Cherries Dressed for Fall

 

10/29/25 UW Quad cherry trees

The University of Washington Quad during cherry blossom season is an annual event for USk Seattle. But those same cherries that delight us with spring flowers are a yellow-orange spectacle when they get dressed for autumn. Although we talk about it every year, we rarely get to have sketch outings for the cherries’ fall foliage. Targeting prime color is hard enough, but coupled with iffy and fast-changing weather, it’s almost impossible.

Kim went to scout the color on Monday. Checking the weather, she decided Wednesday would be the best day to try for an outing. Score! USk Seattle got the benefit of both prime foliage and sunshine!

Although I have sketched the Quad cherries when they weregreen, I’m not sure I’ve ever sketched them in their fall hues. More sublime than showy red maples, the orange Sakura still shine vibrantly, especially in late-morning light.

Sketchbook note: Last week I had mentioned briefly in a sketch cutline that I had just cracked open a new square-format Hahnemühle sketchbook (the paper is the same 100 percent cotton that I love in the A5 and A6 formats). As I said then, one major benefit of a square-format book is that it opens up as a panorama landscape. I’ve used A5-size landscape books many times, especially during travel. The primary problem I have with them is that a long, horizontal book is awkward to hold while standing, especially when trying to use the full, panoramic spread. On crowded European sidewalks, other pedestrians have jostled my book when they passed closely. This 5 ½-inch square book opens to a more manageable 11-inch width while still giving me the stretched-out look.

Downsizing, Phase 3: Satisfying Progress

 

10/28/25 Macrina Bakery, Maple Leaf neighborhood

Downsizing, Phase 3, which began Oct. 12, is progressing apace. The attic space is much smaller than last year’s basement, so it’s satisfying to see results each time I work on it.

The “easy” part was filling eight large garbage bags with junk heading for the landfill. Compared to the basement, I did more of the bagging of small stuff myself this time. The attic space is narrow, and some areas require stooping to get into. I tried to imagine three large men maneuvering around in there, tossing junk into bags, while I got in their way trying to see if the stuff they put into those bags wasn’t something I wanted to keep. It was just easier and more efficient (though tiring) to do it myself. They’ll have plenty of large, heavier things to haul out without my help.

10/12/25 Although most of the junk I've been digging through has been pure drudgery, coming across Greg's collection of eyeglasses was amusing. It was like an optical fashion history of the past half century. I tossed most but saved a few newer pairs that looked in good condition to donate to Costco's eyeglasses reuse program. I also saved this pair -- the one he was wearing in 1985 when we met.

The less easy part was separating the recyclable paper – decades of magazines (for example, Consumer Reports going back to the '90s), catalogs, brochures, newspaper articles, greeting cards, letters – from sensitive papers that must be shredded. I filled my huge recycle bin so full of heavy paper that I had to ask a kind neighbor* for help rolling it down my sloped driveway. The bin weighs so much more than I do that it would surely drag me into the street! And that was not even all of it. I had four more shopping bags full of paper that, with their permission, I put into a different neighbor's recycle bin. 

Finally, I had to sort out many envelopes and folders of income tax records, home remodeling documentation and other necessary papers that must be retained (though I eventually plan to digitize all of those and shred the hard copies).

10/13/25

The hardest part will be (eventually) discarding photo albums, mementoes and other items that are filled with memories and sentimental value. I’m leaving those things for Phase 4. For the current phase, I’m focusing on organizing the load that will be hauled down two flights of stairs and out the door on Nov. 13. Nothing like pinning down a date with Kevin, my junk guy, to light a fire under me and get things done!

* An aside: I've been living alone now for nearly two years. Among the many things I've learned in that time, one is the importance of getting to know one's immediate neighbors and feeling comfortable asking for help when it's needed. Although I've always known most of them well enough for casual chit-chat in the driveway, none of us talked about personal things. Shortly after Greg moved to Aegis, I made a point of informing each family that I live alone now. I knew that I might need help someday, and it also feels better getting to know them. They have all been very kind and helpful. For my part, after those recent recycling bin favors, I was happy to offer my scheduled junk truck if my neighbors have unwieldy trash to toss in!

