Bone-Chilling Akebono

 

12/3/25 Sushi omakase plate at Akebono,Wedgwood neighborhood

After my satisfying completion of downsizing, phase 3, last month, I had planned to celebrate in short order, but somehow appointments and other things kept getting in the way (including my birthday, which had several celebrations of its own). My calendar finally cleared so that I could enjoy a leisurely celebration sketching lunch.

On my first visit to Akebono, a Japanese restaurant that opened in nearby Wedgwood last spring, I had given it my “chirashi test,” which is my favorite way to try any new-to-me sushi restaurant. I felt a little disappointed that time, though, that I didn’t sketch that fantastic meal in full color. Since then, I’ve gotten takeout meals from Akebono a few times (one of which I sketched to test my go-bag sketch kit last summer), but I hadn’t eaten inside the restaurant again. Now that I was certain the food was reliably good*, I knew what I wanted to do someday: Sketch (and of course eat! But sketching is the most important part, right?) an omakase meal there.

You may recall that my big celebration last December after a particularly burdensome downsizing task was an omakase meal at Moriyama. That was such a special and enjoyable experience that I wanted to repeat it at Akebono. Seeing the options on their menu previously, I suspected it wouldn’t be quite the same, mainly because the price was significantly lower at Akebono, but at least I was confident of the food quality.

I reserved my editorial comments for my sketch journal. 

In that regard, I was not disappointed at all. My sushi omakase plate was both delicious to eat and beautiful to sketch – as well as a good value. While the meal did not have Moriyama’s artistic garnishes and leisurely presentation, the price was an affordable occasional treat instead of an extravagance.

I regretted not being able to sketch chef Alo this time, but because I was seated at the sushi bar, he was barely visible behind a pile of clutter. My biggest complaint, though, was how friggin’ cold the place was! I don’t remember it being that cold last spring. I kept my coat on (over three layers) for the entire meal. I was about to say something to my server when I overheard another party mention the same complaint. The server replied that the restaurant interior needs to be kept at that temperature to keep the sashimi fresh. Hmmm. I’ve dined in many, many sushi restaurants, and none of them have had to keep patrons refrigerated at the same temperature as the fish!

Next time I’m in the mood for Akebono (which also serves ramen, bowls and other items I haven’t tried yet), I’m going to stick with takeout so I can enjoy the food in my heated home. Maybe I’ll dine in again on a sweltering summer day, when the “refrigeration” will feel comfortable.

* At the risk of sounding like a restaurant critic (OK, I suppose I’m already a donut and croissant critic; I might as well move on to sushi), the main reason I haven’t been back to Moriyama in a while is that their food quality has been inconsistent. After a couple of great dining experiences and then that knockout omakase, I had two very disappointing takeout meals. Typically, hot takeout foods can suffer by the time you get them home, but sushi is already cold, so that shouldn’t affect quality. It just wasn’t good. I’m not sure what the problem was, but as it’s also an inconvenient drive with difficult parking, Moriyama is no longer on my go-to list.

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!

Mom’s Sewing Basket

 

9/2/25 My mom's (and now my) sewing basket

During some recent reshuffling of stuff *, I unearthed my mom’s sewing basket. It was one of few things I had claimed for purely sentimental reasons after she died. At the time, I was a fiber artist, so I had some vague ideas of using the basket as part of an art piece. Mainly, though, I was still grieving too much to even look at it, so I simply wrapped it up to keep it clean and stored it behind a pile of other stuff. Out of sight, out of mind – for 16 years.

When I unwrapped the basket, I knew instantly what I would do: Use it! My own sewing basket had been an ugly plastic bin that you get at craft stores. Made of a woven material that was getting a bit shabby, my mom’s basket wasn’t anything special except that she had used it for many decades. I kept her notions and sewing tools that were still inside and added my own sewing stuff (which I rarely use except to mend or hem, but everyone needs a sewing kit, right?).

At some point, the basket’s clasp had broken. Child of the depression and of farmers, my mom wouldn’t dream of replacing the whole basket just because the clasp had broken. She rigged up a Bic ballpoint cap to replace it – so practical and utilitarian! That’s my mom. I know she would be pleased that her basket is still being used.

