Dilated on the John Lewis Bridge

 

12/4/24 Northgate

My retinologist’s office is a bit too far outside my practical walking range, but if I drive and park at the Northgate Light Rail Station, the rest of the way is easily walkable. The best part is that the walk requires crossing the John Lewis Memorial Pedestrian Bridge, which connects Northgate with North Seattle College. (I previously sketched from the bridge a couple of years ago, and I sketched the bridge itself in 2021 when it was brand new.)

Walking to my appointment in the early afternoon, sketching was fun; it was chilly, but the clear sky and sunshine felt great. By the time I walked back less than a couple of hours later, it was already the golden hour, and the sun was nearly below the tree line. Cold and with dilated pupils, it wasn’t quite as pleasant. I wanted to find something to fill that small vertical space near the center of the spread, but sometimes a blank space tells a story as well as a filled one.

Look at that lovely golden-hour light that turned my sketchbook from magenta to red!

Incidentally, the walking process I described above is my fitness ideal. My goal is to walk at least 60 minutes a day, seven days a week. I don’t always hit the goal, especially when the weather is inhospitable, but I try. Although walking is my favorite part of my self-care routine (which also includes yoga and a workout with hand weights and resistance bands), a commitment of an hour a day is a significant chunk of time. I try to find ways to incorporate the walking with whatever else I have going on that day, and sometimes that means driving part of the way and walking the rest – whatever works out. The best part, though, is that a potential sketch opportunity is always the carrot on the end of my stick.