Smog

 

10/10/22 Maple Leaf neighborhood, fog just beginning to lift

10/6/22 Maple Leaf, mid-morning. The sun easily sketched
through the thick haze.

For me, the term smog connotes big cities like L.A., Beijing or Delhi, where the source is usually industrial pollution. Most of the year, Seattle’s air quality is relatively good, probably helped by all the rain that washes away whatever pollution there might be.

Fall is when we typically have thick morning fog that I enjoy sketching, but that’s the clean kind made of water vapor. The past week has given us a different kind of smog – a true mix of both fog and smoke from wildfires. In general, I stayed indoors, but on my few abbreviated fitness walks, I couldn’t resist making quick sketches of the eerie haze hanging over us. Most disturbing was when I was able to sketch the sun with my bare eyes.

10/4/22 Green Lake

10/4/22 Green Lake

10/8/22 Maple Leaf, sunrise

10/3/22 Maple Leaf, sunset