From the Best Coast to the East Coast

I originally started this post last summer, in September 2016. Finally getting around to finishing it.
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Since retiring a little over 2 months ago, life has been a whirlwind of travel, sunshine, reorganizing, weeding, pruning and sketching.

We had promised our daughter a visit to see their new house in upstate NY, so knowing I could also spend a few days in their Brooklyn place, I decided to arrive a few days before the rest of the family so I could have time to sketch to my heart's content and also meet up with Urban sketchers NYC.

I left Seattle August 25, a beautiful sunny Thursday.

Passengers queuing up for Southwest flight

Mt Rainier from the airplane (color added later)

My first day in Brooklyn I decided to get a 24-hr pass for a cite-bike (will never recommend - they charged me $200 for 1 day of riding). I rode along the Columbia Waterfront up to DUMBO (Down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). I found the Shake Shack,  got a lemonade and scribbled out these two drawings under the umbrellas. 

Way too much detail for my liking

So I tried a simple version

Next I spent the day in DUMBO (Down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) where you have a good view of the Brooklyn Bridge. I made a couple of passes at the scene, spending more time on the second one. 

Still Brooklyn side - Red Hook Specifically, I met up with the NYC urban sketchers. 

This first sketch is the Red Hook Yacht Club - pretty much a junk shop, although the proprieters might take offense with my description. It's quite fitting for Red Hook, though, which used to be the major industrial port before the evolution of container shipping and the New Jersey port won out. 

Behind the biggest grocery store in Brooklyn, Fairway Market, sits an abandoned streetcar. Rusted and gutted it is reminiscent of earlier times. As everything else in Brooklyn, it has a colorful history. 

The Red Hook Ball fields just may be the home of the first food trucks in the country. The Red Hook food vendors have been around since 1974. Serving mainly Latin American cuisine, they put out some great pupusas among other delicacies. Business was booming on this warm September Sunday. 

Sketch in the City

Have you ever wanted to be an urban sketcher? This class will show you how. You'll learn everything you need to know; from how to draw people quickly to sketching complex outdoor scenes. Through fun and confidence-building exercises, you'll create fresh and expressive drawings. You'll learn the keys to becoming a successful urban sketcher. 

Every level of artist is welcome in this class. 

Learning Goals: 

• Explore urban sketching tools
• Learn to create confident line work with pen, brush, and pencil
• Build your drawings with simple shapes
• Play with value in both black & white and in color
• Understand on and two-point perspective
• Explore the art of visual storytelling
• Understand the value of thumbnails in sketching design
• Enjoy outdoor sketching with classmates

Class size is limited to the twenty students so that every artist can get the personal attention they need to succeed. 

Sketch in the City will be held on (5) sequential Saturdays-- 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1 from 9:30 to 4:30 PM  at the in Olympia, WA

Five Saturdays. That's a big investment in time, we know. We don't want to waste your time and money. Any less class time and we would have to skim over some important topics. That would be a great disservice to you. We want you to learn all you need to know to become a confident urban sketcher. 

We're so sure that you'll become a successful sketcher after this class is over that we're offering students a Money-Back Guarantee on the tuition. If, after the class series is over, you don't agree that you've achieved at least a minimum improvement in your sketching skills, we'll give you a prompt and courteous refund on your tuition. 

Sign up by February 18 and get the Early Bird Price of $200. That's a $25 savings over the regular price of $225. 

Email janewingfield@gmail.com or sara@saralightwaller.com with questions or to register. 

The Rooster Crows

Seattle's International District is probably my favorite place to sketch. Somehow when I roam the streets and alleys I feel the history and get a sense of a thousand, thousand stories. When the lunar new year rolls around I love to take in the extra-colorful, extra-loud festivities. The noise and color is a stark contrast to some of the history that immigrants experience to get to this place physically and metaphorically. This year celebrating the strength and diversity of our communities seems more important than ever. 



I got there early to secure a spot under the covered benches at Hing Hay Park, but by the time our group was supposed to meet, that spot was like an overflowing can of sardines so I had to give up my front row seat to catch up with the group opening, thus missing a prime view of the opening lion dance. I did manage a few views of the crowd. 

I stood at the corner of Maynard and Jackson taking in the crowd. Frank Ching and I leaned against the same telephone pole swapping comments about just how long our fingers would stand the cold. 

After we met up and had our throwdown, I couldn't bring myself to leave without committing the lion dance to paper. By that time a smaller team of dancers were processing from doorway to doorway along 7th Avenue. The guy in charge of firecrackers laid out a big pack of probably 500 crackers just before the dancers arrived. As I stood in front of Deng's Studio and Art Gallery, they lit the crackers at my feet. I could feel the shredded remains as they flew astray like shrapnel - but, thankfully much safer. 

 

It's interesting to me how my style changes with different pens and paper combinations. The first were drawn with my Lamy pen on Shizen paper that's very absorbent and slows me way down. The lion dances were done with my Sailor bent nib on an unknown brand, but really nice watercolor paper. It was the first time I used my Sailor with the ink cartridge that shipped with it. Turns out it isn't waterproof, but adds a really different fluidity. 