Maples Afire

 

10/27/25 Maples, Crown Hill neighborhood

After the weekend’s atmospheric river and high winds that took power down in some areas, I was afraid leaf-peeping season was over. Ever hopeful, I drove over to the Crown Hill neighborhood again, where I had intel that a certain intersection was blazing with red maples. 

Indeed, four of them were afire! In fact, driving to the spot, I saw quite a bit of glorious color. Though late to turn this year, the trees are going out in style.

Cozy Drink & Draw

 

10/24/25 Drink & draw at Project 9 Brewery, Maple Leaf neighborhood 

After walking through the deluge from our current atmospheric river, I was afraid I’d be all alone at the USk drink & draw. Happily, I was joined by four others who braved the torrents to get to Project 9 Brewery, where the heat lamps kept us cozy in the perfectly dry tent. (We could have gone indoors, of course, but it gets very loud in there, especially on a Friday evening.)

With one highly skilled professional artist and one who had begun drawing only a few months prior, both new to Urban Sketchers, I was reminded of one of many reasons I appreciate USk: People of all experience levels can draw and chat together while sipping beers and munching tacos. No judging, just fun!

Blazing Oak (and Technique Notes)

 

10/23/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

On my morning walk when I didn’t have my white Hahnemühle sketchbook, I still wanted to remember this blazing orange oak growing out of a traffic circle. An orange acrylic marker and Uglybook would have to do.

Driving home from an errand that afternoon, I had planned to stop and sketch the oak again, this time in full color, so I grabbed the Hahnemühle. It was my last outdoor sketch before days of rain set in.

The same oak in the afternoon of the same day.

Technique notes: The full-color sketch here, made with Museum Aquarelle pencils, is a good example of something I mentioned last week about how Caran d’Ache Neocolor II water-soluble crayons have taught me tricks to use with those colored pencils.

I used to apply crayons dry to dry paper, then activate with water. With practice, I found that I could get more vibrant, thorough activation when I wet the paper generously first, then appled dry crayon to the wet paper. This technique isn’t new to me; I’ve been using dry-on-wet pencils for several years, too. But because Museum Aquarelles activate more easily and readily, I usually don’t need to take it further. The waxier crayons take more water to fully activate, so I sometimes reapply water and apply another layer of color.

In the sketch above, I used only pencils in a similar fashion while keeping the paper fairly wet. What I really like is that as the paper began to dry, the top-most (orange) layer showed more texture, giving the tree a nice foliage effect. To be honest, hitting the paper at just the right degree of wetness is usually a crapshoot and not something I know how to fully gauge (as most watercolor painters also experience). It’s nice when it happens just right, though.

Inktober, Week 3

 

In addition to being the most challenging InkTober I’ve given myself in a while, this year is also the most enjoyable in a long time. I love drawing pets, and with these practice sketches, I’m under no pressure as I am with commissioned portraits. Even as they’re all challenging in different ways, they’re all pure fun!

With Bailey (above) and Butters (below), both dogs had solidly dark fur on their faces. These are among the hardest for me to draw using nothing but a brush pen. I want to show the form and whatever subtle highlights are visible on dark fur, which means I have to avoid inking too solidly. It’s a fine line between good shading and going flat.

I especially like the way Bailey came out with a graphical quality that evokes comics. Practicing this technique, though, requires reference photos with good lighting and strong contrasts – apparently difficult to come by when people quickly snap photos of their pets doing whatever it is pets do.

In most cases this week, I did an OK job of capturing likeness but a better job capturing the animals’ character (although somehow the cats ended up with more attitude than they appear to have in their photos. Hmmm, maybe that says more about this artist than the sitters).

The reference photo for Dixie Sue (below) was among the worst I have had to work from for a commission: Dimly lighted, a bit out of focus, with almost no contrast. The photo’s saving grace were the lovely catchlights in her eyes that gave her so much expression. I went with a simple line drawing and let the features do the work. (I’m always amused by the slightly worried expression all chihuahuas seem to have!)

Cold and Windy Swansons

 

10/22/25 Swansons Nursery

“Why do we always meet at Swansons in the morning when we know it would be warmer in the afternoon?” I complained to Kate when I arrived. (Note to self: Schedule the next time in the afternoon!) A fall and holiday season standby for USk Seattle, Swansons offers colorful displays outdoors and a cozy café for inclement weather. In addition, the staff are always friendly and welcoming.

