A glance inside the illustrated journals of one of Seattle’s Urban Sketchers.

• MoleskineWatercolorSketchbook• Smallwatercolorpad• Largevarietyofwaterproofinkpenssizes.005(sm)

to.05(lg)blackandsepia• 2or3fountainpens–blackorsepiaink• Mechanicalpencil• WindsorNewtonWatercolorTravelKit(thecheap

one)• Avarietyofwatercolorbrushes(andJapanese

waterbrushes)• Collapsiblewatercontainer• Bottledwater• SmallREIcollapsiblecampingstool• OrcaSoundTransitcardandcollectionofbus

schedules• Advil• TrailMix

What’s in My Sketching Pack?About the ArtistAlmosttwentyyearsagoacollegeprofessortoldtheclasstostartcarryingasketchbookeverydayandrequiredatleastonesketchadayforthequarter.Thesketchingbecameahabit,thehabitbecameapassionthathasbeensince.

I’verecentlydiscoveredofthreeorfourlocalandinternationalgroupsdedicatedtopromotingsketchingandhelpingotherswhoenjoythisactivitytogether,turningwhatisaveryisolatedactivityintoasocialone.

Isketchinanumberofdifferenttypesofsketchbooks,myonlyrequirementsarethatthey

takefountainpeninkandwatercolorwasheswell.Sketchingonsiteishardenoughwithouthavingtofightyourbook.

I’lloftensketchwithpencil,outlinewithafountain(notwaterproof)orPigmatechpen(waterproof)beforeusingasmallwatercolortravelkittoaddcolor.Oneofthegreatthingsaboutthesketcher’snetworkislearningaboutthetoolsothersareusingtocapturetheirview.

Contents:Page2-UrbanSketchers3-JetCityEspresso4/5-SeattleSketches6/7-TravelSketches8-People

A glance inside the illustrated journals of a Seattle Urban Sketcher

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July 2010 Gathering at Gas Works

1st Thursday Jazz Band

Seattle Urban Sketcher’s GatheringsIdiscoveredtheSeattleUrbanSketchersgroupjustoverfourteenmonthsago.ItwasfoundedbyGabrielCampenario(SeattleSketcher-SeattleTimes)andthoughwestartedoutasasmallgroup,ourmonthlygatheringsnownumber18-20sketchers(especiallywhentheweatherisnice!)

ThegroupispartoftheInternationalUrbanSketchersgroup.Postingscanbefoundat:www.urbansketchers.com/ThisOctobergatheringbroughtdecentweatherandtheopportunitytosketchtheFunForestride‘WildRiver’whichnolongerexistsastheCentergoesthroughchanges.

October 2009 Gathering - Seattle Center

OneofthethingsIlookforwardtoeverymonthistheFirstThursdayArtwalk,PioneerSquare-acelebrationofartists,studiosandgalleriesshowingofftheirnewexhibitionsforthemonth.The1stThursdayJazzBandentertainstheartpatronsandjazzloverswhostop

attheNewOrleansCafetorechargetheirbatteriesbeforeheadingbackouttofightthecrowds.IhavethisimagepostedonmyblogandIreceivedane-mailfromoneofthebandmembers.Theinternetisaninterestingtool……..

I’velivedintheSeattleareaallmylifeandyetlastyearwasthefirsttimeIhadeverbeentoGasWorksPark.ThiswasanotherSeattleUrbanSketcherseventandwewerejoinedbyasketchingcelebrityThomasThorspecken

fromOrlando,FloridawasintownwithfamilytoenjoytheSeattlescenery.GasWorksisagreatcollectionofrustyoldrefineryleftoversandasIhavediscoveredsomeequallyrustyoldwineconnoisseursandartloversthatcalltheparkhome.

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Jet City EspressoJetCityEspressoispartcoffeeshop,partantiquestoreandpartYeOl’CuriousityShop.Itisfilledtothebrimwithknick-knacksofeverypossiblegenerationandthingsyou’veneverseenbefore.Itservesasanendlessongoingstilllifebothinsideandout.It’s

ownersDebbieandPaulkeeptheatmosphereverylooseandoftenofferupafreecupofjoewhileI’msketching.Thisisoneofthoseplacesyoucan’ttakeforgrantedforifthecitycouncilhasit’sway,anewcondominiumwilltakeit’splace.

Never a lack of Subjects and Models

Jet City Espresso

Not Sure What Kind of Tree....

