Centennial Lakes Park and Noerenberg Gardens

8/15/13 Centennial Lakes Park. Diamine Chocolate Brown ink, 100 lb. paper

I’m back from a few days in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where the weather was unbelievably sunny, warm and not humid (which was a wonderful surprise for this time of year). Needless to say, we spent most of our time there outdoors, and even though we were with family most of the time, I managed to grab several sketches here and there.

Centennial Lakes Park in the posh Edina neighborhood is a beautifully landscaped manmade lake surrounded by condos, office buildings and an easy, mile-and-a-half walking path. We liked the park so much that we went twice – once in the evening (when I sketched a pair of bridges over the lake) and once in the morning (when I caught a heron with my sketchbook).



8/15/13 Centennial Lakes Park.
Diamine Eclipse and Grey inks

One of the most tranquil urban gardens I have ever visited, Noerenberg Gardens is on Lake Minnetonka. I could have spent the whole day there trying to capture the colors and shapes. Instead, I focused on one of several reproduction columns arranged in the center of the garden as a memorial to the founding family.



8/19/13 Centennial Lakes Park.
Diamine Eclipse ink

8/16/13 Noerenberg Gardens.
Platinum Carbon ink, watercolor, 140 lb. paper