Year of the Fire Horse

 

2/27/26 Fire Horse at Southcenter Mall, Tukwila

I hadn’t done any sketches for Lunar New Year yet this year, so I was especially looking forward to the USk outing at Southcenter Mall, which puts out festive decorations annually. The spectacular focal piece was again the 25-foot dragon, which I sketched for the first time a couple of years ago.

I knew I’d get around to the dragon eventually, but I started with a new piece for the Year of the Fire Horse (above). Although I could have chosen from several different angles, the horse’s butt end gave me an interesting view. Ultimately, I regretted not using a larger sketchbook, as this symbol of speed and high energy seemed a little cramped in my square composition.

Since I’d sketched the dragon from the floor level previously, this time I went up to the second level for an overhead view. I spotted Mark sketching from the floor below, so I put him in, looking like he’d been scooped up by the dragon (at right). Unbeknownst to me until the throwdown, Mark had spotted me too, so I made a similar cameo appearance in his sketch (below)! (This is one of many things that make Urban Sketchers outings so much fun!)

Sketch by Mark Ryan (detail)

Fire Horse

Sketchers from 4 local groups met at Southcenter Mall to sketch the massive Lunar New Year Dragon. It's been there for the past 3 years. However, new this year is a horse statue for this year's Chinese Zodiac animal, the Fire Horse.

Artists from USk Seattle, USk Tacoma, the Eastside subsection of USk Seattle, and the South Sound Sketchers from Olympia all convened.

Since I've sketched that dragon at least 4 times over 3 years, I elected to sketch the horse. I still have motor memory for horse confirmation from having drawn so many when I was young! This was a multicolored horse, covered in quilling designs. Paper quilling is the art of rolling, shaping, and gluing narrow, colorful paper strips to create intricate designs It is also made of foam.

In 2024 I'd spoken with Kate Z, the marketing manager and learned that the the dragon was made for a SF company in Shanghi. It's made of steel and foam, weighing 500 pounds. The Wishing tree is concrete, steel, and foam, weighing 750 pounds! The staff member I spoke with today said the horse only weighs about 70 pounds and is easily tipped over. Hence the four posted frame around it for protection.

Back to the Dragon

Urban Sketchers chapters in Seattle and Tacoma met at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila to sketch the magnificent Lunar New Year Dragon making an appearance for the second year in a row.

Since I sketched it at least 3 times last year, I think this will be my only visit this year.

 

Mystery Tent

 

Car sketching again this morning. I stopped at my PO Box at the Post Office in the mall. I noticed this tent. Many of these are used as "outdoor" seating for restaurants but this one is empty and far away from any of the mall facilities. It just occurs to me that perhaps it's going to be a mass vaccination or testing site? The interesting brown building in the distance is a parking garage.

Vending as the weekly theme

Did you know that the Urban Sketchers group on Flickr has a weekly theme?  You have to look at discussions to see it but it's usually the first post "stickied" at the top. 

The weekly theme now is "vending".  I don't always do a new sketch for the theme but this time I had the time and opportunity to do so. I would have preferred to sketch a tech vending machine at the airport or the office supply one at UW Tacoma library.  But this is the one I could get to easily today.  


This is on the second floor of Southcenter mall in Tukwila.

Keep Clam!

Clam Lights is a holiday tradition in Renton.  It is a display of Christmas lights along a path in Coulon Park, next to Lake Washington.  My favorite display is the dancing Clams, made famous by Ivar's, a local seafood restaurant.  This video shows them in action!  It was sunny and 58 degrees so I sat on my stool in the park to sketch the Clams during the day.  It's fitting that there is an Ivar's fish & chips shop within view.




They are a version of  "Clem the dancing clam", who first appeared in 1985.  "Keep Clam!"

I got an early start to the day.  I thought it would be safe to make a trip to the mall just as it opened and before it got too crazy.  The Santa stage was facing the opposite direction from previous years, making it easy to sketch from the floor above.  Santa didn't have any children visiting yet.