tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208651055739818792024-03-19T01:48:35.201-07:00Fueled by Clouds & CoffeeUrban sketching: It's not a hobby; it's a lifestyle.MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.comBlogger4020125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-66845217466264853562024-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T07:00:00.139-07:00The Trading Musician3/16/24 The Trading Musician store, University DistrictSince I don’t play an instrument or have anything to do with the
music industry, my only interest in The Trading Musician is its sign of
a grumpy guitar head. Whenever I drive to the U-District, I pass that sign,
which has been an icon for more than three decades. The Stranger
reported in January that the guitar and drum sales and repair MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-76310514983177595462024-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-17T07:00:00.138-07:00Cloud City (and Purple Fail)3/14/24 Cloud City Coffee, Maple Leaf neighborhood After I finished my 100 people, I kept going, but at a more
leisurely pace. My first stop was Cloud City Coffee on Thursday morning, where
I immediately struggled with the purple Uglybook I had started the day
before. As the last of my partially used books, my plan was to fill it, then finally
begin a fresh book that I would use completely MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-38182691043666298432024-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-16T07:00:00.241-07:00Another Hundred-Plus in the Books 3/11/24 Bellevue SquareOn March 10, 2020 – only days before Gov. Inslee shut the state
down for the potentially deadly “novel coronavirus” – Urban Sketchers Seattle met at Bellevue Square. Planned weeks earlier when most of us were
still uncertain and confused about COVID-19, the outing suddenly seemed more
ominous, now that it was upon us. The day before the outing, the other admins and
I MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-6085574023648716092024-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T07:00:00.171-07:00BeanFish3/8/24 Uwajimaya food courtThe first time I had a BeanFish taiyaki was during the 2019
Lunar New Year celebration when USk Seattle met in Chinatown/International
District. At BeanFish’s mobile truck, I recall only a few varieties other than traditional
sweet bean. At their permanent stand in the Uwajimaya food court, however, they
offer dozens of sweet and savory fillings in addition to the MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-236752497852383042024-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-14T07:00:00.240-07:00Double Portrait 3/8/24 graphite and ArtGraf water-soluble graphite on Canson XL mixed media paperI lost my only sister in 2011. She was 65 years old, the same age I
am now. I have been thinking about Linda more than usual this year.
Our homework last week in Gal Cohen’s class was to make more
overlapping-portrait drawings like the ones we worked on during class.
Although she had provided us with more MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-54748584756929473812024-03-13T07:00:00.001-07:002024-03-13T07:00:00.238-07:00Macrina Cinnamon Roll 3/7/24 Macrina BakeryAfter dropping off my car for servicing before breakfast, I walked
the few blocks to Macrina Bakery. (It was 29 degrees that morning, and I
had no intention of sketching outdoors!) It was early enough that I got a good
table facing the large side windows where patrons were nicely backlit.
Without necessarily planning the contents of each panel in my comic-like spread, MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-33013828432905049032024-03-12T07:00:00.001-07:002024-03-12T07:00:00.142-07:00Overlapping with a Blown Mind 3/6/24 colored pencil3/6/24 technical pen and graphiteLast week’s class with Gal Cohen certainly was an eye-opener for me! The topic was using overlapping images to create a more dynamic drawing and composition. Before giving us each exercise, Gal showed us numerous examples of artists’ works using this technique, all of which focused on the human portrait. Then she gave us reference photosMiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-58787079428416256222024-03-11T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T07:00:00.133-07:00Melia 3/9/24 Melia (5-minutes each)Feeling a bit rusty is one thing. Scouring off five years of
heavy corrosion is another!
That’s how I felt Saturday at Gage life drawing – the first time I’d
been back in the studio for a full open session since 2019. Of course, I’ve
tried to keep up my life-drawing practice all along: I did a little at Drawing Jam last December; I did long-pose life drawing MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-18853951160328123772024-03-10T07:00:00.000-07:002024-03-10T07:00:00.146-07:00Workers’ Rally 3/5/24 Union members outside Aegis Living RavennaWalking around Maple Leaf Park, I heard some chanting and cheering
of the type heard at rallies, which struck me as odd in this quiet
neighborhood. I found the group picketing around Aegis Living Ravenna, an
assisted living facility just outside the park, which seemed especially unusual,
as they would be unlikely to reach much of an audience MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-46761733877136156342024-03-09T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-09T07:00:00.128-08:00Fog with Charcoal 3/5/24 Maple Leaf from our upstairs bedroom windowFog is a common winter occurrence. Until
it appeared earlier this week, I hadn’t realized how surprisingly little we’ve seen
this season. It was thick during breakfast, so I thought I had plenty of time,
but by the time I went upstairs, I could see that it was already beginning to
lift. I usually use graphite for fog, but anticipating the MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-57698123199913641612024-03-08T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T07:00:00.142-08:00Doughnut Injustice 3/4/24 Top Pot Doughnuts, Wedgwood neighborhoodSometime last year, Top Pot Doughnuts sponsored a contest to
help come up with a catchy name for its latest product, donut holes. The grand
prize was a year (or more?) of free donuts. I actually tried to spin a few
catchy names in my head to enter, but I must have gotten distracted and forgot
about it. Months later, the local chain announced MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-89600815307550424922024-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-07T07:00:00.140-08:00Doggie Do-Over 3/3/24 Bug (Art Stix in Uglybook sketchbook)In Gal Cohen’s “Unique Line” class last week, she showed
us many examples of artworks that were realistic in content (not abstract) but
were also highly expressive and evocative. Although many could be described as
“loose,” not all were. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, my desire is not
necessarily to be “loose” as it is to have the appearance MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-47363234665828619552024-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T07:00:00.148-08:00Sakura!3/2/24 Cherry blossoms and daffodilThe afternoon looked deceptively sunny and bright. Stepping out for my walk, I was instantly blasted with a harsh wind: 44 degrees that felt more like the 30s. Still, after several days of heavy rain and wind that had kept me on the couch, it was refreshing to get outdoors again. To my delight, a cherry tree on Eighth Northeast that I hadn’t yet even noticed in MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-64976253748084388242024-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-05T07:00:00.135-08:00Pink is the New White 3/1/24 Maple Leaf neighborhood (Uni Pin and Pentel brush markers,Posca paint marker)The mossy green paper in my current Uglybooks sketchbook has
taken some getting used to compared to the bright orange one I recently
filled. The latter’s hue and value were just the right midtone between white
and black, enabling both to pop. On the green, however, white just doesn’t seem
to pop as well. MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-91929390051645714902024-03-04T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-04T07:00:00.248-08:00People and Brews 3/1/24 Project 9 Brewing Co.When I first visited Project 9 Brewing Company last
month, I thought it would be a great place to sketch with friends during next
week’s One Week 100 People challenge. I invited Ching and Natalie to join
me for a little practice leading up to it.
