Monday, December 22, 2014

Weekend Jaunt to BC

Went with my family for a weekend get-away to Vancouver BC to start out the holiday season.
Walking around Chinatown on a beautiful December; going into small unique shops; we ended up at Bestie for lunch.   It is a funky cafe that specialize in wonderful German style sausage dishes.
I couldn't pass up sketching my meal before digging in!  


 The view out the window and across the street was this wonderful Chinese inspired building.  I loved the large red Chinese lanterns that hung on the balconies at each floor.  It was only a 24 hour stay, but we all enjoyed going to visit our friends to the north in BC.  Look forward to the next opportunity to visit.


Gage Academy Drawing Jam






I enjoyed spending part of my Saturday at the Gage Academy (a school for the arts on Seattle's Capitol Hill) at their annual Drawing Jam.  They open the academy to the public for a $10 donation and you get access to the studios with a variety of models to draw and paint. This gave me a chance to work on drawing people, which I always struggle to draw.  I actually liked drawing the other artist as they drew and painted the models.  Thanks Gage!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Family Trip to Hawaii

Our family week-long trip to the islands was a good time to relax,swim and spend time together.  i also got the opportunity to pull out my sketchbook and pen to capture some images while waiting or enjoying the scenery.  While waiting for my flight at SeaTac International Airport, I sat in the terminal and sketched the comings and goings at the Delta terminal.


Finally in Honolulu and I spent some time sketching at the "pink lady" while the others were shopping or looking around Waikiki.


One of the best parts of the trip was getting up early and going down to the beach.  The light was always dramatic as the sun rose over the mountains. 


The view from our condo had a peak-a-boo view to Diamond Head and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  Unfortunately the parking garage across from us was the dominant thing in our view.


The second half of our time on Oahu was spent up on the North Shore, the beaches were less crowded, but the waves were more dramatic.

 

We stayed at Camp Homelani near Haleiwa, the Salvation Army camp that is part of the Hawaiian Corp.  The view from the deck of the house looked back inland toward the mountains of the Mokuleia Forest Reserve.


Another sunrise on the beach at Camp Homelani.  Just a few surfers out in the water and no one else, this is truly paradise.


Heading back way too soon, but the sky was still the beautiful blue with wonderful fluffy clouds (it seemed to be the condition all week).


Even the plane trip home we had the "blue sky's" for part of the trip in our Boeing 737.




Sunday, July 20, 2014

Road Trip to California: May 2014


Heading down the I-5 through Oregon.
Sketches in the car while Brenda drives.







 



Our first destination inside Yosemite National Park.  Fantastic and so beautiful.










At the Central Coast of California.
The wine country, missions and the beaches.












Stanford University Campus


On the road heading north again to home.





Thursday, February 27, 2014

Seattle Urban Sketchers II

This blog is a continuation of my Seattle Urban Sketches from the last half of 2013.
 
 
August at the Seattle Waterfront
 
 
 
 
 
September in Issaquah and Boehm's Chocolates
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
An extra sketch day with WSU design students at the Seattle Center.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Down in Edmonds at the opening of the Urban Sketchers show at Gallery North
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
October out at the Craven Farms in Snohomish
  
 




 
 
November at the University of Washington Horticulture Green House


 

 
...then I took some time after the UW greenhouses to sketch for the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation fund raising auction that was held in December.







 
 
Finished off 2013 with the Seattle Urban Sketchers at the King Street Train Station.