Finally Summer on First Hill

7/12/19 Town Hall Seattle

Historically, it begins the day after the 4^th of July. Following days of gray drizzle, it arrived lazily today a week late. With shades and sunhats on, USk Seattle welcomed summer with a sketch outing on First Hill.

When I first scouted the meetup location a month or so ago, Town Hall Seattle, undergoing renovation, caught my eye. Built in 1916 by The Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, the Roman Revival building has been an event venue since 1998. As my first sketch of the outing, the building was a bit intimidating, so my intention was to make a value study as a small thumbnail. Fairly quickly, though, I changed my attitude to “what the heck,” and I went for a full-page sketch instead. It was a popular spot: Kate, Alice and Tim all did their variations of the same view.

Next I went to the meetup location at a tiny pocket park (defined as such by a few colorful tables, chairs and planters in the street) at Ninth and University, where the Pike Place Market opens a pop-up farmers market on summertime Fridays. With St. James Cathedral in the distance, the small, quiet market gave nearby Virginia Mason medical clinic employees a sunny respite.

7/12/19 Pocket park and pop-up market at 9th and University

Kate, Tim and Alice sketching Town Hall

Peeking over Tim's shoulder!

Twice the Gothic

We met outside the Frye Art Museum today. There were some options for sketching: St. James Catholic Cathedral, O'Dea Cathedral High School, historic Trinity Episcopal Church and, of course, the Frye.

Many sketchers chose St. James as the subject. It was open so a good place to shelter from chill and rain.





I really like Gothic and neo-Gothic architecture. My first sketch was a view of the towers of St. James seen from the street corner next to Frye. The parking lot across the street will become an 11 story apartment building. Once that is built, this view will no longer exist, at least from street level.




It had started to rain but I had been protected by a large tree as I sketched the towers. I moved down the street to sketch the facade of O'Dea Cathedral High School. I shelter under the entrance alcove of the school office building across the street.



Note the two birds.  Aircraft were flying over regularly so I had opportunity to do a composite shape.  Then a large crow landed on the cross at the peak of the building. 

First Hill Churches and a State Bird

6/8/18 One of St. James Cathedral's twin towers

6/8/18 Trinity Parish Episcopal

Despite the spitting that turned to drizzle and then full-on rain, USk Seattle made a strong turnout for a sketch outing in the First Hill neighborhood, which features two classic churches.

I wanted to sketch both of St. James Cathedral’s twin towers, which I last sketched several years ago from the Frye Museum’s parking lot. That former lot is now another high-rise construction site, so that view will soon be gone, but I didn’t see a spot where I could sketch from without getting drizzled on. Under cover of a small awning, I settled for just one of the tower pair.

The rain was getting worse, but I was determined to try for the second of the two churches – Trinity Parish Episcopal – only a couple of blocks away. I see its Gothic spire often from the freeway and have always wanted to sketch it. I found a fully leafed tree to duck under that gave me a view through the trolley wires.

Feeling damp, I went into the Frye’s café for coffee and cake (several other sketchers had the same idea). I grabbed a window table where I could see a bright yellow “Washington State bird” behind the Frye’s cylindrical building.

After a week of sunshine, our wet outing was a disappointment, but since I squeezed three slightly rain-speckled sketches out of it, I can’t complain.

6/8/18 Our state bird (no, not the pigeons)

A Library and a Walrus

6/9/17 Seattle Public Library

How many icons can a person sketch in one day? When I started out yesterday for the Urban Sketchers Seattle gathering, I didn’t know I would end up sketching several icons, including two on my “must sketch someday” list.

6/9/17 View facing east on Madison Street

The meeting place was the Fourth and Madison Building’s seventh floor terrace – a pleasant outdoor space for nearby workers to bring their bag lunches and for sketchers to catch unusual peek-a-boo views. The one I (and many other sketchers) chose was looking east on Madison Street toward St. James Cathedral at the top of the hill looking very tiny in the steel and glass canyon.

However, that’s not one of the “must sketch” icons I was referring to. For one I went down to the building’s lobby, where a large window faced the Seattle Public Library’s downtown branch. Although I’ve sketched inside this flagship library building several times, I’ve never sketched the whole building, although I’ve wanted to. Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus, the unusual and striking building has always seemed too intimidating. Yet as I gazed at it yesterday, I had the same feeling I had while sketching in Positano or the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A.: The architectural lines are so unconventional and unexpected, who would know if my sketch were wonky? I took it on.

