Stimson-Green Staircase

I got to the mansion late, and upon seeing a greater-than-usual turnout, I was lucky to find a spot that I liked. This doorway framed the staircase nicely, and provided an interesting perspective with many pockets of light and dark, which I tried to capture.

The second sketch at right was looking from the opposite corner, just in front of the door you see in the first sketch at left. The tricky perspective was a challenge, and took me awhile to set up! It's not every day you get to sketch an interesting space such as this.

Stimson-Green Mansion

11/20/16 Ching sketching on the main floor

Only a month or two before I joined Urban Sketchers in 2012, the group had met at Stimson-Green Mansion, a beautifully restored and maintained building on the National Register of Historic Places. Today I finally had an opportunity to sketch there myself. Although the mansion is available to the public for special events and tours, this morning it was generously opened just for Urban Sketchers Seattle, so we had the entire house to ourselves. (Thanks to David Chamness for arranging that!)

And what a house it is! Although dimly lit in some rooms, enough natural light exposed the details in many areas. The architecture is “primarily of Tudor and Gothic revival, but its eclectic styles also range through Moorish, Romanesque, Neoclassical, and Renaissance influences.” I spent a while simply wandering from room to room and floor to floor, taking photos and trying to imagine what it must have been like for the Stimson family to live there in 1901, and later the Green family (who resided there for 60 years). Seattle doesn’t have many houses from the turn of the previous century, so it was a treat to be able to walk through it, sit on the furniture and sketch whatever we pleased.

11/20/16 Window seat

I was somewhat overwhelmed by the large interior views, so I chose a few details that I thought would hint at some of the house’s grandeur. Light coming in above a window seat, a wall lamp, and two beasts decorating one of several fireplaces all caught my attention. My favorite sketch of the day was of Ching when I captured her from above on the stairway landing. 

11/20/16 Fireplace details

11/20/16 Light fixture

Helen and Terrie in one of the bedrooms

Ching downstairs

Kate

Sketchers everywhere!

Stimson Green Mansion Sketches

We had a great time sketching at the Stimson Green Mansion.  Good thing it was indoors, not that it was raining....it was cold.  Here are the two sketches I finished.  One outside under the Porte Cochere and another one in from the front entry hall.  The detail was overwhelming and so many choices of views.

More Stimson Green

I tend to go for the practical aspects of built environments. 

Hence, the kitchen and the bathroom. 

I loved the rack and the somewhat industrial nature of the kitchen 
That's Debra over in the opposite corner. 

And the stand-alone porcelain sink in the 2nd floor bathroom.

Stimson Green staff were gracious and welcoming making for a delightful experience. 

Stimson Green Sketch Crawl

I was late getting up to the mansion and so I was able to only do a quick sketch in the living room before the group gathered to share.  The dark shadow in the corner contrasting with the sunlight coming through the window and curtains was a challenge for the eyes.  I like the challenge of representing the sunlight, but I am  not completely satisfied with the results yet. 
After everyone went on their way, I decided to stand across the street and sketch a second image of the exterior.  It was cold, but it forced me to work faster.
 Enjoyed seeing all the other sketches and hope every one gets around to posting their efforts.

Stimson-Green Mansion

Here are a couple of sketches I did yesterday. The first, done before the group met at 10 am, took about 20 minutes because it was really cold outside. The second was from the landing on the main stairway between the first and second floors, looking both upward and downward. I always enjoy these transitional spaces because of the multiple viewpoints they offer.

Stimson Green

I was not sure if we would be able to use ink and watercolor inside the mansion, so I brought graphite pencils and worked outside of my comfort zone yesterday. Turns out, ink and watercolors were fine - as you will see as more people post their sketches. Fun day and a great winter location to sketch.

Sketches of Stimson Green from Kate

These are sketches of the Stimson Green Mansion done by Kate Buike who joined us for the first time on Sunday. 

More photos of Stimson Green

Urban Sketchers listening to Cathy Wickwire talk about the Mansion

Main entry to the Mansion

Urban Sketchers at the Stimson-Green Mansion

Here is a photo of the Seattle Urban Sketchers sharing our work yesterday in the sunlit dining room of the Stimson-Green mansion. Will post a couple of sketches later today.

Sunday February 26th Sketchcrawl

Next Sunday February 26th we will meet at the Stimson Green Mansion from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm for a sketch crawl at this historic landmark.  1204 Minor Avenue, Seattle, WA.  Hope to see you there.