Lead with Love

Before today, I’d only walked in two protest marches in my life – Seattle, May 1970 - the National Guard had just shot four students protesting the Vietnam war at Kent State– and 1981-ish when Pacific Gas & Electric built a nuclear reactor  at Diablo Canyon directly on top of San Andreas Fault about 7 miles away from our home.

The recent election with all if it’s disrespect, fake news and outrageous results seems to have inspired outrage and a wave of activism all over the world. The minute I heard about it I knew I was going to join. The question was where – Washington D.C. was very tempting, Seattle was a sure bet, but at the last minute I opted to stay in my own community.

It was drizzling when we parked and started walking towards the Capitol grounds. We could hear cheers and drumming as we got closer. Then, gradually the sun broke through the clouds and waves of marchers and signs poured through the streets. There was joy and happiness and empowerment flowing through the streets of Olympia. 

Also a little bit of humor: 

Our theme song was – “Lead with Love” by Melanie DeMore who’s chorus rings with freedom and justice:  

You gotta put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.

Put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.

Don’t give up hope.

You’re not alone

Don’t you give up.

Geep movin’ on. 

You gotta put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.
Put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.
 Lift up your eyes
Don’t you despair.
Look up ahead
The path is there.
 You gotta put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.
Put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.
 I know you’re scared.
And I’m scared too
But here I am.
Right next to you.
 You gotta put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.
Put one foot in front of the other and lead with love.
 Lead with love.

  

Cruising through LA

We had a lot to be thankful for over the Thanksgiving holiday. We joined some family members in the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area, enjoyed some sunny California weather and learned of another new family member to be born this spring. 

For the sake of expediency, I'm posting a collection of sketches from that trip.

Hollywood is packed with sketchable locations. TCL Chinese Theater (formerly Grauman's Chinese Theater) is an essential landmark on the Avenue of the Stars. Apparently when it opened, a riot broke out as fans tried to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities.  

Chinese Theater, Hollywood

Parmahansa Yogananda founded the Self Realization Fellowship in California, being one of the first to bring yoga philosophy and practice to the US in the early 1920's. The Lake Shrine, situated just up the hill from Malibu in the Pacific Palisades, is a wonderfully peaceful oasis so close to the bustle of LA.

Windmill at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, Malibu

Grand Central Market sits comfortably in the former entertainment center of downtown LA. Built in 1917 it was the green grocer for the neighborhood residents. It was refurbished in 1984 and now hosts not only a patchwork of food vendors, but a varied menu of events: game night every Thursday, free concerts, holiday markets and more.

First version- more detail than I wanted

Version 2 - quick sketch

Shinique Smith's "Forgiving Strands" welcomes visitors at the rear entrance to Hauser, Wirth and Schimmel. This internationally known gallery of contemporary art took over a 100,000 sq ft flour mill in the downtown LA arts district. I loved this piece of bulbous fabric twists, stuffed, tied and looping through the hallway. The contrast of these lush, plump textiles and the stark, concrete hallway was a gift to my tactile sense.

Entry Way to Hauser, Wirth and Schimmel Arts Center - Arts District, Los Angeles

Third Street Promenade, the outdoor mall, in downtown Santa Monica. I stood under an awning at 3rd and Arizona while a rare Santa Monica rain storm pounded the pavement all around me. Some amazing musicians play/sing on the promenade.

Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

Bergamot Station- a collection of offices, architectural firms, galleries and shops in Santa Monica. It houses Hiromi Paper Inc., a warehouse/store with a delicious inventory of mostly Japanese papers. It whet my appetite for paper making again.

Bergamont Square, Santa Monica

 Iconic Santa Monic Beach - lifeguard stations and slack line artists walking their flat, slack tightropes, twisting their limbs to maintain balance - all makes for great sketching on the beach. These lifeguard stations are surprising difficult to draw!

Tower 16, Santa Monica Beach

Slack line walkers, Santa Monica Beach

 Los Angeles, one of the few places where the subway has to stop for traffic and vice-versa. Actually "sub" way is a misnomer since most of the track is above ground. Nonetheless, it's public transportation that runs from downtown all the way to Santa Monica. And it's cheap! 

The Binoculars Building in Venice - designed by architect Frank Gehry - formerly housed the advertising agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day, but as of 2011 Google opted for a lease to house its Los Angeles expansion. The binoculars were designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen and served as an entrance to the building and the parking garage.

Sunset on our last day - we'll be back.

Last night sunset - Santa Monica Beach

LAX - waiting for departure

2017 Calendars are in!

Plan your year, one sketch at a time! 
Back by popular demand - 2017 Calendars - now in two sizes. Select your size and then pay with debit, credit or paypal. Or contact me through email.

Old Olympia Brewery

Want a signed print of the Old Olympia Brewery for $15? I have 8 copies. The Brewery is on the list of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. One of these prints sold for over $75 at a the  the Trust's recent auction. I'm selling them here just above cost. 

 Image size is 5" x 7.5" with a 1.5'" border on all sides. When matted it would fit in an 8"x10 frame.