By then I had only five minutes left before the sketchbook throwdown, so I quickly went back up to the seventh floor terrace for the other peek-a-boo view I’d considered: The Space Needle hiding behind the “Darth Vader” (Fourth and Blanchard) Building.

6/9/17 Space Needle and Fourth & Blanchard Building

However, that, too, is not one of the two “must sketch” icons I was referring to. The second one was a walrus on the side of the Arctic Building. One of few old buildings in Seattle with any kind of gargoyles or other cool exterior decorations, it has walruses all the way around, way above eye level. Luckily for me, this one was adjacent to a parking lot, so I could stand next to it instead of on the street, where I would have had to look straight up to sketch. As a bonus, the Smith Tower was right next to it! 

Whew. I think I hit my Seattle icon quota for the year.

6/9/17 Arctic Building walrus and Smith Tower

46th World Wide SketchCrawl at the Frye (Plus St. James Cathedral)

1/31/15 St. James Cathedral

Even though I was the one who had suggested the Frye Art Museum as the location for the 46th quarterly World Wide SketchCrawl, I have to admit I wasn’t very inspired. Not that the art wasn’t interesting – some of it was – but I found most of it to be unsketchable. In addition, some of us pen sketchers felt constrained by the museum’s media restrictions. I made a valiant attempt at capturing a cage-like structure made of bamboo, part of Jessica Kenney’s exhibit, “Anchor Zero,” with colored pencils.

After a couple more walks through all the exhibits trying to find something to sketch, I gave up and went out to my car across the street in Frye’s lot, where I had strategically parked facing St. James Cathedral’s twin towers. The first time I had sketched those towers from nearly the same position was almost exactly two years ago. (I’m not sure my architectural drawing skills have improved much, but maybe my color is a little better.)

1/31/15 Part of Jessika Kenney's exhibit, "Anchor Zero"

A small but enthusiastic group of Seattle Urban Sketchers gathered in the foyer to share sketches. We barely got a group photo taken before we were shushed – a tour had just begun! Welcome to new members Magdalena and Ryan!

Left to right: Magdalena, Darsie, Ryan, Michele, Frank and Tina

Aisles and Arches

St James was at once appealing and daunting. As it was, the perspective and the arches are what drew my eye.  In trying to simplify the view I made two sketches that, at the time looked very different, but in reality are very similar. 

I'm going to have to go back and do some more sketching especially when the weather is warmer so I can get some outside views.

St. James in the Dark...

Back from DC, I joined the Seattle Urban Sketchers at St. James Cathedral on Saturday morning.  It was very dark at the back of the cathedral, I could barely make out the colors on my paper!

A Cathedral and then a Hobbit Hole

I experienced two extremes today.  The majesty of St James Cathedral with the Seattle Urban Sketchers and then later I went to the Seattle Flower and Garden show.  My son helped the Washington Park Arboretum group bring in trees for their display of New Zealand plant material.  The display was set like the garden in front of Bilbo Baggin's Hobbit Hole!

A Serene and Inspiring Time at St. James Cathedral

Just walking into the cathedral evokes awe.  It was a few minutes of upward gazing before most sketchers  settled on the particular view/angle they would sketch.  Quite a few of us sketched the high ceiling, particularly where light streamed in from the skylight.

In this watercolor, I had "prepped" the Arches CP paper with a diluted acrylic wash.  You can see some of it just right of center.

Before I had attempted those vaulted ceilings, I did a pen and ink sketch of the baptistery.  I added a bit of watercolor when I came home.

I said it was an inspiring morning largely because of the wonderful sketches everyone shared afterwards.  I am so awed by the artistry of the Seattle sketchers!

Reminder February Sketch Outing This Saturday!

February Sketch Outing

St James Cathedral 

804 9th Ave Seattle, WA 98104

Ninth and Marion in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood overlooking downtown Seattle

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 

10:00 AM - meet at The Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Courtyard at the South entrance between the Cathedral and the Bookstore.  Note the cathedral will be open at 9:30 am for us for those who want to sketch a little earlier.  No food or drinks in the cathedral.  We will be able to sketch until 12:30 pm.

