Playing around with Perspective

Focus on Trees

I've been trying out different methods of sketching trees.

Ink then watercolor...

Ink, watercolor, and then more ink until I realized I was overworking it, so stopped...

Watercolor first...

Pencil followed by ink and markers and colored pencils...

Watercolor, ink, then more watercolor with flat brushes...

 Watercolor, ink, water soluble ink, more watercolor, and then a background of markers for the windows...

Whichever method I use, I seem to have most fun when I try to keep it quick and loose.

Stone, Plants, and Water

Last Friday, a beautiful day in Portland, I visited the Japanese Garden with friends. As I sketched in the 'Dry Garden', I overheard two different tour groups. One of the tour guides said that a Zen garden always has the three elements of stone, plants, and water. Here the water was represented by the raked stones that formed concentric circles around the larger stones.

Paints aren't allowed at our Japanese Garden, so that may have been what drew my eye to the more monochromatic  and linear stone patterns in the pathways.

On Sunday, I went to our family cabin and saw those same elements of stone, plants, and water repeated in the natural setting.

From my spot on the bank of the river, I could see at least three kinds of stone...

the smooth faced, broken rocks,

worn, rounded rocks,

and rough, gravelly rocks.

..........

The summer is ending and the leaves are especially dry.

I tried something I don't usually do: I attempted a sketch of underwater rocks with six larger stones peeking above the waterline. Clearly, this needs more study next summer.

Stones, plants, and water

Elements of a Zen garden

And also, of here.

Inside and Outside Portland Buildings

Looking toward the Centennial Mills from the Fields, this is one of the rustic buildings that you see. Right now, this is the only view that doesn't include a crane in close proximity. 

When I was sketching across from the Deschutes Brewery, a traffic accident occurred in

 the intersection to the east. No one appeared  to be hurt, but it certainly jammed up the traffic trying to get around it. I felt like I should have been directing traffic instead of finishing my sketch.

I had coffee and pastry at a charming luncheonette, Maurice. The Nordic/ French food was delicious and the decor seemed very French, until I realized it was unlike any place I'd been in France.

There are lots of nice details in Maurice.