9/3/25 Cloud City Coffee

* Downsizing, Phase 3, has begun! My original plan was to replace the carpeting upstairs after I finished clearing out the last two attic areas that need to be downsized. I’m proceeding with the attic tasks, but I’ve decided to defer replacing the carpet for a while. Instead, I had all the existing carpeting deep-cleaned – which was just as tedious as getting new flooring because every single, tiny thing had to be removed from the floor! That meant that all the remaining random dribs and drabs in my studio/office that I hadn’t brought downstairs or gotten rid of in the spring now needed to be moved or removed permanently.

The good news is that the carpet is now cleaner than it has been in 35 years (even a sizeable Platinum Carbon Black ink spill and numerous small paint stains came out)! And instead of dreading it, I’m actually looking forward to the remaining downsizing tasks because now I know the deep satisfaction that awaits me when I’m done. My goal is to finish by year’s end. Of course, I’m also looking forward to the small celebrations along the way!

Blue Blues

8/12/25 Whole Foods cafe

I just passed the halfway point in a dark blue Uglybooks. It’s the first time I’ve used this color as my daily-carry sketch journal, and I have to admit, it’s a tough one. Coloring highlights instead of shading is a brain buster, but that’s a challenge I enjoy. My struggle is with black and gray. Although I love the way white and some high-contrast acrylic markers pop against the blue, the contrast isn’t strong enough with dark inks. I could just forego black and gray in this book, and I might eventually, but in the meantime, I’m trying different approaches.

8/14/25

The page spread (above) I made at the Whole Foods café the other day is my favorite approach so far. Instead of forcing conventional shading and highlights, I stuck with line drawings and overlapped white and black. 

Although I figured the paper would be too dark to use with colored pencils, I tried a still life (right) using a white pencil first as a base before applying other colors over it. With that technique, the colors popped well enough – better than I expected.

Naturally Occurring Still Lives

7/9/25

 A still life is typically an arrangement of objects that an artist designs in the studio for the purpose of drawing or painting. The objects are optimally lighted from just the right angle so that their form and cast shadows are part of the design.

(This post isn’t about the difference between a still life and an urban sketch, but as a diehard urban sketching evangelist, I can’t help but make this point: Since a still life is made from direct observation, some sketchers draw a vase of flowers on their kitchen table and call that an urban sketch. I would argue that anything you set up yourself for the deliberate purpose of drawing is not urban sketching because there’s no story or context there other than the exercise of drawing. End of sermon.)

7/27/25 

The only times I’ve ever worked from a studio still life were in classes or at home as class homework. The best example is from Terry Furchgott’s class years ago. Although I appreciated learning about rendering form from these exercises, I was relieved that the instructor had done the work for us. For each student, she arranged a unique still life inside a box that was open on only one side. The arrangement was lighted with a single light source to minimize confusing shadows. Although it was an ideal setup for understanding and practicing values and forms, I’m too lazy to do all that for myself.

Shown here are some sketches I’ve made on the patios at Aegis Living. Although these might be legitimate urban sketches, I think of them more as naturally occurring still lives. I don’t arrange anything or even move a chair (though the temptation is sometimes there); I simply look around for compositions. (This is my personal philosophical argument, not a “rule” of urban sketching, but I believe that as soon as I move a chair to improve the composition, I am making a still life, not an urban sketch.)

7/29/25 

An important part of these “designs” are the cast shadows, which I find especially interesting when the sources of the shadows are not part of the composition (as in the one at left).

These naturally occurring still lives are a fun challenge that also appeal to my naturally lazy nature.

Double-Duty Bouquet

 

5/25/25 Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle, Supracolor, Neocolor II

For the past several years, a flower grower opens a kiosk every spring in a corner of the 76 station a few blocks from home. Although her family also sells at farmers markets, Maple Leaf is lucky to have Bao’s convenient kiosk. She makes the most spectacular bouquets in town, and whenever I want flowers, I get them from her.

I take two bouquets to the cemetery on Memorial Day weekend, but I always filch a few flowers from each for myself (I know my parents and sister wouldn’t mind). My mini-bouquet served double duty this year because I wanted to sketch flowers for a special birthday card (the recipient is turning 90!).

Three Lamps

 

2/24/25 Our three portable lamps. The floor lamp has moved to a different corner of the livingroom, the other antique has moved to my studio, and the contemporary one is now my bedside lamp.