St. James Cathedral

1/24/13 fountain pen, watercolor

I knew I would probably have to miss the USK sketchcrawl at St. James Cathedral in February, so last week after visiting the Frye Art Museum, I strategically parked my car in Frye’s lot so that I had a clear view of the cathedral’s towers. I regret missing the interior, but at least I got a little of the exterior.

 

Last month I began a self-inflicted exercise to practice drawing vehicles (let’s just say they aren’t my strong suit). So far I’ve tried a BMW, an unidentified pick-up and a Subaru Impreza. I hadn’t yet tackled a Prius’ arched roof and broad back end, so the one parked in front of me was a good opportunity. (Reflected in the backseat window is the top of one of St. James’ towers.)



1/24/13 fountain pen, Zig markers



Meet the Correspondents- Peggy Haug

St. James Cathedral, June 2012

When I joined Urban Sketchers for my first event with them last June, at Magnusen Park, I became thrilled with the format of our meetings: gather and decide on where to meet afterwards, scatter to go sketch wherever we want, and then, about 2 hours later, rejoin the group to share.  This is for me, I thought!!

While the concept of Urban Sketching is new to me, I've painted watercolors since my high school years, largely because I grew up in a family of artists.  Charles Burchfield is one of America's foremost watercolorists, and I am his grand-daughter!  All painting was always done plein air, in Western New York's countryside.  When I was a kid and  my Mom went out painting, my brothers and I explored the deserted barn she was sketching or played in the fields.

Even though I have painted landscapes for the last almost 50 years, it was often a love-hate thing.  But about 8-9 years ago as my partner and I traveled around the U.S. in our RV, I began doing "botanicals" with my own twist, because I included journaling and calligraphy.  It was the beginning of Nature Journaling for me, and it's definitely something I enjoy doing - a "love" thing, no hate.  When I volunteered for 2 years at a retreat center in the remote North Cascades, I created a "portfolio" of fifty 11x14 nature journal pages, mostly in ink and colored pencil.  I depicted the seasonally changing birds, flowers, and nature of where I lived.  You can view the complete set by going to my flickr site at www.flickr.com/photos/peggyhaug?

After a bit more traveling, we returned to Seattle to work (we are both R.N.s) and save for retirement.  Enchanted with having a yard in which to garden, plus a normal-sized kitchen (after many years in our RV) plus working full-time, I mentally set aside my art, as I've done in the past when I was raising my children, or taking additional classes at the UW (earning a Bachelors in English with creative writing emphasis.)  I didn't even set up my art supplies.

Georgetown's Old City Hall - Aug, 2012

But I started exploring the idea of visual journaling (there are many books out on this idea) and somehow in looking at Cathy Johnson's books,  I came across Danny Gregory's books as well.  Of course, I was noting Gabi Campanero's sketches in the Seattle Times.  It mentioned Urban Sketchers, and here I am.

One of the best things about joining Urban Sketchers is being able to discover all these unique places IN Seattle!  Many I've heard of, but had no compelling reason to visit.  Others are complete surprises - a gift!  I am really enjoying the challenge of sketching these urban scenes, and it delights me to no end to "see" so many great scenes I WANT to sketch.    

Madison Park Starbucks & St. James

Had coffee this morning at Madison Park Starbucks which was recently remodeled and now has a wine bar.  Also finished a sketch of St. James that I started on Thursday. Didn't have time to watercolor it there so I took a picture this morning and finished the water color at home.

St. James Cathedral

Madison Park Starbucks

This Week's Sketches

Happy Friday, everyone! Here are my sketches from this week.

Pioneer Building

St. James Cathedral

Suzzallo Library

Denny Hall

Have a great weekend!

Michael

Sketching at St. James Cathedral

Today Nan Ching and I took our Arch 415 class to St. James Cathedral. It was a great day for sketching! This is a beautiful place to draw and paint...makes you feel like you are in Italy. There are so many options for perspective views here. You can spend hours here and find more views that would be great to sketch.

This is a water color I did while I was there today. The color is much more vibrant than this scan shows. Is it my scanner? Any suggestions on settings to get the best color?

Gail