Library refugees

Our power had been out for four days and the temperature in the house was a cozy 46 degrees, so we found refuge at the Kent Regional Library along with hundreds of others with the same idea. It made for good people watching and sketching. As always people aren't that active at the library.

Volunteer Park Reservoir

Getting the dates of the sketch gathering mixed up, I did this sketch of the reservoir a week before the actual sketchers gathering and big snow. It is one of my favorite views of the Needle.

Pen and ink with a watercolor wash

Seattle Urban Sketchers - January gathering in the snow

We posed for this picture after the sketchcrawl at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. This was a great turnout considering the weather. I really should have stopped to sketch some of the great scenery while hiking back to the bus, but it was cold and I'm a whimp......Frank Ching took this picture, I'm second from the right

The graphite sketch is a sculpture of a monk at the moment of enlightenment, to be honest he looks like me trying to read a menu with out his glasses.

Took Metro into Seattle to meet up with fellow Seattle Urban Sketchers and spend time sketching exhibits at the Seattle Asian Art Museum (Capital Hill) out of the weather. Though there was a just a trace of snow when I walked in, a couple of hours later there was four inches of snow on the ground and not letting up. Capitol Hill is beautiful covered in snow and I enjoyed the walk to the Metro tunnel (downtown). It was much less stressful being a pedestrian in a snow storm……..Catching a bus home was a different story.

Home-made chowder and fresh baked artisan bread

We had Tamra's family over for Christmas eve lunch/dinner. Served up home made Chowder (extra bacon and clams) and baked some rustic artisan bread courtesy of cook book from Sherri Sutton. Baked up at least six loaves and sent some home with family. Nothing better than fresh bread just out of the oven..... I will post the recipe here shortly.

Urban Sketching - Tacoma

Drawn from the warm confines of Tully's in the Stadium district of Tacoma. On the left is Stadium High School which has a very 'Hogwarts School of Wizardry' feel to it. Yesterday was beautiful day for sketching (probably good for yard work too but we're not going there....). Pen and ink with watercolor in a watercolor Moleskine (and in case Santa is reading this, that is my favorite sketchbook).

Coffee house sketches

Charles Dallum invited me to the Thursday Night Seattle Seahawk game versus Philadelphia. Went into town early via Metro and sketched people at Zeitgiest Coffee located a few blocks from the stadium.

Veteran's Day Ceremony

This older gentleman seemed genuinely sad. Is it reflection on how many you served with are no longer here? I don't want to outlast family and friends.....

Kentridge Jazz Cafe

My daughter's Jazz band puts on a month jam called the 'Jazz Cafe'.

T.Y.A.O. School Concert Series

Kiersten plays for the Tacoma Young Artist Orchestra and one of their obligations is to participate in a series of concerts performed at Tacoma Public Schools - It's a recruiting thing.....Tamra and I chaperoned, which was not a tough job. Lunch time was spent at a nearby park where the kids had to compete with hungry gulls for the pizza served up.