A Fresh Look at Maple Leaf Park

 

10/13/23 Confluent Boulders by Patrick Marold, Maple Leaf Park

Maple Leaf Park is one of my walking routes, so I see it regularly, and I’ve also sketched there countless times. It’s not exactly fresh to me anymore. Interestingly, though, whenever I’m there with someone who hasn’t seen it or doesn’t visit regularly, my eyes are refreshed. It happened last week when I sketched with Natalie.

For example, even though I have sketched the Confluent Boulders sculpture at least twice before, I had forgotten that one boulder is slightly warmer in hue than the other. I did observe that the very first time I sketched them in 2014, as is apparent in my sketch from back then, and I also observed it the second time in 2017. Since then, I’ve glanced at it but never thought about their relative colors – until I pointed out the sculpture to Natalie and decided to sketch it again myself.

Meanwhile, Mt. Rainier had made a surprise appearance, despite patchy clouds throughout the sky. That’s one view that never gets old, no matter how often I see or sketch Her Majesty.

Her Majesty from Maple Leaf Park