Dancers and Skaters at Winterfest

12/15/19 Winterfest

The Seattle Center Armory is always a people place, and no more so than during the holidays. Although the turn-of-the-20^th-century model train and village are the centerpiece of the festivities, and I spent my last 15 minutes there (top of post), I was in the mood to make small gesture studies of people.

Beginning with a troupe of young dancers on the stage, I filled a page with their movements (and caught a few kids in the audience, too). 

12/15/19 dancers

12/15/19 Kids mesmerized by the dancers

The real fun was in Fisher Pavilion, which had been turned into an ice skating rink for the holidays. I had déjà vu of another outing with USk Seattle almost exactly seven years ago, when I attempted to capture figures on the ice for the first time. I applaud my attempt back then to take the broader view of the rink itself. Today I decided to simply focus on capturing all the different gestures I saw: the wobbly first timers using blue walker-like devices for stability; experienced skaters who sped around the small rink as fast as they could; beginners who gained confidence even as I watched. When Carol saw the rink, she put away her sketchbook and put on skates instead! I was so impressed to see her on the ice that I naturally sketched her, too.

12/15/19 ice skaters

Notice anything unusual about our group selfie below? I’m actually in the frame instead of photobombing myself! I got a new phone recently, and it made my arm grow longer! 😉

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.

Sketcher's Gathering Seattle Center - Winterfest

How nice it was to be able to sketch outside in December and then meet inside when my whimpy self got cold. I saw a post yesterday from a European Urban Sketcher blogging about putting alcohol in their watercolor water so the liquid wouldn't freeze while painting in minus13 degree weather. Yes, I will shut up now about being cold.

I did this sketch of the dormant popcorn booth called Popcornucopia. It has been part of the International Fountain landscape for as long as I can remember.

Pen and ink with watercolor in a Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

Winterfest

Seattle Urban Sketchers meet for the December outing at the Winterfest, indoors at the Seattle Center Armory.  When we started at 10am, it wasn't too crowded.  As the morning went on, more and more people came and it became a challenging sketching environment.  But I managed to do a sketch of what interested me most about the huge model train village... the clock tower and the biplane.





I walked around a bit outside as it was dry and mild.  I saw this odd little photo booth.





We had our sharing and group photo.

We're missing at least 4

I'd boarded the light rail at 8:30am, so it wasn't very crowded and I could comfortably sketch my fellow passengers.