Evil Queen

Last night’s Cosplay Drink and Draw model was the wonderful Melanie as The Evil Queen from “Once Upon a Time”.

Here are my two favorite sketches from the evening:

Rain Again?

Urban Sketchers Tacoma met yesterday at Earthwise Architectural Salvage.
Our fist sketch outing to this unique location was in April last year. It rained and the sketchers voiced a desire to return in better weather.

I thought July would be a safe bet. Puget Sound has been hot and dry in July, Aug and into September during the past few years. Well, not this year. I’m actually happy to have some rain during the summer but had hoped for a dry day for this outing.

Still, there were several intrepid sketchers.

Shelter was in view of his subject.

Courage, one of three dogs on site, joins Liz while she sketches.

I chose to use an 8×10 sheet to do a montage of the location. At least three of us sketched these signs!

The two women working there were so nice and welcoming. Especially when we moved inside due to the rain. We’ll likely be back next year in another attempt to have a dry day to sketch outside.

I made some avant-weird photos of some of the stuff in the shop.  More photos here.

That time again

This was Urban Sketchers Seattle’s fifth time sketching the Georgetown Garden Walk. Sometimes I walk many of the gardens. This year my knee was hurting so I stayed close to Oxbow Park, our throw-down location.

There were quite a few sketchers at the throw down.

I remember this flutist from last year. I couldn’t quite finish the sketch before they were finished. I got the figures drawn and painted and then did the structures around them after they left.  The woman is playing bowls which made a very meditative sound. They were in the shade of the Hat portion of the famous Hat and Boots.

Note to self…get there early next year as they have the first set. I played flute for many years and, in fact, started college as a Music major. He has two unusual flutes and I meant to talk to him about them but forgot. Next year….

The oldest, continuously operating grocery store in Seattle is no more. A baker and cake shop is in the location now. But I sketched the overgrown garden. While there, the former grocery operator came down the steps from the second floor. I engaged him in conversation… basically, they retired. They own the building and now rent out the shop space. They still live above, though, along with the 14 year old pug who used to hang out in front of the grocery. And keep a garden.

More photos.

Not what I planned

Yesterday’s personal sketch outing was not what I’d planned.  I’d heard from one of elite detailing crew at the Museum of Flight that they would be working on the B-52 on Saturday.  So I planned to get there early to sketch the work before going on to an 11 am demo at the Daniel Smith mothership.

I was at the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Park just after 9am.  No work going on.  I didn’t want to just go back home but I had a couple hours before the demo.  What to do?  Sketch something else, of course!

The Urban Sketchers group weekly theme on Flickr is “Bikes, skateboards, electric scooters, etc.”.  As I drove to the Museum, I noted two loaner bikes parked next to the big Boeing sign.  So back there to get a new sketch for the weekly theme!

Drove back to the B-52.  Still nothing.  I’ve been meaning to do another sketch of the Starbucks store made out of shipping containers.  It’s just down the street from the Museum so that’s where I went next.  I’d sketched it once in 2012, just a few months after I came back to art.   I like this composition and the sketch in general better.  Nice to see improvement after 7 years!

I did then go on to the 11am demo.  I won’t be writing about… ‘nough said.

First Hill Sketching

This is my first time out with USk Seattle in about a month due to travel following by a nasty cold. It was good to be out with the group again!

I had to try a new route for my bus to the Convention Center as that transit station is no more. Route 101 dropped me even closer to the Convention Center than previously. Finding the homeward bound stop was not too difficult but it was much further away. Now I know how it works, though.

Since I was at the Convention Center quite early, I had time to see the Northwest Watercolor Society’s Signature member show. It was really good. These are the best of the best!

We had a goodly group today:

Since I was there early, I managed three sketches. The first was table and chair at our meeting spot, as I sat waiting.  The Farmers Market was also happening.

Then I followed other sketchers down the hill a bit to see Town Hall. It is newly renovated but we didn’t get inside. In fact, from another view, they appear to still be working on it. At one point, there were four of us sketching a similar scene!

Though not visible in this shot, there were workers on the roof:

During the walk back from Town Hall, I could see the top of this odd looking building, apparently a church. I discovered it was one of the buildings of the Seattle First Presbyterian church. It had a banner in front reading “Compass Housing Alliance at First Presbyterian”. I was somewhat familiar with Compass as a Social Service Agency. From what I could find on-line, this is a 24/7 homeless shelter now.

Sam as 40k Guardsman

We had a new model for Wednesday night’s Cosplay Drink at Draw:  Sam wore his “40k Guardsman” costume, which is from the board game, Warhammer.  As is often the case, no, I didn’t know what that was, though I have vaguely heard of Warhammer.  But I don’t have to know the character to enjoy drawing the costume!

Of the 1-3 minutes sketches, the top one is my favorite.

These are a couple from the 5-10 minutes poses.

Yup, Sam will be back to model for us again with his other costumes!

Selected Team Member

Every year for 15 years, Renny Doyle organizes an elite group of detailing professionals who volunteer their travel and time to come to the Museum of Flight to clean and polish the aircraft in the Aviation Pavilion.  This was my second year sketching them as they work and I am so impressed with the service they provide the Museum.   They are here for a week, having started at 8am on Monday and will continue through Saturday.

Mr. Doyle runs Detailing Success  and trains others. This group is made up of those he’s trained. At least a couple hundred apply but only 60 are chosen.

This video shows Renny Doyle and me. I gave him the originals from last year and one of the team recorded it. He gave me a challenge coin, which I will treasure.

Here is the first of three sketches. This is done in the new Etchr sketchbook.  More on that later. I didn’t get their names but they’re working on the B-29.

Second sketch shows Tony polishing Air Force One. Other members of the crew came by to look: “you even got his hair”. If I remember correctly from last year, only crew members who are veterans work on Air Force One.

Sketch number three shows King and Ryan working on the 727. An info board blocked the view but Ryan is not that short… he’s on his knees working the nose of the aircraft. Most of them wear respirators, which must be difficult using all day.

More photos.

Waiting & Sketching

Sketched waiting at the dealership. Barely got two sketches done and the car was finished! And the problem with the front wheel turned out to be just a cheap clip in the wheel well. All’s good.

These are done in the new vertical format Moleskin watercolor sketchbook.  I still don’t like the paper.

Depending on what happens tomorrow with the 2002 Prius with all its warning lights on…. we might be getting that new Carolla sooner than planned.

Post Box

Sara, the Snail Mail Superstar and owner of Constellation and Co. shop, gave me this idea. She sketched the mailboxes of other countries and turned them into postcards. I have some.

This is an unusually ornate post box in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany, on the Mosel. I saw it during my trip there last December for the Christmas Markets.

Sketched from my photos and made into postcards.

Tumwater Falls park

While Urban Sketchers Seattle was meeting in the University district, I joined Urban Sketchers Tacoma at Tumwater Falls park. This is my first outing in a month as I was on a trip and then caught a cold immediately upon arriving home. It was good to be out again.

It was especially nice to be in such a natural setting. The river was roaring all along it’s route. After doing just one sketch, I decided to just take a walk along the path.

Sharing sketches and the group photo.

More photos