USK spring meetups

Sharing a few of my sketches from some recent-ish USk Seattle events!

Centro de la Raza for Cinco de Mayo.

I often pass through this plaza, but it's almost always dead quiet -- so it was nice to experience it crowded & lively for the celebration. I always appreciate the extremely bright colors often used in Mexican crafts, like the ones the guest vendors were selling, especially on such a dark gloomy day like this one. I stood under a tent shelter, mostly out of the wet, and did a quick sketch in mixed media.

Chinese Garden @ South Seattle College

This is such a classic USk Seattle location to me. I enjoy the clean, white walls of the structure, which allow you to appreciate the landscaping in contrast to it. Using white acrylic, I got it to pop off of my gray toned paper.

 Couth Buzzard Books + Espresso in Greenwood

I stumbled onto this cute little bookstore after our share event at the library. It was too cold to draw outside, so I cozied up at a small table and captured the vibe while sipping a cappuccino. It was fun listening to people come in and ask the proprietor very specific book questions.

A Sunny 11th Anniversary in Greenwood

5/19/23 Sakya Tibetan Monastery, Greenwood neighborhood

With traditional architecture on quiet streets, the Greenwood neighborhood has a lot to offer sketchers, not the least of which is at least a few houses of worship to choose from. USk Seattle met this morning in front of the bright yellow and orange Sakya Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, which we last sketched in 2018. The first time I sketched it was in 2014. Another time I sketched one of the entryway-guarding lions in winter from my car. This time I chose a corner with a large white bell and spinning prayer wheels (and a couple of sketchers). I think almost everyone chose the monastery for at least one of their sketches.

On this morning, a service was being held inside, so those of us nearby were treated to soft chanting drifting out to the street. At some point, a thoughtful monastery member came out and offered us tea!

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

A short walk away is St. John the Evangelist Parish, another church that I’ve sketched before but never seem to tire of. I can see the “bishop’s hat” from my house, which is a couple miles due east. Its proportions and elegant shape challenge me every time, but when the light hits it just right, it’s beautiful to render.

One of the sketchers mentioned yet another church within walking distance, but I didn’t have time for that one. I’m sure we’ll be back in Greenwood again, but I doubt it will be as perfect a morning as this one was – 68 degrees and sunny!

I meant to mention it during the outing but forgot: My first USk outing was May 20, 2012, so Greenwood was only a day off from my 11^th anniversary as an Urban Sketchers member. As I am at every outing, I was delighted by all the new members who have joined lately. I wish them as much fun and camaraderie as I have experienced the past 11 years and intend to continue having for years to come!

11 years with my tribe!

Urban Sketching as Improv

11/29/18 Gallery space at the Pocket Theater in Greenwood

How is urban sketching related to improvisational acting? Before Thursday evening, I would have shrugged trying to respond to that question, but thanks to urban sketcher and University of Washington urban design student Robin Hunt, the answer for me is now clear: It can be an innovative, creative evening of art and interactivity.

A few weeks ago, Robin invited USk Seattle members to participate in an exhibit of urban sketches in the Greenwood neighborhood’s Pocket Theater. I considered participating, but I didn’t get around to prepping my work. However, very curious about what the “interactive gallery” would be, I decided to attend the event.

I was glad I arrived a few minutes before the exhibit officially opened so that I had a chance to start sketching right away before it got too crowded; the small gallery space filled instantly. Sketches of Seattle by Robin and several other local urban sketchers were displayed on two walls. Beneath the rows of sketches were long, horizontal strips of tape, sticky side exposed. Hmmm. . .

On tables around the room were stacks of small slips of colored paper. The slips began with various open questions that could be prompted by a sketch: “Share a memory that you are reminded of.” “What is a lesson you learned in this place?” “Write a note to someone who shares memories of this place with you (please include a name).” Event attendees were invited to write their responses on the slips and then adhere them to the tape on the walls beneath the sketches they were responding to.

A-ha! Suddenly my initially passive viewing of the sketches when I had first walked in was insufficient. I went through the exhibit again, looking more closely at each sketch, thinking about the last time I had visited the familiar locations – Fremont, Pioneer Square, Swanson’s Nursery – or whether I had recently visited at all. I picked up a few slips, wrote my thoughts and memories, and adhered them to the walls. Then I walked back through the whole exhibit to read what others had contributed. I had a few conversations prompted by what we were reading and viewing, and the whole room became livelier once the interactivity began. While viewing sketches of familiar places often prompts memories and associated feelings, people rarely share those thoughts. Titled “Your Where,” the event encouraged that sharing.

11/29/18 The Collective Improv Troupe interprets viewers' memories
prompted by sketches.

That part of the event alone would have been an innovative way to evoke memories and conversation based on sketches. But the evening wasn’t over yet. An hour after the exhibit opened, doors to the adjacent Pocket Theater opened. Every seat in the 50-seat theater filled with curious attendees.

The Collective Improv Troupe, which Robin belongs to, took on the second part of the program. Using the slips of paper with our written responses, Robin periodically entered the stage and read from them. The improv members would then interpret the readings with humorous dialog and stories they developed on the spot with no preparation or rehearsal. (As someone with no public speaking skills or acting experience, I was so impressed by their ability to perform improvisationally!)

