USk Rides to the Eastside

 

9/13/26 Northwest African American Museum

I woke to hard rain on the roof and windows.

It was the kind of morning that if I hadn’t been the lead, I would have skipped the USk outing. Instead, I boarded the light rail in damp jeans to an outing I had helped plan and had been looking forward to ever since the 2 Line to the Eastside opened last spring.

The first stop of our two-part outing was Judkins Park Station across the street from Jimi Hendrix Park. I was relieved and happy not to be alone on this wet day – a small group of hardy sketchers joined me! Although most stayed in the park to sketch in the light drizzle, I ducked into the Northwest African American Museum, which I hadn’t been to in years (above). Its exhibits tell illuminating stories of noteworthy Black Seattle residents and other significant national figures and their contributions to American history and culture.

I found a window at the museum with a view toward the park’s large sculpture, “Butterfly Canopy,” which I tend to sketch every time I’m in the park. After that, with a short time left before the throwdown, I attempted a strange (and unsuccessful) composition of the edge of the Butterfly and the top of the museum (both below).

Jimi Hendrix Park

Throwdown at Judkins Station

After our throwdown, a handful of sketchers rode on to Part 2 of the outing: Bellevue Downtown Station. Most had not yet taken the light rail across Lake Washington, so it was fun to know that our outing was their first opportunity.

Riding the rails across the lake!

Famished by the time we got to Bellevue, I made lunch at Café Hagen my first stop. It was as good a place as any to finish a page of sketches for the outing’s second leg. Although we didn’t get the best weather, a day of sketching with USk is always better than a day without!

Cafe Hagen, downtown Bellevue

Throwdown at Bellevue Downtown Station

The Future is Finally Here

 

4/19/26 New Judkins Park Station and Mercer Island Station platform

Preamble:

For the first decade-plus of my career, I worked for the Municipality of Metro Seattle, which used to manage and operate the Seattle transit system. As tunnels were being burrowed for buses through the main downtown thoroughfare, disrupting traffic and businesses for years, most of the marketing was about how the new transitway would eventually be used for the region’s as-yet-to-be-built light rail system. This work wasn’t just for ourselves; our children and grandchildren would ride the light rail! (Much potential there for public relations copywriters like myself.)

That was in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The 2020s, when all of it was slated to be completed, seemed like a very long way off. I’ll be sitting in my rocker by then, I grumbled, envisioning my 21^st century self. Meanwhile, my current tax dollars were already paying for that wonderful light rail system that I would be too old to use. (Even if I wrote it myself, the copywriting wasn’t enough to convince this grumbling taxpayer that it would all be worthwhile “someday.”)

Four decades later, I’m happy and grateful that I have lived long enough to enjoy that dream-like future (and I no longer begrudge my tax dollars). The light rail has been my most convenient form of public transportation for several years now.

My lunch at Dough Zone at Redmond Towne Center and Downtown Redmond Station

From my perspective, though, the pinnacle of the light rail system was the connection that opened only last month: After multiple, lengthy delays, each putting me one step closer to my rocker, the link between Seattle and the Eastside across Lake Washington was finally completed!

(Delays notwithstanding, this cross-lake link is an engineering marvel: It’s the first train in the world to operate on a floating bridge, which was, itself, the first in the world in 1940.)

Art at Downtown Redmond Station

During all those years that I had to commute to the Eastside for the second leg of my career, how wonderful it would have been to take a comfortable, modern train instead of bumpy buses or, most dreaded, my own car! I’m not grumbling about that, though. Now that the light rail can take me almost anywhere in the Puget Sound region that I’d like to go, I can enjoy easy, very inexpensive rides for fun in retirement instead of commuting to work.

All of that was just preamble (or maybe just amble). Today’s blog story is much shorter:

Kate, Jane, Ellie and I rode the new light rail connection all the way from Seattle to Redmond Towne Center last Sunday. Our mission was to scout the best stations for sketching potential and related amenities for a future USk outing. For me, it was also a satisfying sense of closure: Four decades of the promised future finally becoming the present.

Art and water feature at Bellevue Downtown Station

Bellevue Downtown Station

Jane, Ellie, Tina and Kate riding the historic rails!

Urban Sketchers on the Eastside Rail Line

9/14/24 Redmond Technology and Wilburton stations

Late last spring, Kate, Roy and I rode the new Link light rail line 2 from south Bellevue to Redmond. Getting off at each station, we sketched briefly before hopping back on. In addition to simply having fun, we were also scouting the route for a potential USk outing. Since most stations have enough sheltered areas that the outing could work during transitional seasons, we pushed it to fall.

As it turned out, Saturday’s drizzle didn’t faze any of the enthusiastic sketchers who showed up. In fact, I was impressed and surprised by the number of sketchers who did exactly what Kate, Roy and I did. Blitz-sketching at each station, they got right back on when the next train came and made it to the northern-most Redmond station in time for the throwdown!

Making one stop at Warburton Station to grab lunch at Whole Foods, I made a quick sketch of the light rail supports, which always make an interesting composition. After that, since I already did the whole tour in May, I saved most of my sketching time for Redmond Technology Station. Microsoft’s extensively landscaped pedestrian/bike overpass is challenging fun to sketch. (Both sketches above.)

Sketcher Jyoti works for Microsoft in one of the many buildings on the tech company’s main campus on the far end of the overpass. Walking with me, she noted key points of interest, such as the archway behind the colorful Microsoft “windows” (likely a good selfie spot for new employees and visitors). The triangular structure covered with foliage is a cave-like space where employees can take a break from all the glass and concrete. At lower left is a distant view of the pedestrian overpass. (Sketches below.)

