Dilated on the John Lewis Bridge

 

12/4/24 Northgate

My retinologist’s office is a bit too far outside my practical walking range, but if I drive and park at the Northgate Light Rail Station, the rest of the way is easily walkable. The best part is that the walk requires crossing the John Lewis Memorial Pedestrian Bridge, which connects Northgate with North Seattle College. (I previously sketched from the bridge a couple of years ago, and I sketched the bridge itself in 2021 when it was brand new.)

Walking to my appointment in the early afternoon, sketching was fun; it was chilly, but the clear sky and sunshine felt great. By the time I walked back less than a couple of hours later, it was already the golden hour, and the sun was nearly below the tree line. Cold and with dilated pupils, it wasn’t quite as pleasant. I wanted to find something to fill that small vertical space near the center of the spread, but sometimes a blank space tells a story as well as a filled one.

Look at that lovely golden-hour light that turned my sketchbook from magenta to red!

Incidentally, the walking process I described above is my fitness ideal. My goal is to walk at least 60 minutes a day, seven days a week. I don’t always hit the goal, especially when the weather is inhospitable, but I try. Although walking is my favorite part of my self-care routine (which also includes yoga and a workout with hand weights and resistance bands), a commitment of an hour a day is a significant chunk of time. I try to find ways to incorporate the walking with whatever else I have going on that day, and sometimes that means driving part of the way and walking the rest – whatever works out. The best part, though, is that a potential sketch opportunity is always the carrot on the end of my stick.

Pea Soup for Breakfast

 

12/4/24 Maple Leaf neighborhood, about 8:45 a.m.

This is the time of year for sketching fog. Often it starts to burn off by mid- to late-morning and thins even earlier. If I want to sketch it, I have a relatively narrow window of time after full sun around 8 a.m. and whenever it may dissipate. Since I know it may begin lifting at any time, there’s always a bit of tension, which I relish. It was already fading by the time I finished this sketch shortly before 9 a.m.

I’ve tried different media to sketch fog, including watercolor (way back in 2013!), water-soluble graphite, charcoal and white colored pencils, but my favorite is graphite. In years past, I’ve often used a blending stump to soften graphite for a diffused, foggy look. The risk, though, is that the stump will darken graphite slightly, and it’s already challenging to apply graphite lightly. For this one and the one I had made the day before, I resisted the stump and challenged myself to draw as lightly as possible (and still be visible).

I’ve been using a Field Notes Streetscapes sketchbook, which has a lovely, mild tooth that I enjoy with graphite, but it might still be too strong a texture for soft fog. Next time I’ll try something smoother.

Mission Aborted

 

12/3/24 Briefly seen in a waiting room.

I thought I would have several minutes to sketch, but my wait turned out to be only a few seconds.

Lighten Up

 

12/3/24 Maple Leaf neighborhood

After so many instructors have drilled it into me that I should push dark values harder, I find it challenging to draw as lightly as a foggy morning requires.

“My” Library is Back!

 

12/2/24 Green Lake Branch Library

Seattle Public Library’s Green Lake Branch had been closed for nearly two years for major renovations. Although I didn’t mind the longer walk to the Northgate Branch, I still missed “my” library (it’s a lovely Carnegie building that I’ve sketched many times). After some delays, it finally reopened in October, but I missed the grand reopening event. A book on my hold list became available this week, so I used that as an opportunity to see the “new” library.

The biggest improvements are invisible, such as the seismic retrofit and installation of an electric HVAC system that includes air conditioning. I was happy and relieved to see that historic features and original architectural components were preserved.

In fact, they did such a good job of retaining the original building that it was hard to find something to sketch. However, I noticed right away that the main desk where the librarians work had been moved from the entryway to a more central part of the floor. Noting the new tables and chairs in the main reading room, I stood facing the new desk and modern light fixture above it.

Encounter

 

11/27/24 Encounter church, Mercer Island

On my way to meet a couple of friends for lunch, it occurred to me that I probably hadn’t been to Mercer Island in more than 25 years. Although it’s on the Eastside, which requires crossing Lake Washington, it’s not far, and it’s actually easy to get to via toll-free Interstate 90. With cute shops, good restaurants and other reasons to visit, it has been off my general radar.

I arrived a bit early to take a walk around the strip mall where we were meeting. The first building I encountered was a modern church with a sign that said, indeed, “Encounter.” That’s all I know about it, but it wasn’t bad as a first sketch in a town only 20 minutes away. I’ll have to return someday.

Pencilvember Finale

11-27/24 Faber-Castell 9000 8B
(all studies made in Field Notes Streetscapes
sketchbook)

 

Without a plan or much intention other than to use pencils every day, my Pencilvember challenge began with low commitment at best. I didn’t even finish using the tan-colored Uglybook I started with, even though I vowed to. That was a disappointment because I’ve otherwise been consistent about filling every daily-carry Uglybook before moving on to the next. Something about that color just didn’t do it for me, though, with graphite.

I did, however, use a pencil of one kind or another almost every day of November (I think I forgot one day), which did remind me why I love them so much. Compared to the speed of markers, both colored and graphite pencils require a bit more time, so I tend to reach for efficiency when on the go. Nothing is quite as satisfying, however, as building tones gradually and modulating them delicately with a pencil. I enjoyed being “forced” by the challenge to take the time.

11/29/24 vintage Dixon Typhonite Eldorado 3B

My serendipitous breakthrough came when I viewed the new Ken Burns documentary about Leonardo DaVinci. A small mention of his studies of draped fabric set my brain on fire, and the remaining days were easy to fill with similar studies – all in graphite. I was a bit sorry I didn’t think of the idea earlier – I enjoyed them so much that I could have done a whole month of them (it’s safe to say that now, since November is over!).

I’ve posted all the other Pencilvember sketches throughout the month within the context of wherever I sketched. Here are the last three days of my draped scarf studies. (I took a break from the series on Thanksgiving to sketch the fog.)

For such an unambitious start, I’m happy with the way it went, and especially the way it ended.

11/30/24 Caran d'Ache Grafwood 4B