March 2018

When the view on the counter is more interesting than the view out the window...

A new book and lilies...

One out of a row of three Episcopal doors....

A row of pots of cyclamen from the opening of the shop...

Quince from the garden....

Sitting at a wobbly picnic table, making crooked lines and a crooked tree...

What I saw from the front steps....

St. Honore and a birthday, and mouse that K knit for P.

Little lambs and ivy (and other vegetation)...

Hither and Yon, Sketching Outdoors in Portland

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens are gorgeous now, with the rhodies in full bloom. I sketched there last week on an 86 degree day. There's an abundance of trees and bushes in all their spring glory and plenty of birds and other waterfowl. Although I only sketched a duck and a couple of geese,  I heard bird calls from a number of different birds--even one that sounded like a Whippoorwill!



The Japanese Gardens are serene and beautiful, but it's always a disappointment not to be able to use watercolor there. Colored pencils are just so slow to me now and pen and ink doesn't show all the saturated greens against the blue sky.

On a new building across from Tanner Springs, I tried to capture the reflections of the buildings and sky. This is far trickier than I expected!

The shadows are what caught my eye on the YWCA. This was sketched from Behind the Museum Cafe on a chilly day before the leaves were out.

I sketched the top of the First Congregations Church from the sculpture court at the Portland Art Museum.

Closer to home, the Urban Sketchers of Portland had a sketchcrawl near my neighborhood. I took the opportunity to try to draw a car outside the Hollywood Vintage store. I don't like to draw cars, but thought I might like drawing an old design. I still don't like to draw cars.

This was sketched from my porch when the lilacs were just in bud and the camellias were still loading the branches nextdoor.

Capricious Spring

With our changeable spring weather, you have to be willing to sketch inside...

and to reschedule everything to be outside when the sun appears....

 The Portland Waterfront was lovely when the first cherry blossoms came out...

but when they were in their glory last weekend, all the crowds came out, too. That sent me to a quieter corner of the city....

I thought I could show those delicate white blossoms by leaving the paper white, but then I resorted to the old elementary school technique of using a piece of sponge (and gouache).

When I sketched the rock from our sister city in Suzhou, China, the blossoming trees were behind me, but the bamboo was a fresh spring green. The rare stone is said to 'call forth the spirit' and that seems like a good thing, too.

Garden Party

On one of our few lovely spring days, fellow sketcher,  Heather,  had some of us to her garden for breakfast, garden viewing and sketching. Here are some records of the marvelous morning.

The breakfast!

The potted head (which in reality did not look as Easter Island as this), the stone bench, and the pond with  a lily, of course.

Some items from the potting table.

There was so much more to draw, but not enough time.  Is there ever enough time to draw a beautiful garden on a sunny day? 

Spring, Life, Rain

In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life
again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spread
Of life, Of life, Of life.


from 'In Time of Silver Rain'
by Langston Hughes

I don't know about on the plain, but here in Portland, we've had plenty of rain this spring, bringing an abundant growth  of grass, weeds, and flowers.  All are thriving.

It's often too wet to be out sketching for long, but I can always grab a handful of flowers and bring them  inside to sketch in comfort. Here are the latest:

This was sketched from inside looking out, waiting for the rain to stop so I could plant the runuculus and pansies.

One of my sketching friends, Linda D., made me this lovely little sketchbook filled with pages made form one large sheet of thick, watercolor paper. It looked spring-like, so it's full of spring sketches. (Well, no rain clouds.) And there's my new Lamy Pilot pen, which I love. Now what am I going to do with the dozens of other pens I've collected?

The first pages have blossoms from our pear trees.

Then I tried to draw some camelias we saw on a walk. This is a very tough flower for me and the results show. I lost interest.

Back inside, these are Ranunculus, Spanish Bluebells, Narcissus, Tulip, Grape Hyacinths, and Azaleas.

I decided to tackle some camelias again and since the petals don't seem very defined, I added ink and shadows and the result doesn't look anything like my usual light pallet.

And now, the lilacs are starting to bloom, so I stuck them in a cup I got at the Oregon Pottery show last weekend and tried to capture them.

I love how lilac buds explode out like fireworks.

Ah, Spring!