Sketching Bonanza

I quickly accepted an invitation to spend time in Chelan, a town three hours east of Seattle.  Never having been there, I was eager for a new sketching opportunity and happy to spend time relaxing. In Chelan, they call it Chelaxing.

We headed east choosing the picturesque route through alpine themed Leavenworth.  The drive did not disappoint. The winding highway moved along evergreen forests, over bridges spanning roiling rivers, and finally, into vast expanses of duff colored mountains and craggy cliffs.  In Chelan, vineyards and apple orchards lace the scenery with accents of green and give a base for the local economy.  We visited a few vineyards and had a great time tasting the fruit of the vine.  The apples were excellent too.  

Looking west, Devil’s Backbone Mountain massive size dwarfs communities built along the edges of the lake. 

Lake Chelan and Devil's Backbone Mountain.

Apple orchards and vineyards thrive along the shores of Lake Chelan.  A winery sits high on a hill east of poolside.  

Winery view from poolside

On the Lady of the Lake ferry, we cruised up to Stehekin, population 75, a wilderness settlement on the north end of Lake Chelan and the gateway to the North Cascades National Park. On the ferry, the panoramic views of the rugged mountains descending into the deep blue waters of Lake Chelan were otherworldly.

Interior of lower deck, Lady of the Lake Express

The south end Lake Chelan is busy with pleasure craft.  After a brief rain, I was the only one on the beach looking out at bobbing boats and the textures of tree bark, leaves, rocks and water.  Everything around the lake seems rougher, tougher and wilder.

South end of Lake Chelan

GATHER

Saturday morning was the second day of the 4^th Annual West Coast Urban Sketch Crawl in Tacoma, Washington.  Registration started bright and early in the lower level of the Washington State History Museum.  Volunteers passed out name-tags and goody bags before the group met for announcements in the auditorium.

Morning registration

Old hand-painted advertising signs on brick walls hold a distinct status in the landscape of American cities. With mellow colors and descriptive typography, their artful references to obsolete products are beloved by contemporary viewers. Ghost signs, as they are sometimes called, are abundant in downtown Tacoma. Seattle artist Buster Simpson’s public art project on the parapet of the Woodruff-Pratt building extends the sign tradition.  The word GATHER lines the parapet of a building on the University of Washington Tacoma campus. Originally a warehouse, a series of words emerge along the roofline as one walks past the building. Although I did not have time to position myself to see all the words, I appreciated the color, texture, and size of GATHER as it related to the history of the building, campus public art and the sketch crawl gathering

University of Washington Tacoma Campus Public Art

Rounding the corner of Pacific Ave after the last stop on the Tacoma trolley I suddenly felt transported to romantic Europe.  Almost as if staged, Italianate Old City Hall towers over the street stopping in time to create a space filled with views of Commencement Bay before the Northern Pacific Headquarters Building begins its architectural statement.  An ornate lantern-topped tower distinguishes the entryway of the rectangular three-story building.       #usktac4

Old City Hall and Northern Pacific Headquarters Building