A Square in Bryant

 

5/20/25 Bryant neighborhood

Before I began my daily fitness-walking/sketching regimen years ago, I did most of my cold-weather sketching from my mobile studio. Now that most of my urban sketches occur while I’m out on walks, I hardly sketch from my car anymore, but it’s still a handy tool. After picking up a few groceries in the Bryant neighborhood, it was still cool and blustery, so I pulled over and made a sketch exactly like I often used to: Just a random street where I saw some compositional potential.

On my mind was a blog post I had just read by Mark Alan Anderson. Like my composition hero Ian Roberts, Mark believes strongly that even a beautifully executed painting cannot overcome a weak composition. Here’s how he puts it: “It feels like dressing a house with fine furnishings when the foundation is cracked. Back in my ad agency days, we more crudely said it as ‘gold plating a turd.’”

Value/compositional study

He’s also a fan of square compositions. I used my Uglybook to first make a thumbnail composition and value study (at right). Then I pulled out my favorite secondary triad (with the addition of yellow) to execute the “final” version, as if it were a painting. (Typically, I skip the thumbnail step because I consider most of my sketches to be the “final”!)

All of this reminded me of how much I enjoy making small compositional studies just for the sake of studies as I did three years ago for Roberts’ 30-day challenge. I wonder if I can stand to do that again for 30 days – this time all in squares? (I’m just muttering an idea here. . . it’s not a commitment!)

Incidentally, the day I sketched these was my 13^th anniversary since I joined my first Urban Sketchers Seattle outing (which I had intended to commemorate at our last outing, but forgot). Ever grateful that I found my tribe, I’ve been happily sketching ever since.

Colored Pencil as Sub for Graphite?

 

5/12/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood (Inktense and Museum Aquarelle)

On my golden-hour walk one evening, bright yellow Uglybook at the ready, I wanted to try to capture that lovely, low light. Although my usual brush pens would have been faster, I wanted the subtler gradations of pencil but wasn’t in the mood for smudgy graphite. On a whim, I grabbed a dark purple Derwent Inktense. Halfway through, I put it back – I didn’t like the “stickiness” of Inktense cores, which slows me down. Next I tried a dark green Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle, and although it wasn’t “sticky” like the Inktense, it still didn’t feel as fast as a soft graphite pencil, which glides effortlessly like ice skates. (Graphite lovers, you know that feeling that can’t be replicated by any other medium.)

I’m not sure I captured the lovely light as I had hoped, but the sketch got me thinking about using colored pencils in tonal thumbnails when color isn’t important. Graphite pencils have no substitute for certain types of drawings, but for a quick value study when speed is of the utmost, colored pencils can be a less smudgy option. Using one of the water-soluble colored pencils already in my bag would be ideal, but maybe there’s a better choice.

For the sketches of Jack and Greg, I tried a Black Grape Prismacolor, which is both soft and not “sticky,” and purple makes an interesting brown against the yellow paper. (The background behind Jack is a magenta Museum Aquarelle and a red Inktense.)

5/14/25 (Prismacolor, Inktense, Museum Aquarelle)

5/17/25 Prismacolor

Now I’m on the hunt through my stash of colored pencils to answer this question: Which colored pencil makes the best stand-in for graphite? Incredibly, I don’t think I’ve ever done this kind of test before! Stay tuned.

(At the risk of becoming tiresome, I will again proclaim the joy – ecstasy! – of downsizing: being able to easily grab all the colored pencils I want to test without having to dig through, search for, stack and restack so many boxes. Ahhhhh!)

My Symposium Tin Collection in the Limelight

 

If you follow the global Urban Sketchers organization’s Instagram account, you may have noticed something vaguely familiar: My symposium pencil tin collection! A sponsorship coordinator contacted me recently because she had heard that I owned a complete collection of the Cretacolor tins. They were promoting long-time symposium sponsors, she said, and a photo of my tin collection was just what they needed!

Of course, I was more than happy to oblige. How often does one’s pencil tin collection receive international attention?

A St. Spiridon Opportunity

 

5/16/25 St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral, South Lake Union

Whenever I shop at REI, I try to use whatever time I have remaining in my hour of free parking to sketch some part of St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral (the opportunistic sketcher strikes again). As I was checking out, I saw that I had 19 minutes left – but that would have to include walking a couple blocks to the cathedral, walking back, and then spiraling out of REI’s tight parking ramp. Easy-peasy.

Sometimes I enjoy self-made, high-pressure situations.

Lots of History Behind U-District Street Fair

5/18/25 U-District Street Fair

In its 54^th year, the U-District Street Fair is the longest-running festival of its kind in the country. Although I’ve sketched at it only a few times, I’ve been attending regularly since the late ‘70s when I was a University of Washington student. The fair has a long history, and I learned a bit more of it on Sunday with USk Seattle.

Shiga's Garden at 55th and University Way NE

As I walked slowly up and down the 10 blocks of the fair, I stopped occasionally to capture snippets in my sketchbook. Most fun was the Bellingham juggler who said he has been performing at this street fair for 15 consecutive years. With a continual comedic patter, he juggled a variety of props for his captive audience circled around him. Related trivia: Jane’s son went to school with the juggler!