As soon as I got there, though, I forgot that my intention was to practice
people and instead started looking for MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-71479832959781804142024-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-03T07:00:00.239-08:00Getting Started 2/29/24 Maple Leaf neighborhoodThese ornamental plum trees on my street are just getting started,
so I tried to contain my exuberance for pink. There’s time enough for full-on
pink in the coming weeks, and I’m more than ready for it. Bring it!MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-46176660426204773712024-03-02T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-02T07:00:00.335-08:00More Mixed Media Pets2/19/24 Zoey (reference photo by Linda Eller)2/18/24 Little Man (reference photo by Linda Eller)One of the requirements I stipulate when I offer pet portrait
commissions is that I get to choose the medium. The main reason is that my
choice is usually led by the animal’s color, the quality of the reference photo
or just something I want to try. I’m having a lot of fun experimenting with
mixed MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-30587057537348807642024-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T07:00:00.148-08:00The Unique Line 2/28/24 blind contourI’ve been talking for a while on this blog about how frustrated I’ve
been by my occasional attempts to find a more expressive voice in drawing. I’ve
spent a lot of years developing my rendering skills, and I think I’m at the
point of having both competence and a style, which I’m mostly satisfied with. But
I still struggle against the literal – slavishly trying to get asMiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-21706264167787070712024-02-29T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T07:00:00.130-08:00Venti-Size Pink Drinks 2/27/24 Cafe JavastiWhen I was in middle school back in the Dark Ages (when it was
still called “junior high”), kids did not really have anywhere to hang out
after school. Unless we were in sports, we all just got on the buses and went
home. (At least, I did – maybe others had places to go that I never knew
about.) Now it’s a common sight to see preteen and teenage kids hanging out after
MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-83107485194818026742024-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-28T07:00:00.130-08:00Winter Sky Colors Even as the University of Washington Quad’s cherry trees
are predicted to blossom in a couple of weeks, we woke to a dusting of snow on
the ground yesterday morning with sub-freezing temperatures. Our overlong
winter has become tiresome.
Still, regardless of temperature, the setting and rising sun occasionally
treats us to fabulous color shows. I am lately missing sunsets more often
MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-73923612136316479312024-02-27T07:00:00.001-08:002024-02-27T07:00:00.134-08:00Give Astra a Chance 2/24/24 Astra, a 100-year-old western red cedar, Wedgwood neighborhoodAstra, an ancient western red cedar, first
came to my attention last fall when the organization The Last 6000 put
out a call: The 100-year-old tree was in danger. Although architects had
shown ways in which the development could be built while still allowing the tree
to live,
the developer of the property where Astra MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-82316126078861363082024-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T07:00:00.134-08:00Greenwood Vignettes 2/24/24 Greenwood neighborhoodAfter the Gab & Grab and lunch (mine was a grilled
cheese sandwich from Valhalla, shown here), USk Seattle had a sketch outing in
the Greenwood neighborhood around the library. I had to leave early so I had
only a short time, but once again, the comic book approach to urban sketching worked in my favor: three tiny vignettes on a small page are
better than MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-49156330294131236532024-02-26T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T07:00:00.266-08:00The Gab & Grab is Back On! Natalie recites limericks she wrote to honor the USk Seattle admins.After a four-year pandemic pause, USk Seattle’s formerly annual Gab & Grab is back on! If I counted right, this was the seventh edition of our popular winter event. On Saturday we met in the Greenwood branch library to swap unneeded art supplies, chat over lunch, and talk about sketching or materials.
I filled a huge MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-34221066073485055402024-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-25T07:00:00.130-08:00Southcenter Dragon 2/23/24 Southcenter MallFor Lunar New Year, Southcenter Mall put up a spectacular 25-foot dragon,
moon gate and other festive decorations. Disappointed that I had to miss the USk
outing there earlier in the week, I went on Friday morning. Kate and Roy met me
there for colorful dragon fun.
The challenge with a subject like this is showing a sense of
scale. If I had sketched the dragon MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-220865105573981879.post-85191310287568903192024-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:002024-02-24T07:00:00.138-08:00Macrina Vignettes While good conversation and laughter ensued with Janet, MaryJean
and Roy, I used Macrina Bakery as an opportunity to try the comic-like approach I had learned from Drewscape. I started the first page (above) with
my orange hazelnut pinwheel (very hastily sketched so that I could get on with
the business of eating it), but I didn’t plan at all, so the random heads didn’t
fit well around the MiataGrrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00727208043312788510noreply@blogger.com2