Post on 07-Mar-2016
description
A glance inside the illustrated journals of one of Seattle’s Urban Sketchers.
• MoleskineWatercolorSketchbook• Smallwatercolorpad• Largevarietyofwaterproofinkpenssizes.005(sm)
to.05(lg)blackandsepia• 2or3fountainpens–blackorsepiaink• Mechanicalpencil• WindsorNewtonWatercolorTravelKit(thecheap
one)• Avarietyofwatercolorbrushes(andJapanese
waterbrushes)• Collapsiblewatercontainer• Bottledwater• SmallREIcollapsiblecampingstool• OrcaSoundTransitcardandcollectionofbus
schedules• Advil• TrailMix
What’s in My Sketching Pack?About the ArtistAlmosttwentyyearsagoacollegeprofessortoldtheclasstostartcarryingasketchbookeverydayandrequiredatleastonesketchadayforthequarter.Thesketchingbecameahabit,thehabitbecameapassionthathasbeensince.
I’verecentlydiscoveredofthreeorfourlocalandinternationalgroupsdedicatedtopromotingsketchingandhelpingotherswhoenjoythisactivitytogether,turningwhatisaveryisolatedactivityintoasocialone.
Isketchinanumberofdifferenttypesofsketchbooks,myonlyrequirementsarethatthey
takefountainpeninkandwatercolorwasheswell.Sketchingonsiteishardenoughwithouthavingtofightyourbook.
I’lloftensketchwithpencil,outlinewithafountain(notwaterproof)orPigmatechpen(waterproof)beforeusingasmallwatercolortravelkittoaddcolor.Oneofthegreatthingsaboutthesketcher’snetworkislearningaboutthetoolsothersareusingtocapturetheirview.
Contents:Page2-UrbanSketchers3-JetCityEspresso4/5-SeattleSketches6/7-TravelSketches8-People
A glance inside the illustrated journals of a Seattle Urban Sketcher
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July 2010 Gathering at Gas Works
1st Thursday Jazz Band
Seattle Urban Sketcher’s GatheringsIdiscoveredtheSeattleUrbanSketchersgroupjustoverfourteenmonthsago.ItwasfoundedbyGabrielCampenario(SeattleSketcher-SeattleTimes)andthoughwestartedoutasasmallgroup,ourmonthlygatheringsnownumber18-20sketchers(especiallywhentheweatherisnice!)
ThegroupispartoftheInternationalUrbanSketchersgroup.Postingscanbefoundat:www.urbansketchers.com/ThisOctobergatheringbroughtdecentweatherandtheopportunitytosketchtheFunForestride‘WildRiver’whichnolongerexistsastheCentergoesthroughchanges.
October 2009 Gathering - Seattle Center
OneofthethingsIlookforwardtoeverymonthistheFirstThursdayArtwalk,PioneerSquare-acelebrationofartists,studiosandgalleriesshowingofftheirnewexhibitionsforthemonth.The1stThursdayJazzBandentertainstheartpatronsandjazzloverswhostop
attheNewOrleansCafetorechargetheirbatteriesbeforeheadingbackouttofightthecrowds.IhavethisimagepostedonmyblogandIreceivedane-mailfromoneofthebandmembers.Theinternetisaninterestingtool……..
I’velivedintheSeattleareaallmylifeandyetlastyearwasthefirsttimeIhadeverbeentoGasWorksPark.ThiswasanotherSeattleUrbanSketcherseventandwewerejoinedbyasketchingcelebrityThomasThorspecken
fromOrlando,FloridawasintownwithfamilytoenjoytheSeattlescenery.GasWorksisagreatcollectionofrustyoldrefineryleftoversandasIhavediscoveredsomeequallyrustyoldwineconnoisseursandartloversthatcalltheparkhome.
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Jet City EspressoJetCityEspressoispartcoffeeshop,partantiquestoreandpartYeOl’CuriousityShop.Itisfilledtothebrimwithknick-knacksofeverypossiblegenerationandthingsyou’veneverseenbefore.Itservesasanendlessongoingstilllifebothinsideandout.It’s
ownersDebbieandPaulkeeptheatmosphereverylooseandoftenofferupafreecupofjoewhileI’msketching.Thisisoneofthoseplacesyoucan’ttakeforgrantedforifthecitycouncilhasit’sway,anewcondominiumwilltakeit’splace.
