Bring on the Color, Spring is on the Way

I've drawn flowers for the Vernal Equinox before, but this year there are really slim pickings in our yard. Miniature daffodils and heather are pretty much all the perennials that are in bloom so far.

I've been systematically studying Wil Freeborn's book, 'Learn to Paint Watercolor with 50 Paintings.'

These are some of my attempts: 

Souvenir rocks and shells

Items from my purse, (highly organized)

The art supplies I used to make this sketch

Here's one leftover from before spring officially arrived. I drew this in the car on a chilly, rainy day. The wind was whipping the cypress trees that were already frayed and broken from the winter ice storm. The camellia bush was the only thing in bloom.

The Future: First Sketch of the New Year

The skies were beautiful today: big billowing clouds against blue or gray. This was the view out the landing window. It's the best view near dusk, but an awkward place to sketch.

'There is a crack in everything,

That's how the light gets in.'

Leonard Cohen, 'Anthem' 1992, The Future

Fall

Serenity and Sketching at Lan Su Chinese Garden

I've made a couple of trips to the Lan Su Chinese Garden this month. It's such a peaceful and idyllic spot with meandering paths,  ancient stones, lovely plants and flowers, places for contemplation, and the gentle sound of flowing water. I never get tired of coming here, but I sometimes run out of time. The final details on this sketch were added at home at our front table.

I drew the boat in the lily pond, but went back another time to get a better view of the lilies.

How do you sketch the scent of gardenias?

I drew the side of the teahouse from a quiet, shady corner outside. A musician stopped to look at my sketch and soon afterward I heard his music coming through the open window.

Later, I decided that the sketch needed at least some color that surrounded it.

How do you sketch the sounds from a lute?

Finally, for this one, I sketched a pavilion and rooftops from inside another. pavilion. 

As I sketched this, a Chinese American visitor from Seattle told me that this garden applied the feng shui principles of a traditional Chinese Garden. His two little daughters were busy taking photos and watching the koi. I should have sketched them, too!

Sketching in the West Side of Portland

This old fire station in NW Portland is under construction as it's being converted into a residence. Besides the sign, an old telegraph box has also been preserved. 

A block away, an old Victorian peeks out between the trees. In my college days, I lived a couple of blocks from here. Then it was a neighborhood largely made up of students and very old people. Now there are lots of high-end shops, several popular restaurants, and many lovely, restored homes. It's always been charming, just in different ways.

I've always liked this gate to apartments in the Pearl District. This is just a few blocks from where I worked when I was in college. Then, the neighborhood was made up of offices, warehouses, and small businesses and there were very few places to grab a lunch. Now there are apartments and condos,  restaurants, shops, art galleries,  public parks, and lots of lively people.

This is a corner of the Studio Building, a downtown building that now houses Pastini, a tasty Italian restaurant.  At one time, this building ( 1928)  held rehearsal spaces as well as studios for musicians. The frieze around the building has busts of several composers. 

Across the street to the west of Pastini is Directors Square, a block with a popular fountain, large chess pieces, and a cafe with outdoor seating. This is one of my favorite downtown places to have a coffee and sketch people and the surroundings. In the summer months there are often day and night events held here. Some of my favorites are the dances with live music, but it's always fun to watch the toddlers play in the fountain.

A few blocks away, outside the Historical Society, this young woman cooled her heels and took a nap.  Napping people are always a pleasure to sketch.

Spiral Drawing

I've been taking a Sketchbook Skool class and last week's instructor was Miguel Herranz. One of his suggestions was to start a drawing in the center and then spiral out from that instead of doing a layout first. One advantage to this kind of sketching is that you can stop at almost any time and you have a fairly complete looking sketch. Somehow, I haven't found it very easy to stop, though.

I started the Jamison Square sketch yesterday and went back to finish it today. I had drawn the birch trees with white gel pen and they looked like ghost trees. Today, Deb informed me that they are infected with Birch Boar and are indeed dying. That's too bad. I've been drawing these trees over several years and it will be sad to see them go.

This next sketch was drawn from inside at the always welcoming Ovation Coffee Shop, bordering the Fields. A few of us sketched inside, waiting for the drizzle to end. Again, Deb helped me out by giving me an Urban Sketcher sticker to cover up the partially drawn dog that I didn't have time to finish before it walked away.

January Flowers

Recent Sketches and Drawings

These don't have much in common except for the fact that they were done in the last couple of weeks.

Details from Architectural Heritage Center with Urban Sketchers

Orchids

New Coffee Shop

View from Laughing Planet SW

Winter Birch, Jamison Square

Hoffman Hall, Womens' Stage, PSU

Figure Drawing

Behind the Museum Cafe

Tulips (Winter Therapy)

Samurai Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum has a show of Samurai armor--armor for the horses they rode as well as for the men.

Often, a family crest was repeated in the details on the helmets, the clothing, and the weapons and battle standards.

The helmets sometimes had an animal appearance or even details from plants (like an eggplant stem).

The lines of many of the helmets and masks were graceful and exquisite...

and the craftsmanship was flawless.

I spent a couple hours sketching over two days, and in that time we saw a lot of people and many children. A couple of them joined us in sketching at one exhibit. I was so pleased to see that one little boy's mother always carried his sketchbook for him.

It was a bit disheartening to hear that a little girl, going from exhibit to exhibit asked, "Is this for a girl to wear? Is this for a girl?" I think I only saw one, rather plain item, that belonged to a Samurai woman.

The next show is Venice: the art and music, so I hope there'll be more for her then.

More Toned Paper

From the warmth of my car on a chilly day, I sketched this entrance to Laurelhurst Park.

Today, I added the shadows. I don't usually have the patience for this, but it went by quickly while I listened to a gripping episode of 'This American Life.'

Now it has a more ominous feel with people walking into the darkness. Is it a result of the radio episode or maybe a foreshadowing of Halloween?