L.A., Part 5: Breakfast and Walk Sketches

 

4/11/25

Even though my stay in LA was only five days, and I had specific plans each day, I quickly established an early-morning routine so that I wouldn’t break my fitness-walking habit. My sketch journal became a fun part of that routine – a process that developed organically during my trip to Portland last summer.

4/11/25

During breakfast, I would usually sketch my food and sometimes people around me. Then I used whatever space remained on the spread to make small sketches during my walk after breakfast. I sometimes also made notes that I expanded on later in my written journal. I really enjoy the way my everyday-carry sketch journal morphs into my travel journal anytime I’m not at home – no special format or independent book needed.

4/12/25

Although my hotel was on a very busy major arterial, if I walked just a block or two away from that main drag, the neighborhood suddenly became residential and amazingly quiet. It was so much fun to walk in a different direction each morning to discover new trees, new plants and new birds (or at least their songs). My walks were interrupted frequently by the need to use PlantNet or Merlin apps to ID new-to-me flora and fauna. Everything in southern California seems exotic to a Pacific Northwest native who has never lived anywhere else.

4/12/25

Especially enamored by palm trees, I tried to sketch as many different types as I could find.  

4/13/25

4/14/25

Perhaps most amazing (and potentially disturbing) was seeing how the city had addressed the common issue of roots of street trees damaging pavement. The roots were harshly trimmed to fit within the confines of the grassy strip so that they couldn’t reach the sidewalk pavement. I didn’t know how to sketch these roots and also show their context in my tiny sketchbook, so I didn’t try, but I’ve included photos below. The amazing part was how these humongous trees could thrive (at least they looked healthy) with their roots cut in this way. These trees, which I think I’ve identified as Chinese Banyan, are growing all over this neighborhood with their roots treated this way.

4/15/25

I'm always delighted by big, fat lemons growing on trees! 

Here are the roots of the Chinese banyan tree at left...
cut away to keep them from buckling the pavement.

L.A., Part 4: Descanso Garden, the Hollywood Sign and Waymo

 

4/14/25 Descanso Garden

A girl dressed like a mushroom at the Descanso cafe
(I colored and made the border while riding in the car afterwards, which explains the jiggly lines.)

LA’s Descanso Garden is well known to urban sketchers through the vibrant paintings and sketches of Virginia Hein. One of my long-time sketching dreams has been to sketch alongside Virginia in one of her favorite locations. Alas, that dream will be more difficult to achieve now because Virginia recently moved, ironically, from LA to the Pacific Northwest! Nonetheless, I channeled my inner Virginia on my first visit to the lovely garden.

Although springtime blooms made the garden especially colorful this time of year, I chose two of Virginia’s oft-sketched icons instead of flowers: the vermillion bridge in the Japanese garden and the rose garden’s gazebo. The ancient forest was a restful, shady stop in between.

Birds and bees were very happy in this spacious garden filled with mature trees and meadow-like areas. I kept stopping to use my Merlin app to ID birds unfamiliar to me.

4/14/25 The Hollywood sign from Lake Hollywood Park

To round out this day of touring, my brother and sister-in-law took me to see the famous Hollywood sign. Amazingly, even though Elaine has lived in LA her whole life and Frank has been there most of his adult life, neither had seen the Hollywood sign up close! They needed an out-of-town visitor like me to make the trip to Lake Hollywood Park, one of the easiest places to see and sketch the landmark.

Full-on tourist mode

My ride is here!

No tipping and no stinky aftershave!

Although I rarely write on this blog about things I didn’t sketch, I’m making a rare exception here because it was a key moment in my LA visit: I rode Waymo! Hearing my family members talk about Google’s autonomous car service made curiosity overtake doubt. I chose the 10-minute trip from my hotel to my brother’s house as an appropriately short, easy course to let the car do the driving. Once I got over the weirdness of the experience, I had little anxiety. Indeed, with a “driver” that makes full stops at every stop sign, never exceeds the speed limit, never fiddles with its phone, and actually slows to a stop when the light turns amber (instead of speeding through), I felt safer than I would with many human LA drivers. 