Never a lack of Subjects and Models
Jet City Espresso
Not Sure What Kind of Tree....
Thesketchaboveisoftheshelvingoverthebarista’sheadatJetCityandI’msureIcamenowherenearincludingalloftheitemsthatwhereactuallythere.Thesketchtotherightistheowner’sfavorite,
acollectionofscrap,plantingsinanantiquewashingmachineandavintage‘OPEN’sign.Bothweredoneinasmallrecycledpapersketchbook,pencil,penandinkwithwatercolor.
DidImentionthattwentyyearsagothiswasagasstation?Wellsincethenatreestartedgrowingoutofoneofthepumpwellsandhasnowgrownoutfromundertheislandcoverand
up,andup….SostrangetoseesomethinglikethisinthemiddleofRenton.ThepatronsofJetCityEspressoarejustascolorfulandvariedasthemerchandise(Iusethattermloosely…)inside.
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Seattle SketchesPike Place Market’s Hidden Gems
Georgetown Urban Sketcher’s
Lect’s Soup Stop - Georgetown, Seattle
IknowPikePlaceisatouristdestinationandisoftenoverdonebuttherearetheoutofthewaynooksandcranniesoftheplacethatstillhavecharacter,historicalorotherwise.Thesmallcobblestoneroadthatdescendsbehindtheinformationboothunderneaththemarketand
leadstoseldomknowngemslikeILBistro,TheMarketTheaterandtheAlibiRoom.
Pen&inkinaMoleskinewatercolorsketchbook.
Thistinywalkupsoupplacewithastockpotontheroof,sitsjustoffAirportWayinanindustrialareaofGeorgetown.AtfirstIthoughtitmustbedifficult(becauseofit’slocation)to
besuccessful,butasIsatacrossthestreettodrawit,caraftercarpulleduptopickupphoneinorders.Obviouslythefoodmustbegood,isthiswheretheSoupNazi(Seinfeld)endedup?
Georgetown,justsouthofdowntownSeattleoffersalotofsubjectsforsketcherstodraw.Ialwaysenjoythegatheringsofsketchinggroupsintown(SeattlePleinAir,UrbanSketchers,SketchCrawlandSketchPistols).LunchwashadatJulesMaesSaloon,afterwhicheveryonepassed
aroundthemorningscreativityforthegrouptoenjoyandlearnfrom.
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Fresh Picked Daily - Pike Place
Seattle SketchesThe Industrial Duwamish River
International District
TheDuwamishRiverhasthatroughindustriallookandatmospherethatisirresistibletodraw(forme).Thewestsideoftheriveroffersacoupleofcityrunparksthatoffergreatviewsofthetugsandbarges.
Pen/inkandwatercolorinaCansonrecycledpapersketchbook.
DrawingattheMarketistough,mainlybecauseitcangetsocrowdedandlet’sfaceit,verylittlehereeverstandsstilllongenoughforyoutodrawit.Thissketchofoneoftheproducestandsofferedupplentyofchallenges.TostartIwasbackwiththedumpstersandwastherelongenoughtoget
usedtothesmell,butitturnedouttobegarbagedayandIwasduckinggarbagecansallafternoon.Youalsohavetodealwithpeoplestoppinginfrontofthesubject,yellingforcustomerstomoveisprobablyfrownedon….
Pen/inkandwatercoloronawatercolortablet.
Seattle CenterBelowtheSpaceNeedlelookingnorthtotheEMPandtheMonorail.
Thesketchontheleftwasdoneat6th&MainofthenowdefunctStandardCafe.Atourguideinformedmethattheneonricebowlandsignwerecomingdownsoon(andthatImightwanttostepback,therewasabusload
oftouristsabouttowalkaroundthecorner).ThesketchontherightwasdoneaftereatingatZaina,amiddleeasternrestaurantlocatedatthenorthendofPioneerSquare.Greatfoodandfriendlystaff.
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Travel
Watercolor landscape Near Republic
Anderson Island - Puget Sound, WA
North Pole, Alaska - December 15thWhenmywifeworkedforanairlineweweretreatedtoalongweekendinFairbanks,AlaskainthemiddleofDecember.ItwasaneffortbytheFairbanksTourismBoardtogenerateinterestintheareaduringthewintermonths.Tobehonest,theentirefamilyhadablast
thoughitwasthirtybelow.TheweekendwascappedwithaneveningwithSantaattheNorthPole(therereallyisaNorthPole,AK)Thiswasapenandinksketchdoneduringstorytime.
