Tacoma Maritime Fest - Foss Waterway Seaport

From Saturday's sketching of the waterfront on the Foss Waterway. Ink and watercolor in a Canson 140lb watercolor book.

Phoenix-Scottsdale Travel Sketches

Papago Park - watercolor and ink

Musical Instrument Museum - graphite

Large bear sculpture - Downtown Old Scottsdale - graphite

Dual sketches from Old Scottsdale street corners. 

October Sketch Gathering - Tacoma

This was done on a cold clear October Saturday at a Tacoma Urban Sketchers Gathering. Wright Park and the Seymour Conservatory in downtown Tacoma is a favorite.

Ink and watercolor in a Moleskine watercolor book.

Tacoma Urban Sketchers Gathering - May 2017

Going loose at the monthly Tacoma Urban Sketchers Gathering. Construction site at Freighthouse Square, man did it feel good to sketch outside in the sunshine.

Sketches from the West Coast Urban Sketchers Gathering - San Diego

I flew down to San Diego last weekend to participate in the 3rd annual West Coast Urban Sketcher's Gathering. Great weather, outstanding scenery to sketch, met a bunch of fellow sketchers from other cities and learned some dos and don'ts as Tacoma puts on this event next year.

The Bell Tower sketch was done on a Strathmore 6x12" watercolor sketch pad. The other sketches were created in a Moleskine watercolor sketch book.

The Old Town sketch was done under comfortable grey cloudy skies. The rest of the weekend was spent in the Southern California sun working on my farmer's tan. Many thanks to Jim Bumgarner and the San Diego Urban Sketch Group for putting on a great and enjoyable event.

Tacoma Urban Sketchers Gathering - May at Freighthouse Square

Freighthouse Square is experiencing a healthy rejuvenation which is nice to see and fun to experience. The dental office located across the street north of the square, is a most unique entrance to a dental office as it leads you into the back corner of a warehouse building. The skeleton of an old dental chair wrapped in Christmas lights, resides on top of the office entrance.

Pen and ink with watercolor in a watercolor Moleskine.

Urban Sketchers Gathering October - Craven Farm, Snohomish, WA

This was done last October on a crazy packed Craven Farm in Snohomish. Ok for a sketch, but lacks a focal point and the subltle sky and clouds washed out. Next time.

Watercolor in a Stillman & Birn watercolor sketchbook.

Tully's before a Holiday Concert

Tamra, Kiersten and I went to the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West concert at Benaroya Hall (Seattle) last night. What an outstanding event with a huge variety of music (and free to the public). The sketches here were people and things I came across on my way into town. The other unexpected pleasure of the evening happened at Tully's when a gentleman sat down and started (with great skill) to play the grand piano that sits near the entrance.

Trying to do a watercolor Moleskine sketchbook without using pen and ink. We'll see.......

Bellevue College Jazz Competition

Am so very proud of my daughter (Kiersten) who plays trumpet for the Kentridge High School Jazz Band. They played in a competition at Bellevue College against nationally ranked schools like Seattle's Garfield and Roosevelt. This page was a collection of quick sketches done throughout the day. Pen and ink in the Marty sketchbook.

Seattle Urban Sketchers - January

We got together Sunday morning at the Bauhaus Coffee Co. (E. Pine) to do the 'Coffee Culture' of the neighborhood. Good coffee can be had at seemingly every corner in the area - and there's an art supply store across the street.... I had the foresight to forgo watching the Seahawks-Bears game in order to join the sketch group, good choice it turns out.

New Year's Day - South Park, Seattle

To start the new year off right, I headed out to spend this beautiful day sketching. I ended up in South Park and found this great industrial site just off the Duwamish waterway. The barge in the middle ground is the Gold Seeker out of Ketchikan, Alaska.

It was eerie how quiet it was because of the holiday, I've been down here on a work day and there is no way one could set up and sketch without being in someone's way.

Pen and ink, watercolor in the Marty Book.

Lake Washington Seattle View

A couple of days before New Years I hiked out to the Lake Washington Boathouse. The view is looking Northwest to downtown Seattle (Mercer Island is on the right). I'm amazed at how much the end of the lake has filled in with sand, soil and debris. It's not seen during the summer months and I wonder if it is dredged annually. You can just see the Columbia Tower and a couple of other tall buildings peeking over the ridge and the Olympic Mountains were in crisp view.

This was a very cold day and the sketching was fast. Pen and ink with watercolor.

Pacific Science Center

On a rare driving trip into Seattle (we were a large group) with family to see the Harry Potter Exhibit at the Pacific Science Center. The show was pretty slick, though as I noted, would have been too expensive (for what you experienced) if paying the non-member price. We got there an hour early which gave me time to sketch in the warmth of one of the other exhibits.

Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC

On a walkabout exploring Victoria, I came across Beacon Hill Park. What a beautiful place.....I sat down and sketched near one of the many ponds in the park.

BC War Memorial

My Ryan ancestors arrived here in the states via Canada from Ireland. Tamra through her genealogy efforts discovered a few years ago that I had a great uncle who served in the Canadian Military during World War 1 where he was killed in action shortly after arriving in France.

Butchart Gardens

After finishing up school for the summer, Tamra, Kiersten and I spent last week at a Worldmark time share on the inner harbour of Victoria. A trip to Butchart Gardens was a must during this beautiful week of weather and was only jeopardized by a can of spray on sun-tan lotion going off in my art bag. A river of liquid lotion ended up on the floor of the public transit bus and getting off as quickly as possible to try and salvage sketchbooks and supplies, I found myself a couple miles from the condo and soaked down the front with lotion - yes, it looked bad.

I made it back for a change of clothes and cleaned up the art gear (the sketchbooks were spared) and got to Butchart Gardens with enough time to do four sketches before heading back to town to meet up with the girls.
If you don't like an audience while you sketch, the Gardens is not the place for you. People will get up close and stay there..... Some will like your work, some will be indifferent, and some will seem a little pissed that you made them interested enough to stop, but weren't creating anything worth stopping for.

Nature reclaiming Grandpa's car

A few weeks ago we took a road trip to Eugene, OR for a family reunion. Staying with Tamra's Aunt Cathy and Uncle Chuck on their farm just outside of city limits. This place offers up almost as many sketching subjects as Jet City Espresso and this sketch done in the 'Marty' book is of Grandpa's Lincoln (?) I never did go over and find out. Mother Nature is busy taking back that particular spot.

World Wide SketchCrawl #28 (7/31) - Lake View Cemetery

A cold and grey Saturday in Seattle was the background for our sketchcrawl at Lake View Cemetery (next to Volunteer Park). Met up with Tim Taylor, David Hingtgen, Allison and Sara and we spent just under three hours sketching the monuments and trees of this cemetery founded in 1872.


Yes, I did come across Bruce and Brandon Lee's Memorial site. Lots of flowers and well wishers gathered around.

Pioneer Square Alley Door

Sketched this just west of the J & M Cafe. There is something about the 'not so perfect' part of the city that appeals to me. Pen & ink in a Moleskine.

Seattle Center-EMP and Amos Lee

What a beautiful day, now I'm embarrassed with all the whining I did during the 'grey period' (Winter and Spring '10). Tamra and I Metro'd into the Center to see Amos Lee in concert at the Amphitheater. Getting there a little early (yes, I was excited to see him play again), Tamra had time to read and I to finish this sketch started back when the crane was still there.

Always found it hard to draw Frank Gehry's EMP, but then again, how could they tell if I got it wrong? This is drawn almost at the base of the Space Needle looking north. Pen/ink and watercolor in a moleskine.

And yes, Amos Lee and the Greennote benefit concert were outstanding.......