Sketchnoting at Hill House

8/4/17 sketches and notes made with a brush pen

On our second day in the Twin Cities when it rained, we toured the James J. Hill House, an enormous historic mansion in St. Paul. As a preface, I have to say that I generally don’t do well on tours involving a guide who walks a large group through some facility, pointing out various artifacts while rattling off a stream of amusing anecdotes and historic dates. Even before I was sketching, these types of tours made me glaze over. Now it’s even worse because if I don’t glaze over, I’m seeing something I’d like to sketch, but the guide is already rushing us onward.

Hill house exterior

Wanting to avoid that frustrating experience on the Hill House tour, I tried something new. Initially I thought I would simply make small sketches as quickly as I could. I started doing that, but as the guide spoke, I found myself writing some of what she said next to my sketches, whether they related or not. Eventually I was taking notes and sketching simultaneously, so that the writing related to the sketches. I’ve heard the term sketchnoting, and I’m not exactly sure what that is, but whatever I was doing that day felt like sketchnoting – using sketches and notes to supplement each other. I filled six pages of my sketchbook (two pages shown above).

As our guide talked continuously, there were times when I might have glazed over ordinarily, but sketching keeps me focused so I could listen and retain more information than I otherwise would have. Later when I looked through my sketches and notes, I realized I had remembered more. If I were a student, I think I would learn more using some form of sketchnoting instead of just writing.

I wish I’d taken more photos inside of this impressive, formidable house built in 1891, but I guess I haven’t learned to sketchnotephotograph. Here are a few.

Pipe organ

Stained-glass windows

A Blast of Energy from San Jose Taiko

4/8/17 brush pen, colored pencils

My niece Alix is a member of San Jose Taiko, one of the most well-known and highly acclaimed professional American taiko groups. When I heard that SJT was giving a concert in the Seattle area, my siblings and I organized a family reunion around the concert date so that we could all attend. And I invited Kate along too, because I knew she was a big fan of taiko!

What a blast of energy those eight drummers produce! Their innovative percussion rhythms combined with dynamic choreography are spectacular. They also look like they are having so much fun that they infuse their performance with sheer joy.

I tried my best to capture the spirit of that energy with a brush pen, and I found that I had to use techniques I’ve been teaching myself by sketching small birds at our feeder. Like birds, taiko drummers repeat movements rapidly but rhythmically, so if you just wait a bit, the pose you started to sketch will appear again – maybe by the same drummer, or maybe by a different one.

The photos from my phone aren’t the best quality, but I hope they help to convey some of San Jose Taiko’s kinetic music!

Alix front and center!

Proud auntie and uncle!

Past Due

3/13/17 brush pen, colored pencils

Some people in my ‘hood still have Christmas lights up on their houses, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to see this ornamented tree in a traffic circle.

It’s a good thing I went out in my mobile studio yesterday when I could still see between the raindrops on the windshield to sketch this (I stuck my finished sketch out the window for a second to catch a bit of local DNA). Today the rain is pouring down in sheets, not drops.

But I know those of you in the East and Midwest are shoveling again, so I’ll keep my mouth shut. Stay safe, everyone!

Life Drawing on Steroids

2/19/17 ink, marker, colored pencils

One-minute poses at Gage life-drawing sessions seem like pure extravagance compared to the real-life drawing practice we got today at Seattle Bouldering Project. Urban Sketchers Seattle discovered it was more like one-second poses as people attempted to scale the vertical walls of the practice facility for rock climbers.

2/19/17 brush pen

A recreational venue as well as a training facility, Seattle Bouldering is a huge place with multiple artificial mountains for climbers of all ages and skill levels. Scaling the walls like spiders or hanging upside-down like chickadees, most of the climbers fell eventually, too. “Climbing is 90 percent falling,” we were told by Bouldering staff, and I was very happy to be sketching and not participating.