ThoughitisnoturbanIincludedthissketchofanEasternWashingtonlandscapetoshowthedifficultiesofwatercolorpaintingincertaintypesofsketchbooks.Thisbookhasawaxycoatingtothepagesbydesignandthoughittakesinkwellenough,it’swater-resistantquality
makesforanightmarewhenlayingdownwashes.Thiswasabeautifulandcold(October)placetosketch.
OurgoodfriendsTomandJackielivejustofftheFerrydockonAndersonIslandintheSouthPugetSound.Throughagapinthetrees,youlookoverthewalkonparkinglotandacrossthewaterliesMcNeilIsland
Penitentiary,formerhomeofCharlesManson(‘61-’66)andRobertStroud(TheBirdManofAlcatraz).ThesecondsketchisfromtheirbalconylookingEastovertheSoundtowardDupontandSteilacoom.
Artist’s BioIam51yearsold,andliveintheSeattleareawithmywifeof23yearsandateenagedaughter.Iliveinthe‘burbs,butwouldratherbeacityorcountryboy.
MypoliticsarejustleftofcenterandthoughIthinktherearealotofthingsinthisworldthatarehorriblyaskew,I’mnotgettinguponthesoapboxtoscreammyopinion–therearetoomanypeopledoingthatnow,whowouldherme?Iwilltossoutanoccasionalcomment,I’monlyhuman….
Iloveagoodgameofhoops(basketball)andnothingmakesmehappierthantheopportunitytopaintanddraw.....Timestops.
Ilikemybrewdark,thatgoesforcoffeeandbeer.
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Travel
Lake Chelan, Wa
Dungeness Spit - Sequim, WA
Copenhagen, DenmarkThisoddsketchwasdoneatamuseuminCopenhagen-apartialviewofastatue.I’mjoinedbymydaughterwhooftenscratchesherheadwhenitcomestothesubjectsIchosetodraw.Weareactuallyinside,itwasFebruaryand25degreesoutside.
me.ThissketchwasdoneatthebeginningoftheDungenessSpitontheOlympicPeninsulaandIswappedoutthegreyskyforsomethinglesschilling.
Watercoloronwatercolorblock,pencilandpen.
Sketchingonvacationtakesalotofunderstandingfromtherestofthefamily.Myfamilyhascometounderstandhowimportantitistometobeabletostopandsketchforanhourortwo,theyjustcontinueonandexplorewithout
IspentpartofmychildhoodgrowingupinthesmalltownofChelan,Washington.AsIgotolder,Itookjobsworkingintheappleorchardsduringthesummertime.Nothingisassureaschangeandnowthe
appleorchardsarebeingreplacedwithvineyardsandwineries.BothofthesesketchesweredonefromarelativespropertyneardowntownanddoneinpenandinkinaCansonrecycledpapersketchbook.
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PeopleThe Online Coffee Co. - Seattle
Kiersten and the Boys
2010 Folklife Festival - Seattle Center
TheOnlineCoffeeCo.isagoodoldfashionedinternetcaféandbakery.TheWi-fiwasfreewithourpurchaseofasliceofquicheandcoffees(bothwereverygoodandcheap).Likelibraries,peopledon’tmovemuchandmakegooddrawingsubjects.Just
havetofindtheoneswithcharacter....orinthisguy’scasereadingconcerningnews.....
I’vebeengoingtotheFolklifeFestivalforalmost30yearsandovertimeitreallyhasn’tchangedmuch(agoodthingIthink).Ithasatendencytogetverycrowdedmid-afternoonevenwhenit’sraining.It’sacelebrationofmusic,
culturesandmanydifferentlifestylesandhasyettodisappointwhenitcomestopeoplewatchingandsketching.
Mydaughterwasaprolificreaderwhenshewasyounger,nowIcan’tgetherofftheIPod.Thiswasanafternooninthereadingnookwherethecatsdecidedtokeepher
company.PencilinaCansonrecycledpapersketchbook.
Local and International Sketching Groups
Seattle Urban Sketchershttp://urbansketchers-seattle.blogspot.com/
International Urban Sketchershttp://www.urbansketchers.com/
Seattle Plein Air Paintershttp://www.meetup.com/seattle-plein-air/
World Wide SketchCrawlhttp://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/
Seattle Sketch Pistolshttp://www.sketchpistols.com/