I left the event satisfied that Robin’s production (her senior project for her UW urban design-related degree) had fully answered the question of how urban sketching and improv can come together. The evening was an engaging confluence of art, comedy and audience participation.

Pocket Theater gallery space

Responses to sketches from participants

Producer and urban sketcher Robin Hunt

Urban sketcher Tony Robinson, whose sketches were included in the exhibit

Greenwood's Spiritual Side

One thing I like about Urban Sketchers outings is that they take you to new places. This past weekend, I got a chance to experience the 'spiritual' side of Greenwood.

First stop in the itinerary is the Sakya Monestary, a Tibetan Buddhist temple set in the middle of residential area. Several things caught my attention right away: the bright colored exterior, the bell-shaped stupa (chorten) with the prayer wheels, and the snow lion statues, among other things. I whipped out my iPad with procreate app for this one. The lion statue was drawn using a continuous line drawing method. The stupa is such a prominent feature that I drew it twice. I sketch all linework on site then add the colors later on.

The Stupa (Chorten) with Prayer Wheels, and Snow Lion Statue

Sakya Monastery building and Chorten

I walked a couple of blocks to the next stop, St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church. This time, it's analog time with my trusted papermate marker and moleskine sketchbook. I applied the same method that I use to sketch interior spaces – I reduced the scene into basic shapes without worrying too much about the correct perspective. It turned out to be more challenging than I thought; I miscalculated the height of the tower, and got caught up in detailing the brick texture. In the end, I decided to go back to the basic and not stressing out about the little mistakes. After all, urban sketching is all about 'capturing the essence of space'. In the end, it turned out to be a pretty productive sketch outing.

St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church

Two Houses of Worship in Greenwood

8/11/18 Sakya Monastery

Sixty-eight degrees with overcast skies! Ahhhh!

Despite my relief that the heatwave had finally broken, I was still miffed that this morning’s forecast called for rain and even thunderstorms. Couldn’t the rain wait until after our sketch outing? In fact, it did wait until the throwdown, so we all stayed dry while sketching the Greenwood neighborhood.

Our sketch outing featured two places of worship within a couple of blocks of each other: The bright yellow and red Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism and St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. I’ve sketched the monastery’s front entrance flanked by twin lions before, so today I went for the large bell at the side of the building. The bell is surrounded by stands of percussion instruments that make a soothing rattling sound when spun. Arriving before the other sketchers, I had seen someone come out of the monastery, walk around the bell and spin the instruments before stopping for prayers at the entrance.

Sketching St. John’s was a second attempt for me, too. More than five years ago I stood on the opposite side of the church and struggled with both the perspective and watercolor. At least I didn’t have the challenge of watercolor this time, but the perspective was no less a struggle. Giving it a shot with Eduardo Bajzek’s graphite method, I had a new difficulty: trying to make sense of the confusing values. The brightest spot on the building was the barely visible left face of the mitered top (the curve reflecting the sky), yet the sun (hiding behind thick clouds) was lighting the right side of the rest of the church.

8/11/18 St. John the Evangelist Church

The weather report didn’t scare away any sketchers! In fact, we welcomed several new faces, including Gigi, who was visiting all the way from Rio de Janeiro (front row, second from right).

Grabbing Color When I Can

11/3/17 Northgate

Our spectacular autumn is over. Like a loud, overbearing, uninvited party guest, winter lumbered in a few days ago, and her name is La Niña. She brought overnight temperatures in the mid-30s and, most surprisingly, snow! I knew the sunshine wouldn’t last forever, and I fully expected rain by now, but snow?

Still, I’ve been grabbing color where I can, even last Friday when it snowed. I deliberately arrived at a dental appointment a little early because I knew I could park near those maples on Fifth Northeast that I sketched just the week before in the delightfully bright sun. The windshield kept getting covered with slushy snowflakes, so I had to keep turning on the wipers. (That streak you see running down the car on the right occurred when I leaned out the side window to take my “trophy” photo. Ah, social media. . . it has become part of the message.)

The next day – still chilly, but at least the snow had turned to rain – I had an errand at Roosevelt Square (below). Over the edge of the parking lot barrier, all I could see was the very top of a maple and two utility poles behind it.

11/4/17 Roosevelt Square

Today the sun was back. Temps were still in the 30s by mid-morning, so I stayed in my car for one last shot at my favorite traffic circle. I sketched this trio of maples (below) almost exactly a month ago when the one on the right was just starting to turn, and the one on the left was almost fully green. Now the one on the left has a few orange leaves still hanging on, but the one on the right is bald.

Sigh. It was a lovely fall.

11/6/17 Greenwood neighborhood

Tandem Sketching

On Christmas day Donna and I drove up to our family's place on Green River. Donna and I sat across from each other at the old table in the cabin and drew the knick-knacks we found there. My take is on top.

We did it again at the Neptune Café in Greenwood. Again, I'm on the top. What a pleasant way to while away an hour or two, sipping java and chatting. Or sipping java and not talking at all.

Coffee roasting at Herkimer Coffee on Greenwood

I thought it looked like they had a locomotive parked in the backroom.