Almost exactly three years ago, USk Seattle visited Seattle Bouldering, and I remember clearly that I didn’t spend enough time warming up with gestural sketches. This time I heeded my own advice and used several pages of my sketchbook doing nothing but small gesture studies with a brush pen. Always looking for Suhita Shirodkar’s “line of action,” I just kept the brush pen moving. The upstairs balcony offered the best view of the high walls where the more experienced climbers were practicing. It was impressive to see these strong, agile people plan and execute each foothold and handhold.

Once I had loosened up a bit, I decided to make a few slightly larger figures and pay attention to shadows. They turned out to be just as challenging as the figures casting them because the light seemed to be coming from all directions.

From the lower level where I could stand nearly at the same level as the climbers’ thickly padded floor, I finally felt ready to take a larger view of both the people and the strangely shaped interior space.

2/19/17 ink, colored pencils

US Bank Centre

2/10/17 brush pen, ink, colored pencil

US Bank Centre, a retail/business office building in the middle of downtown Seattle, was a pleasant indoor space for winter sketching this morning for the small Friday sketch group. Three floors are open to the public with lots of art, seating, small tables and wide windows.

I picked a window on the second floor to sketch a couple of the globe lamp posts on Fifth Avenue and a tree between them. Then when I stopped to chat with Anne on the third floor, I looked down over the railing and spotted Steve Reddy sketching a small sculpture on the floor below. He’s a slow sketcher, so I thought I had plenty of time, but I must have caught him just as he was finishing up because I only had a minute or two to look over his shoulder, literally.

For the last few minutes before the sketchbook throwdown, I pulled out a pencil to sketch the back side of the stone archway on the main floor. (Apparently it came from the old Music Box Theatre.) Staying on the back side kept me from attempting all the ornate details.

2/10/17 ink, colored pencil

2/10/17 graphite

After lunch, a few of us got a bonus treat: David Chamness works on US Bank Centre’s 24^th floor and invited us upstairs. The huge lobby window faces west toward Elliott Bay. Kate and Vivian were happy to simply enjoy the view, but you know me – I couldn’t resist a quick attempt to capture as much as I could without a panoramic sketchbook. My thanks to David for letting me stay a few more minutes to finish up. (In April I’ll be taking David’s 10x10 Urban Sketchers workshop called “Freedom from Worry and Details” to learn how to do this right!)

2/10/17 graphite, brush pen, colored pencils

GoLytely

10/19/16 brush pen, colored pencils

GoLytely.

If you know what it is, then you’ll sympathize. Of course, the “prep” is the worst part, and mine happened to fall yesterday during the final Presidential debate. Knowing I would have to spend much of the evening there, I decided to set up camp with my laptop in one of our bathrooms so that I could sketch the candidates.

I also sketched the second debate last week. Unfortunately, we were eating dinner while viewing that one, and it killed my appetite. My GoLytely experience was more satisfying.

10/9/16 brush pen, colored pencil

Bergen Place

9/23/16 brush pen, ink, colored pencils

Named for the Norwegian city, Bergen Place is a small but colorful park in the center of Ballard. On Sundays, the park is lively with farmers market shoppers, but on this gusty, drizzly Friday morning, it was quiet except for the regular, startling outcries of a man in flip-flops making erratic hand gestures. (I think the park is his home; I’ve seen him on farmers market days, rummaging through trash cans, shouting at persons unseen by the rest of us.) Despite the questionable weather, four hardy sketchers showed up.

Attracted to the juxtaposition of real trees and art trees, I stood across the street to sketch the park until the drizzle turned to full-on rain. Then I retreated to Starbucks, where a front window gave me a slightly different view of the park, this time with some of the Scandinavian flags visible.

9/23/16 brush pen, colored pencils, ink

We decided to meet at the Ballard public library for our sketchbook throwdown. While I waited a few minutes for the others to show up, I stood near the library’s entrance to catch the sidewalk scene.

I hate to say it, but it feels like fall, and outdoor sketching season is probably over.

9/23/16 brush pen, colored pencils

Kathleen, Kate, Tina and Suzanne: hardy sketchers!

