Scouting Mission at Centennial Park

 

9/18/26 Cafe Hagen at Centennial Park (quiche not shown to scale)

I’d been trying to get to Seattle’s newly redeveloped Centennial Park all summer. My goal was to eventually lead a USk outing there, but this waterfront park on Elliott Bay had several challenges. People who had been there said it was wide open with very little shade anywhere. With new, attractive bike and walking paths connecting the entire waterfront from Queen Anne to downtown, arriving by bike was ideal, but what about the rest of us? Although free parking was available, word had gotten out, and now the lots were full most of the time. For me, taking public transportation required a time-consuming route that included light rail, multiple buses and walking.

Now that the new Café Hagen was open at the north end of the park, I got a new idea: I put the café as my destination in Google Maps, and suddenly the bus leg of my route was shorter, cutting transit time significantly. Summer was nearly over, but I finally figured out how to get there!

Since this visit was mostly a scouting mission, I began with lunch at Café Hagen (a delicious quiche; much better than the nearly inedible toast I had recently at a different Café Hagen) while sketching the enormous grain terminal right in front of me (top of post). Then I walked south, stopping occasionally to sketch along the way (below), until I reached the Olympic Sculpture Park a little more than a mile from Hagen. I saw several more potential sketches as I walked, but I saved them for future visits.

By no coincidence, USk Seattle was near the end of their outing there (which I decided to skip because I’d just sketched at the Sculpture Park in May). I had just enough time for one quick sketch of a sculpture so that I could join the group for the throwdown.

Now that I know how to get to Centennial Park, I can lead an outing there and offer suggestions for public transit. With no shelter or shade except at the café, which has plenty of covered outdoor seating, the cooler, cloudier part of the year may be the best time to be there anyway. I’ll see if I can squeeze in an outing after all before the wet part of fall gets under way.

Myrtle Edwards Park, which is now connected to Centennial Park

Indian blanket flowers, which cover a large area
of the newly planted pollinator meadow

Sketchwaiting Stories

 

7/15/26 Social Security office

6/11/26 medical waiting room

The sketches I make while waiting for someone or something to happen are usually just ways to “kill time” (I’ve always thought that was an odd expression: Why would we want to kill the only resource we truly have in life?). Yet when I look back at them, I realize that almost all vividly remind me of the circumstances in which they were made, even if the subjects are “nothing” (which almost always defines a sketchwaiting sketch), and even if I haven’t written any notes. Or maybe I should say that the sketches evoke the feelings associated with the circumstances.

5/17/26 waterfront

8/6/26 Green Lake PCC

For example, although I didn’t note the temperature, I know that Aug. 6 (above) was a hot day. I didn’t want to turn on the oven to cook, so I went to PCC to get a pizza. I could tell that people were using the café area simply to enjoy the AC.

7/15/26 Social Security office

9/11/26 Federal Way light rail station

The yellow sketch on June 11 (top of post) was made in the waiting room of Greg’s orthopedist, who had examined a broken arm after a fall. He seemed to be declining in other ways, but the fracture was healing well, which gave me hope.

A month later on July 15, I was in the Social Security office with our marriage license, applying for widow’s benefits.

Every sketch tells a story, large and small.

9/14/26 Green Lake

9/16/26 South Lake Union

Highly Flammable

 

9/16/26

Remember the chair I so proudly assembled? The past several months, it had developed a bad squeak. Every time I leaned back or moved, it made increasingly loud noises of the type that drive me crazy. Fortunately, I had saved the tiny L-shaped screwdriver that came with it. I tried tightening all the screws, but that didn’t help. Maybe WD-40?

Googling gave me the answer: Silicone spray. I came home from the hardware store with a can of one of the most toxic, hazardous products I’d ever brought into the house. Highly flammable! Do not smoke while using! Avoid inhaling or contact with skin! Use only in well-ventilated area! Ingestion may cause death! So many dire warnings!