It wasn’t raining Wednesday, but it was downright cold and windy. I stayed outside for as long as I could stand it, sketching some bright blue pots, even brighter leaves that had caught my eye in the tree section, and Mark sketching by the shopping carts.

After that, I had had enough of the chill. Retreating to the café for coffee and a snack, I spotted Natalie and Kim – ideal victims under a jungle of enormous leaves. Swansons is always a good meetup spot in any weather.

Swansons Cafe

This entire fence at the back of the property was covered with dazzling Boston ivy!

Color Fest at Japanese Garden

 

10/21/25 Seattle Japanese Garden (I started a fresh square-shaped Hahnemuhle sketchbook with this outing. One thing I love about a square format book is the handy panorama landscape that can be made as a spread.)

Last Tuesday we had phenomenal weather for late October. Sunny and clear, it was an ideal day for Mary Jean, Roy and me to catch the color at Seattle Japanese Garden.

Although chilly enough that I was happy I wore multiple layers, including my down parka and gloves, we were smart to meet in the morning right when the garden opened. An hour in, the garden was mobbed with photographers, tourists and others who wanted to enjoy all that color as we did.

The resident tortoises and a heron were sunning themselves next to the pond.

Lunch at Arosa Cafe

After lunch at nearby Arosa Café, we kept walking another mile or so northeast toward the Madison Park neighborhood. Oooh-ing and ahhh-ing the whole way, we snapped photos of the dazzling color all around us. Seeing all the golden oaks made walking on busy, noisy Madison Avenue worthwhile.

Madison Park neighborhood

Affogato at Madison Park’s Scoop du Jour was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.

At Scoop du Jour, I enjoyed my Death by Chocolate affogato as I sketched the scene across the street.

The Madison Park neighborhood is afire with color!

Close to Home

 

10/16/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

This maple a couple of blocks from home is fun to watch each fall. It changes colors in a very irregular pattern, with some leaves at their peak while others are still as bright green as summer.

Material note: I sketched this one with my faithful watercolor pencils in an A6-size Hahnemühle sketchbook. As much as I love using water-soluble crayons in a (necessarily) larger book, nothing can beat the portability and convenience of colored pencils and a small sketchbook – materials so small and lightweight that I can take them on my fitness walks. I would miss a lot of sketches if not for that.

White on Black at Asian Museum

 

10/19/25 Lokeshvara with raised arm, 11th century Cambodia, Seattle Asian Art Museum
(white colored pencil, chalk pastel on black Arteza paper) 

Followers of this blog know how much I love making nocturnes during the darkest part of the year, especially around the holidays. I’ve also occasionally enjoyed doing life drawing (when the model had sufficiently dramatic lighting) using white pencils on black paper. I had never thought to use white on black to draw museum sculptures, but it actually makes a lot of sense, since museums typically allow only pencil use inside the galleries. When I saw that Gage was offering a unique workshop on this subject, it blew my mind open.

Taught by Rebecca Strong, the three-hour workshop had a single, distinct focus: Draw a sculpture at the Seattle Asian Art Museum using white pencils on black paper. In her supply list, she mentioned a number of types of pencils – white colored pencils as well as pastel, chalk and so-called “white charcoal.” She offered to share her own pencils, and we could also bring whatever we already owned. (I had to laugh at that part: If I brought “whatever” I already owned, it would be quite a load! But I do love it when I take a workshop and don’t have to buy a single new thing!)

Avoiding drawing lines, we were instructed to squint to see tonal values more clearly and use white media to shade only the light. After a short demo, she let us loose in the exhibits that housed the most sculptures, and we were to choose one to draw.

A simple supply list: black paper and an assortment of white pencils.

In the same way that we use a range of grades from hard to soft when working with graphite, Rebecca suggested using a range of white pencils from hard to soft. I started with a Stabilo All (I’m not sure what that pencil is made of, but it is billed as a “marking” pencil that can write on glass and metal) and Faber-Castell Polychromos as my harder “grades.” I then moved progressively softer and more opaque with Prismacolor, Holbein and finally a Conte pastel pencil. The Conte worked especially well as a smudgy background on the right side of the drawing.

