First Hill Churches and a State Bird

6/8/18 One of St. James Cathedral's twin towers

6/8/18 Trinity Parish Episcopal

Despite the spitting that turned to drizzle and then full-on rain, USk Seattle made a strong turnout for a sketch outing in the First Hill neighborhood, which features two classic churches.

I wanted to sketch both of St. James Cathedral’s twin towers, which I last sketched several years ago from the Frye Museum’s parking lot. That former lot is now another high-rise construction site, so that view will soon be gone, but I didn’t see a spot where I could sketch from without getting drizzled on. Under cover of a small awning, I settled for just one of the tower pair.

The rain was getting worse, but I was determined to try for the second of the two churches – Trinity Parish Episcopal – only a couple of blocks away. I see its Gothic spire often from the freeway and have always wanted to sketch it. I found a fully leafed tree to duck under that gave me a view through the trolley wires.

Feeling damp, I went into the Frye’s café for coffee and cake (several other sketchers had the same idea). I grabbed a window table where I could see a bright yellow “Washington State bird” behind the Frye’s cylindrical building.

After a week of sunshine, our wet outing was a disappointment, but since I squeezed three slightly rain-speckled sketches out of it, I can’t complain.

6/8/18 Our state bird (no, not the pigeons)

Frye Art Museum

Due to the Frye's restrictions on media, I brought out my old-fashioned mechanical lead holder with 4B lead and drew these views this past Saturday. Searching for something to draw, I found this scene look up in one of the galleries. What attracted me were the shades of gray, perfect for drawing with a pencil.

This second sketch was done outside along the museum's entry walkway, overlooking the reflecting pond.

46th Quarterly Sketchcrawl with USk Seattle

I met up with Seattle Urban Sketchers for the 46th Quarterly Worldwide Sketch Crawl at the Frye Art Museum today.

The experience was a case of overlapping senses and time lines. It was multidimensional. 

Stillman and Birn Beta, graphite, Lamy pen, water soluble black ink and watercolor pencils.

I arrived early enough to sketch the domed tower from my car outside in the free parking lot. As far as I know, the dome is the only addition (1997) to the architecture of the building since the collection opened in 1952. At the same time, a cafe and reflecting pools were added on the north and west side of the building. Various interior remodeling projects have ensued. 

Haunting tones of the human voice echoed out into the entry way from Jessika Kenney's installation, "Anchor Zero". It's the last day of this show. I stood in the cube-like bamboo structure, called "Breathing Room" and read this poem:

I hadn't thought of breath as line before.

I wandered through rooms occupied by wall-sized videos of a figure walking through dreamlike forests, all in gray scale tones of black and white. The tonal scales of voice rose and fell, following me through to a side room of the next exhibit.

It was opening day of "Future Ruins" by Rodrigo Valenzuela. A "construction/destruction zone" of scaffolds and gritty papered floors is the environment, vague images of building shapes and bridges on the background walls. Large scale black and white images of "future ruins" hang from the scaffolds, dimly lit by spotlights. (See the artist's statement here.)

Already suffering from mid-winter grays, I found the color break I was craving in the gift shop. Giorgio Morandi himself (1890-1964) could have placed this collection of pots on one of the upper shelves. It warmed my cold winter palette and made me smile.

I felt present, past and future swirling around me at the museum today.

46th World Wide SketchCrawl at the Frye (Plus St. James Cathedral)

1/31/15 St. James Cathedral

Even though I was the one who had suggested the Frye Art Museum as the location for the 46th quarterly World Wide SketchCrawl, I have to admit I wasn’t very inspired. Not that the art wasn’t interesting – some of it was – but I found most of it to be unsketchable. In addition, some of us pen sketchers felt constrained by the museum’s media restrictions. I made a valiant attempt at capturing a cage-like structure made of bamboo, part of Jessica Kenney’s exhibit, “Anchor Zero,” with colored pencils.

After a couple more walks through all the exhibits trying to find something to sketch, I gave up and went out to my car across the street in Frye’s lot, where I had strategically parked facing St. James Cathedral’s twin towers. The first time I had sketched those towers from nearly the same position was almost exactly two years ago. (I’m not sure my architectural drawing skills have improved much, but maybe my color is a little better.)

1/31/15 Part of Jessika Kenney's exhibit, "Anchor Zero"

A small but enthusiastic group of Seattle Urban Sketchers gathered in the foyer to share sketches. We barely got a group photo taken before we were shushed – a tour had just begun! Welcome to new members Magdalena and Ryan!

Left to right: Magdalena, Darsie, Ryan, Michele, Frank and Tina