autumn light

 

I joined the urban sketchers at the Seattle Center on a beautiful October day, the kind that is impossible to resist (because you know there's not that many of those left). The architecture in this area is impressive, but doesn't interest me much for sketching. The trees were looking great though. Recently I've been inspired by artists like Jenny Adam and GEGYjiji to try and capture light in highly sensitive and emotive ways, so this is my attempt.

I liked the swoopy branches on this tree. I only had about 25 minutes before throwdown so I put paint down pretty fast and loose. There was a street performer setting up behind me, and I was kind of excited to be serenaded while drawing. But instead of being a charming musical experience, I was blasted by a wall of sound out of an amp that he played along to. The Harry Potter theme song was so loud I felt like I was in an IMAX theater. People seemed kind of into it, but also kind of annoyed because you couldn't carry a conversation 30 feet away. Maybe that was just me projecting.

While I was waiting for the watercolor in the previous one to dry, and for the street performer to be done (luckily he took very long breaks between songs), I started another quick sketch before our throwdown with the WSU students. I'm liking the way the kakimori dip pen is a little bit uncontrollable.

Diwali - Festival of Lights; Feast of Color

I've always grouped Diwali with the other autumn/winter festivals - Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa - but I've never had any direct experience with the event. As soon as I entered the Seattle Armory I was delighted with the color and vitality that was just beginning to build. The armory stage was the main focus. I saw the performers but soon I spotted the staging area where performers waited for their turn. I was enthralled. Sitting on my fold-up stool against the concrete walls of the armory I could watch, unimpeded and largely unnoticed as a rainbow of performers chatted, stretched, practiced, watched and waited. 

Later I went upstairs and found cooking lessons, a delightful puppet show, an art room and an enthralling view of the light-filled kandeel (lanterns). 

Hindus in earlier days set kandeels afloat high, a gesture to invite the spirits of their ancestors moving around to come back home and be with them during the festival time; hence the name akasha deepa (lantern of the sky) or AkashaKandil. Wikipedia

As the sunlight flooded the banners it looked to me like they couldn't help but fulfill their purpose. 

Color and Dance at Diwali Festival

10/20/18 Dancers at Diwali festival

Although I had heard of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, I didn’t know that Seattle held a festival for it until last year, when I saw correspondent Ujjwal Mahajan’s sketches of the event. As soon as I did, I put the festival on USk Seattle’s calendar so we wouldn’t miss it this year. Held at the Seattle Center’s Armory last Saturday, Diwali was full of color, music, dancers, food and everything else I enjoy about festivals.

I spent most of my time near the main stage, where small groups of women performed traditional dances wearing vibrant, colorful costumes. Capturing their fast, flowing movements was a fun challenge.

When I needed a break, I went upstairs, where quieter activities were taking place, like a cooking demo. I missed the names of the dishes that were being prepared, but they involved simmering onions, beans, other vegetables and lots of spices. It was difficult to concentrate on sketching with the delicious smells coming from the demonstrator’s pots. “Whatever you eat should have lots of colors,” she advised, and every dish “should have six tastes.”

10/20/18 Cooking demo

10/20/18 Applying henna

With a few minutes left before the throwdown, I stopped to sketch a young woman applying henna in intricate patterns to the hands and wrists of other women and girls. The henna came out of a small tube like the kind used in cake decorating. The patterns were so beautiful that I was tempted to have my hand done too, but she had a huge line of people waiting.

This festival was so much fun to sketch that I would love to see it become an annual fall event for USk Seattle!

December chills at Winterfest 2017

Decorations and Winter village

This was my second visit to the Seattle Center, last visited during Diwali festival celebration in October 2017. The 'swoopy' curves at the ceiling attracted me and to get better view of the entire decoration I went on First floor. I captured flowing curvatures and main attraction of Winterfest i.e. winter village and replica of King street station with clock tower. The entire ambiance was cheerful.