Pricing was competitive with Uber, Lyft and other app services. Bonus: Compared to some Uber and Lyft drivers I’ve had, this one wore no stinky aftershave -- and did not expect to be tipped. If I have a future opportunity to ride Waymo again, I would not hesitate.

Very rare for me, I did not feel compelled to sketch this unique and unusual experience; I wanted to keep my eye on the road! Additionally, I didn’t know what I would sketch to show the experience . . . an empty driver’s seat? In any case, since I have no sketch to show you, please see the video I posted on Instagram.

L.A., Part 3: Petersen Automotive Museum

 

4/13/25 Petersen Automotive Museum

As you know from my many posts about the Greenwood and Edmonds car shows, I enjoy sketching classic cars. Since my nephew has an interest in all cars, the Petersen Automotive Museum was an ideal choice for us to visit together. Although it’s within walking distance of his house, he had never taken the opportunity to visit before, so it was new to both of us.

DeLorean used in the film "Back to the Future"

Perhaps most popularly known as the home of many vehicles made famous by Hollywood movies and TV shows, the Petersen houses a collection of rare, unique cars as well as well-maintained examples of historical beauties. A special exhibit while we were there featured Waymo, Google’s self-driving car (more on this later!), which was especially interesting to learn about.

Instead of making portraits of individual cars, it was more fun (and expeditious) to make a series of small vignettes to capture the car museum feeling. We both really enjoyed the Petersen, and I suggested to Jason that he take his father and uncle sometime. (Yes, the Koyamas all seem to share a car affinity gene.)

My favorite T-bird convertible!

The Green Hornet's 1966 Chrysler LeBaron Imperial (with chauffeur Kato strangely in the backseat)

L.A., Part 2: Venice Canal District with USk LA

 

4/12/25 Venice Canal District, LA

A big highlight of my L.A. visit was sketching with USk LA in the historic Venice Canal District. Built at the turn of the 20th century, the canals were made to emulate the original canals of Venice, Italy. Colorful, multi-million-dollar homes line the canals, where small boats float quietly on the surface (no vaporettos or gondolas here!). It’s picturesque, quaint and definitely sketchable.

The last time I visited the Canals was in 2014, when I had made only one sketch, so I was eager to take a fresh, leisurely look using my sketchbook. The best part was meeting up with a few local sketchers and later chatting over lunch.

My hastily sketched tacos at Guisados

Although the group didn’t have a regularly scheduled outing during the days I would be in town, that didn’t deter me. A few weeks before my trip, I just introduced myself in the USk LA Facebook group and invited others to join me at the Canals on Saturday. To my delight, several accepted my invitation. I’ve said it here before, and I’ll say it again: The single biggest benefit of being part of the Urban Sketchers community is that I can go anywhere in the US or world and easily find fellow sketchers to meet and sketch with!

L.A., Part 1: Santa Monica Pier and Fisherman’s Village

 

4/11/25 Light rail ride and Santa Monica Pier

For the first time since pre-COVID, I was in Los Angeles for a few days visiting family. You’ve seen all the pastries and sushi I’ve rewarded myself with for small achievements since I started my downsizing project last July. However, I had been thinking all along that I would have an ultimate reward and celebration when I was finally done, and I decided this trip would be it. Finishing up the last of my checklist the day before I flew, I felt quite satisfied, indeed – downright triumphant, in fact! (Yes, a post is coming up with my final photos.)

While the focus of the visit was spending time with family members, I still jammed a lot of sketching into the fun, even though I was with them most of the time. Since none of them are sketchers, you might be asking, “How did you manage to sketch so much while you were with them?” The answer is: speed. A post I wrote all the way back in 2013 indicates that I had learned that secret even when I was still a beginner. Being able to sketch quickly (and therefore having lower expectations about the results) is a skill that has served me well my entire sketching life.

