At last, the Olympia Kwanzans!

 

4/16/26 Washington State Legislative Building, Olympia

After all the nearly-white Yoshino cherry blossoms have left the party, the showy Kwanzans arrive fashionably late. Although I try to chase the ones I find in my neighborhood each year, I don’t know of any Seattle street with more than a few standing together. The best street of Kwanzans is in Olympia – aptly named Cherry Lane Southwest adjacent to the State Legislative Building – and I had been wanting to sketch them for several years. With the longish drive and rain to contend with, it’s been challenging to find the right time. The weather and my schedule finally aligned, so I called an ad hoc joint outing between USk Seattle and the South Sound Sketchers.

Although partly sunny, this morning's temps were only in the high 30s in Olympia. I had to put on my full-length down coat and gloves again! The drive and cold were both worth it, though, when we all saw that block of bright pink blossoms. The composition to look for was obvious: The Capitol building framed by cherry branches (top of post). Having just sketched the domed Jefferson Memorial a couple of weeks ago at the DC tidal basin, it was especially fun to sketch the state capitol in a similar composition.

Next I found the Temple of Justice Building behind another cluster of Kwanzans (and a couple taking a selfie stepped into the composition just as I was finishing up).

Temple of Justice Building on Cherry Lane SW

During the initial meetup at the Winged Victory Monument, I had time to make a quick sketch of the bronze sculpture honoring those who served in the First World War. Then right before the throwdown, I made another quick sketch of a cherry.

Winged Victory Monument

For lunch several of us went to Mi Luna Cuban Café near the Capitol. I was starving, so I didn’t spend more than a couple minutes sketching my roasted veggie bowl with maduros plantains (misspelled in my sketchbook). That was one of the most delicious meals I’ve had in a long time!

4/16/26 Tivoli Fountain and Mi Luna Cuban Cafe

Also shown on the page above is a tiny sketch of the Tivoli Fountain, which I could see in the distance during the throwdown (behind a sculpture that looked like a tiny Washington Monument).

Although it took me a few years to get there, this trip to Olympia was well worth it!

It’s Been a Minute, Georgetown!

 

4/11/26 Georgetown

I knew it had been a while since I’d sketched in Georgetown, but I didn’t think it had been as many as four years. No wonder I felt like a tourist visiting a familiar yet fresh place. A little out of my way, it’s a neighborhood I only seem to get to with USk Seattle, so I’m happy for yesterday’s outing on the afternoon of Georgetown’s monthly art walk.

Relieved that the day’s earlier rain had drizzled out in time for our outing, I wandered around to get reacquainted with Georgetown’s crusty, historic buildings. Red brick is plentiful, and some facades of long-gone businesses are crumbling, while many other buildings are still in use.

I always like to use the strong horizontal and vertical lines of the freeway as compositional elements. Although I show the scale poorly in my sketch, the iconic brick smokestack that used to be part of the original Rainier Brewing Company was a popular sketch subject that day (above).

Chilled from standing around in low-50s temps, I went inside All City Coffee to warm up with a mocha. Large windows gave several sketchers good views of the ant-covered mural across the street and Georgetown’s quintessential street lamps. I also got a chance to see Eleanor Doughty’s artwork, which is on view now at All City Coffee.

Views through All City Coffee's windows

After the throwdown, Eleanor gave an inspiring mixed-media demo for anyone who wanted to stay and watch (nearly everyone). I watched most of it, then stepped around to the front so I could sketch her in action.

Many thanks to Ellie for the demo and to All City Coffee for happily welcoming many chilly sketchers!

Ellie giving a demo

Jane's back in town!

Cherry Blossom March Madness

Beautiful day of sunshine 🌞 at the Quad at UW yesterday with Urban Sketchers Seattle. I love this gathering every year: So Much Pink. 🌸🌸

Lots of different languages being spoken, babies crying, friends posing for pix and laughing. So much to sketch!!

The blossoms are now at peak, so go soon!!

A Brief Quad Hanami

 

3/26/26 University of Washington Quad

On a jam-packed day, I barely had an hour to squeeze in at the University of Washington Quad, but how could I miss sketching peak cherry blossoms with USk Seattle? Arriving an hour-and-a-half late, I quickly singled out one tree so that I’d have a sketch to throw down (above). Of course, it was magnificently much wider than I allowed room for on the page.

After the throwdown, I went back into the throng for one more quick one: A gnarled, moss-covered branch as thick as an entire tree trunk itself and happy hanami participants enjoying the sunny (but cold) day.