Microsoft's main campus, Redmond

After the throwdown, most of us rode the train back to the southend park-and-ride lot, so I had time to sketch a few of my co-sketchers as well as other commuters. A fun day!

A green escape from glass and concrete

Playing "Hop Sketch" In Seattle

There is such a thing as a "sketch crawl". What Tina, Kate, Feather and I did today was anything but a crawl. We met at 10:00am at Husky Station, sketched for an hour, then hopped on the new Link Light Rail to Capitol Hill, Denny and Broadway Station. We warmed up at the Oddfellow Cafe, having lunch while sketching, hopped over to Dick Blick Art Supply for a bit, then back to the new Denny St Station for more transit sketching. I have coined the expression "Hop Sketch" to fully describe this game. But that's not all!

After sketching outside the new Denny and Broadway Station, sharing our sketches on a bench on the underground Link Platform, and getting a trophy shot, one of our party, who shall remain nameless, shivered her way home. That left three. We hopped on one of the new streetcars and rode the line down to 5th and Jackson, near Uajimaya and King Street Station. During the ride, I sketched the commuter with the hat pulled over his eyes. The stationery department at Uajimaya beckoned. As we ogled the gleaming display of Lamy pens, my husband called from King Street Station with an invitation to dinner. What? Who can be hungry surrounded by pens, inks, paper, and socks with funny  sayings embroidered on them, such as "My Favorite Vegetable is Wine" and "I Love You" (above the ankle) and "Weirdo" (below the top line of the shoe).

But then, we had to part ways. The new Amazon store at University Village was calling my name....and dinner. That left two. Where they went from Uajimaya, I don't know. They may still be there.....sketching with their new Lamy pens, wearing their witty socks.

Scouting the Stations

3/28/16 Capitol Hill Station

3/28/16 University of Washington Station

Scouting for a future Seattle USk outing, Kate, Michele, Feather and I met up at Sound Transit Light Rail’s new UW Station this morning. It was a lot colder and wetter than was predicted, so my sketch of the station (and Husky Stadium behind it) got cut short, but I’m posting it here anyway (at right) for posterity.

After we rode the rails to Capitol Hill Station, also brand new, and warmed up over lunch, the day had warmed up a bit too, so I sketched the station entrance (above). It’s marked by a huge graphic hand -- artwork by local cartoonist and Capitol Hill resident Ellen Forney.

Look forward to a sketch outing at one or both of these stations -- to be scheduled on a warmer day!

A Dominican in Seattle

Note:  At our last Sketchcrawl we were lucky to have Orling "Arty" Dominguez join us from the Dominican Republic.  She was here for a conference for Secondary and primary art educators.  Here is her post from that sketchcrawl on the Sound Transit Light rail.

In Dominican Republic we have a saying that goes like this: "the rain doesn't stop my party", well, after visiting Seattle I had to change that to "the cold doesn't stop my sketching". It was freezing on the morning of March 20th (45 degrees) and I was ready to spend the day sketching with the Seattle Urban Sketchers. The warm welcome and the joy of the group easily made me feel at home and ready to go!
Here are a couple of sketches done during the sketchcrawl along the Light Rail Train line.
Thanks to the group and specially to Gabi for the invitation. You made my quick visit to Seattle a very special one. Thank you all!!!

I'll be posting other sketches from this trip at my blog: http://www.drawingbythepound.com

Now, back to my 80 plus degrees, I am kind of missing Seattle!

Orling "Arty" Dominguez
www.drawingbythepound.com

A train to somewhere

Really enjoyed the "field trip" aspect of our last outing. Below is what I drew on my little 4x6 hardbound sketchbook plus a bigger pencil drawing on a Canson 9x12 drawing pad. Really fun to see that Lori and I drew the molecular sculpture from the exact same spot.

Link Light Rail

My first ride on the Link Light Rail and it was convenient and comfortable. Can't wait until the line extends north of Seattle. Here is my take on Shimomura's Rainier Valley Haiku and an exterior view of the Tukwila station.

The Sculpture @ Othello Station_rendered with charcoal

part of my latest effort to sketch outdoors with charcoal

Met up with the group at Othello Station.

Second stop - Tukwila Station

Started some sketches at Tukwila, then headed down the street for some lunch before returning to finish. Helped to warm up the hands a little.

Intrepid Sketchers

I've always loved field trips. Here we are, preparing to leave the Othello stop and move on to Tukwila.

I laughed when I looked again at Gabi's earlier post of this sculpture. Chopsticks? Tassel? How did I not see those? Ah well, it was cold. Below are the haiku's which surround the block. The full name is "Rainier Valley Haikus" by Roger Shimomura.

Art along the Sound Transit Light Rail

Yesterday was my first ride on the light rail.  It was so easy and along the way you get to see some great public art.  On the train to the first stop I was able to get a sketch of fellow urban sketchers...but not enough time to watercolor as well.

Frank C., Olivia, and Sharon on the light rail.

First stop was Othello Station were I sketched and painted "Rainier Valley Haiku" by Roger Shimomura.

 

Rainier Valley Haiku

Second stop was Tukwila Station and boy was it cold....but we weathered it and I was able to get in a sketch  but had to take a picture and do the painting of it later.

"Soundings" by Clark Wiegman @ Tukwila station