Looking Back on April 2019

Portland's Urban Sketchers had a Scavenger Hunt (the sketching kind where you don't have to knock on people's doors). These are some of the things that I sketched for it. I didn't win, but Kay very nicely gave me a participation award: art supplies! She knows what we like!

Here's the Hollywood Library sign and "ensemble", as seen from the Bitter Rose Coffee shop, on a rainy day.

Spring Blossoms: I love it when the tulips get wild.

The story on the coffee table: Tulips in a special vase, trip planning (i.e. guide books and a magnifying glass to read them, laptop, and wallet with credit card), New Yorker showing the newly changed shape of Notre Dame, coffee in a mug from a previous Ceramic Showcase, on coasters from John when he lived in NYC.

More blooms and an Easter chick at PW's home...

and things I resisted (except for two mugs) buying at this year's Ceramic Showcase. MG bought the bowl. The black and white piece with the red tulip is actually a lamp!

This is a view of Tanner Springs Park...

...and some very reflective buildings nearby.

The Urban Sketchers drew from the vicinity of OMSI on a chilly and cloudy day. I popped into OMSI to warm up my hands midway.

There was also a worldwide challenge to sketch 100 people in one week. I did it (well, at least the heads of 100 people). There was no prize for this except for the satisfaction of actually finishing it.

Then is was May at HL's home with the French tradition of giving Muguet (Lily of the Valley) for good luck. The fragrance always takes me right back to spring in junior high.

>>>*<<<

Donuts

The Urban Sketchers Portland group is having a scavenger hunt challenge again and one of the items to draw is a donut. These are from Staccato Gelato. I feel like I'm packing on calories just looking at them!

By the River, Now and Then

A couple of weeks ago, it was a beautiful day by the Willamette River. At a picnic table with some other sketchers, breeze in the air, coffee at hand, I drew the Hawthorne Bridge.

Hawthorne Bridge

Almost exactly a year ago, on another beautiful day, I drew from the same spot. Looks a little grayer, though.

We went down to the docks to draw the dragon boats, but drawing more than one made for a busy composition. I tried to lighten the boats in back and emphasize the lines on the front boat, but it's still pretty cluttered.

Last year's attempt was much simpler:

I wonder how I'll draw them next year?

Portland SketchCrawl

Saturday morning was perfect weather for sketching with the Urban Sketchers.

I sat down low by the Ira Keller Fountain, close enough to feel the cool air from the falling water.

There was a Benson Bubbler Benson Bubbler right across the street, so that sketch knocked off another scavenger hunt item. I wish I had been quick enough to sketch the crow that dunked his bread in the water.

On Sunday, my husband and I rode the aerial tram up to OHSU. (Sunday is a good day to go because it isn't very busy.) The ride was quick, but fun and the views were great, even on a cloudy day. Drawing the aerial tram is very tricky, because it's only still for a matter of moments. I drew the dock first and then raced to get the tram in before it disappeared.

Here's another view of the tram dock.

"Pill Hill" would be a terrific place to practice perspective drawing because you can see so many different views of buildings and passageways. Here's a one-point view that I took from the skybridge to the Veteran's Hospital. I'm glad it's not on the scavenger hunt list!

Scavenger Hunt: hydrant, bike pile, musician (with a little shoe distraction)

Here are some more sketches from the Urban Sketchers Scavenger Hunt. I drew several fire hydrants, thinking I would get a better one, but I think I just got more fire hydrants.

The most challenging item so far, has been the bike pile.

The best thing about the bike pile is it's near Fluevog shoes and they were gracious enough to let a few of us sketch inside. Their shoes, in all the different shapes and colors were really fun to draw, even if they weren't on the Scavenger Hunt list.

This next shoe, was designed by Urban Sketcher Correspondent,  Zaza . You, too, can enter their Open Source shoe design contest and maybe get a prize and a shoe named after you. I'm already imagining 'The Vicky', winning enough to buy a gorgeous pair of sandals that I have my eyes on.

We go out to hear a lot of live music, so I sketch musicians often, but I thought I'd post a slightly different one, and test the rules to this hunt.  I'm trying to learn how to use Brushes on my iphone and this is an early attempt.

The scavenger hunt has been fun because we search for certain items and then notice things that we wouldn't have otherwise. of course, sometimes we're taken down a path of distraction, and that can be good, too.

Hawthorne and Beyond

I found a few more things on the Urban Sketchers Portland Scavenger Hunt list.

Coffee is always easy to find. This came from The Hazel Room on Hawthorne.

(I should have anchored that enormous cup of coffee with a shadow.)

Sitting on the porch there, I sketched the bikes and roses.

(Until drawing this, I hadn't realized that the bicylist logo is wearing a helmet.)

Here's another one done on Hawthorne: The Backstage Bar behind the Bagdad Theater.

(Here's a problem with adding paint at home: I painted sky over part of what should have been building.)

 Dads with babies aren't on the list, but they're easy to find. These two were at Jamison Square.

Lampposts are on the list, so here a a couple seen from between

The Schnitz and the The Winningstad theaters.

 One of these days, I need to tackle the harder items on the list: the bike pile, the elk, and a Benson Bubbler.

A Week of Sketches

I got these great cups and saucers at the Oregon Potter's Show and Sale. I think they're going to be perfect for sharing a cup of tea and a cookie with a friend. I wish I could remember who made them. They look like they were made in a studio in the woods.

Technically, this next one wasn't painted this week, but it's another Oregon potter's creation from a previous year. I really enjoy having morning tea in this cup. Someday, maybe I'll get the teapot that goes with this.

We've had a few days of absolutely beautiful weather, so I went to Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens to draw some enormous flowers.  Many people passed these tangly trees until I started drawing them. Then people started to pause to look at them, examining them closely, taking pictures of them, and in one case, posing the whole family in the branches. Another sketcher pointed out that drawing sometimes helps other people to notice things around them, too. Good point.

The rest are my attempts to draw things from the PDX Urban Sketchers Scavenger Hunt list.

This is a drawing from inside Elephant's deli, two attempts at the Portland sign on the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and the Umbrella Man at Pioneer Square.

(Did I improve?)

(The only guy expecting rain.)

It looks like we're going to have more beautiful weather, so that means more sketching outside! Hurray!