Still some sun

 This morning was again unexpectedly sunny, especially after yesterday's wild weather. It seemed another good day to go out to sketch.

First I stopped at a bakery I used to frequent a few years ago.  I sketched the truck with pumpkins, even while they decorated for Christmas.  It seems like a lot of people and places have decided to decorate right after Halloween...the prevailing attitude I've heard expressed is it's a pandemic and we need the cheer sooner rather than later.  I'm wanting until after Thanksgiving, though.

 

Since the weather was still good, I headed for Seward Park, where I drove through the park, along roads I'd not explored before.  

I ended up parking on the street next to the Lake Washington Blvd trail.  I wanted to sketch these Chinese stone lanterns I've noticed before. 

 

 

-Kate Buike

A Farewell Scone

10/13/17 I delayed sketching until my scone was half gone.
Nothing keeps me from a warm pastry -- not even sketching.

The Stone House Bakery on the south end of Lake Washington has been a sketcher-friendly venue the past couple of years. The first time was almost exactly two years ago when, after warming up first with a scone and coffee, I was able to go outdoors long enough to sketch the Stone House itself. When we went in July last year, we all went outside to sketch the colorful décor, including the blue truck parked there permanently. The owner, Patrick Choy, is moving his popular bakery to a new location, so Urban Sketchers Seattle met at the old Stone House location today for the last time.

Again fortifying myself first with a scone (cream cheese pumpkin!) and coffee, I intended to eventually sketch outside if the morning warmed up. Almost all of us began the same way – sketching our scones. I decided I needed to stay warm a little longer, so I sketched the view out the window (including a bit of the lovely stonework around the window).

10/13/17 Looking out the stone window

With only a half-hour left, I zipped up my jacket, pulled on my hoods (yes, plural), and went out to the café’s haunted house. I gave the fellow below 15 hasty minutes before I scurried back inside, rubbing my hands together. I guess there’s no denying that fall is here. 

Many thanks to Patrick for being a gracious host to us the past couple of years. I’ll certainly get to his new location for more scones, if not sketching.

10/13/17 A slender patron

Check out Sue's sketch of me! I think it's the first time I've recognized myself in someone's sketchbook!

Happy Holiday

Happy Holiday....   to all who are celebrating.



Early morning at my favorite cafe/bakery:  The Stonehouse Bakery.   The owner, Patrick, had a crew of 2 in this am to finish all the Christmas orders. While I sketched I had a delicious blueberry scone and some hot coffee.  It was quite the bustling place with people coming in to pick up their orders. 

Thanks for another wonderful year with Urban Sketchers!  

Stone House Cafe, Lake Washington

The Urban Sketchers Seattle ad hoc group met at Stone House Café and Bakery on Friday morning.  A former 1920’s service station, the well preserved building is situated across the street from Lake Washington in Rainier Valley. A wall of towering trees creates a forested backdrop for the house built of stones. A view of Mercer Island adds to the lake living ambience of the place.  

Stone House Cafe patio, Lake Washington and Mercer Island

Because the views are intrinsic to the location and very pretty, I chose a view from the patio looking out at Lake Washington  The café has a rugged stone exterior and a cozy wood interior with wide open water views to enjoy while dining.  

Stone House Cafe 

A view from the lake side accentuates the classic character of the structure.  The scalloped fence, stacked stones, gabled roofline and woodland setting evoked fond memories of remote, last-chance service stations "up north" in Michigan, my home state.

Stonehouse II

Our Friday group returned to the Stonehouse Cafe and Bakery today.  Though it threatened rain, we managed to escape it.  The group of a dozen sketchers fanned out around the property.  I also have a friend from Portland visiting and she brought some sketching tools in order to join in.
I don't know what my problem was today but I just do not really like the sketches.  The first scene of the upper patio didn't work.  I recognize the need to work more on creating textures. 

I normally am not very interested in drawing vehicles as a main subject.  But the beautiful 1953 Chevy pickup truck posed so nicely.  I decided to do a sketch to contribute to the memorial for Florian who died earlier this spring in a tragic auto accident.   At the International Symposium later this month they are going to have a special exhibit of car sketches in tribute to his memory. 

The logo is a piece of collage.

I had less than half an hour left.  I thought I could squeeze in one more sketch.  This is the entry to the bakery. 


Sharing sketches:



Patrick, the baker, came out to see what we'd done and took our group photo.  Steve Reddy left early so is not in the photo. 

A Tribute to Flaf at Stonehouse Cafe

7/8/16 '53 Chevy truck at Stonehouse Cafe

A tribute is being made to the memory of Florian Afflerbach for the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Manchester: a wall of sketches of cars and other vehicles. Although I have sketched several classic cars at the Greenwood Car Show, I wanted to make a new sketch in his well-known fisheye style. I wasn't sure if I'd see a vintage vehicle in time for the symposium, but somehow these things seem to turn up serendipitously. Sure enough, I met with Urban Sketchers Seattle this morning at the Stonehouse Cafe (where we sketched for the first time last fall), and parked in front was the owner's beautifully restored '53 Chevy truck.

7/8/16 a stack of Adirondacks

And how's this for more serendipity? I don't usually carry a blue Field Notes notebook in my bag, but this morning I grabbed it on sheer whim as I was walking out the door. In the back of the restaurant near the gazebo was a stack of Adirondack chairs -- in the very same shade of blue!

Stone House Cafe on Ad Hoc Friday

I have been AWOL for a couple months with no "urban" sketches to show for it. But last Friday I sketched the Stone House Cafe with the Ad Hoc group. The other sketchers have said it all... beautiful weather, a fascinating building, great pastries and the baker/host was the nicest guy...

Stone House Cafe, Rainier Beach

Stone House Café

10/16/15 The Stone House Cafe

Tucked against the southern shore of Lake Washington is the Stone House Café, which is as literal an interpretation of its name as any café can be. Even the restroom incorporates the original stonework of a former service station built in the ‘20s. With indoor and outdoor seating decked out for Halloween, a full-service restaurant and a bakery, the Friday Urban Sketchers had plenty of choices this morning. First choice for most of us was coffee and some form of decadence from the bakery (I chose a pumpkin scone, but I drooled as cinnamon rolls, sticky buns and Danish passed by).

Suitably fortified, I warmed up with a sketch of the hacked-up tree across the street (below) – an ideal subject for #inktober and my Pilot Parallel pen. Despite the hack job, this tree seems to express a certain insouciance that I tried to capture.

By then the morning had warmed up along with my hand, so I settled in for the Big Kahuna: the Stone House Café building itself. Sue and I both liked the shadows on the north side of the building that highlighted the stone contours and the building’s high peaks (although looking into the sun for an hour wasn’t much fun).

Our thanks to the café staff for making us feel at home! For both indoor and outdoor sketching, the Stone House is a keeper.

10/16/15 Across the street from the cafe