Stage performance , Hanging Lighted Snowflake and Ice-Sculpting

Alongwith Winter village display, small kids were performing Gymnastic skills on the stage. It was amazing to see them and crowd cheering those young ones. Later, I went to Fisher pavilion where my daughter was Ice-Skating. Though wanted to sketch there, but it was very crowded. Outside the pavilion Ice-Sculpting activity was going on. It was chilly and windy, still sketched the artist with his assistant while sculpting. On the way back for meet, I saw two musicians playing their instruments inspite of cold. Did a quick sketch in my pocket sketchbook and was able to draw Urban sketcher Tina Koyama.

Musicians and Tina having conversation

Me and my family spent whole day in exploring the area around Seattle Center Armory. I came across a bike which was standing at the Key arena. This was my first time to sketch bicycle. I was thrilled and excited to sketch it. Though it became more windy in late afternoon but didn't wanna miss this opportunity.

First sketch of Bike

Seattle Center Winterfest

12/17/17 Seattle Center Winterfest miniature train and village

Although the Friday sketchers tend to end up in the Armory whenever we meet at the Seattle Center for one event or another, I think it’s been almost exactly five years since the main USk Seattle group has met there for Winterfest.

12/17/17 Shane the caricaturist

The Armory’s primary visual Winterfest attraction is a miniature train and turn-of-the-previous-century village, whose centerpiece is a train station and clock tower that look remarkably similar to King Street Station (above).

I had a great table for sketching the train station scene that I didn’t want to lose as the Armory started filling. I looked behind me and spotted a caricaturist at work, so I simply swiveled my chair around. My intention was to include his client in the sketch, but he finished drawing her just as I had finished drawing him.

Although a little reluctant to give up my warm, cozy spot inside the Armory, I knew it wasn’t raining, so I pulled up my hood and ventured outside. Like that USk outing in 2012, it was bitterly cold and windy, so I spent no more than 15 minutes sketching the top of the Space Needle covered up with colorful tarps and scaffolding for remodeling. (Waiting at the bus stop for my ride home, I spotted the Space Needle from the opposite side, so I sketched it again as an inset. From that distance, I could see more of the construction equipment on top, plus the Christmas-tree-shaped lighting on the needle.)

12/17/17 Space Needle wearing its top-heavy hat

Even in my down coat, I was shivering and ready to retreat indoors again. At the Armory entrance, though, a pair of buskers called Fascinator Jazz Band was performing, and you know I can’t walk by buskers without sketching them. I decided that if these hardy musicians could play in the cold (the bass player kept stopping to rub her hand warmers between songs), I could shiver for another 10 minutes to sketch them. 

Considering that it’s the week before Christmas and probably the busiest weekend for holiday activities, we had a great turnout of sketchers, including Anya from Anchorage and Juliana from Londrina, Brazil! 

12/17/17 Fascinator Jazz Band

A Good Day to Draw at Winterfest

The crowd was still small at 10am, when Urban Sketchers Seattle showed up at the Seattle Center Armory to draw the annual Winterfest activities. The big attraction was the holiday village and miniature train display. But I decided it would be much more comfortable to get a coffee and a good seat and draw the people who came and went, meeting, waiting for their kids, and even another sketcher who had a better view of the trains than I.

The Contrasts of Christmas

Last week I just couldn't settle down at Winterfest. I was late, missed the opening, forgot my glasses in the car and the whole scene seemed was overwhelming and scattered. One thing that struck me was the number of, what appeared to be, homeless folks hanging out in the Armory. Most of them were sleeping, others snacking or drinking coffee. Some with backpacks and sleeping bags, others just using their arms for a pillow. It was such a contrast to the giltzy decor and festive atmosphere. So after we shared sketches I hung out with Frank B and we sketched people -- in context of course.

WinterFest - Center House Armory

There are a number of people who use the warm confines of the Seattle Center Armory as a means to get out of the elements. They often provide great character and pose still for those of us who are not skilled at catching a moving target.