At Last – the Minnesota Fair Sketchout!

8/27/16 colored pencils (rooster)

Greg and I have been visiting his family in the Twin Cities annually for 30 years. During those decades, due to various family events, we’ve managed to time our visits to coincide with the Minnesota State Fair only a couple of times, and the last time was about 10 years ago – long before I began sketching.

Certainly I’ve been to our own Washington State Fair, and the last few years I’ve even joined Urban Sketchers Tacoma there. But I have to say, our fair cannot hold even a 15-hour votive candle to Minnesota. One of the oldest and biggest state fairs in the country, the Minnesota State Fair is arguably the best.

Ever since I started reading Roz Stendahl’s blog several years ago, I’ve been fascinated with her passion for sketching at the Minnesota fair – and for the fair in general. I could see that she worked very hard to organize a very special outing for sketchers in the area – bringing together not just urban sketchers but art groups of all kinds. Every year her sketches of animals at the event and eventually the sketches of other Twin Cities Urban Sketchers inspired me, and I became more and more determined to get to the fair again someday – this time with sketchbook in hand.

My prized Fair Sketchout button on my bag!

This summer the stars finally aligned, and we were able to make it to the fair again – and even better, I made it to the 8th Great Minnesota State Fair Sketchout! Since I had used the previous day with Greg’s family as a preview, I knew exactly which animals and attractions I wanted to sketch, so I hit the ground running! Before I took off, however, I joined Marty Harris, the current sketchout organizer, and an enthusiastic group of Twin Cities sketchers at the morning meet-up. I was proud to finally wear an official Fair Sketchout button (artwork by Marty)!

I spent quite a bit of time wandering slowly through all the animal barns. The chickens were so colorful, and the bunnies were adorable, but I think I had the most fun sketching a broad-breasted bronze turkey. Constantly twitching, his bluish-pinkish head had a bizarre texture that was very challenging to capture. It was fascinating to watch that thing that normally hangs down over his mouth lift up when he ate or drank. Eyeing me intensely, the tom occasionally turned around to display his rear end.

8/27/16 colored pencils (broad-breasted bronze turkey)

In the Dairy building, I watched a demo of the Smart Masker Pro several times. This product would be 10 times faster than using an ordinary roll of masking tape, he assured us. Although he moved quickly, the demo guy made the same motions repeatedly, which made it easier to anticipate what his next gesture would be.

When the occasional drizzle dried up, I wandered around outside to capture the Sky Flyer ride (I stood on a bench to get above the crowds) and Fairchild, the fair gopher mascot, who is celebrating his 50^th birthday this year.

Speaking of crowds, I learned afterwards that a record-breaking 140,000 people attended the fair on the Saturday Sketchout. (A second Sketchout was held the following Monday.) While London crowds completely overwhelmed me, for some reason, I wasn’t bothered by fair hoards. Perhaps eating deep-fried foods on sticks has a sedating effect. (By the way, if you think that making all these sketches kept me from eating, you would be very wrong!)

Spin Art -- something I hadn't
done in decades!

My only regret for the whole day was that I missed sketching Princess Kay of the Milky Way! Crowned during Minnesota fair pageantry, the princess and each of her court members has her likeness carved in a 90-pound block of butter. At a previous fair, I had seen one of the princesses sitting for her butter sculpture (crowned and bundled in a down parka because the sculpting occurs in a refrigerated chamber with glass walls for viewing), and that image was seared in my memory. Where else on earth would I have the opportunity to sketch someone being sculpted in butter? Unfortunately, the sculpting schedule isn’t published, so by the time I got to the Dairy building, the sculptor was done for the day. Oh, well – it gives me a new life goal.

In the late afternoon the sketchers got together again to share sketchbooks, and that’s when I was delighted to meet Roz herself! After all these years of learning from her extremely informative (not to mention entertaining) blog, it was a thrill and honor to meet her in person.

