Watson Summer Cabin - Lake Twelve

I was invited out to experience the annual picnic of the Watson family who have a summer cabin on Lake Twelve just east of Black Diamond, Washington. Great food, great people and entertainment by Happy Hans and Band made for a relaxing afternoon. I picked this spot (a bit away from the crowd listening to the band) for it's view of the lake, the only down side was being down wind of the bon fire. Stopped at the store on the way home and the cashier asked if "something was on fire?" My art bag still smells like smoked salmon.

Pen and ink in a Stillman and Birn Beta Watercolor sketchbook.

Collection of People Sketches from the 'Tiny Book'

Though I don't use it very much, I very much like this tiny sketchbook (3"x4") made by Pentalic. It's small enough not to be noticed by passers by or your sketch subject if it is someone you don't know. Not sure about the format - putting a bunch of sketches on one page, we see how it goes.

Pen and ink in a Pentalic mini.

The Old Church - West Coast Urban Sketchers Gathering - Portland

This was the morning sketch done for the Noon sharing. It's embarrassing the amount of sketches I don't get done in a day. This is 'The Old Church' located at SW 11th and Clay St. was built in the 1880's.

Pen and ink in a Stillman & Birn Beta watercolor sketchbook.

2nd Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers Gathering - Portland, Oregon

With Seattle sketcher Gail Wong, I rode a Bolt Bus down to Portland for the day to participate in this annual event. It was my first real trip to spend any time in downtown Portland and was impressed with the architecture and culture of the city. I definitely will be back to do more sketching.

This building caught my eye because of the color around the windows of what seemed like a warehouse, only to be told by a passing mail courier that in 2012 it was the site of MTV's 28th season of 'The Real World', probably one of the original reality shows.

There were over a hundred sketchers attending the event and I met many great sketchers whose work I've enjoyed online and can now put a face to. I went back to Seattle that night on the bus, a bit much for one hot day (90+). Next time I'll stay for the weekend and why not, Portland has a lot to offer a sketcher.

The Ryan Canyon at the Dinner Bell - Chelan, WA

It would be so easy to write a couple of pages about this sketch and the family homestead in Chelan, Washington; I'll try and keep it shorter. 

The family ranch was homesteaded in 1901 and located some 15 miles north of Chelan. As a young teen, I spent my summers in Chelan working in the apple orchards (thinning) and staying with relatives both in town and at the ranch, a gift that only years later did I realize was priceless and too often taken for granted.

Currently the family is working hard to change this canyon into a wedding ceremonial site. What was a canyon floor planted with alfalfa, has been transformed into a beautiful and naturally landscaped setting for marital unions complete with willow trees whose leaves in the afternoon subtle breeze is just as likely to put you in a meditative state (in my case sleep) especially if you were sketching. The planted grass canyon floor is a stark contrast to the brutally picturesque and stunning canyon walls that frame this remote piece of heaven.

This visit was a 4th of July family reunion complete with skillfully barbequed meats and every traditional type of side dish possible. I was able to take advantage of the time before the food was ready to take a stroll down the canyon to sketch; I had already picked a point of view from a family walk earlier. I sat down and was joined by the family heard of horses who originally thought I might have some food for them all, but settled for grazing around me as I sketched.

This sketch was done about half way to the wedding site looking back to the ranch. Pen and ink in a Stillman & Birn beta watercolor sketchbook.

As soon as I heard the dinner bell (actually a triangle) some half mile up canyon, this sketch was over.....there are very few things in my life that might trump the creative process - hunger for a good home cooked meal is one of them.  

Where Did I park That Jet?

This was a January sketch, which means my whimpy backside didn't get out of the car. I drove around south Seattle for a while and ended up in the parking lot of the Museum of Flight. From where I was sitting it looked like the jet was brought in by just another soccer mom with a slightly higher budget than most...Yea I know. Three engines on one side, two on the other. I'm not just whimpy, I'm lazy.

Pen and ink and watercolor wash in a Stillman & Birn sketchbook.