Warm & Dry @ Watson’s

Urban Sketchers Tacoma sheltered from the pouring rain inside Watson’s Greenhouse.  There were enough pumpkins to satisfy my seasonal need to sketch pumpkin patches and I was happy to be able to stay dry doing so.

Upon entering, I immediately noticed the Stormtrooper helmet mask. What’s up? I asked one of the staff and was told each section picks a theme for the Halloween display and Perennials picked Star Wars. Sounds good to me! That’s where I headed first.

This section was open air and chilly, but covered against the rain. At times the sound of heavy rain beating on the roof was quite loud.

Several sketchers sat around The Great Pumpkin to sketch.

I came back indoors to warm up and find something else to sketch.

Sharing sketches and group photo, followed by lunch together.

I think this is the only time I had “Schinken toast Hawaii” in the USA. It was one of my favorite sandwiches when I lived in Germany: Ham (Schinken), swiss cheese, and pineapple on toast. Yum.

more photos https://redharp.smugmug.com/SketchOutings/2017-1018-Watsons-Nursery/

Advertisements

More Funko

A friend likes the character Maleficent so I decided to make this Funko version today’s sketch.  Done from my photo of the oversized figure outside the building. First I completed it in ink and then I colored it.

Another attempt

I wasn’t really happy with the sketch I did last week of the statue of Michael Anderson.  It’s for the James Gurney challenge. Paint-a-Monument Challenge and I wanted it to be better.  I like today’s version well enough to submit it.

Fun at Funko

Urban Sketchers Seattle went further afield than usual yesterday to sketch outside the new Funko Headquarters in Everett, WA. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks, ever since Tina scouted it out!

There are oversized Funko figures on the overhangs above the first floor. I went up to the 3rd floor in the parking garage to get a look.

It was from there that I did my first sketch… Harry Potter!

I took a break to look around inside and to get warm. The Harry Potter display was my favorite. The did such a good job. I’m a major Star Wars geek but the Harry Potter area was better than the Star Wars one. I was a very delighted geek! The only item I bought was a tiny Niffler key chain figure from “Fantastic Beasts”.

Stan Lee was memorialized.

I next did an Inktober sketch of the Harry Potter trio inside the store.

Finally, I went to the roof to sketch Spiderman and the Funko sign.

We shared our sketches in a plaza across the street and took a group photo with the Funko facade in the background.

There were some new people and also a couple sketchers who hadn’t come out with us in a while.  And then Parker was visiting from New York!

Many more photos, mostly inside:
https://redharp.smugmug.com/SketchOutings/2017-1015-Funko/

Sketching with WSU

Each year, Bob Krikac, instructor at the School of Design & Construction at Washington State University, brings the sophomore interior design class to Seattle to study important interior spaces and gain exposure to professional interior design resources. As part of their experience, they join USk Seattle for a sketch outing.  Today we met at the Museum of History and Industry

Though it was chilly, I’d dressed for it.  I sketched a the Center for Wooden Boats.

Then I turned the other direction for a view of South Lake Union and the Space Needle in the distance.

Admiring all the sketches.

One Last Time

For the past 2 years we’ve sketched  at the Stonehouse Bakery and enjoyed the hospitality and delicious baked goods of Partrick Choy. He will be leaving that location at the end of the year so he invited us to sketch one last time at this unique building.

He made special treats for us and I found the cream cheese pumpkin scone to be the best! It was fresh out of the oven so I ate it rather than let it cool while I sketched it. Several of us chose to stay inside, sketch, eat our scones and have pleasant conversation.  It was a delightful time.

While I ate my warm scone, I sketched the people in front of the decorated fireplace mantle.  I liked the “East More Pie” sign.

By 11:30 the weather was sunny.  I planted myself in the sun and was able to stay warm while I sketched the truck and pumpkins.

Patrick joined our group photo one last time in front of his unique location.

A few more photos:  https://redharp.smugmug.com/SketchOutings/2017-1013-Stonehouse-Bakery/

Michael Anderson at the Museum of Flight

I invited Jonathan, visiting from Australia with Jane Blundell, to sketch at the Museum of Flight today while Jane is teaching.

I have never sketched in the Aviation Pavilion since it opened in May of 2016. Today seemed a good day to start there. My choice was a section of the B-29 Superfortress with the figure posed as those it is a mechanic working on the aircraft. The Museum’s B-29 is known as T-Square 54. It flew 37 missions in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

I’m entering the James Gurney challenge. Paint-a-Monument Challenge: “Public statues and monuments have been in the news lately for political reasons, but we haven’t seen them as much from the artists’ perspective. So I invite you to paint or draw a statue near you.”

My choice is the Museum of Flight’s memorial to Michael Anderson: Scientist, Air Force Officer, Pilot, Astronaut, Hero (died in the Columbia explosion) and African American. I’m not sure I like this sketch so I might go back to try again before the entry deadline.

Though he wasn’t born here, he considered Spokane, WA home. He graduated from Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington, in 1977. Bachelor of science degree in physics/astronomy from University of Washington, 1981. Then earned a Master of science degree in physics from Creighton University, 1990.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Air Force after his degree and eventually promoted to Lt COL. After several assignments, he was selected by NASA for astronaut training in 1994 and became a mission specialist.