It took me a while to mentally and physically prep for the dangerous operation. The screws had to be loosened so that the threads could be lubed with the silicone. I did that, then put on a pair of disposable gloves, spread newspaper on the floor near the open front door, and had a rag handy for possible drips (as advised by the instructions). Finally ready, I went to open the can – and the cap wouldn’t come off. Unscrewing didn’t work, and the cap was slightly tapered, so getting a grip on it to pull up was impossible.

Fine. I walked to the hardware store again. The young man who helped me gave the cap a slight push sideways, and it popped right off. Kind and cheerful, he never made me feel stupid, but I did anyway.

I walked home in tears, partly because I felt like an idiot. Mostly, though, it was just one more of a million things I took for granted. If I had complained about the squeaky chair, Greg would have said, “Hold on, I got this,” and dashed downstairs for the appropriate tool and toxic substance. Ten minutes later: “There you go. All fixed.”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

Thanks, sweetie. Then, now, and every time in the future that it happens again: Another way to miss you.

USk Rides to the Eastside

 

9/13/26 Northwest African American Museum

I woke to hard rain on the roof and windows.

It was the kind of morning that if I hadn’t been the lead, I would have skipped the USk outing. Instead, I boarded the light rail in damp jeans to an outing I had helped plan and had been looking forward to ever since the 2 Line to the Eastside opened last spring.

The first stop of our two-part outing was Judkins Park Station across the street from Jimi Hendrix Park. I was relieved and happy not to be alone on this wet day – a small group of hardy sketchers joined me! Although most stayed in the park to sketch in the light drizzle, I ducked into the Northwest African American Museum, which I hadn’t been to in years (above). Its exhibits tell illuminating stories of noteworthy Black Seattle residents and other significant national figures and their contributions to American history and culture.

I found a window at the museum with a view toward the park’s large sculpture, “Butterfly Canopy,” which I tend to sketch every time I’m in the park. After that, with a short time left before the throwdown, I attempted a strange (and unsuccessful) composition of the edge of the Butterfly and the top of the museum (both below).

Jimi Hendrix Park

After our throwdown, a handful of sketchers rode on to Part 2 of the outing: Bellevue Downtown Station. Most had not yet taken the light rail across Lake Washington, so it was fun to know that our outing was their first opportunity.

Riding the rails across the lake!

Famished by the time we got to Bellevue, I made lunch at Café Hagen* my first stop. It was as good a place as any to finish a page of sketches for the outing’s second leg. Although we didn’t get the best weather, a day of sketching with USk is always better than a day without!

Cafe Hagen, downtown Bellevue

* If you’re curious about my comment on the sketch of my Nordic Cheese Toast, I’ll give you the full review: Although the prettiest toast I’d ever seen, and while its other ingredients were delicious, the bread was so thick, hearty and crusty that I couldn’t penetrate it with the ordinary utensils I was given. With much struggle, I had to dig out softer bread from the center. Although I have done this only a few times in my life, I took the toast back to the counter and explained my difficulty to the servers. I asked them to tell the chef to try cutting the toast with the same type of knife I had been given. I doubt it had ever been tested; perhaps a hacksaw would do the job.

Lovely but inpenetrable

Rear View of Edmonds Car Show

 

9/6/26 Edmonds Classic Car & Motorcycle Show

Just like the Greenwood Car Show signals the beginning of the summer festival season, the Edmonds Classic Car and Motorcycle Show signals the end. Coinciding with Labor Day weekend this year, the show seemed more crowded than ever, and that’s no surprise: The weather was surprisingly fantastic! Not surprising in that it wasn’t predicted, but it’s just that Labor Day weekend can sometimes be cool and drizzly. What a treat as the crowd meandered slowly to admire all the cars in downtown Edmonds.