Thesketchaboveisoftheshelvingoverthebarista’sheadatJetCityandI’msureIcamenowherenearincludingalloftheitemsthatwhereactuallythere.Thesketchtotherightistheowner’sfavorite,

acollectionofscrap,plantingsinanantiquewashingmachineandavintage‘OPEN’sign.Bothweredoneinasmallrecycledpapersketchbook,pencil,penandinkwithwatercolor.

DidImentionthattwentyyearsagothiswasagasstation?Wellsincethenatreestartedgrowingoutofoneofthepumpwellsandhasnowgrownoutfromundertheislandcoverand

up,andup….SostrangetoseesomethinglikethisinthemiddleofRenton.ThepatronsofJetCityEspressoarejustascolorfulandvariedasthemerchandise(Iusethattermloosely…)inside.

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Seattle SketchesPike Place Market’s Hidden Gems

Georgetown Urban Sketcher’s

Lect’s Soup Stop - Georgetown, Seattle

IknowPikePlaceisatouristdestinationandisoftenoverdonebuttherearetheoutofthewaynooksandcranniesoftheplacethatstillhavecharacter,historicalorotherwise.Thesmallcobblestoneroadthatdescendsbehindtheinformationboothunderneaththemarketand

leadstoseldomknowngemslikeILBistro,TheMarketTheaterandtheAlibiRoom.

Pen&inkinaMoleskinewatercolorsketchbook.

Thistinywalkupsoupplacewithastockpotontheroof,sitsjustoffAirportWayinanindustrialareaofGeorgetown.AtfirstIthoughtitmustbedifficult(becauseofit’slocation)to

besuccessful,butasIsatacrossthestreettodrawit,caraftercarpulleduptopickupphoneinorders.Obviouslythefoodmustbegood,isthiswheretheSoupNazi(Seinfeld)endedup?

Georgetown,justsouthofdowntownSeattleoffersalotofsubjectsforsketcherstodraw.Ialwaysenjoythegatheringsofsketchinggroupsintown(SeattlePleinAir,UrbanSketchers,SketchCrawlandSketchPistols).LunchwashadatJulesMaesSaloon,afterwhicheveryonepassed

aroundthemorningscreativityforthegrouptoenjoyandlearnfrom.

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Fresh Picked Daily - Pike Place

Seattle SketchesThe Industrial Duwamish River

International District

TheDuwamishRiverhasthatroughindustriallookandatmospherethatisirresistibletodraw(forme).Thewestsideoftheriveroffersacoupleofcityrunparksthatoffergreatviewsofthetugsandbarges.

Pen/inkandwatercolorinaCansonrecycledpapersketchbook.

DrawingattheMarketistough,mainlybecauseitcangetsocrowdedandlet’sfaceit,verylittlehereeverstandsstilllongenoughforyoutodrawit.Thissketchofoneoftheproducestandsofferedupplentyofchallenges.TostartIwasbackwiththedumpstersandwastherelongenoughtoget

usedtothesmell,butitturnedouttobegarbagedayandIwasduckinggarbagecansallafternoon.Youalsohavetodealwithpeoplestoppinginfrontofthesubject,yellingforcustomerstomoveisprobablyfrownedon….

Pen/inkandwatercoloronawatercolortablet.

Seattle CenterBelowtheSpaceNeedlelookingnorthtotheEMPandtheMonorail.

Thesketchontheleftwasdoneat6th&MainofthenowdefunctStandardCafe.Atourguideinformedmethattheneonricebowlandsignwerecomingdownsoon(andthatImightwanttostepback,therewasabusload

oftouristsabouttowalkaroundthecorner).ThesketchontherightwasdoneaftereatingatZaina,amiddleeasternrestaurantlocatedatthenorthendofPioneerSquare.Greatfoodandfriendlystaff.

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Travel

Watercolor landscape Near Republic

Anderson Island - Puget Sound, WA

North Pole, Alaska - December 15thWhenmywifeworkedforanairlineweweretreatedtoalongweekendinFairbanks,AlaskainthemiddleofDecember.ItwasaneffortbytheFairbanksTourismBoardtogenerateinterestintheareaduringthewintermonths.Tobehonest,theentirefamilyhadablast

thoughitwasthirtybelow.TheweekendwascappedwithaneveningwithSantaattheNorthPole(therereallyisaNorthPole,AK)Thiswasapenandinksketchdoneduringstorytime.

