Not-Quite-Peak Experience at Japanese Garden

10/6/17 A chilly morning at Japanese Garden

10/6/17 Koi

For several years now, we’ve been wanting to sketch at Japanese Garden when the maples are turning, but it’s tricky. Urban Sketchers Seattle usually plans outings several weeks in advance, but the weather is so iffy in October that it’s impossible to know that far out whether a given day will be dry (and there’s no shelter at the garden).

This year we tried something new: We tentatively planned for any of the Fridays in October when a regular outing wasn’t scheduled, and if the weather seemed promising a few days out, we would schedule the garden that day. We took a chance on yesterday, and our luck held out – although chilly in the morning, the sun appeared often enough to give us good shadows.

I actually got a jump on the group by visiting the garden the day before, too, which was more consistently sunny. On that day I went in the late afternoon, so the sun lit the trees on the opposite side of the koi pond, and I captured a little more color.

10/5/17 On the sunny side of the koi pond.

The maples aren’t at their peak yet, but who knows what the weather will be like in a couple of weeks? I’m just as happy that we took a chance on Friday. 

Australian painter and instructor Jane Blundell is in town this week and was able to join us at the garden! 

Jane Blundell joined us at the garden.

Jonathan and Jane