8/27/16 colored pencils (rabbit)

Ken and Roberta Avidor, two more Twin Cities urban sketchers whose work I follow, were also a delight to meet. In addition, I was happily reunited with Amber Sausen and Daniel Green, whom I last saw at the Manchester symposium only a few weeks ago.

I know I’ve said it before, but the single-best thing about Urban Sketchers is the amazing network it offers. Whether I travel around the globe or go to Minnesota, I can find sketchers to spend the day with. The Urban Sketchers world keeps getting smaller.

Many thanks to Marty for organizing a fantastic Fair Sketchout! I can’t wait to get to another one!

Updated 9/2/16: Minnesota Public Radio News has been covering the fair on its website with many sketches by Sketchout participants, including a few by me!

8/27/16 brush pen, colored pencils (pig)

8/27/16 colored pencils (hen)

8/27/16 ink, colored pencils

8/27/16 brush pen (sheep shearing)

8/27/16 brush pen (bunny waiting to compete)

8/27/16 brush pen, Zig marker, colored pencils, ink
(Fairchild, the fair's gopher mascot)

8/27/16 brush pen, rainbow pencil (Sky Flyer)

The Saturday Sketchout sketchbook sharing!

Tina, Roz Stendahl and Marty Harris

Daniel Green, Tina and Amber Sausen

Ken Avidor and Tina

Sketching with Non-Sketchers

8/26/16 brush pen, colored pencil

While my arteries recover from all the deep-fried foods I ate at the Minnesota State Fair, I’ll tell you about my adventures in the Twin Cities the past several days!

Before I get to the bulk of my fair sketches, however, I thought I’d follow up on my post from last week that was prompted by a reader’s question about how I sketch while traveling with my spouse. As you learned from that post, Greg and I have a system that works well for our independent interests. When I’m with other non-sketchers, though, I don’t want to keep them waiting, but of course I always want to sketch anyway. How do I manage that? Our trip to the Twin Cities, with the primary purpose of visiting with family, was filled with examples of how I’ve learned to balance my own desire to sketch with socializing as a group participant.

Our first full day in the Cities was spent with three family members at the famous Minnesota State Fair, one of the largest and best fairs in the country. It helped to know that I would be back again the next day, so I used that first day as a “teaser” to survey all that the fair had to offer and set priorities for my focus later. Still, I hadn’t been to this fair in nearly a decade, and I’d never been there with a sketchbook, so it was impossible to resist sneaking in a few sketches.

8/26/16 brush pen

How? I was always on the lookout for moments (and I mean literally moments of one to five minutes) when the others were occupied. My sisters-in-law want foot-long corn dogs? Plenty of time to sketch polka dancers. Others are still in the restroom? A quick sketch showing the variety of sizes and stances of fair-goers. Strolling through the poultry barn? That’s easy – I just focus on one hen while the others go down the aisle, and I catch up with them a few minutes later. And while the rest of the group goes through a fair history exhibit at a leisurely pace, I go through quickly, then wait outside the exhibit hall to capture more activities in my sketchbook.

It’s a matter of choosing subject matter appropriately – perhaps a single object rather than a scene – making it small, and adjusting expectations to the time available. And sketching fast! I usually use a brush pen for quick gestures, no details and colored pencil scribbles.

8/26/16 brush pen, colored pencil

I even had plenty of time to scarf down foods on sticks, just like everyone else! For the record, the best thing I ate was the deep-fried pumpkin pie served with vanilla ice cream – to die for! Healthiest and a runner-up for best taste was the roasted corn on the cob dipped in butter. Most surprisingly tasty was the deep-fried pickles! I could have passed on the Australian battered potato, although smothering it in sour cream and sweet chili sauce certainly helped. What’s Australian about it? asked a Facebook friend. The answer: the booth was playing “Waltzing Matilda,” and a tiny Aussie flag pierced the top of my potato. Meh!

Stay tuned for the rest of my state fair sketches!

8/26/16 brush pen, colored pencil

The healthiest thing I consumed all day: roasted corn on the cob!

Nitro ice cream!

Australian battered potato

Tom Thumb mini donuts