink and Draw every week.  I don't post them here as they're not Urban Sketches.  However, the practice had noticeable effect today as I am now able to draw people quickly. 

Got to talking with a vendor who asked about the sketching we are doing at the gathering.  I showed this one and she said, "That's Cliff!"  She recognized the man on the right from the sketch!  It helped that he has long white hair and beard.  She said he's a well know teacher.

My final sketch is a vendor.  This is Gary, a mandolin maker in Renton!  It's  Cedar Mountain Mandolin Company.  It's not so good a portrait as he was moving a lot, talking with customers.  The mandolins held still, though!



We gathered in the Wintergarden Atrium again to share sketches and have a group photo.



Left to right:  Vivian (new, from Stephanie Bower's "Good Bones" workshop last weekend!), Natalie, Tina, Lynne (back), Kate (me; front), Gwen, Nilda, Nancy.

After the outing, most of us had lunch together there. Then I went over to the UW bookstore.  It's smaller than the main one.  I saw this display with all of Gabi's books, the post card set (from the Urban Sketching book) and some appropriate supplies.