To accommodate furniture changes from my move downstairs, I rearranged the three portable lamps in our home. Doing so made me realize that all three were selected and purchased by Greg, two before I even met him. Although we both love them, we hardly used them when he lived here because they weren’t on switches. The two antiques have cumbersome pull chains or a hard-to-reach knob under the shade to operate.

All that changed when I discovered smart plugs. In the dead of winter when I want as much light as I can get, the lamps are on timers, and I can easily enjoy their soft, warm illumination.

The spouse guy recently spent a few days in the hospital recovering from an infection (he’s fine now and back “home” at Aegis). Feeling sad and anxious, I reached for my usual remedy: my sketchbook. Drawing the lamps calmed me and reminded me that the lamps he bought still bring me comfort every day.

Not-Quite Comics

2/21/25 Sketch journal page

One of many small but necessary tasks related to moving my studio from upstairs to downstairs is that all the bookcases will need to be braced to the wall studs again (yes, we have to do that here in earthquake country). Greg did it himself decades ago for all my bookcases. I don’t remember anything about it because it was just one of those things he automatically took care of: Just one of many, many things I took for granted when he lived here.

Now that the bookcases occupy my new studio (the furniture move was completed yesterday! More on that soon), I’ve hired a handyman to take care of that and several other tasks. Most of the braces will be reused, but I needed an additional set. I went to the hardware store to get more like the ones Greg had installed previously. Ace offered several “kits” that cost quite a bit more, but the staff member who helped me said that they were easier to install. I was confident the handyman would know how to install the basic L-shaped braces that Greg had put in . . . but then I had doubts that I was getting the right type for the particular bookcase they are for. I have doubts about pretty much everything I’ve ever looked at or purchased at the hardware store because it’s all so foreign to me.

Two of my emptied bookcases shortly before they were moved downstairs.

I miss Greg every day in so many ways.

Process notes: Lately I’ve found myself making sketches with related text that in my mind do not really qualify as comics because I feel they require more writing to be complete. True comics should be able to stand alone without further explanation. To finish the story, I write here on my blog. Other examples are “Shoe Horn” and “Office Chair.”

For the past year, I’ve been working with varying degrees of success to make autobiographical comics mostly from imagination. On top of the supreme challenge of drawing from my head, it has also been a struggle to pare down stories so that they fit into three or four panels.

The fact is, I’m a writer. For four decades, I made my bread and butter with words. To make comics, I am constantly fighting against words that come so naturally to me and that I’m more adept at using than making clumsy drawings.

Eventually I found myself simply enhancing what I sketched with words as you just read in this story about the bookcase braces. I’ve accepted that it’s OK for text to enhance a drawing in the same way that illustrations can enhance writing. I didn’t plan it or think about it much; it just started happening organically. I appreciate and enjoy any creative process that happens organically, so I’m going to go with it.

Related insight: A while back, I had talked about how I initially had the idea to use the autobiographical comics format to tell stories about my caregiving experiences. Although some aspects of such a project appealed to me, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that to do it well, I’d have to keep my head in the painful, difficult past. I decided I didn’t want to keep my head there, even if the end result could be healing.

Interestingly, again in a very organic way, I’ve begun using comics – or these not-quite comics – to talk about learning how to live without Greg. Instead of looking back at the past, I look at the present. I can focus on all that I appreciate about him and all the years we have shared. I can also focus on my own growth as I learn new skills that I didn’t need before.

Seacuterie

2/1/25 My seacuterie dinner

During the decades when Greg and I both worked full time, one of our favorite ways to unwind on Friday nights was to put together a charcuterie dinner washed down with beer or 2-buck Chuck while we watched rented movies on VHS and DVDs (the pre-streaming days). “Charcuterie” is probably an overstatement; we just put out whatever lazy, easy stuff we had in the fridge or pantry – canned fish and oysters, cheese, crackers, dip, pickles, olives – and called it good. And it was good. So good, in fact, that we kept it going after we retired and no longer had an excuse for such laziness (except that retirement is made for laziness). And now that I live alone, I’m lazier than ever (at least about meal prep)!

I can’t even recall now what I was searching for, but one day a few months ago, I ended up on YouTube plunging headlong into a rabbit hole of – wait for it – people reviewing “tinned” fish (“tinned” is more trendy than “canned”). They eat the contents straight out of the can in front of a video camera. Apparently tinned fish initially caught fire on TikTok (doesn’t everything of any value begin on TikTok?), and now everyone wants to eat it, talk about it, and talk about it while eating it.

