Companionable Geekery Amid Swanson’s Greenery

 

4/15/22 Swanson's Nursery cafe

The last time I sketched at Swanson’s Nursery, which used to be a regular cold-weather haunt for USk Seattle, was in February 2020 right before the pandemic settled in for the long haul. Flooded with natural light, surrounded by thriving greenery, the café was wonderful to return to, especially in good company.

My head filled with my latest colored pencil geekery, I shared my experiments with Ching as I sketched the palm behind her. I first used non-soluble pencils for most of the sketch. The only parts where I used water-soluble pencils were the two potted ferns in the background, which I spritzed with carefree ease because I knew the rest of the drawing would remain sharp. However, activation intensified the colors and brought those ferns forward instead of staying in the background. I used the right technical strategy, but it wasn’t the right choice in terms of my composition.

Another lesson learned, but I was happy to learn it, especially while having lively conversation. Excellent coffee cake didn’t hurt, either.

Spreading my gear on a cafe table... life is good.