The Trading Musician

 

3/16/24 The Trading Musician store, University District

Since I don’t play an instrument or have anything to do with the music industry, my only interest in The Trading Musician is its sign of a grumpy guitar head. Whenever I drive to the U-District, I pass that sign, which has been an icon for more than three decades. The Stranger reported in January that the guitar and drum sales and repair store was closing, a “devastating loss” to the musical community. Later it was reported that the owner is retiring, and the property has been sold. My guess is that the iconic sign’s days are numbered.

It’s been on my “must sketch” list since then, so I picked Saturday’s 72-degree sunshine to walk to the U-District and sketch the sign before it disappears. Despite seeing it regularly for its entire existence, I did not know until I sketched it that the sign slowly rotates! When I’m driving by, I’m paying attention to the busy traffic at Roosevelt and Ravenna, so I don’t stare at it long enough to watch it turn. But if there’s any time when one will notice a rotating sign, it’s when one is trying to sketch it!

Sunny Campus and U-District

 

10/2/22 Drumheller Fountain, University of Washington

Planning sketch outings in October is always iffy. Sometimes it can be crisp and sunny, but more often it’s wet and cold. We hedged our bets by going with the University of Washington campus, where Kane Hall has a wide, deep overhang in front. If it was wet, lots of sketchers could shelter there while still getting a great view of Red Square. Luckily, we didn’t need that shelter! It was sunny with temps in the low 70s, and except for a light haze of wildfire smoke on the horizon, we all agreed it was phenomenal weather for October.

Broken Obelisk

I warmed up with a small sketch of Drumheller Fountain (AKA Frosh Pond for the tradition of dumping underclassmen in) in my bright yellow Uglybook. The combo of colored paper and a white gel pen is the fastest, easiest way to sketch falling water! (I regretted that I didn’t have my red book with me, though, which makes the white gel pen pop even better.)  

Walking through Red Square, I spotted a sketcher with Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk sculpture behind her, which made another fun, quick sketch.

After that, I walked around campus for several thousand steps, looking for another subject, but nothing grabbed me. It seemed like all the buildings I was attracted to were either fully in shade or fully lighted, which are both difficult to sketch. I wandered off campus to Northeast 42^nd and 15^th Northeast, where an old brick building covered in ivy caught my eye (below). The green awning near the center is Magus Books, a used book store that has been in the U District since I was a UW student in the ‘70s. I liked all the contrasts among old, new, brick, steel and foliage. In a few weeks, the ivy will turn, and I’d probably make even better use of a secondary triad if I sketched it again.

U-District

Rip Visits the U-District

8/18/21 Cross & Crown Church, U-District

Other than driving through, I haven’t spent much time in the University District since before the pandemic began. After dropping my car off for servicing, I had a good couple of hours to wander and see what had changed in a year and a half. Rip Van Winkle had another awakening: The sites of old buildings that were being torn down were now big holes or turning into new buildings in various stages of construction. Looking around at the many cranes, I could have stopped anywhere to juxtapose the old and the new, but I chose the corner of 12^th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 47^th Street to sketch the Gothic Cross & Crown Church with a big yellow bird beyond it (above).

Community seating area at 43rd and University Way

Sadly, many small businesses that were the bread and butter of the U-District closed during the pandemic, but others seemed to have survived. I was delighted to see that Sweet Alchemy Ice Creamery at 43^rd and University was still open. I got a double scoop in a dish and sat down in the large area of shared outdoor seating. My sketch turned out sloppy because I was trying to eat before the ice cream melted while sketching at the same time!

As I walked past nearby Ugly Mug Café and Coffee Roasters, I noticed several grimacing gargoyles on the building. I was too full of ice cream for more refreshments, but next time I sketch in the U-District, I’ll remember it.

Gargoyle at Ugly Mug Cafe

U-District Trader Joe’s

 

5/21/21 U-District Trader Joe's

On March 3, 2020, we had already begun hearing about the hoarding that was going on in stores – shelves emptied of staples like bread, milk, rice and, inexplicably, toilet paper. Stocking up but resisting the urge to hoard, we shopped at Trader Joe’s as we usually do, unaware then that it would be our last trip there for more than 14 months.

Last Thursday we finally returned – the first in-store shopping trip of our post-vax life. As Rip Van Winkle continued to rub the sleep from bleary eyes, I had to concede that not much had changed (we missed the free coffee and food samples, of course). Most of our favorite TJ’s products were still there, and we discovered a few new (at least to us) things to try. We carefully followed the one-way arrows on the floor that were largely ignored by other shoppers. They had probably long ago figured out how to efficiently navigate the aisles during a pandemic.

Checking out, we had to be reminded by the clerk to wait within the circled area to stay safely out of the way of others. Embarrassed, we told him that it was our first shopping trip in 14 months, so we hadn’t learned the rules yet. He welcomed us back “out,” and we thanked him for his service all year while we had stayed safely at home.

With frozen foods in our bags, I couldn’t take the time to sketch then, but I made a separate trip the next day to make this sketch. The University District Trader Joe’s dark, dreary storefront is not the kind I would typically want to sketch. But it was important to me to commemorate this event.

Another One Bites the Dust

9/2/19 former University Christian Church

The day before I left for the Twin Cities, I was driving through the University District when I saw that bulldozers and excavators were busily gutting the former University Christian Church. Built at the turn of the 20^th century, it was an active church until last year, when its congregation apparently moved to Lake City. More recently, some social service organizations have used the building, but that was just temporary. I started seeing the writing on the wall – literally. When graffiti appears and people start using alcoves as their bedrooms, it’s clear that a building’s days are numbered.