ThoughitisnoturbanIincludedthissketchofanEasternWashingtonlandscapetoshowthedifficultiesofwatercolorpaintingincertaintypesofsketchbooks.Thisbookhasawaxycoatingtothepagesbydesignandthoughittakesinkwellenough,it’swater-resistantquality

makesforanightmarewhenlayingdownwashes.Thiswasabeautifulandcold(October)placetosketch.

OurgoodfriendsTomandJackielivejustofftheFerrydockonAndersonIslandintheSouthPugetSound.Throughagapinthetrees,youlookoverthewalkonparkinglotandacrossthewaterliesMcNeilIsland

Penitentiary,formerhomeofCharlesManson(‘61-’66)andRobertStroud(TheBirdManofAlcatraz).ThesecondsketchisfromtheirbalconylookingEastovertheSoundtowardDupontandSteilacoom.

Artist’s BioIam51yearsold,andliveintheSeattleareawithmywifeof23yearsandateenagedaughter.Iliveinthe‘burbs,butwouldratherbeacityorcountryboy.

MypoliticsarejustleftofcenterandthoughIthinktherearealotofthingsinthisworldthatarehorriblyaskew,I’mnotgettinguponthesoapboxtoscreammyopinion–therearetoomanypeopledoingthatnow,whowouldherme?Iwilltossoutanoccasionalcomment,I’monlyhuman….

Iloveagoodgameofhoops(basketball)andnothingmakesmehappierthantheopportunitytopaintanddraw.....Timestops.

Ilikemybrewdark,thatgoesforcoffeeandbeer.

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Travel

Lake Chelan, Wa

Dungeness Spit - Sequim, WA

Copenhagen, DenmarkThisoddsketchwasdoneatamuseuminCopenhagen-apartialviewofastatue.I’mjoinedbymydaughterwhooftenscratchesherheadwhenitcomestothesubjectsIchosetodraw.Weareactuallyinside,itwasFebruaryand25degreesoutside.

me.ThissketchwasdoneatthebeginningoftheDungenessSpitontheOlympicPeninsulaandIswappedoutthegreyskyforsomethinglesschilling.

Watercoloronwatercolorblock,pencilandpen.

Sketchingonvacationtakesalotofunderstandingfromtherestofthefamily.Myfamilyhascometounderstandhowimportantitistometobeabletostopandsketchforanhourortwo,theyjustcontinueonandexplorewithout

IspentpartofmychildhoodgrowingupinthesmalltownofChelan,Washington.AsIgotolder,Itookjobsworkingintheappleorchardsduringthesummertime.Nothingisassureaschangeandnowthe

appleorchardsarebeingreplacedwithvineyardsandwineries.BothofthesesketchesweredonefromarelativespropertyneardowntownanddoneinpenandinkinaCansonrecycledpapersketchbook.

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PeopleThe Online Coffee Co. - Seattle

Kiersten and the Boys

2010 Folklife Festival - Seattle Center

TheOnlineCoffeeCo.isagoodoldfashionedinternetcaféandbakery.TheWi-fiwasfreewithourpurchaseofasliceofquicheandcoffees(bothwereverygoodandcheap).Likelibraries,peopledon’tmovemuchandmakegooddrawingsubjects.Just

havetofindtheoneswithcharacter....orinthisguy’scasereadingconcerningnews.....

I’vebeengoingtotheFolklifeFestivalforalmost30yearsandovertimeitreallyhasn’tchangedmuch(agoodthingIthink).Ithasatendencytogetverycrowdedmid-afternoonevenwhenit’sraining.It’sacelebrationofmusic,

culturesandmanydifferentlifestylesandhasyettodisappointwhenitcomestopeoplewatchingandsketching.

Mydaughterwasaprolificreaderwhenshewasyounger,nowIcan’tgetherofftheIPod.Thiswasanafternooninthereadingnookwherethecatsdecidedtokeepher

company.PencilinaCansonrecycledpapersketchbook.

Local and International Sketching Groups

Seattle Urban Sketchershttp://urbansketchers-seattle.blogspot.com/

International Urban Sketchershttp://www.urbansketchers.com/

Seattle Plein Air Paintershttp://www.meetup.com/seattle-plein-air/

World Wide SketchCrawlhttp://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/

Seattle Sketch Pistolshttp://www.sketchpistols.com/