Sketching in First Half of 2022

Didn't get out sketching at the beginning of 2022 much.  Finally joined a small group of sketchers in Kirkland in March.  The skies were still grey, but not too cold to be out.  Went out on a dock and sketched downtown Seattle across lake Washington. 

Afterwards went back into Kirkland and sketched a couple of buildings in downtown area.
 

I was sitting sketching this coffee shop (wearing a Sounders cap) and Brad Evans walks across the sidewalk with a coffee in his hand and says "nice cap"! He is a retired Sounders player.  Sometimes sketching you have interactions with people in unexpected ways because your sitting in the public realm and approachable.  We had a quick conversation about the new season and expectations. 

Went to a Sounders match in the morning and a musical in the evening at the Paramount Theatre.  Just a couple of quick sketches as waiting for things to begin.

I finally visited the University of Washington Quad and the cherry blossoms.  The place was so crowed with groups taking photos and making memories.  I think there was a few couples taking wedding pictures. 

Travelled up to Vancouver BC for a business trip.  This was the view from my hotel room of some of the office towers nearby.

Went down to the International District for Chinese New Year Festival with a few Seattle Urban Sketchers. 

Travelled to the farm where Brenda's grandmother was born.  Farm is still within the family and now owned by a distant cousin's family.  Wanted to capture some of the older farm buildings before they disappear with changes to the farm. 

Another quick sketch from another business trip to Vancouver BC.

A visit to Skagit Valley to wander through Christiansen's Nursey where they have an old school house for rent for different events like weddings.

Stopping first at Schuh Farms for a coffee and ice cream.  Sometimes we will pick up fresh vegetables.

In Kenmore near our house is a sand and gravel processing plant that I have been interested in drawing the industrial hoppers and conveying system

Stopped by our local pub on the way home to get a beer and sketch a bit of "downtown" Ridgecrest.

Wanted to sketch downtown Seattle and Mt Rainier for our Norwegian daughter's wedding present.  Mari stayed with us for the school year in 2011 and she loved this view from Kerry Park.  Had to get up early to catch the sunrise on the city.  Wanted to finish before the crowds showed up and it was too hot out.  Focused the second sketch on Mt Rainier and the waterfront.

Sat on a virtual jury duty during the summer.  Being at home and having to be on video during all the sessions gave me time to draw the different faces as they gave testimony and asked questions.  Never saw the judges face because he and the bailiff were the only persons in court.

Second Half of 2021Sketches

With continuing to get and out travel locally by spending a week on Lopez Island up in the San Juan Islands.  This is an island in which I had only visited by boat at Spencer Spit, but never getting off the ferry whenever we had gone to Orcas Island or Friday Harbor.  We spent the first few days camping with friends at the state camp ground mid-week.

Waiting for the ferry at Anacortes I did a couple of quicker sketches in my "road trip" sketchbook.  Its not watercolor quality paper, but just bond paper.  This is part of my philosophy that my sketches are not precious but do them on whatever material you have at the moment because it is all about remembering the moment and documenting something about your experience.

 

Finding shells and feathers at Spencer Spit.  If I paint them, then I can leave them on the beach for others to enjoy too.

Enjoyed the sunset by myself down at the beach.  I use the sketching process as a kind of meditation or prayer.  A quiet time of the day.

Hiking down to the end of the island we enjoyed a sit in sun and watched the seals sleeping on the rocks at Shark Reef.

The kelp beds and the rocky pools at Iceberg Point were another great place to sit and sketch.  The colors of the dry grasses and the lichens on the rocks were quite beautiful to observe.

Moving into the town of Lopez Island, we spent the rest of the week staying in a little cottage walking distance to all the shops and restaurants.  There are some great older wooden buildings in town.  Some were shops, studios or businesses.

This hot shop attracted me to do a sketch because of the interestingly simple forms and the light monitors on the roof.

There are a number of these old wooden water towers around the island.  This one is right in town and has been maintained in a beautiful way.

Heading to the east side of the island we hiked down to the secluded beach at Watmough Bay and had a view of Mt Baker off in the distance.
 

The final sketch of the week was at the bay close to town.  Next morning we caught a ferry back to Anacortes before driving home.

Another round of light rail construction sketch.  This time I rode my bike into the "technical" construction site and was asked to leave by a security guard just as I was finishing up.  Sometimes you have to break the rules to get to a better spot to sketch.  It was a Sunday morning so no one else was around and I didn't put myself in any physical danger.  Progress of the sketch.

I received a request for a commissioned piece from a women to give her husband on their anniversary.  The Mukilteo Lighthouse was either where they were married or he proposed.  Was able to capture the ferry leaving and a sailboat coming by.  The beauty of sketching is that you can add things which happen over an extended time period.

Took my daughter and son-in-law to the Museum of Flight by King County Boeing Field.  Was a test of drawing curves in perspective, which is always a challenge.