Not Many Notes Here, Either

 

8/23/26 Green Lake Village

8/23/26 Green Lake

Like the commuter portraits I talked about a couple of days ago, I’m frowning at the lack of writing with my fitness-walk sketches, too. Sometimes making a sketch will prompt thoughts that I’d like to write about, but I save them for my written journal (which I work on mostly in the evening). Standing on the sidewalk is not exactly conducive to long-form writing, but maybe I can learn to be less verbose – boil down my thoughts to a couple of sentences.

8/27/26 Green Lake

8/31/26 These idiotic geese have the bad habit of 
wandering out into the street, but instead of crossing to the other side, they just meander around slowly, stopping traffic in both directions.

I tend to write a bit more in my sketch journal when I travel because I’m using it as a travel journal, too. As you read this, I am just getting back from a week away in which I set myself the goal of writing more in my sketch journal (and not at all in my written journal, which I didn’t even bring). I’ll probably eventually talk about that process.

9/7/26 Maple Leaf Park

9/15/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

I didn’t forget that today is Day 1 of InkTober! Although I have a plan, as I’m writing this more than a week in the past, my future self doesn’t know yet how successful I was at starting InkTober on a travel day. I may begin tomorrow. Will report in soon.

9/22/26 I remember when this old snag standing in Maple Leaf Park was still a tree. I don't think I ever
sketched it then. I thought it was time to finally appreciate it.

That Ambivalent State (Plus My 15th Year)

 

9/17/26 Green Lake

When I can see and sketch color at every turn, I know it’s full-on leaf-peeping season. We’re not there yet. Although some Japanese maples are way ahead of the game (as they usually are), most trees are in that ambivalent state: The lush greens of summer have faded, replaced by hints of golden yellow. The south-facing leaves of other trees are barely blushing red-orange, and I have to restrain myself from going in hard with the bright colors I want to see.

I’m not impatient, though. These neither-here-nor-there hues are just as lovely to see and try to capture, especially during this amazingly beautiful September we’ve been having.

By the way, today is the 15^th anniversary of the day I began drawing. That’s a significant milestone, and I intended to write something profound, insightful or at least witty to commemorate the day. But drawing has been an integral part of my life for so long now that it would be like commemorating the 15^th year since I started drinking water or breathing air. No fanfare; I’ll just go on sketching.

Edited 9/21/26 8:26 a.m. OK, maybe just a bit of fanfare 😉. I dug up this sketch from Day 1, Sept. 21, 2011, for social media, so I'll put it here, too.

9/21/11

Full Moon Over Discovery Park

 

9/9/26 Discovery Park Radar Dome and Heritage District

After my scouting mission to Discovery Park in July, it was fun to finally meet there with Urban Sketchers, especially on a gorgeous but not-too-hot day. With 560 acres, Discovery is Seattle’s largest park. We decided to focus on the Fort Lawton Historic District featuring the 100-foot high Cold War-era radar dome or “Radome.”

Rising like a mysterious full moon over the district’s turn-of-the-20^th-century (still occupied) homes, the Radome was both bizarre and irresistible, at least to me. I sketched it twice, once behind the historic homes (above) and once from the former Ft. Lawton Parade Grounds (below).

Ft. Lawton Post Chapel

With a short time left before the throwdown, I sketched the Fort Lawton Post Chapel that I’d admired the last time I visited. The World War II-era chapel is somewhat plain and not very distinctive as far as chapels go, but I always enjoy sketching steeples.

Once again, we were treated to “ideal” sketching weather that was comfortable even in the sun (if you’re fast like I am). Most sketchers found hospitable trees offering large areas of shade. I wouldn’t mind if the weather stayed like this for the next three months! (Of course, it will likely end any day now.)

“Summer Thunder” at Kubota Garden

 

8/30/26 Taiko drumming event at Kubota Garden

Since notice was very short, I wasn’t sure how many sketchers would join me at Kubota Garden for “Summer Thunder,” a taiko drumming event that also featured dancing and storytelling. I was happy to find at least a few folks there!

As soon as I arrived, I realized I hadn’t been to the garden in quite a while; I think the last time was in 2022. It’s lovely year-round, but late summer is probably one of the best times to be at Kubota. Some Japanese maples were just beginning to hint at turning; in a couple of months, they’ll be gorgeous. I could have spent a long time trying to capture layers of foliage, but on this sunny afternoon I was more in the mood for the festive taiko event (top of post).

Eventually I took a walk through the maze of the garden. No matter how many times I’ve been there, I always get lost on its meandering paths. I don’t know where I was when I found a pine tree that was asking to be sketched (a good eavesdropping spot, too).

Lunar Eclipse

 

8/27/26 partial lunar eclipse

Not paying attention to the time, I nearly missed last Thursday’s partial lunar eclipse when a text from a friend reminded me to look out the window. Luckily, the sky was clear at exactly 9:12 p.m. PT, when 96.2 percent of the moon was obscured – the peak of the near-total eclipse. I knew I would be asleep by the time it looked interesting again, so I was happy to catch this much.

