Rose Garden Topiary

10/7/22 Woodland Park Rose Garden

It’s hard for me to resist the topiary trees at the Woodland Park Rose Garden. I sketched one there in 2018 (which was the last time USk Seattle met there), and even during a nature-drawing class, I sketched another one. During Friday’s visit with USk Seattle, I again gave in to the topiary love.

Despite the lingering haze of smoke, the sun cut through with comfortable temperatures – such a treat for this time of year! (A dubious “treat,” of course, since the unseasonal weather is undoubtedly a result of climate change.) Although long past their prime, many roses still dotted the garden with color. 

I walked all around the garden looking for a topiary tree lighted the way I wanted it and something interesting in front of it. Yet again, a thumbnail saved me from choosing too hastily. After I made the one on the left (below), I realized I didn’t like the mostly dark background behind it, and the tree itself was mostly in shade. I kept walking, and eventually spotted the one with the fountain in front of it. That’s the one I sketched in color.

Thumbnail at right is the one I sketched in color above.

Next was a thumbnail of a rectangular-shaped bush behind Ching (below, left). If I’d had time, I would have enjoyed doing that one in color. I had considered sketching the gazebo several times, but it had been in shade most of the morning. Shortly before the throwdown, the light finally came around to illuminate one side, so it was ready for a thumbnail, too. I made a mental note that the next time I visited the garden, it should be in the afternoon so that different topiary trees (and the gazebo) would be in light.

Undeterred by smoke!

Woodland Park Rose Garden

9/14/18 Woodland Park Rose Garden

During the iffy-weather season (and by that I mean September through June), USk Seattle must have a contingency plan for any outdoor event. In August when we planned today’s outing to Woodland Park Zoo’s Rose Garden, it was so warm and sunny that we thought we’d still have a good chance of dry weather by mid-September. Our contingency plan was optimism.

Looking out the window at the downpour as I got ready to leave for Woodland Park, I wondered if I would be standing at the meeting point alone. Only three other sketchers joined me, and we applauded ourselves for being hardcore urban sketchers! Luckily, it was barely sprinkling by then, and in between intermittent spitting, the sun came out! And a little later, many other sketchers joined us.

Although most of the roses were past their prime, the garden was still full of color from late-blooming flowers as well as trees just beginning to turn. (Trivia from the zoo’s website: Spent flowers from the pesticide-free garden are fed to zoo animals, especially the gorillas, who love floral snacks.) The topiary, bushes and lawn were lush and bright green. After all that heat and wildfire smoke, it finally felt “normal” again.

A few weeks ago when a Gage class I was taking met at this same garden, I was intrigued by the fanciful topiary. It was fun tackling one of the funky trees with charcoal, but in the back of my mind, I fully intended to sketch one again sometime in color. I went out to the middle of the garden so that I could place the gazebo in the same composition.

After strolling around a while to admire the well-tended plantings, I walked through the Sensory Garden, which features bells and chimes that can be played, an artificial hill, and other interactive exhibits. I liked the composition of the bright blue poles and slender trees behind them.

Chatting with Carol, who was sketching in the gazebo (she appears in my sketch at the top), I was impressed by her tripod-based sketching easel. She said she learned the idea for it from various urban sketchers who shared photos and instructions online.

Carol's tripod easel

Yay for sketchers who scoff at a little rain!