Shady Ravenna Ravine

 

6/9/25 Ravenna ravine

Comp study for top sketch

With temps projected to be in the upper 80s last Monday, Roy, Mary Jean and I decided to change our sketching plans to find a cooler, shadier location than our original plan. Ravenna ravine was perfect: A shady, green oasis under the 15th and 20th Avenues Northeast bridges. Although the Ravenna neighborhood and a major arterial are only 115 feet above, walking through the three-quarter-mile-long ravine feels like being in woods far away from the city. A friend who lives nearby reports that the early-morning birdsong from the ravine is cacophonous!

Although it had been a few years since I walked through the ravine, I knew that I would want color to capture the deep greens and filtered light. Remembering the fun I’d just had at the Chinese Garden, I brought along my Caran d’Ache Neocolor II water-soluble crayons and an A5-size Hahnemühle sketchbook (which I realize now that I have never reviewed, but it has the same 100-percent cotton paper as my most-often-used A6 size and the square-format that I also like but don’t use as often).

Glacial erratic

As I’ve been doing lately, I made a compositional study first before hitting the color. I also sketched a huge glacial erratic at the head of the creek against a boardwalk that leads to the trail back up to street level. It’s amazing to think that the erratic (similar to the one in Wedgwood) has been there for thousands of year! As the temperature climbed late-morning, we stayed cool and comfy in the shade. We thanked the trees continually as we walked and sketched.

Sketch kit notes: Especially on hot days, my daily-carry Rickshaw bag needs an auxiliary tote to hold my water bottle and other necessities. It also contained the A5 sketchbook and Neocolors that won’t fit in the mini Rickshaw. Because they are a little cumbersome to work with while standing, I’ve usually reserved Neocolors for situations where I’ll have a table to work on, but lately I’ve been determined to use them in my usual standing manner. I’ll show my current set-up soon.

6/9/25 My sketch journal spread documenting the post-hike reward and ride home

Although many of the old-growth firs have been lost, a few centenarian redwoods still remain. 

The 20th Ave. NE bridge trestle