That’s how I learned that this thing we’d been doing for decades is called a “seacuterie” or “conservas board.” People put out tins on a tray and serve them to guests, and it’s considered cool and fancy! Who knew we were cool and fancy! 

And the tins have become fancy, too. I’m used to $2 cans of sardines from Costco, but that rabbit hole taught me that you can now buy cans upwards of $20! I won’t go that far, but my curiosity led me to cans of sardines, salmon and mackerel in the $5-to-$10 range, and I admit, they are way better than the ones from Costco. Damnit – now I’m doomed to buy $5 and $10 sardines for the rest of my life. (This is starting to sound like art supplies: After using Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelles, how can I go back to Supracolors?)

Tinned fish purchased and eaten in Porto

It never would have occurred to me to sketch my simple “seacuterie” meal, but now that I know I’m trendy (and have been for a long time), I felt I must. (In fact, sardines are considered to be “hot girl food” – so now I’m not only trendy; I’m hot!)

One more thing related to tinned fish: One of many delights we discovered in Portugal was the unbelievably fantastic selection of tinned seafood available there. Portugal, the sardine and anchovy capital of the world, offers canned fish in conserveira shops, where shelves are stacked with extraordinarily beautiful, colorful tins. We couldn’t resist buying a bunch in Porto. We ate them all for breakfast during the rest of the trip because we didn’t want to haul the heavy cans home in our luggage. Best tinned fish ever! What a treat! (The beginning of this video shows a Lisbon restaurant that serves canned fish! That’s an even lazier dining experience than my seacuterie . . . at least I open the cans myself!) 

Almost as pretty as an art supply store!

Near-Miss on National Croissant Day

 

1/30/25 Macrina Bakery, Maple Leaf neighborhood

I may have ambivalence about Facebook, but if it hadn’t been for my Facebook “Memories” reminding me of my past observances of National Croissant Day on Jan. 30 each year, I might have missed it altogether!

Gratefully spared of that tragedy, I gave myself a break from income tax work to observe the important holiday. Since we have a CPA who does the heavy lifting, the hardest part about tax stuff is just getting started with the tedious prep. As I’ve experienced many times with downsizing tasks, I have a bad habit of procrastinating and procrastinating, and the longer I do, the more onerous it becomes (in my mind). Once I get started, though, it doesn’t take much time because by then I’m motivated to finish quickly. So the chocolate croissant wasn’t just a national observance; it was also a reward for getting started earlier in the tax season than I usually do.

Art, Jazz and Introversion

 

1/29/25 Aljoya Thornton Place art gala

If you don’t know me personally and saw only my posts about outings with Urban Sketchers, drink & draws, and other sketch gatherings with friends, you might have the impression that I’m a gregarious extrovert. You’d be dead wrong. I’m actually one of the strongest introverts I know. I suppose I would label myself a “social introvert” (as categorized by people who like to categorize people): I prefer spending time alone or in smaller social settings. I generally avoid large gatherings, but if I’m in the right mood, I’m open to them. (But like all types of introverts, I need a long period of time alone after any socializing to recharge.)

Attending art exhibit receptions at Aljoya Thornton Place retirement community is a bit of a stretch for my introverted self, but the last time I attended, I had a good time. And just like my daily fitness walk is motivated by the potential for a sketch, so is pushing myself out the door for an event like this. (Bonus: The weather was beautiful that afternoon, so I even walked to the event at Northgate – win/win/win!)

After enjoying the art, I followed the jazz music into the library to finish my bubbly and excellent snacks. Walking into a room where everyone else is already engaged in conversation can be awkward, but that’s where my sketchbook is such a great companion. I found a seat where I could see the jazz trio performing and pulled out my sketchbook. Eventually another woman attending alone sat down nearby, commented on my sketch, and we started chatting.

I’ve heard many beginning (and not-so-beginning) sketchers lament about their fear of sketching in public – the fear of attracting attention, of having to reveal their work, or even of being criticized. I have the opposite view: In a potentially awkward or uncomfortable social setting, sketching puts me at ease. It also seems to give other people an easy way to approach me, so I don’t have to do that work. Some might call my sketchbook a security blanket, but it also serves as an icebreaker.