As it always does when I draw only the light, my brain had to do a rollover. Of course, my tonal work in colored Uglybooks the past several years certainly helped me make the rollover more quickly. Using nothing but pencils, the result is more interesting and dynamic than it often is (at least for me) using only graphite.

What a fun challenge! I see myself visiting more museums this winter with this new focus in mind and more white pencils in my bag.

The Great Pumpkin of Maple Leaf

 

10/17/25 Maple Leaf neighborhood

The Maple Leaf neighborhood has its own great pumpkin: Jack Skellington! He’s no new kid – he and his predecessors have been around for several years. I first heard about Jack in 2022 when he and his neighbor pumpkin made a big splash on local TV. The grower, who got interested in big pumpkins during the pandemic, has been growing them bigger and bigger ever since, and she is now part of a pumpkin seed business.

I’ve been checking out Jack every year since (here he is last year). This year I had just heard about his competitive weigh-in, so I popped over to take a look. Weighing in at a whopping 774 pounds, Jack took third place in the local competition. I’ll visit again later when he gets carved for Halloween festivities.

My “Go Bag” Sketch Kit

 

The sketch kit part of my go bag is fully packed and ready!

Back in June I talked about a friend who had broken a leg and ended up in rehab for what turned out to be three long months. The early part of his ordeal had prompted me to start thinking about putting together a “go bag” to make life a bit easier for myself, if I were to befall such a fate (and easier for someone else to gather my essentials for me, if it came to that). The concept is to put together a bag of essentials – a few clothes, meds, toiletries and, of course, art supplies. (Imagine three months in rehab without art supplies!)

The general essentials part of the bag is still in progress. I am temporarily using a large tote bag to collect clothing, toiletries and other personal supplies; whenever I think of something that should go in, I just toss it into the tote. (Eventually the actual go bag will probably be something sturdier like a gym bag.)

Caran d'Ache water-soluble colors in pencil and crayon form

It’s a bit like packing for travel, but more restrictive. For example, in rehab or some other facility, basic supplies like toothpaste would probably be easily available. However, friends who have had hospital stays say that the toothbrushes that are offered are very weird and unconventional. That says to me that I need to pack a toothbrush but I can skip the toothpaste. To avoid trying to pack everything I might need, I’m limiting my go bag only to supplies that I’m super picky about (a specialty floss) or that would be difficult for a friend to find at a single shopping trip to Target or Fred Meyer. That means the go bag should also include a list of supplies not in the bag.

More pencils and blending stumps

Except for prescription meds, I’m also avoiding a large stock of items that would expire. Acetaminophen and multi vitamins would be easy enough for that helpful friend to buy for me. I don’t want to have to worry about refreshing the bag regularly.

I’ve developed one easy way to pack clothing for the go bag. With my ongoing commitment to staying downsized, I go through my closet even more regularly than I used to. If I buy something new, I have to take something else out (and try to take out more than I bring in). If the something that I’m taking out is appropriate for the go bag – comfy (can I wear it easily while sitting in a wheelchair?) but not so shabby or stained that I’d be embarrassed – I throw it into the tote instead of into the Goodwill box. That’s working out well.

Eraser, sharpener, brush pens, markers, waterbrush and a few more colored pencils.

I haven’t yet figured out the best way to handle essential items that I use every day, so I can’t store them in the go bag – for example, my tablet and its charging cable. Maybe the best solution is to leave clear written instructions in the go bag for the helpful friend on where to find them (and then remembering never to move those items? Hmmm).

The general go bag still needs work. The sketch kit, however, is complete – and it was easier than expected! A few months ago I talked about how my previous “downstairs studio” portfolio had become the new “upstairs studio.” I realized that the portfolio is already a compact sketch kit containing a variety of materials, and it would be easy to grab. In fact, if I stored it in plain sight, it would be easy to ask that helpful friend to grab it for me. Instant go bag sketch kit!

The contents needed updating, however. For example, at the time that I had initially put the kit together, I was heavily into making portrait studies using the Zorn palette. It also contained many Bic ballpoints in various colors (another strong interest at the time).

