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.