Mission Aborted

 

12/3/24 Briefly seen in a waiting room.

I thought I would have several minutes to sketch, but my wait turned out to be only a few seconds.

Lighten Up

 

12/3/24 Maple Leaf neighborhood

After so many instructors have drilled it into me that I should push dark values harder, I find it challenging to draw as lightly as a foggy morning requires.

“My” Library is Back!

 

12/2/24 Green Lake Branch Library

Seattle Public Library’s Green Lake Branch had been closed for nearly two years for major renovations. Although I didn’t mind the longer walk to the Northgate Branch, I still missed “my” library (it’s a lovely Carnegie building that I’ve sketched many times). After some delays, it finally reopened in October, but I missed the grand reopening event. A book on my hold list became available this week, so I used that as an opportunity to see the “new” library.

The biggest improvements are invisible, such as the seismic retrofit and installation of an electric HVAC system that includes air conditioning. I was happy and relieved to see that historic features and original architectural components were preserved.

In fact, they did such a good job of retaining the original building that it was hard to find something to sketch. However, I noticed right away that the main desk where the librarians work had been moved from the entryway to a more central part of the floor. Noting the new tables and chairs in the main reading room, I stood facing the new desk and modern light fixture above it.

Encounter

 

11/27/24 Encounter church, Mercer Island

On my way to meet a couple of friends for lunch, it occurred to me that I probably hadn’t been to Mercer Island in more than 25 years. Although it’s on the Eastside, which requires crossing Lake Washington, it’s not far, and it’s actually easy to get to via toll-free Interstate 90. With cute shops, good restaurants and other reasons to visit, it has been off my general radar.

I arrived a bit early to take a walk around the strip mall where we were meeting. The first building I encountered was a modern church with a sign that said, indeed, “Encounter.” That’s all I know about it, but it wasn’t bad as a first sketch in a town only 20 minutes away. I’ll have to return someday.

Pencilvember Finale

11-27/24 Faber-Castell 9000 8B
(all studies made in Field Notes Streetscapes
sketchbook)

 

Without a plan or much intention other than to use pencils every day, my Pencilvember challenge began with low commitment at best. I didn’t even finish using the tan-colored Uglybook I started with, even though I vowed to. That was a disappointment because I’ve otherwise been consistent about filling every daily-carry Uglybook before moving on to the next. Something about that color just didn’t do it for me, though, with graphite.

I did, however, use a pencil of one kind or another almost every day of November (I think I forgot one day), which did remind me why I love them so much. Compared to the speed of markers, both colored and graphite pencils require a bit more time, so I tend to reach for efficiency when on the go. Nothing is quite as satisfying, however, as building tones gradually and modulating them delicately with a pencil. I enjoyed being “forced” by the challenge to take the time.

11/29/24 vintage Dixon Typhonite Eldorado 3B

My serendipitous breakthrough came when I viewed the new Ken Burns documentary about Leonardo DaVinci. A small mention of his studies of draped fabric set my brain on fire, and the remaining days were easy to fill with similar studies – all in graphite. I was a bit sorry I didn’t think of the idea earlier – I enjoyed them so much that I could have done a whole month of them (it’s safe to say that now, since November is over!).

I’ve posted all the other Pencilvember sketches throughout the month within the context of wherever I sketched. Here are the last three days of my draped scarf studies. (I took a break from the series on Thanksgiving to sketch the fog.)

For such an unambitious start, I’m happy with the way it went, and especially the way it ended.

11/30/24 Caran d'Ache Grafwood 4B

Black Friday Gab & Grab

 

11/30/24 Volunteer Park and Caffe Ladro, Capitol Hill neighborhood

Chen, Ron and Roy grabbin'!

As I’ve cleared out art-related books and art materials from my studio, I’ve been setting them aside separate from the general Goodwill heap. Although USk Seattle’s tradition is to have a Gab & Grab event in January each year, I had requested an additional Black Friday edition so that I could offload all the goodies I had been saving up. I forgot to take a photo of all the boxes, but I know I made nine trips (thankfully, not literally!) down two flights of stairs to get them all from my studio to the car!

For the Black Friday edition, I brought only books, fountain pens and inks. I’ll have much more for the January edition, but this was all that I could fit into the hatchback.

Devin, David and Kim gabbin'!

My photos look sparsely populated, but we actually had a great turnout of sketchers who preferred to “shop” free at the Grab rather than in stores. I didn’t remember to take photos until the event was well underway, so these tables were much fuller at the beginning.

Of the things I brought, only about a boxful of books remained by the end, which I then donated to the library where we held the Gab & Grab. It was a satisfying and successful giveaway for me, and I was relieved to haul only empty boxes back home!

At the top of the post is a comics page in which I didn’t leave much room for the all-important notations about my downsizing accomplishments, but they were nonetheless duly celebrated.

Paula, Kate and Dave perusing my inks!

Ron, Jan and Tamra grabbin' my books!

Foggy Thanksgiving

 

11/28/24 About 7:15 a.m., Maple Leaf

Just like two years ago, Thanksgiving day began with a thick fog. Around 7:15 a.m., the sun was still below the horizon, but the sky was beginning to lighten. From an upstairs window, I could barely see the driveway; the cone of light from this street light dissipated before it hit the ground.

A couple of hours later, the sun was fully up, but the fog was still deep. I sketched the same street light, this time with some context I could see across the street.

11/28/24 About 9:30 a.m.