Tina’s Top 10 Memorable Sketches of 2022

 

1/5/22 Uncollected trash bins

My annual year-end blog tradition has begun! Today, in the first of four retrospective posts, I review my 10 most memorable sketches of the year. “Memorable” does not necessarily mean my “best” or “favorite” sketches; these simply stand out in my memory as special sketching moments in 2022. (To see retrospective posts of previous years, use the year-end review search label.)

Jan. 5, neighborhood trash bins: A poorly timed snowfall delayed trash pickup in Maple Leaf for weeks – the first time I recall that ever happening. But who am I to protest about having trash cans to sketch? 😉

Jan. 11, amaryllis: An amaryllis I received turned out to be a true gift that kept on giving. Although I don’t usually go in for sketching plants as studies, the daily-changing amaryllis gave me an opportunity to track its growth and even challenged me to try different drawing styles.

1/11/22 amaryllis

3/31/22 imaginative drawing

March 31, drawing from imagination: In February I rather impulsively began a 100-day project to push myself to draw more from memory and imagination. I knew it would be challenging, but I didn’t think it would turn out to be the most difficult drawing challenge I had ever done. This goofy sketch was a breakthrough at a point when I was ready to quit, and it kept me going through the rest of the challenge.

June 25, Greenwood Car Show: One of my favorite summer events, the Greenwood Car Show had been cancelled the previous two years, of course, so I was especially excited and happy to be sketching there again.

6/25/22 Greenwood Car Show

7/25/22 Steller's jay

July 25, Steller’s jay: Like last year, several neighborhood Steller’s jays visited our backyard regularly last summer. In addition to eating our peanuts and entertaining us, they gave me many opportunities to sketch them, sometimes for several minutes at a time, posing at close range.

July 31, Ballard Locks: During a record-breaking heatwave, USk Seattle met at the Ballard Locks after Gail Wong and Virginia Hein gave a workshop there. Although I typically avoid going out when the temperature soars into the 90s, I sweated along with my intrepid clan!

7/31/22 Ballard Locks

Sept. 8, Seattle teacher’s strike: The Seattle Education Association’s strike gave me a rare opportunity for sketch reportage.

9/8/22 Seattle teacher's strike

9/10/22 Smoky sky over Shoreline

Sept. 10, smoky skies: During the first of what turned out to be several periods of wildfire smoke this year, I made this quick sketch at a store parking lot in Shoreline.

Sept. 23, Pike Place Market: After taking a “sketching tour” mini workshop with Gabi Campanario, I “tested” the skills I had learned by sketching this wide view at Pike Place Market. It’s the kind of scope I would have been intimidated to take on before his workshop.

9/23/22 Pike Place Market

Dec. 10, Chinatown Gate: During one of the wettest USk Seattle sketch outings I can remember, rain dripped from my hood as I shivered under the International District light rail station walkway to make this sketch.

12/10/22 Chinatown Gate