Grounded

That’s why he’s a professional. Gabi’s column in the Seattle Times today featured a sketch I’ve been trying to figure out how to do for almost 2 years! As he writes, dozens of grounded 737 Max aircraft are sitting on a lot at Boeing. I’ve driven by so many times and I’ve pulled in to try to figure out how to sketch the view.

After seeing that he got it from the South Park Bridge, I went over this afternoon. I chose a different view which included the sailboats moored at the Marina. The tails of the planes are painted with the livery of so many different airlines.

I had some time before getting lunch from Patrick’s Cafe. It’s not far from the bridge so I ordered ahead with the plan to drive over to pick up after the sketching. So I sketched the pink elephant on the corner next to the bridge which I’ve noticed before.

Revisiting Leeds

I sketched the adjacent Great Hall on location during our visit last year. Since we can’t travel this year I’m revisiting that trip, and others, sketching from my own photos.

This is the Clothworkers Court entrance arch. It is in the Free Gothic Revival style and opened in 1894 by the Duke and Duchess of York

Glowing FFT

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Space Shuttle”. The Museum of Flight’s Space Shuttle Full Fuselage Trainer has a glowing red nose. When I read about it on their social media, I just had to scoot right over to see and sketch it.

They wrote, “Santa’s asked us for a little help delivering presents this year, so like magic, our Space Shuttle Trainer became
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Shuttle
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows!”
You can spot his shiny red nose through the window of our Space Gallery from 4PM-7AM daiy!”

I parked across the street to sketch from the car.  I started to rain hard enough that it was difficult to see in the growing darkness. 

Due to new WA state coronavirus restrictions, the Museum is again closed to the public.

Sketch party

No, we can’t get together in person for a party. We had one over Zoom. We talked and sketched. It was good to meet up with some of my sketching friends again as it’s been 9 months since we could sketch together in person.

I didn’t sketch everyone. I used 5×5 papers left over from a sketchbook that fell apart.

York gardens

I follow or look at a number of Yorkshire accounts on Instagram (welcometoyorkshire, universityofleeds, bbcyorkshire, theyorkshiredales as well as specific locations, such as Whitby, Leeds, York, Staithes). I love them all, but especially York.

This was shared to one of them and is from the York Museum Gardens.

Another loss

On my way somewhere else to sketch, I came across these two old trucks parked next to a street in town. So I stopped for a few minutes to put down some lines. I added a bit of color at home.

My destination today was a location close to the Museum of Flight. The Boeing and Museum communities have suffered a loss. Long the only nearby eatery Randy’s will close for good on November 15. The Seattle Times has an article about it today.

I’d always thought I would stop at some point to check out the inside. I had no idea it was so full of memorabilia so would have been a good sketching venue. The big lesson during the pandemic is not to wait to do something. This is not the only, and probably won’t be the last, opportunity I’ve missed.

Today there was a long line outside and I suspect that will be the case until it closes. The local virus spread is much worse, so I won’t be going inside any establishment for quite a while. I’m actually surprised inside dining is still allowed.

So I parked across the street to do my sketch.

The Dew

Himself doesn’t drink coffee. His caffeine of choice is Mt. Dew, now Diet Mt. Dew. This was something he said the other day. I’m a morning person and I can be too cheerful and chatty. I’ve learned to restrain myself when he’s first awake.

Many other computer professionals choose the same. A computer magazine he used to read many years ago did a review of a variety of soda choices. There used to be a high caffeine, high sugar pop called “Jolt”. It was rated for all night patch sessions. Mt. Dew was rated as good for general computing.

FPD 2020

It’s Fountain Pen Day 2020.

While I do have more fountain pens, this is my collection of Lamy fountain pens, which are my favorite.

Almost all of these have a special use.  The Joy, USA special edition (3rd from left), Petrol (5th from left), black (4th from left) are all in one of two sketching kits.  The brown one has a 1.1 stub nib, has DeAtramentis Document brown ink, and is my journaling pen.  The grey Al Star (2nd from left) also has that nib, is filled with blue ink, and is my letter writing pen.

My favorite is on the far right. It has that distinction as it is associated with my best fountain pen memory. That was the visit to the Lamy Flagship store in Heidelberg Germany in December 2018. I bought it there and it was an exclusive to that store with the inscription #OriginalHeidelberg . (however, that hashtag is associated with the printing press Old Heidelberg).

And I got to hug the big, gold Lamy pen.

 

Matching

This house has been on my list ever since I drove around this neighborhood in mid September. The weather was warm and sunny so it seemed I’d better go out since the rest of the week might have rain.

I like the red door. It wasn’t until I started drawing that I noticed the Little Free Library is made to match the house!

Halloween

Happy Halloween. This will be a far different one for me. I’ll not turn the porch lights on to welcome kids in costume and give out treats. I considered having a bowl of bagged candies at the end of the driveway but have decided against it. On a good year, there are only about 50 children who come.

But I am celebrating with a sketch. I drew this while participating in the Stationery Cafe Zoom gathering last night. The host, April, had a photo from which she demonstrated. I chose to set up a couple of my decorations instead.