Lect's Soup Stop

This tiny walk up soup place with a stock pot on the roof, sits just off Airport Way in an industrial area of Georgetown. At first I thought it must be difficult (because of it's location) to be successful, but as I sat across the street to draw it, car after car pulled up to pick up phone in orders. Obviously the food must be good, is this where the Soup Nazi (Seinfeld) ended up?

Sleepwalking for coffee

I'm guessing she's just dropped the kids off at school......but was it the right school?

Dad's Herb Garden

We've been spending more time at the homestead while Dad is recuperating from a short illness. In recent years he turned a dairy trough into a raised herb garden off the kitchen door.

Relaxation 101

If I have learned anything from my cat, it is the ability to lounge.

Gumball Technician

Tamra gave me this gumball machine a while ago as a gift and it's normally filled with Jelly Bellys, however, it has developed a malfunction. Who do you call when your gumball machine breaks down?

Sketching at UW Campus

Sort of cold and wet, the Seattle Sketchers group got together Sunday at the University of Washington campus to try and capture the cherry blossoms and architecture.

Any Flavor With That?

First posting since the shoulder blowout. Tamra and I had a cup of coffee at the local SB.

Deluxe Junk/Fremont - unfinished

Unbelievably good weather and way too many subjects to draw - a sketcher's dream. I plan to make another trip here to put down color. Pigma pens and a 14x11" Canson watercolor field book.

Always enjoy the gatherings, looking forward to seeing everyone next month.

Hungover Stuffed Animals

These two guys were sagging at a table in the Covington Library, their slouching posture suggested a late night of over indulgence. Reminiscent of some of our "Hockey Trips to Canada" to see the Canucks play.

Naturally, after I started drawing them a child came over and rearranged the entire scene - "Hey Kid, quit playing with the toys...."

I've gone back to using my fountain pen (with my newly learned technique for controlling line weight). It works better on watercolor paper than the Pigma Pens, the down side is the water-soluble ink, meaning no color wash. Always learning.

Aphrodite's Torso - SAM

After getting wet trying to sketch downtown I bussed over to SAM and did this sketch of Aphrodite's Torso. It was the Urban Sketchers assignment this week - Museums.

Time has been tough on Aphrodite, she's chipped, cracked and missing all limbs but still in better shape than I am and I haven't been around since the 2nd century B.C. (although it feels like it).

Chinese New Year - Seattle

Some of the hardiest Seattle Urban Sketchers and Seattle Plein Air group braved the weather to get together (briefly) on the 13th to sketch/paint in the International District. We met at covered tables outside Starbucks (just west of Uwajimaya, where this is drawn from).

I got down there early and started a larger sketch (from the children's park) on watercolor paper, but it will take a few more visits to finish.

The weather was wet and sort of cold, not a great day for sketching. We all decided we wouldn't try and get back together in the afternoon but would post what we had done on the sketcher's site.

After giving up on the weather I headed to SAM for some indoor sketching.

Online Coffee Company

Provided transportation for a friend to the Group Health Hospital in Seattle, while waiting we made our way to an internet cafe called The Online Coffee Co.. Wi-fi was free with our purchase of a slice of quiche and coffees (both were very good and cheap). Like libraries, people don't move much and make good drawing subjects. Just have to find the ones with character....or in this guy's case reading concerning news.....

Market Theatre - Post Alley

Sketching in Seattle started with Dim Sum in the International District and making my way through downtown looking for something interesting to draw. I know Pike Place is a tourist destination and is often overdone but there are the out of the way nooks and crannies of the place that still have character, historical or otherwise. The small cobblestone road that descends behind the information booth underneath the market and leads to seldom known gems like IL Bistro, The Market Theater and the Alibi Room.

Washington St. Boat Landing

Seattle built this galvanized iron shelter in 1920, supported by 16 decorated steel columns, is very similar in appearance to the earlier iron pergola [in Pioneer Square].

Over the years this building has fulfilled a number of uses: as a landing for ferries and ocean-going ships, as the headquarters of the Seattle Harbor Patrol, and as the U.S. Navy's official shore-leave landing and departure point.

A plaque at the pergola reads "Beneath your feet lies the wreckage of the pioneer sidewheel steamer Idaho, which served from 1900 until 1909 as Dr. Alexander De Soto's famous wayside mission hospital. Here Dr. De Soto ministered to the needs of seafarers and the destitute, donating his time and funds to their care."

Located just south of the Ferry Terminal.

Gesture sketches on the Sports Page

With my favorite Rotring fountain pen I decided to quick sketch (on my newpaper) people coming into Starbucks for coffee. As luck would have it, the A Crew was working and people were through the line and out the door in a flash. Hey, stand still...........

Stalking it's prey.....

A lot of the farm land near Seattle (with few exceptions) has been paved over with industrial parks and warehouses. This morning I discovered a resting bulldozer after it had carved a new entrance onto one of those remaining fields with the farm sitting in the background. I picture Robert Duvall in a military uniform overseeing the site, " I love the smell of diesel in the morning, it smells like......money."

Could Be The Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done

I'm putting down hardwood bamboo flooring in our house and was at the point of framing the fireplace hearth, this meant ripping floor pieces the long way on the table saw. Instead of a normal table saw we have a ShopSmith which gives you the option of using the lathe, joiner or the now dreaded table saw. Unlike a normal table saw, the blade under the cutting surface is exposed and after cutting the wood I reached under the table to turn off the saw and stuck hand into the running blade. As luck would have it, I just mangled the end of the ring finger of my drawing hand, it could have and should have been much worse.........

Down Time

We been dealing with a lack of Internet access and cable TV, seems our 23 year old cable connections no longer support the new technology. So off to the library to use their wi-fi and sketch. Comcast is in trouble, we are starting to get used to life sans cable....

Waiting for Coffee

Told my wife I was just running down to get us coffee, sat down to do this sketch and got back an hour and a half later. Told her it was a really long line....she knows better. If I do sketch at a strip mall near our housing development, am I just a suburban sketcher?

Catanzaros Produce

Drawing at Pike Place Market. It was so busy it was tough to find a spot to sketch that wasn't in someone's way.