Salmon Bay Bridge

7/3/15 Ink, watercolor, colored pencil

Although I’ve sketched at the Ballard Locks a few times on my own, and although I think Urban Sketchers Seattle has gone as a group at least a couple of times, it had been nearly three years since I had joined them there. I vividly recall that sketch outing in September 2012 for at least a couple of reasons. For one, I had joined USk Seattle only a few months before, and I was dazzled and stunned by all the amazing sketches I saw at the outings being casually tossed down at the sharing time alongside the likes of mine! (Not much has changed; I still feel this way.)

Secondly, Tommy Kane had been visiting Seattle, and Gabi had organized the Locks outing for him. I had long admired Tommy’s quirky blog and unique take on urban sketching, so I was looking forward to meeting him, but I figured anything he chose to sketch would be way beyond me. Indeed, Tommy had sketched the Salmon Bay Bridge, a view that I had found so utterly intimidating that it was easy to dismiss it for another time. Way later. Maybe years.

During my visits to the Locks since then, including as recently as May, I somehow managed to evade the more challenging scenes and subjects. It’s easy to do because there are always people, birds and other smaller subjects hanging out at the Locks.

This morning as I greeted the other sketchers, I didn’t give myself any particular challenge as I sometimes do. In fact, I wasn’t thinking about any of this. The year-round breeze that makes the Locks chilly much of the year was a welcome relief in the soon-to-be blazing sun (the temperature is 89 now at 3 p.m.). It was summer sketching at its best. Walking a few feet from our meeting location, I spotted a great view of the Salmon Bay Bridge. I knew it would be challenging – indeed, intimidating – but I was feeling too good to care.

Like I said: Summer sketching at its best.