During the throwdown, I learned from Noel (a Seattle native and current member of USk DC) that a nearby P-Patch was named for Andy Shiga (1919 – 1993). The longtime U-District merchant and owner of Shiga’s Imports was also the founder of the U-District Street Fair in 1970. On my walk back to my car after the outing, I happened to pass the P-Patch, which was an appropriate final sketch for the day. (The shop’s website includes interesting history on the Shiga family in Seattle.)

Downsizing, Phase 2: Done! Really Done!

 

This part of the livingroom has been transformed into my personal museum plus a much-needed utility table (at right). The desk at left, which I've had since I was a teen, blocks the fireplace that we stopped using decades ago for safety reasons. The drawers are filled with vintage pencils and contemporary stationery supplies. The two clocks on the mantel are family heirlooms: Greg's (on the left) and mine (on the right).

The last mile isn’t the longest. It’s the last 10 feet.

Despite being enough “done” with my massive downsizing project to celebrate with a trip to LA last month, I still had three boxes of randomness to contend with – all the dribs and drabs that I didn’t have a proper home for, yet wasn’t quite ready to get rid of. I’m still packing boxes that will go to Seattle ReCreative, where I’ve been donating art and craft supplies that weren’t ready for the last gab & grab. Most, though, wasn’t supplies; it was artifacts from my past that are just so hard to let go of. I finally managed to fit the vast universe of indecision into one box – and hauled it to the basement for further procrastination. “Someday” I’ll have to reopen that box, but that’s not bad for nine months’ work!

Although it's not as fun as my "museum," this utility table (formerly my drawing table) is something I have been wanting forever -- a dedicated space for my paper cutter, postage scale and shipping supplies. I used to have to haul each of these things out whenever needed, and then clear space on my drawing table to use them. Not anymore!

Meanwhile, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying displaying and arranging my remaining pencil collection – the part that actually sparks joy instead of just taking up space – and lots of personal memorabilia and family heirlooms. I’ll probably continue tweaking endlessly, as my intention is to rotate the vintage pencils on display with the ones stored in drawers so that they all get a chance to see the light of day once in a while. But as of today, I am really and truly done done with Downsizing, Phase 2! (Details in the cutlines.)

This image and the one below are the two built-in bookcases flanking the fireplace. My very judiciously culled books remain on the bottom shelves, and the upper shelves hold some of my more picturesque vintage colored pencil specimens. The rustic broom was handmade in Kyoto's last remaining craft broom shop (which has since closed).

I have a couple of vintage Japanese desktop drawers. . . .

. . . these drawers hold most of my remaining fountain pens . . .

. . . and yes, a whole drawer just for erasers!

The inlaid-wood tray was made by my maternal grandfather while he was incarcerated in Tule Lake internment camp during WWII. My family owns several other items that he made during that time. (In case you're concerned, the vintage and heirloom pieces are secured to the wall and mantel with museum putty. I do live in earthquake country.)

My childhood piggie bank, bronzed baby shoes and beloved Spirograph set (all pieces still intact)!

I'm not clear on who made the shogi (similar to chess) board and pieces (displayed in a drinking glass behind the board) -- either my grandfather or an uncle. I have fond memories of my dad playing this game in the evenings with our neighbor for many years.

These are mostly contemporary pencils that I don't use but that hold special interest.

Vintage stationery items, Century 21 World's Fair stamps, and my father's Eagle Scout ribbon are visible here.

A handmade teddy bear and some colorful vintage sets, plus a vintage Nicholson's Peerless watercolor set in front.

On the facing wall is the TV console and matching credenza (we got both pieces at our neighbors' moving sale years ago for a hundred bucks! So much storage space!). The drawers are full of my vintage colored pencil collection and watercolor supplies. Also visible: hand weights and yoga props, since this room is also my gym and yoga studio. On the wall is a beadwork piece I made in 2008. My plan is to move this large piece to a back hallway and replace it with several artworks I've purchased from urban sketchers. The hold-up is that I still have to get them framed.

Here's a peek inside the largest compartment, where vintage pencils must share space with the dang DVD/BluRay player, which I still can't quite let go of -- yet.

Last Resort Fire Museum

5/15/25 Seattle Fire Department Headquarters and Last Resort Fire Museum, Pioneer Square

Pioneer Square, where some of Seattle’s oldest buildings stand, is an apt home for the Last Resort Fire Museum. Housed within Seattle Fire Department’s Headquarters and Fire Station 10, the free museum holds a fascinating collection of historic fire rigs, other fire-fighting apparatus, old photos and vintage artifacts. Used in 1907, the oldest truck was originally a horse-drawn steam pumper that was eventually motorized. Although no longer in service, the vintage rigs are maintained so that they could, in fact, be used if needed in a pinch; hence, the museum’s name.

In the drizzle during the throwdown outside, I discovered that this Pilot brush pen's ink isn't as waterproof as I thought it was!

Staying dry and comfy on a cool, drizzly day, USk Seattle had a challenging time figuring out ways to squeeze the enormous rigs into our sketch pages. I kept trying to back up in the crowded museum so that I could get enough distance to see entire rigs, but that was usually impossible, so I focused on capturing small pieces of what I saw.

Thanks to Kate for discovering this gem of Seattle fire service history for USk Seattle. Supported by volunteers, the non-profit, free museum appreciates donations.