Wildlife near Fisherman's Village

First up on my L.A. tour was the historic Santa Monica Pier and Fisherman’s Village, both on the oceanfront (the last time I sketched at the Pier was in 2016 with USk LA). Although both areas are urban, the presence of the ocean gave me opportunities to sketch more wildlife than I would have expected.

Mandatory selfie at the historic Santa Monica Pier sign

View from Santa Monica Pier

It’s Kwanzan Time!

 

4/16/25 Kwanzan cherry trees, Maple Leaf neighborhood

4/9/25 The same trees a week prior

I was visiting family for a few days, and I’m looking forward to showing you my sketches of LA. Before I get started with that, though, I must make this announcement: It’s Kwanzan time!

The last walk-sketch I made in Seattle was on April 9, the day before I left for LA, of the Kwanzan cherries on the corner of my block (at right). They were just beginning to open, and enough of their greenish-orange leaves were still exposed that from a distance, the trees looked more orangey than pink.

Walking home from the light rail station Tuesday evening during the golden hour, I turned a corner, and from two blocks away I could already see that the blossoms were in full bloom. I couldn’t have asked for a better homecoming! Rolling my suitcase home, I was too tired to sketch them then, but I went out the next day to catch them at their peak (top of post). I’m thrilled that I didn’t miss these beauties!

Incidentally, I recently learned that the Kwanzan variety of cherry tree is named for a mountain in Japan. I always thought it was an African name!

4/9/25

4/16/25

Fuzzy Portraits

 

4/5/25 Ernest Theodore

A recent gathering of friends included Ernest Theodore (whom I have sketched a few times before), one of the gentlest giants I know. He probably weighs more than I do, yet he has never tried to knock me over as other large dogs have. Upon arrival at the brewery’s patio, he just laid down and chilled for the rest of the evening, making this little gesture portrait easy.

Speaking of pet portraits, I think I never got around to sharing the one I made last December of Adorable (below), the lovely cat of a friend. I love drawing animals, from life or from photos.

12/26/24 Adorable (reference photo by Carol Ivan)

A gentle nose kiss from Ernest
(photobomb by Ernest's dad, Ali!)

Opportunities for Observation

 

3/19/25 Brian

Like my fellow light rail commuters, Greg’s cohorts at Aegis Living make great human studies and opportunities for observation. When I first started making these sketches, I hesitated to share them because I wondered if they would be considered invasive. But the more I draw them, the more I think of these small portraits as a way to honor individuals in the last stage of their lives. I try to capture them as unique people, not caricatures or generic figures.

3/22/25 Linda

3/22/25 Val

3/28/25

4/7/25 The spouse guy waiting for lunch.

During group activities, I’m usually sitting right next to the spouse guy, so it’s difficult to sketch him. Every now and then I take him outside the memory care area to the general diningroom so that we can have lunch together. This sketch doesn’t capture a good likeness, but it’s a rare sketch of him that I’ve made from life.

Meanwhile, at a nearby table, one of the kitchen staff came to talk to Russ about the utensils he seemed to be collecting in his pockets. With much gentleness and compassion, the staff member asked Russ to relinquish the tableware – and discovered an entire drinking glass in his pocket, too. I was amused to see that entertaining co-residents are on the assisted living side, too.

Technical note: After my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen ran dry during a recent cherry tree sketch, I decided to grab a prefilled Kuretake Brush Writer instead of taking the time to refill the Pentel. I really like the Kuretake’s brush tip, especially for life drawing gestures (I used it on the portrait of Ernest Theodore). Unfortunately, it has the bad habit of blorping out ink unexpectedly and making a mess, which happened as I pulled it out to sketch Greg. (I initially learned that lesson the hard way nearly 13 years ago!) That’s why I decided to use a purple Derwent Inktense pencil instead. I don’t know why, but I rarely consider using pencil for a life portrait . . . it seems too time-consuming for a gesture, I suppose. But sometimes I like the more sensitive quality of a pencil line compared to the bold, unforgiving marks of a brush pen (which I also appreciate for different reasons).