Seattle Sketchcrawl

Last weekend, some of the Portland Urban Sketchers rode the train to Seattle to join urban sketchers there for the 33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl. Seattle has a big, welcoming group, some of whom were familiar from the symposium in Portland two years ago. When we passed sketchbooks around, it was very impressive seeing so much talent in their group. To see more of their work, you can go to their blog Seattle Urban Sketchers

On the train ride north, we talked and sketched eachother, (as well as an agreeable young woman who offered to model for us).

After arriving in Seattle and posing for a large group photo, we split into two groups, one going to the international district and the other (mine) to Pioneer Square. Unlike Portland's Pioneer Square (which is failry new and called "our livingroom"), Seattle's is an area of some of the oldest buildings in the city, housing galleries, coffee houses, and boutiques.

The first sketch I did was of Merchants Cafe, Seattle's oldest restaurant. It still seems to be pretty busy.

Then I sketched in the park. Lots of tour groups left from here. There was an artist who was displaying his work in hopes of sales. 

Windows and signs... It's pretty hard to imagine that rooms were once that cheap.

 After the group sharing of sketchbooks, we went down by the ferries which were unloading huge numbers of soccer fans. I sketched the viaduct which was covered in ivy, changing into fall colors.

This man, all in purple head to toe, was smoking near the garbage can.

 This family seemed to be waiting silently for a ferry to come in.  Maybe they were entranced by the gorgeous bay and mountains.

It was a beautiful fall day in Seattle and it was very fun to meet the other sketchers and to sketch in a different place. We're already thinking about and looking forward to another group sketchcrawl together.