Best of all, I go home with a sketch.

Technical note: This is one of my favorite kinds of sketch journal pages: Some on-location sketches that show what I did, some space for writing, and a bonus bit of collage! (In case it's difficult to read my fortune, it says: "Good ideas will spring forth naturally from your mind in the coming week." I like that!)

Play Date at US Bank Centre

1/27/25 US Bank Centre

As mentioned yesterday, Roy, Mary Jean and I had an art play date at US Bank Centre, where lots of comfy tables and chairs are available to spread out materials, and no one else seems to use them (at least on weekdays). One of my intentions with indoor play dates is to use chunky materials that are hard to use in the field, especially while standing. This time I also wanted to take my turn in the Seawhite of Brighton concertina book for our round-robin exchange because I hadn’t made any sketches in it since the last round. I was afraid the page size would be a bit too small for chunky materials, but I gave it a shot using Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons (top of post). The book worked out fine when I opened up several panels.

Later I stepped back from the room and sketched them sketching (below).

The best part was our throwdown when we all spread open our concertina books before the next round-robin exchange. All three books are full on one side, and one is already partially full on the second side. It’s so much fun to rotate the books and see the latest sketches the others have made in them.

Our round-robin concertina throwdown!

Maybe that wasn’t the best part of our day; it could have been lunch at Urara Japanese Cuisine, where I had (and sketched) the most beautiful chirashi I’ve seen in a long time! It was as delicious as it was colorful. Since I didn’t sketch it in full color, I’m including a photo for your heart-eyes emoji reaction. Even if you don’t like sashimi, you must appreciate the artistry in this meal!

1/27/25 Urara Japanese Cuisine

Edible art!

Narcissus

1/23/25 Paperwhite narcissus

The friend who has often given me amaryllis plants for Christmas gave me a paperwhite narcissus “kit” this time. Unlike the rapidly growing amaryllis, which is so much fun to sketch because it visibly changes every day, the narcissus has been sluggish. After following the planting instructions, it changed so little for so long that I thought for sure I had already killed it (this kit is supposed to be foolproof for black thumbs like mine . . . we’ll see). Onion-like sprouts did start coming up eventually, though very slowly.

Impatient for blossoms, I thought I’d sketch it now at the onion stage to encourage it to bloom. If I don’t kill it before that happens, I’ll sketch it again when it does! 

Happy Meal

 

1/21/25 My Happy Meal

Speaking of burgers, by an amusing coincidence, this vegetarian had another burger encounter the next day. A Canadian friend had texted me a few days prior, asking for a favor: McDonald’s was about to begin a promotion including Pokemon cards inside Happy Meals. Some of the rare, collectible cards are known to be worth five and even six digits. The promotion would be available only in the US.

A collector of the cards, the friend warned me that some past Pokemon promotions have caused competitive riots in Target and Walmart stores (in the US, of course). Now that I’ve stopped collecting vintage colored pencils, I’ve been missing the hunt for rare or unusual specimens on eBay. It would be fun, possibly even competitive! I was in!

I marked the promotion date on my calendar and geared myself up for the race. First, I had to Google for my nearest McDonald’s – a couple were nearly within walking distance. Perhaps there would be a line of crazed Pokemon card collectors out the door . . . how exciting! (Obviously, I don’t get out enough.)

Then I received another text from my friend: She had learned that the same promotion would be available in Canada after all, so I was off the hook. I was disappointed; I had been hoping to be able to share the one good thing going on in the US. Well, no matter: I decided I would go get a Happy Meal and send her the cards anyway!

First I arrived at 8 a.m. in case they ran out before lunch time, only to learn that Happy Meal service didn’t begin until 10:30 a.m. After an appointment, I couldn’t go back until 11:30 a.m. No line out the door? Plenty of parking? Had they run out already?! Inside, only two people were present; neither ordered a Happy Meal. Confirming that my Happy Meal included Pokemon cards, I beamed at the counter person. Score!

Although my triumph was somewhat anticlimactic (where was the rioting?!), I scarfed down the fries for lunch and even took a bite of the burger. Like Proust’s madeleine, that taste (my first beef in probably several decades) immediately brought me back to high school dates. Mediocre as ever but happily nostalgic.