As I do in Greenwood (a much larger show), I first walked the entire show snapping photos of my favorites and thinking about which I might sketch. Since all the cars are parked facing the middle of the street where all the show viewers are walking, I couldn’t find a good spot to sketch any from the front. I decided to walk on the sidewalks and sketch cars from the rear!

As has become my personal tradition (doing anything for two consecutive years is a tradition, right?), I finished off my visit with a stop at Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, which has concrete barriers that make convenient seating while facing the street. Enjoying my scoop of Summer Plum as I made my last sketches, I said good-bye to summer in the best possible way.

Sketching outside Molly Moon's during the Edmonds Car Show

I admire this pink T-bird convertible every year!

“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).

Phinney Station from the Other Side

 

8/25/26 Phinney Station, Phinney Ridge neighborhood

After our zoo visit and lunch nearby, Roy, Mary Jean and I walked a half-mile up the street to Bluebird Ice Cream for dessert. The tiny shop’s outdoor seating gave us an ideal view of Phinney Station directly across the street. That’s the venue where USk Seattle had a drink & draw a few weeks ago. I always find it fun to sketch a venue from the outside after having sketched it from the inside – especially when it has lots of umbrellas.

Paper notes: Since I knew I wanted to use Derwent Drawing pencils to draw zoo animals that day, I had brought along my Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook – my favorite paper for use with those soft pencils. Although they’re ideal for fuzzy animals, soft colored pencils weren’t right for Phinney Station’s hard edges. For that, I preferred using a brush pen on Zeta’s smooth surface, which imparts a crisp line to all inks.

How I love Hahnemuhle paper with water-soluble materials!

But what to do about all that background foliage? I knew better, but I went ahead and used water-soluble colored pencils (Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle and Derwent Inktense) and water-soluble Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons anyway. I activated the color, waited for the water to dry, then went back over it lightly with more dry color, trying to put back the texture I had lost. It’s not the same, though, as my all-time favorite 100 percent cotton Hahnemühle with water-soluble materials (as I used in the sketch at right, shown for comparison). Both the texture and especially the sizing of Zeta paper just don’t take wet media as well.

Wallingford Dick’s Drive-in

 

8/24/26 Dick's Drive-in, Wallingford neighborhood

“Serving Seattle’s favorite burgers, hand-cut fries, and real ice cream shakes since 1954,” Dick’s Drive-in in Wallingford still has the classic drive-in shape. I haven’t eaten a burger anywhere in four decades, and I haven’t even eaten fries at Dick’s for years (though I know they are good), but I appreciate any venue widely regarded as an institution. Although I’ve sketched both the Queen Anne Dick’s and the one on Capitol Hill, this was my first time sketching the Wallingford branch of this local chain.

I looked for a composition that would include both the restaurant and the iconic, original sign, but there was too much empty space between them to fit right. Instead, I sketched the sign as an inset (which is a favored layout technique of Mike Daikubara). I don’t always take the time to color in all the details of signs, but who could resist those candy corn colors?

Here and Now

 

8/18/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

A friend, also newly widowed, gave me this book: Grief One Day at a Time: 365 Meditations to Help You Heal After Loss (Alan Wolfelt). I read each dated page in the morning before breakfast (an idea I got from her). A recent page resonated with the way sketching has long been my primary form of meditation:

Being present in the moment is a difficult way of being to master, but it’s worth working on. When you need a break from your grief and mourning, try to focus on the here and now. Pay attention to your breathing…. Notice the people, objects, colors and textures around you. Attend to the sounds you hear. Smell the aromas in the air…. While we will always miss the person who died, focusing on the present moment can provide breathing space.

8/8/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

8/16/26 Green Lake neighborhood

Sometimes I’m unexpectedly and suddenly flooded with grief. It pulls me inward, where my entire past with Greg and my entire future without him exist. After the flood recedes, I take a walk, which puts me back out into the world where only the present exists. Attending to sensory observations is essential for meditation, and sketching documents that attention: I observe this, I draw this, here and now.