Back in January 2019, I made a series of sketches of a total lunar eclipse that had begun earlier in the evening.

The Zoo is Full of Surprises

 

8/25/26 Silverback gorilla, Woodland Park Zoo

Visiting the zoo is always a crapshoot. Some days the animals are awake and active; others they are sleeping or just hiding from visitors. Woodland Park Zoo opens at 9 a.m. each day because the animals are supposedly more active in the morning, but I’ve had both good and bad luck at all times of day. You never know what you’ll get.

When Mary Jean, Roy and I visited last week, our sketchbooks were ready for whatever the animals gave us. I’ve been visiting the zoo for all the years I’ve been sketching, and on this day, the gorillas were the most visible and sketchable than any time I can remember! The silverback gave us the best show, loping around, leisurely chewing on twigs he was foraging and finally chillin’ with his snack very close to the viewing area. Several other adults and a few adolescent gorillas were also actively hanging out. They were all fascinating to watch and draw.

The Humboldt penguins are usually easy to see and sketch wherever they are in their large, open exhibit, but on this day several were within the viewing area that puts them closest to visitors. Molting and apparently uncomfortable, the birds vigorously scratched and preened their scrappy-looking feathers. After taking a dip, they would shake their tiny wings and rear ends, then dive in again. So much fun!

Humboldt penguins

A few weeks ago when I visited, Carson, the red panda, had been easily visible. This time, I could barely see him in the distance, so all I sketched in the Forest Trailhead exhibit was a tree kangaroo (probably the same one who was sitting on the same perch as last time).

Tree kangaroo and Humboldt penguins

Like all urban sketching, much of the fun and challenge is not knowing what you’ll get but enjoying whatever it is.

(See this Instagram post for a couple of videos I took of the silverback and a penguin.)

Seward Park Trees

 

8/26/26 Seward Park

Although I visited Seward Park fairly often as a teen, after I moved further north as an adult, I rarely went there. I wish it were closer: It has a lovely 2.4-mile walking loop with Lake Washington on one side and a dense, old growth forest on the other. It’s one of Seattle’s more serene parks; even on weekends, it never seems crowded (unlike Green Lake, my own neighborhood park, which can look like Malibu beach on sunny weekends).

USk Seattle met at Seward on Wednesday when it was cool and overcast. Since the temperature was ideal for fitness walking, I began the outing with a loop around the park. Although the dense growth of trees is serene, it’s formidable to sketch; I was looking for an individual tree I could isolate easily in a composition. About three-fourths of the way around, I came upon an old snag with an interesting shape (at right).

When I completed the loop, I looked around for another sketch and found myself at a familiar spot just as the sky was clearing. I think the first time I sketched this stand of shoreline poplars (top of post) was with graphite in Kathleen Moore’s nature drawing course years ago. Another time I made a quick stop when I happened to be in the neighborhood. Anytime in the afternoon, the slender trees cast lovely shadows that I find irresistible.

Majestic Bay Theatres

 

8/21/26 Majestic Bay Theatres, Ballard

Opened in 1914, the Majestic (and later Bay) Theatre used to be a single-screen neighborhood theater in Ballard for decades. Although I don’t recall seeing any movies there, I remember it as the Bay, probably in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Renamed the Majestic Bay, it was rebuilt as a modern multi-plex in 1998, where it continues to screen first-run and older movies.

When I sketched it last week, the Majestic Bay was showing “The Odyssey,” “Spider-Man” and other first-runs. One marquee promoted “Retro Night,” which was featuring “Snakes on a Plane.”

Although the blue lighted sign is probably original, the rest of the building has a contemporary look. It was difficult to find a good composition that was unobstructed, but since I’m not too fond of the building anyway (other than the sign), I went across the street to sketch it behind a tree. (Trees make such great compositional obstructions when I’m not interested in sketching a building, which is almost always. Now you know my secret: When I don’t want to sketch something, I just look for a tree to block it.)

Deep Fog in August

 

8/14/26 8:15 a.m., Maple Leaf neighborhood

The day dawned to a deep fog of the type we usually don’t see until autumn. Say it ain’t so!

Material and process notes: When drawing fog, I tend to use graphite, but on a whim I tried a Derwent Drawing pencil (Midnight 6710). Soft, creamy pencils like this make me want to bear down and use them like crayons, so it took some self-control to use as little pressure as possible.

Working on this sketch, I thought of all the exercises I’ve done from instruction books and in classes to make a gradient of values using one pencil, beginning from the lightest value and working darker. Drawing fog is the on-location version of that exercise: I must begin with the lightest value (the distant fir) so that I’ll know how much darker to make the other values.

Activity in the Forest Trailhead

 

8/10/26 Red panda and tree kangaroo, Woodland Park Zoo

I hadn’t been back to Woodland Park Zoo’s new Forest Trailhead exhibit since it opened in May. That time, it had been difficult to see the animals beyond quick, distant glimpses. Last Monday was a good time to return: All the animals were more active, so as they moved around the exhibit, I could follow until they were in better positions to sketch. Carson, the red panda, gave me the best view when he flopped down on a branch to doze.