The bronze statue is by sculptor Dorothy Fowler,who, incidentally, is also a pilot.  The Museum of Flight raised funds for a second statue. Other funds raised through the campaign created The Michael Anderson Memorial Aerospace Scholarship for Children of Color. This special fund, awarded through the Museum of Flight, will help underserved children to attend educational programs at The Museum of Flight and is intended to help to inspire an interest in science, technology, engineering and math–STEM–education and careers.

The Michael P. Anderson Memorial Aerospace Program is offered to students in 6th – 8th grade and at no cost to participants.  Application form, due Nov 30, 2017: https://form.jotform.com/72187295554163

 

 

 

 

Inktober Week One

On the first day of Inktober, I did a post about it.  Here.  Then I decided I wouldn’t post drawings daily but gather them into one post a week.  Having given myself permission to not have to draw from direct observation every day and to not follow the “official” prompts, I’ve done a drawing every day this week.

As noted in that first post, Day 1 was the rabbit.  It was just a photo I’d saved to practice drawing with just pen and ink.

I rather wish I hadn’t done this for Day 2.  I wanted to express something about the mass murder in Las Vegas.  I regret this one, mostly due to 45’s later rash of “unfortunate” (let’s leave it at that) comments.

On Day 3, I came up with what I thought was a better drawing about Vegas.

I also did an observational sketch on the bus while on my way into Seattle for a lunch with friends.

Day 4 was the ink drawing before I added watercolor.  This was an ad hoc outing in Tacoma with a visiting sketcher from Australia.

Day 5 was a Thursday and my volunteer day at the Museum of Flight.  I left early to do an errand and got to the Museum early enough to see this. The B.E.A.R. s are a HAM Radio group originally formed at Boeing.  They volunteer an incredible amount of hours at the Museum doing electrical work.  Ray seems to be the go-to guy.  The rest of them have an in-joke with badges that say “Not Ray”.

Day 6 was made during an impromptu USk Seattle outing to the Japanese Garden.  After spending a long time on a watercolor sketch, I made this minimalist drawing of a favorite lantern and bridge scene.

Most of Day 7 was spent at the Museum of Flight.  This time I wasn’t there as a Museum volunteer.  I was “trooping” with my Star Wars group, Alpha Base, the local branch of the international Rebel Legion.   The Storm Troopers , aka “TK’s”, are part of Garrison Titan, the local branch of The 501st Legion.  We nearly always troop together.  This was all in support of the Museum’s event for the annual Star Wars Reads Day.  If you’re interested, I made a few photos:   https://redharp.smugmug.com/StarWars/2017-1007-Star-Wars-Reads-Day/ There will eventually be a lot more as our official photographers for the day upload theirs.

Color in the Japanese Garden

Urban Sketchers Seattle planned a short notice sketch outing when the weather seemed good and the maples would be in their autumn colors at the Japanese Garden. We might have been a bit too early but we didn’t want to wait until out next window of time as it could be raining then!

Today had a bit of fall crispness in the air but was otherwise perfect. I found a tree with some color and decided to try my new square Pentalic Aqua sketch book by doing a two page spread of the wide scene.

Since I was the first sketcher along the path, several people stopped to chat. A couple had used watercolors. One young woman asked how I got the effect seen most in the upper right corner. I explained it’s granulation and is shown to good effect on this paper but happens because of the characteristics in the paint. It is Daniel Smith primatec, made from the actual stones or minerals.

The koi were jockeying for position to get as much of the food as possible.  The kiosk sells packets  so visitors give them what’s good for them.  They appear as two small, orange flecks in the sketch.

I’d spent a lot of time on this sketch, letting layers dry (and talking to people). So I only had a few minutes. I’ve sketched this lantern and bridge before but decided this would be a good choice for a minimalist ink sketch and would also fulfill my Inktober drawing for the day.

We were delighted to have Jane Blundell from Australia join us today. She’s in the USA teaching a number of workshops. All the ones this next week at Daniel Smith are full but there is a demo tomorrow afternoon. Along with her is Jonathan Livesey. USk Tacoma sketched with him on Wednesday so I met him again today.

group photo done by a passerby who composed well, showing the garden and some of the dramatic sky.

More photos:  https://redharp.smugmug.com/SketchOutings/2017-1006-Japanese-Garden/

Visiting Sketcher

With the expansion of Urban Sketchers around the world, one of the joys of involvement is visiting and hosting sketchers from other parts of the world.

Jonathan from  USk Syndey in Australia is visiting and traveling with Jane Blundell. While she’s teaching, he’s sought out sketching opportunities. Three of us from USk Tacoma met him today to sketch around the historic center of Tacoma on Pacific Ave. We were fortunate that the weather was perfect.

We met on the patio of the Anthem coffee house. Our sketching started there. I liked the autumn leaves which nearly hid the Tacoma Dome.

I walked a half way across the Bridge of Glass in order to do another sketch of the Crystal Towers. I’ve sketched them at least twice. They are 40 feet tall, made of polyvitro, which is plastic and glass and are both cast and blown. It took two years to develop the material. At night they are illuminated by lights below the bridge. They serve as an entry marker into Tacoma from the freeway below.

We didn’t take our usual group sketch photo but I got Jonathan (at left) and Gary next to the Traveler statue in front of Union Station.