Rockola Jukebox

 

1/6/25 Rockola jukebox

When he moved to Seattle in the early ‘80s, Greg had it shipped here all the way from Minneapolis: a 1950s Rockola Jukebox that he’d owned since the ‘70s. Who could blame him? It was a vintage beauty back then and still is. Ever since, it has occupied a corner of the small room that will soon be my studio/office. It’s probably the only thing in the house that has never moved so much as an inch in 40 years – it’s too heavy and bulky to budge.

Every decade or so, he would talk about selling it, as we agreed it was taking up a lot of space in a house too small to display it properly. At some point, I know he began doing research to see what similar jukeboxes were going for. But as we are all guilty of, Greg had procrastinated, probably with some reluctance to let it go, and the Rockola remains in the same spot to this day.

Greg had handpicked the records inside (most songs I’ve never heard of); the selection buttons are labeled with his handwriting. He only played the jukebox for me once – back in the mid-‘80s shortly after we met. The translucent, colored panels in front can be illuminated from inside (though I think most of the bulbs were out when I got the demo). Presumably it still operates, but I don’t even know how to turn it on.

During my massive downsizing and decluttering the past six months, most of his junk was easy to get rid of. (The hard part was not feeling resentful: You should have dumped this crap decades ago! Why am I stuck with doing it for you?!) Some things were more difficult – all the tools in his workshop that he had used to build or finish much of our major home remodel in the ‘90s. Some things, like keepsakes from our travels together, were downright painful (somehow more so than getting rid of my own similar keepsakes).

The jukebox is among the last of his possessions to go. I almost talked myself into keeping it until I finally sell the house (still some years down the road, I hope). But I know that letting it go then will be no easier than now, and compounded with the pressure of putting the house on the market would only make it harder. The time to let it go is now.

I could probably get more money for it if I put it on eBay, but I’m not interested in the work and logistics that that would entail. I’ve decided to try selling it at Ballard Consignment, a wonderful store where we have purchased several used pieces of much higher quality than most new furniture being made these days. In addition to furniture, the store occasionally offers collectible centerpiece items (the last time I was there, a vintage Zoltar the Fortune Teller was talking to customers). When I had inquired about selling the Rockola recently, the manager expressed interest.

I’m kind of hoping it doesn’t sell too quickly . . . I’d like to visit the Rockola on display at the store – and sketch it there, too.

Feast Buffet

 

1/1/25 photo references

An annual tradition on one side of my family is a New Year’s Day lunch at Feast Buffet. An all-you-can-eat Asian seafood buffet in Renton, it requires planning and strategy. Mine is to focus only on foods that I don’t eat regularly at home. That means I skip all the salads, vegetables and fruit and go straight for the sushi and sashimi. (Although I can’t imagine who bothers with stuff like mac and cheese or French fries at an Asian seafood buffet, those are on offer, too.)

1/1/25 Buffet participants (photo reference)

Since most of my companions are people I usually see only once a year at this event, I never sketch while I eat because I want to spend the time talking with them. But my sushi at Moriyama had been so much fun to sketch that I decided to draw my buffet meal later from photos (after walking 8,000 steps as partial mitigation of my gluttony -- urp!). I made an effort to arrange things on the plates so that the pieces would be easy to see. Originally my intention was to label each piece, but by the time I got home, I couldn’t recall all the ingredients in the various rolls. To evoke the continual, gluttonous nature of an all-you-can-eat, I used a Seawhite of Brighton concertina sketchbook (which will eventually end up with Mary Jean). I regret that I couldn’t eat more -- the sketches would have looked more impressive stretched across a few more panels.

It got cut off in my scan, so this photo includes the small bowl of coffee ice cream at far right.

Tina’s Top 10 Memorable Sketches of 2024

 

2/1/24 Downtown Seattle from Greg's apartment

Every December, I do a series of year-end review posts related to new products I tried that year that I liked or didn’t like; products I wished someone would make; my most memorable sketches of the year; and reflective thoughts. However, with big life changes and downsizing tasks taking a large part of my attention this year, art supplies – acquiring, using and reviewing them – weren’t on my mind as much. And with my new commitment to acquiring less of everything (recent wagon falling-offs notwithstanding), it will be the same going forward. It’s a good time to downsize my end-of-year blog traditions, too.

