Canyon Sketch - Bend, Oregon

Painted this small watercolor on a past trip to The Eagle Crest Resort in Bend, Oregon. Coming across this makes me long for a sketch trip of any sort.

The Fin Project - Urban Sketcher's Gathering

I came across this art installation at the eastern tip of Magnuson Park. Made from de-commissioned nuclear submarines these stabilizers are supposed to represent a pod of orca whales. This was also an Urban Sketchers gathering and despite the rainy grey day we had a great turnout.

The Test.....

Struggling to keep my eyes open at a Youth Symphony Concert (no Kiersten wasn't playing) and my wife let me leave at intermission to sketch at the coffee shop next door. It didn't dawn on me until later that she might have been testing me by giving me the option to skip the second half of the performance....Tacoma has a lot of the Theater District torn up for road improvement so there are lot of big equipment parked on the streets.

Pen and ink with a watercolor wash in the Molskine.

Gone but not forgotten....

My favorite sketching destination Jet City Espresso was forced to close their doors with the landlords refusing to renew their lease. Gone are my favorites like the old washing machine doubling as a planter, the vintage marquee 'OPEN' sign and all of the nick knacks inside. Nothing is as sure as change, seems to be a lot of change lately......This sketch was done in 2010 in a seldom used sketchbook. Pen and ink with a watercolor wash.

Sketched looking down through the building girders to 4th Ave. Very similar to my sketch from last year. They let us in an hour before the public to sketch the building, thing is, I think it's the public sitting around and reading in the library that is the most interesting to sketch. Glad to see such a huge turnout for both the Sketcher's event and Gabi's book talk. Very cool. The second scan was done in a small sketchbook during Gabi's talk.