8/19/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

8/16/26 Green Lake neighborhood

Rear Views of the Center of the Universe

 

8/15/26 Lake Washington Ship Canal path, Fremont neighborhood

Lenin from the rear

Fremont, AKA the Center of the Universe, is one of my favorite sketching neighborhoods, and I was happy to be back there with USk Seattle. Although I’ve sketched the (in)famous statue of Lenin many times (and I’m sure other long-time sketchers have, too), I never seem to tire of his strong angles and challenging lighting from all the trees around him. This time I tried a fresh perspective – from the rear (at right).

After that, I took a long walk around Fremont to look for my next sketch and to soak in the happy Saturday-afternoon summer vibe. I found myself on the Lake Washington Ship Canal walking/biking path, where I stopped to see how the topiary dinosaurs (which I’ve sketched several times) were doing. Some years, they have looked shaggy or somewhat bald, but they were looking good last weekend. With temps in the mid-70s by then, I walked all around them to find a view that I could sketch in shade (top of post). Coincidentally, the only shady view was again from the rear. Unrecognizable in my sketch, the mama dinosaur’s rear end is on the far left.

Thumbnail to try out the square composition

The more inviting view was of the shadow pattern crossing the Ship Canal path, a power tower and the Aurora Bridge in the distance.

Material note: Lacking a fine-tip marker, I used a Pentel Sign brush pen to draw the relatively fine lines of the power tower in the color sketch – as well as the people, the dry-brushed border and to write the caption. The more I use it, the more I love this brush pen’s wide tip range and versatility (though I do curse its nonrefillable, disposable form factor).

New Drink & Draw Venue

 

8/14/26 Phinney Station, Phinney neighborhood

I feel like I say this every time, but USk Seattle showed a record-breaking turnout for last week’s drink & draw on a gorgeous afternoon! The venue, Phinney Station, was new to us, but I knew from sketching the final World Cup match there that it looked ideal – and it was! We filled up quite a few of their plentiful umbrella’d tables in a huge area. Two food trucks offered different foods, and bringing in outside food was also welcome. Of course, I’m always pleased by dog-friendly venues.

As usual, some folks new to Urban Sketchers joined us for the first time. Several others had come to previous drink & draws but had not yet joined us for regular sketch outings yet. One mentioned that while a general outing still feels intimidating, a casual sit-and-chat over brews feels more comfy and familiar. I’m happy that we have gatherings that are approachable at whatever level people feel ready to participate.

A Milestone Birthday

 

8/12/26 Kim' birthday celebration, University Village

At University Village, Kim’s sketching birthday party was already a treat just by being warm and mostly sunny. To top it off, she brought a magnificent peach galette ala mode from Coyle’s Bakeshop (sorry that I didn’t snap a photo of it, but take my word for it that it was magnificent).

As we all indulged, I sketched Kim and her other guests. Natalie recited a poem she had written to commemorate Kim’s milestone year. When I finished, I handed the sketch to Kim as her gift. (I used a half-sheet of Uglypads paper, which is a fun way to sketch in my usual colored-paper way without having to tear a page out of my sketchbook.)

Relaxed and happy, I looked past our table to sketch the distant scene. Celebrating a friend’s birthday is no different from my own: Another day cherished on planet Earth. (I think about this more often now: What a privilege life is.)

Behemoth

 

8/11/26 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Occasionally walking past the latest behemoth to join the ‘hood, I finally stopped to sketch it on a cool, sunny morning. Another walker stopped to see what I was sketching, and it launched a tirade of anger and frustration: These developments do nothing to resolve the severe shortage of affordable housing. The low quality of materials used by this and other notorious developers means the building will likely be torn down in a couple of decades (unlike our own homes that are a hundred years old). We both observed the number of trees that were probably cut down on the back side of the property where three more duplicate houses are in various stages of construction by the same developer. Note the scale of nearby houses.

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.