The one post I want to continue, though, is my review of the year’s most memorable sketches. I truly enjoy looking back at my sketches from the past 12 months (I don’t know the total number, but I scanned 1,080 images as of Dec. 23) and thinking about why some stand out as special. These sketches are almost never my “best” work (in terms of “art quality,” whatever that might be); instead, they are memorable for the feelings they evoke or meanings they hold in some way.

It’s always interesting to see the themes that emerge. A strong one is the change in my style and approach this year as I moved away from individual, stand-alone sketches and toward visual storytelling and on-location comics made of multiple sketches. It’s a very different way of thinking visually, and I’m still enjoying the process.

Of course, I enjoyed sketching with my local Urban Sketchers group regularly, but I also did more social sketching with small groups of friends than ever before. After the pandemic had subsided, and I could have gone back to social sketching, I pulled back. It was not so much out of fear of COVID but because those years were when my time and energy were increasingly committed to Greg’s care. Twenty twenty-four was the first post-pandemic year that I could spend long periods of time sketching with friends whenever I wanted. It’s an activity that I especially cherish.

As is almost always the case, my most memorable sketches are ones I made on location. Although I have learned to value drawing from photos, those sketches don’t stay with me as special. For that, I have to be there, live.

Feb. 1, Seattle skyline (top of post): Although I didn’t share this sketch of the downtown skyline until April when I was ready to talk about it, I had sketched it from Greg’s Aegis Living apartment window on Feb. 1, the day he had moved in. At the time, he didn’t understand yet that it would be his new home, and I sketched to quell the anxiety, guilt and sorrow I was hiding.

 April, family reunion in Dallas (below): Gathering with my family to view the total solar eclipse in Dallas was very special and memorable in many ways.

4/7/24 Koyama family shoes

6/24/24 Ole Bolle, Portland

June, Portland: Because I was on my own, this short trip to Portland was memorable for being a wonderful opportunity to sketch as much as I wanted without the usual daily routines and responsibilities. Sketching Ole Bolle (left) with a friend was especially fun.

 June 29, Greenwood Car Show: Year after year, this neighborhood car show has been one of my favorite summertime events where I usually made portraits of individual cars (as well as the general goings-on). This was the first time I thought of it more as a reportage opportunity, telling the story of the event with a series of sketches (below). My post includes a retrospective of past years, which show the differences in approach.

 

6/29/24 Greenwood Car Show

July 3, Ballard neighborhood: Roy, Mary Jean and I had so much fun following the sketch path through Ballard (below) that Gabi Campanario had published in the Seattle Times. The day inspired us to brainstorm other neighborhoods we’d like to walk and sketch through in a similar way next summer.

 

7/3/24 Ballard neighborhood

7/17/24 Fishermen's Terminal

July 17, Urban Sketchers Seattle 15th anniversary celebration (at right): As the opening event leading up to Sketcher Fest as well as a milestone celebration, USk Seattle’s anniversary outing at Fishermen’s Terminal was very special, indeed.

July 18, Sketcher Fest ice cream cruise (below): Another Sketcher Fest auxiliary event, the ice cream cruise was a wonderful way to reunite with lots of sketcher friends, many of whom were visiting from other states or countries. I also felt personal and civic pride showing off my hometown, delighted to sketch it from a unique point of view. 

7/18/24 Sketcher friends on the ice cream cruise

July 18, Mt. Rainier: After all the social excitement and non-stop activities leading up to Sketcher Fest, Joel and I ended the day quietly sketching Her Majesty from Maple Leaf Park (below). Both of us introverts, we needed the relaxing, quiet time to appreciate Mt. Rainier’s beauty.

7/18/24 Mt. Rainier from Maple Leaf Park

 Oct. 14, Waterfront Overlook Walk: Seeing and sketching the brand-new Overlook for the first time with Kate and Mary Jean felt like a worthy culmination of years of civic planning (and plenty of tax dollars). It was also an ideal opportunity to take a reportage approach and show as much of the new attraction as possible (below).

10/14/24 Waterfront Overlook Walk

 Dec. 11, Omakase Lunch at Moriyama Sushi: Rats perform better when rewarded. When my big downsizing efforts began mid-year, sketching while eating treats became my reward system. The most unusual treat of the year was a colorful omakase meal (below).

12/11/24 Omakase meal, Moriyama Sushi