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| 1/15/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood |
This time of year, we can usually rely on morning fog. I say
“morning” because typically it burns off by noon, but that part has become less
dependable. The day I sketched this, the fog hung around like a heavy, wet blanket
until the sun went down at 4:46 p.m. Short
days, damp air, cold temps – spring feels far away.
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| 1/7/25 Caffe Fiore, Sunset Hill neighborhood |
As mentioned in a previous post, one reason I think
my sketch journaling process has finally “stuck” is that I am not trying to
stay within a specific format or approach. Drawing from life, from photos, from
memory – it’s all good. By far, my favorite approach is the multi-panel,
on-location comics format (like the one above). It always feels loose and
liberating while paradoxically having a small element of tension: I have chosen a
location (a café table), but I never know if I’ll have enough scenes to fill several
panels from that spot. Meanwhile, I might be documenting something I want to
remember that day (often a record of my downsizing activities).
On another day recently (below), I had gotten together with a couple of sketcher friends, all of us intending to sketch, but our conversation became so interesting that I never got past my pastry. (I wasn’t disappointed, though – it was a great discussion!)
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| 1/3/25 still lives; photo reference |
Below is another example of an assembled page spread that documents my day in bits and pieces instead of one location. Before the USk sketch outing at US Bank Centre, I had enough time to make a quick stop at Pike Place Market. After I finished my errand, it was still early enough in the morning that I had a clear view of Rachel the Pig, a Market mascot, near the famous salmon-throwing fishmongers. (By the time I was finishing the sketch, the mongers started tossing and shouting, and suddenly my view was obstructed with excited tourists. It was nice to enjoy a rare deserted moment for as long as it lasted.) The rest of the spread includes my dessert with sketcher friends after the outing and my Market shopping. This spread was more satisfying to make than the previous one because I could sketch all of the elements live and not from photos.
1/11/25 Pike Place Market; Kastoori Grill; still life
Most of these types of pages are “rewards” for downsizing and home-improvement tasks accomplished. Other times, the reward is simply sharing a meal and sketching with a friend – that’s always reward enough.
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| 1/8/25 Samurai Ramen and Jolli Daze, Chinatown International District |
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| 12/27/25 Swansons Nursery Cafe |
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| 1/10/25 ProShred in Tukwila |
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| 1/13/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood |
With only a few minutes before I was due in a Zoom meeting
with my tax guy, I grabbed this small sketch of the morning fog. The
temperature was 38 degrees. When I took a walk after lunch, the temperature was
only a few degrees warmer, and the fog remained thick. Nothing like walking in
cold, damp air to make me grateful that at least it isn’t snow and ice.
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| 1/9/25 Lindi Moo performing at Aegis Living |
When one of the caregivers mentioned to me with obvious
excitement that Lindi Moo would be providing the “happy hour”
entertainment, I had to admit I had never heard of her. The local vocalist is
apparently a popular choice for retirement community entertainment, and rightly
so – her repertoire includes many well-known hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s that
are easy to sing along to. She offers shakers, hand blocks and jingly bells to
audience members who want to accompany her with percussion. Best of all, she always
performs while wearing cow-patterned clothing.
While Greg and his cohorts enjoyed their happy hour snacks, and some sang along, I happily sketched Lindi. It was a happy hour for all.
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| 1/11/25 US Bank Centre second level |
Sometime during the pandemic, the US Bank Centre building’s
lobby underwent a huge remodel – so much so that I didn’t recognize it as a place we had sketched back in 2017. Interestingly, though, the view from one
of the second floor windows was vaguely familiar, and that’s because I had
sketched it back then, too! It’s funny how the compositions that had attracted
me then still do now. In any case, the multiple levels that are open to the
public gave USk Seattle many places to settle into cozy seating with their beverages
from Olympia Coffee on a chilly morning. We’re happy to have another winter
mainstay!
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| I enjoyed sketching these backlit people from the mezzanine level. |
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| Look at the turnout! |
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| 11/22/24 |
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| 11/3/24 |
When I sketch light rail commuters, my main objective is to
see how few marks and lines I can make and still capture a person’s essence. If
I get the face in profile, then I don’t need to draw all the hair. If I get the
left ear, I don’t have to get the right ear. This minimalist approach saves
time (which is critical, since I never know when my victim will get off or
someone might block my view), but more important, it requires me to think about
what’s most important to include. Super challenging fun!
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| 12/8/25 |
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| 11/22/24 |
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| 12/14/24 |
1/8/25 Union Station
In my usual on-location comics style, I tried to capture a variety of parts and pieces of the station to tell the story of the beautifully restored Union Station. I was impressed by the number of sketchers who took on that daunting domed architecture! (I kept my attempt to a 2-inch square.)
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| Even the restroom is clean, bright and elegant! |
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| Full panorama |