Obligatory sakura selfie

City Hall Cherry

 Several sketchers from all over met to sketch the blooming cherry trees at Renton City Hall. One from Gig Harbor, one from Redmond, and others in between. The small grove of Yoshino cherry trees seems to be at peak. The weather was perfect.

There were 6 of us but one had to leave early so not in our group photo.

Wet Clay

 

3/20/26 Wet Clay Cafe, Fremont neighborhood

Kim discovered a unique venue in the Fremont neighborhood. In addition to a full pottery studio with classes, Wet Clay offers pottery-painting opportunities to those who prefer not to get their hands yucky. Potters spun their pots while others socialized as they glazed pre-fired pottery. In addition, there’s a café with coffee, pastries and sandwiches. And Urban Sketchers got to sketch it all as we sipped lattes and snacked. An interesting combo of fun stuff, right?

I wandered around the whole huge venue to sketch all the bits and pieces I saw – a potter at the wheel, another patron painting a mug, tools and glazes, and a couple guys just having lunch.

We’ll definitely be back there on another rainy day!

Wet Clay Cafe in Fremont

What a great spot for urban sketchers to do our thing! Wet Clay Cafe has warm drinks and pastries, and also is a great place to hang loose or paint ceramics or even throw your own pots! ☕️ And more than a few of us commented on the likeability of their playlist. 🎵🎵 10/10 would go again.🌟🌟🌟

Good turnout for USk Seattle on this rainy day. Some folks joined us for the first time. Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Happy Clouds

We met at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). My objective was to see and sketch the new-ish installation, "Friends With You: Little Cloud Sky".

It is a "commission from FriendsWithYou, the internationally celebrated duo of Samuel (Sam) Borkson and Arturo (Tury) Sandoval III." It hangs from the tall ceiling in the main entrance lobby. "Little Cloud Sky (2025) is composed of 40 of the artists’ signature Little Cloud character, each custom made of plastic, four feet wide, and suspended from the ceiling of the Brotman Forum. The work is designed to spread positivity and inspire a sense of connection, encouraging museum visitors to reflect on the beauty of togetherness and the power of joy and nature."

I sat on the floor at the far end of the lobby to get the entire view of the little clouds. 

I went into one of the upstairs galleries to see a new exhibit. I didn't stay there long but noticed that the sculpture "Mann und Maus" had been moved. I liked the positioning near a window through which I could see the "SAM" sign.

Probably because it is the weekend - Sunday - there were a lot of sketchers. At least a couple left early.

Lots more photos here.

Cozy SAM

 

3/15/26 Mountains, Alexander Calder, Seattle Art Museum

On a chilly morning following our freaky snowfall, I was more than happy to spend a few hours with USk inside the cozy Seattle Art Museum. Since my white pencil with black paper have been serving me well at art museums, both SAM and the Asian Museum, I gave them a shot on Calder’s work, Mountains, which I hadn’t seen before. All black, the sheet-metal sculpture stands with the dark elevators behind it on one side, so I walked around it to find an angle with a lighter-colored background (above). That’s when I discovered the round hole in the center – such a beautiful counterpoint to all the sharp angles.

That took longer than I wanted; by the time I was done, I was ready for lunch. As Kate and I chatted over our lunches at the SAM café, I caught a sideview of the whimsical Little Cloud Sky, an installation hanging over the lobby (the front view I sketched several months ago shows the clouds’ smiling faces).

SAM cafe and lobby

I had time for one more sketch before the throwdown. I went back upstairs where a horse had caught my eye earlier. By contemporary artist Deborah Butterfield, life-size Pascal is made of steel and iron (below).

Pascal, Deborah Butterfield

Unseasonable Snow for 100 People

 

3/13/26 Bellevue Square

We all woke on Friday the 13^th, the final day of the annual One Week 100 People drawing challenge, to the season’s unseasonable first snowfall! (This is the challenge's 10th year, and I've participated for 10 consecutive years!) As I’m skittish about driving if I see even one flake falling, I gratefully accepted Kim’s offer of a ride to Bellevue Square retail mall. It’s become an annual tradition for USk Seattle to work on 100 People there. Despite the joint outing with Eastside Sketchers, the snow must have kept many away, as we had a small turnout.

I apparently can't count while I draw!

The mall is always a fruitful location for drawing people – so many small stories. It’s also just a fun place to people-watch. So different from Seattle, the women really dress to the nines in Bellevue. I especially enjoyed the formidable challenge of sketching people walking up and down stairs, which was easy to see through the transparent walls of the stairwells.