As usual, I got so excited and engrossed in sketching that I took almost no photos. This photo of one of the tree kangaroos was the only one I remembered to snap.

On my way back out, I stopped to see the Humboldt penguins. A mama gull and her youngster were trying to get in on the penguin feeding. The keeper who was giving a presentation said that mama gull had made a nest in the open-air penguin exhibit and was now raising her chicks there! Although the keepers avoid feeding them, the clever opportunists know when free room and board are a good deal.

Humboldt penguins and an opportunist.

The Interview

 

8/7/26 Whole Foods cafe

I could tell immediately by their body language: A job interview was taking place. After walking to an errand, I had stopped at Whole Foods’ café for an iced Americano. Tempted to sketch them at the adjacent table, I resisted, not wanting to add to the candidate’s stress if she happened to catch me observing them.

Although I could hear the manager’s questions clearly (the position was for a Whole Foods cashier), the candidate’s responses were so quiet that I couldn’t hear them at all. Recalling the many job interviews I had been on in my career, they had all been conducted in proper offices – not in a noisy, distracting café where patrons could easily overhear. It all made me cringe with empathy.

Of the many things I am grateful for about retirement, never having to go on another job interview is near the top of the list.  

Steer Horns

 

8/4/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

In the nearly 40 years that I have lived in Maple Leaf, I’m almost certain I had never before seen a pickup with steer horns on the hood in these parts (at right). Even more unexpected? The driver who appeared as I was finishing the sketch was wearing dreads.

It just goes to show: Whatever stereotypes I might hold about vehicles or their drivers might be very wrong.

The rest of these walk-sketches are less surprising but no less worthy of observation.

7/16/26 Green Lake (A sudden cloudburst sent me for 
shelter under a tree, where I thought I'd sketchwait it out. 
Unfortunately, my "umbrella" sprang a leak! And apparently Pentel Sign pens contain water-soluble ink.)

7/20/26 Discovery Park

7/21/26 Maple Leaf

7/22/26 Maple Leaf

7/29/26 Maple Leaf

8/1/26 Maple Leaf

Blue Angel Watchers

 

8/2/26 Maple Leaf Park

I enjoy going to Maple Leaf Park for the Blue Angels’ annual Seafair show, but not to watch the planes. Greg and I always enjoyed doing it together: He went for the planes while I went to sketch the viewers.

Things we used to do together still bring me joy, but now they’re laced with sadness. That seems to be my definition of grief.

My snack while I waited for the watchers.

Late Start

 

7/17/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

What a slacker: Here I am in the latter half of July, and this is only my first urban couch of the season! I’ve seen a few the past couple of months, but every time, I was driving by and on my way to an appointment or other plans, so I couldn’t stop. Finally, this one was on my walking route, when I couldn’t help but sketch it. To shake things up, I tried a negative drawing approach – fun!

I’m warmed up now – bring on the couches!

A Stroll Through Winslow

 

7/14/26 Mt. Baker from Seattle-to-Bainbridge ferry

On the last day visiting friends Cathy and Bettina were in town, we decided we didn’t get enough ferry riding the day before; we took a different ferry to Winslow on Bainbridge Island. (According to several Instagram travel influencers who fell into my feed, riding a ferry is a quintessential, must-do Seattle summer thing. Indeed!)

Enjoying a leisurely brunch on the Streamliner Diner’s porch, strolling through Winslow’s “downtown” (a few blocks long), and popping into charming shops, we were more tourists than sketchers that day. We also visited the Bainbridge History Museum and Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, both of which are free every day. The latter currently has a retrospective show by Carletta Carrington Wilson that especially moved me.

I made only two sketches that day: One was of a huge “retort” (vessel) from the turn of the 20^th century that was used to transport toxic creosote (below). Easily wide enough in diameter for people to walk through and read the placards inside, the retort is a permanent exhibit outside the Bainbridge History Museum.

Creosote retort and a card from  Blackbird Bakery, 
where we all indulged in delish chocolate chip cookies.

The second sketch was of Mt. Baker from the ferry to Bainbridge (above). While not visible from Seattle, Baker is often visible from Edmonds, but I never did catch it from the beach during Sketcher Fest. It makes a nice pairing with the sketch I had made of Mt. Rainier from the Edmonds ferry the day before.

Valkyrie Viking Ship

 

7/13/26 Valkyrie Viking ship moored on Liberty Bay, Poulsbo

On the Monday following Sketcher Fest, USk Seattle led an excursion to the small town of Poulsbo on the Olympic Peninsula. The outing was intended to give visitors still in town for Sketcher Fest a taste of true Pacific Northwest summer entertainment that included a ferry ride.

The highlight of the trip was the opportunity to sketch the Valkyrie Viking ship made with traditional Nordic construction methods. Owner Erik gave us a brief history of the ship, which was built by his family.

On the ferry ride back to Seattle, I caught stunning Mt. Rainier giving everyone aboard her best side.