Closing Out the Year at Westlake Center

 

12/27/25 Overlooking Sixth Avenue from the walkway connecting Nordstrom to Pacific Place

Westlake Center tree and former Macy's building

Despite temps in the low 30s Saturday morning, a hardy group of sketchers showed up for the USk outing at Westlake Center – and some even sketched outdoors! BRRR! All I could stand was five minutes to sketch the big Christmas tree in the central plaza and the former Macy’s star (at left). The latter was always a symbol of downtown Seattle’s shiny past. These days, the star still shines, but much of downtown sadly lacks luster.

After that, I decided to spend the rest of the outing indoors. Joining several other sketchers at Nordstrom’s Ebar coffee shop, I discovered a dazzling view of – not much (below). The blahness of the view, however, gave me an opportunity to try out an unusual color palette I have begun experimenting with.

While there, I learned that if I went up to Nordstrom’s top floor, I could walk across a sheltered walkway that connects the store to Pacific Place. As promised, the walkway’s floor-to-ceiling windows offered unique views overlooking Sixth Avenue near Pine Street. Although architects would have had a field day sketching the skyscrapers on both sides of the street, I chose Nordstrom’s corner where the deep awning was decorated by huge ornaments (top of post).

The view from Nordstrom's Ebar

The last outing of 2025 for USk Seattle, it was a fun morning to close out the year and look forward to the next one!

Miles

Anne at Westlake Center

Andika

Jeff and Miles sketch from the Nordstrom/Pacific Place walkway

Pine Street’s Many Stories

 

6/22/25 Pine Street where it crosses over Interstate 5, downtown Seattle

When USk Seattle met at the top of Capitol Hill last month around the Starbucks Roastery, I took a walk down Pine Street across Interstate 5. That’s when I decided we needed to meet in that area someday, too. With the new Convention Center Summit and the old Paramount Theatre on the same block, The Pine/I-5 intersection has something to sketch in every direction, including down at the freeway. It’s as urban as urban sketching gets!

Sunday was the day, and it was my favorite type of USk location: A wide area to wander and capture small stories, like both the old and new Convention Centers; two patrol cars discussing a problem with two cars on I-5; and the historic Paramount Theatre (with both David and Jeff sketching it). Right on that busy Pine Street sidewalk, I unexpectedly spotted a long table surrounded by people swapping potted plants.

Running out of steam by mid-afternoon, I picked up a sugary treat at Voodoo Doughnut, coffee from Monorail Espresso and a chair at Monorail’s outdoor seating area facing Pine. For the center of urban Seattle, it was surprisingly calm and pleasant on a Sunday afternoon.

Although I didn’t sketch inside, I got a peek of the new Convention Center when I went in to use the restroom. A lobby mural reproduces Hopper’s Nighthawks. An art installation of native-inspired masks welcomes visitors at the Pine Street entrance. 

I love urban sketching – and I love urban urban sketching!

As urban as urban sketching gets!

Art installation at the Convention Center Summit entrance

Although it looks well-illuminated, I was surprised by how dark the Convention Center lobby seemed.

A mural-size reproduction of Hopper's Nighthawks fit in nicely in the dark lobby.

Three USK 10X10 workshops in October Part #1: Andika Murandi's Sketch 'n Chill

Back in June, I signed up for three of the Fall USK Seattle 10x10 workshops. They usually fill up very fast and I didn't want to miss them. I didn't realize until the first one that they were back to back on the first three weekends in October. It has been an intense period of sketching and learning.

I got in a routine: prepare my sketching bag with the right supplies the previous evening; the morning of the workshop get up, eat breakfast, and travel to the workshop location. After the three hour workshop, get some lunch and take some time to walk around and sketch some more. I know what you are thinking: poor you, all that sketching...

My first workshop, on October 6th, was Andika Murandi's Sketch 'n Chill: No-Stress Interior Sketching. We met at the Grand Central Bakery on Occidental Square in Downtown Seattle, a beautiful space with plenty of seating.

Andika started the workshop discussing the importance of line quality and making us practice drawing straight lines in all directions, then he showed us how to look at different types of interior perspective and simplify them into big shapes. He demonstrated those concepts by sketching the Grand Central Bakery atrium starting from the large shapes and working his way to the details.

With all that information in our heads, we spread around the Grand Central Bakery atrium to work on our first sketch; after a throw-down, we divided into two groups and moved to different local coffee shop for a second sketch.

My first sketch of the Grand Central Bakery atrium, looking straight at the entrance towards
Occidental Square in one-point perspective.

After the first sketch, half of the attendees moved to Caffe Umbria. This was a more complex space and we were able to practice more of the tips and approaches that Andika discussed in his demo. You might be able to spot other urban sketchers in the room.

I loved the workshop. Andika was clear in his explanations and generous with his time and tips and I learned a lot from the exercises.

After the final throw down and some food, I decided to take a walk downtown. It was a beautiful fall day, unusually sunny and warm for Seattle. I wanted to get to Westlake Park later in the afternoon, and on the way I passed the Seattle Art Museum with the huge Hammering Man sculpture. I loved the light, the colors of the buildings, and the perspective, so I decided to stop and sketch the view. For the non Seattleites, the Hammering man is a 48-feet, 26,000-pound kinetic sculpture created by Jonathan Borofsky and installed in 1992 to honor the working class men and women of the world.

The corner of 1st Avenue and University Street.
On the left, the Hammering Man sculpture in front of the Seattle Art Museum.

Here I am in WestLake Park, where a protest had been quickly scheduled after the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. I arrived early enough for a sketch an empty WestLake Park,  follow by a sketch of some the people at the rally.

Westlake Park, on 4th Avenue between Pine and Pike streets. The first sketch was done first, when the park was almost empty, and the second during the protest rally after the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

What a beautiful, satisfying, and exhausting Saturday.

[Part 2 with workshops from Jane Wingfield and Eleanor Doughty can be found here]

Christmas Trees with the Ad Hoc Sketchers

I thought about titling this post "Christmas tree photobombed by Starbucks". On the last outing to draw the gingerbread houses - which are sponsored by the Sheraton but located in the US Bank building - I got side tracked by the Christmas tree in the lobby. And then the Starbucks kiosk snuck in.

McGraw Square

Urban Sketchers Seattle met this morning at McGraw Square, a tiny park in downtown Seattle. A bronze sculpture of John Harte McGraw, former King County Sheriff and Governor of Washington, presides over the park. He sounds like he had good ideas and stood up for social justice and racial equality so his presence in the park is agreeable.

Bronze sculpture of John Harte McGraw

The monorail stretches along the west side of McGraw Square transporting residents and tourists back and forth to the Seattle Center. Housing retail, medical and business offices,the buildings rising up from each side of the square are a history lesson of architectural styles.

Flower baskets brighten McGraw Square

Steps surrounding the sculpture offer good seating for visitors relaxing or enjoying lunch.  I noticed a few food carts on the outskirts of the square and the food truck parked in the middle of the square had a steady line of customers.  Painted in pretty colors, the tables and chairs scattered throughout the park are welcoming and inviting. 

Times Square Building

The Times Square Building to the west of the square is a registered historic landmark. I’ve admired this building from afar many times. Finding myself on a sidewalk with view of the building, I took advantage and sketched the panorama. One passerby thought I was drawing castles.

Sketcher table

 After sketching, the group met in the middle of the square for a throw down. The rose among sketches is from a floral shop on the square. Given to an urban sketcher in appreciation of her floral shop sketch, the sweet fragrance set a summer mood.

Urban Skethers Seattle ad hoc group

We found someone to take a group photo and parted ways until the next time.