I didn’t have time to sketch it then, but I saw that the ‘dozing was going fast, so I was afraid it would be flattened by the time I returned home. I took advantage of free street parking today to take a look. Relieved to see that at least some of the Gothic structure still remains (the part I like to sketch most anyway), I regret that I never sketched it when it was still whole.

Most likely it will be replaced by yet another box like these across the street.

More boring boxes.

 

Station No. 17 and Blessed Sacrament

7/6/19 Fire Station No. 17, University District

7/6/19 Blessed Sacrament Church

Several months ago as I was sketching Fire Station No. 17 in the U-District, I realized that the intersection of 50^th and Roosevelt offers an interesting mix of architecture: the Seattle Landmark-designated 1930s station itself, the Carnegie-style public library branch, the (now doomed) Seven Gables Cinema, and the Gothic Blessed Sacrament Church around the corner. It seemed ripe for an Urban Sketchers outing location.

Several other sketchers and I all opted to start with the church before we lost our courage. While churches like this are a dime a dozen in Europe, we have very few in Seattle, so I took advantage of the opportunity for some much-needed practice. The mostly cloudy sky occasionally gave way, a few seconds at a time – just long enough to catch some shadows.

Next I went back to the fire station I sketched in February, but this time I stood at a different corner so that I could capture the tower. The two upper windows include white silhouettes of firefighters (artwork that was added during a 1987 renovation).

Summer historically begins on the day after the 4^th of July around here, so the overcast skies the past few days have been disappointing. But with other parts of the country facing high heat and earthquakes, I’ve got nothing to complain about. In fact, it was 65 degrees and cloudy when I made these sketches, which means I needed neither sunhat nor Polartec! Hallelujah, summer is here!

Taye, visiting from Singapore (next to Tina), had to leave before the throwdown, so we took a photo at the morning meetup.

Throwdown on the library steps.

Also new today were Katie from Portland and Victoria!

50th Annual U-District Streetfair

5/19/19 Didgeridoo busker

While the summer season offers a multitude of community festivals and fairs, the University District Streetfair holds the distinction of being the country’s longest-running festival of its kind. USk Seattle helped celebrate the fair’s 50^th year on 10 city blocks of art and craft vendors, street food and music.

As I usually do at street fairs, I found myself irresistibly drawn to a wide variety of buskers. A classical cellist, a tuba and clarinet/washboard duo and a didgeridoo player (whom I had caught a couple of years ago at Folklife, too) were among the musicians performing for the crowd.

While sketching the guys on tuba and clarinet, I was standing near a very colorfully dressed balloon man who had created an eye-catching palm tree (I think?). He asked me to guard his prop and supplies while he went to use the restroom, so I obliged. When he returned, he told me a lengthy story about how a competing balloon vendor at another fair had stolen a hundred dollars’ worth of balloons from him, so he has been extra-cautious ever since. “I don’t trust just anyone to watch my stuff, though,” he assured me. “Usually I ask first if they are from Vashon Island to make sure I can trust them.” He had more stories to tell, but he was interrupted by customers (though he didn’t seem particularly happy about it).

5/19/19 Colorful balloon man with stories to tell.

Meanwhile, the tuba player came over to see what I was doing. Relieved that I was only sketching, he and the clarinet player had been afraid that I was writing them a citation.

The other balloon vendor I sketched had no drama to impart. A young man who was good with kids, he first started making what I thought was a tall purple crown, but he suddenly had so many customers that his headwear remained unfinished while I sketched. Later I saw in Swagatika’s sketch that it wasn’t a crown at all – it was the foundation for a well-designed unicorn. 

After all that, I got hungry, so I explored the food booths, which are getting more and more state fair-like. Deep-fried PB&J, anyone?

Langostino sushi burrito, didgeridoo, and balloon man drama: Something for everyone at the U-District Streetfair.

5/19/19 Jazz and blues from clarinet/tuba players

5/19/19 classical cellist

5/19/19 This balloon vendor began by making his own
headgear, but he got too busy to finish.

P.S. Although I forgot to mention it there, today’s outing was a personal celebration for me: It was my seventh anniversary since joining Urban Sketchers on May 20, 2012!

Swagatika sketching the cellist

Throwdown

Irwin's Neighborhood Bakery and Coffee Shop.

A long time friend just started working here and introduced me to a rare coffee shop I hadn't drawn yet (I've avoided $t@rbu¢k$ so far). I have a new biking or walking destination not far from home. Thanks, Erin!

U-District's Weaving Works

Since I love fibers, I often visit Weaving Works, on Brooklyn Ave. in the U-District.  They recently wrote that they would be moving to a new location sometime by next 2014.  So I drove over to get a sketch before this long-term establishment disappears.  When I found my spot, there was one of the mural walls that Gabi C. wrote about on one of his recent postings, so of course I had to include that also!

I love stairways, and the particular coziness of this pathway to my neighbors home struck me the other day.  I've looked at that view for 5 years whenever I am in my kitchen, but the other day, it begged to be sketched.

Cafe Solstice

I got a new watercolor sketchbook that is a little larger format.  10 x 7 Canson Montval Water Color Field Sketchbook.  Anxious to try it out, I did this sketch at Cafe Solstice in the U District.  I was pretty happy with the paper.  It isn't quite as smooth as the Moleskine watercolor notebook...I will have to get use to it.

Cafe Solstice- U District