I pared those down and replaced them with a full rainbow of Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons, more Museum Aquarelle pencils, a few Faber-Castell Polychromos, a few Prismacolors, a sharpener (which I didn’t need in the kit before because I always keep a desktop sharpener in every room), and an eraser. I also added an A5-size student-grade Hahnemühle sketchbook and a spare Uglybook.

An A5-size Hahnemuhle sketchbook and an Uglybook (not shown) are sandwiched between the portfolio's tri-folds. It still zips closed easily.

With the sketchbooks sandwiched in there, the one thing the portfolio doesn’t have space for is a small watercolor palette. Considering how little time I devote to watercolors now, though, I probably wouldn’t miss them in rehab.

Hopefully, I’ll never have to use the kit while in rehab or otherwise in dire circumstances. But now that it’s fully stocked, I’ve been thinking that if I ever have an opportunity to participate in an art retreat on short notice (the kind where I would have a chair and table to sit at, not urban sketching), the go bag portfolio would certainly be ready to grab! And in the meantime, I’m still using it for the occasional sketch of Her Majesty or the sunset from upstairs.

After assembling the Neocolor II crayons, I gave them a test run with a sketch of my takeout sushi dinner (the most colorful foods I ever eat). 

Leaf-Peeping in Crown Hill (and Pencil vs. Crayon Dilemma)

 

10/15/25 Crown Hill neighborhood (Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils)

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II crayons

On what was probably the last gorgeous, sunny afternoon for the foreseeable future (and we’ve had more than our share this season – a rare treat in these parts), Kim and I met on Crown Hill for leaf-peeping and -sketching. Although she couldn’t join us, Mary Jean had scouted several intersections in her neighborhood with flaming maples. I parked near one and walked to the rest to check them all out. I had time for only two, but I snapped photos along the way for your viewing pleasure (end of post). What a lovely time of year!

Material notes: For many years now, Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle water-soluble colored pencils (with occasional Derwent Inktense in the mix) have been my color medium of choice. Highly pigmented, super soft, portable, versatile, easy to use and carry while standing – they are hands-down the ideal color medium for the way I like to sketch on location. 

Importantly, their portability and ease of use in an A6-size sketchbook make them an ideal choice on my fitness walks, like the sketch at Green Lake that I showed yesterday. Without water-soluble colored pencils, I would have missed that sketch that day because I don’t bring along a larger sketchbook or crayons when my main purpose is walking. I have long been in a deep, meaningful, committed relationship with these amazing pencils (sketch at top of post).

Svelte, lightweight, easily used in a small sketchbook while standing: The ideal color medium. (Look how ratty the Inktense barrels get after being daily-carried for a while.)

Once in a while I’ve flirted with Museum Aquarelle’s heftier cousin, Neocolor II water-soluble crayons. Chunkier and heavier, the crayons require a larger sketchbook to use them freely and slightly more water to activate fully. Not all the hues have top-level lightfast ratings, so the range is much wider than Museum Aquarelle’s, and I have several favorites in Neo II that I can’t get in MA. They are definitely not as easy to use as pencils while standing, though. I’ve managed to find a workable solution using a Rickshaw Sinclair as a standing case, but crayons are cumbersome.

Still, I used them quite a bit this past summer and even started wondering: Could this be the beginning of a serious, long-term relationship? What keeps me coming back to Neo IIs is that their large, blunt tips can’t be used to draw fiddly details, so they encourage me to think more like a painter. I enjoy the challenge of making large blocks of color and vague shapes (like the cars in the second sketch) instead of drawing tiny details.

Cumbersome but painterly.

In addition, Neo II crayons have taught me how to use Museum Aquarelles in different ways. For example, the crayons don’t activate quite as readily as the pencils, so I sometimes add layers of different colors after the first is dry, and then reactivate. I’ve lately been doing this more often with MA pencils, too. (By the way, to do this, strong, high-quality watercolor paper is necessary. I can do it with 100 percent cotton Hahnemühle, but not with most other sketchbook papers, which will start to shred after multiple wettings and reapplications.)

I know I don’t have to choose; I can have a happy, non-monogamous relationship with both. However, for a compact urban sketcher like I am, it’s burdensome to carry both. It’s been so long since I’ve made a substantial change to my portable sketch kit . . . is there an acceptable compromise I can find?