Novermber

Inside, looking out...

Outside....

Inside...

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.

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.

Going Back

Last week, I sketched again at the Fields park in NW Portland. I didn't finish it, so I returned today. I think I was sitting in a spot that was nearly the same as last week, but the weather, the sun, the cranes, the sky and my perception had all changed in a week. It felt kind of like solving a puzzle to try to finish what I was seeing last week. I ended up taking lots of liberties and changing some things  significantly. I hadn't realized how hard it was to return to the scene.

Here are a few home grown (by friends) tomatoes to finish up the summer.

Construction in the Pearl

Today, sketching in Portland's Pearl district, I tried something different: I used Inma Serrano's method  (from the Barcelona symposium) of sketching buildings by starting with paint first. I didn't care if the buildings were very accurate or not; I was going for an impression. I used Gail Wong's suggestion of using a bigger brush  (in this case a flat one) for a looser look.  After painting, I added the ink and some of the details.

I had a lot of fun sketching like this. I wasn't concerned with how many windows I was drawing or how precise the balconies were---or anything else. I wasn't really thinking very much,  just adding paint and then lines, and it was very refreshing.

Portlanders, if you're in the mood for drawing construction, I'd suggest you head for The Fields. There are at least three blocks filled with cranes, drills,  rebar and more. You may want to take ear plugs. Happy sketching!

Portland Skies

It seems like the sky is putting on quite a show lately. We've had big puffy, cumulonimbus clouds one moment and dark, ominous thunderclouds the next. With these sketches, I was initially drawn to the architecture but the clouds kept catching my eye.

The first one, of Big Pink and the Portland Spirit, I drew beside Andrea on the rock, adding most of the color later.

The next was on Directors Square, looking toward Elephant's Deli--and the sky.

My Italian Sketchbook

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Italy where we visited Padua, Venice, Vicenza, Verona, and Florence. It was a wonderful trip, but with so much to see and do, we really need to go back again.

Even though we spent much of each day visiting cathedrals, galleries, parks, and palaces, there was still time to get in some sketching.

I liked the fact that these monks, dressed in the same style as the Anthony who was later canonized, now have a web site.

There aren't just lions in Venice. They're also in all the other cities we visited and they are a challenge for me to draw.

In the foreground, you'll see the glasses of spritz and Compari that everyone in Padova seems to drink. 

At the Roman arena in Verona, we were more impressed with the exterior than the interior, until one of the visitors stood in the center and treated us all to a spontaneous aria.

The Prato della Valle, in Padova, was a great place to sketch until I was driven away by the many pigeons.

As usual, I have several sketches of ironwork. This one I drew while waiting to head to Florence.

It was off-and-on rainy in Florence, but we had a very nice morning in a quiet garden where I sketched across the Arno. In the upper left of the sky, you will see a mosquito.

This lion statue looked so affronted to have a pigeon on his head.

We had this view from our hotel window. 

While I sketched the Brunelleschi sculpture, two Italian women watched and then humorously, we all three tried to have a conversation as they looked through my sketchbook, making all the appropriate gestures and sounds.

On a rainy day, we had a delicious lunch in a cozy restaurant with a wood stoked oven. My Tuscan soup sampler, delicious fresh focaccia, and glass of red wine, were perfect for the chilly day.

As I was sketching this, my stomach lurched when I noticed the tiny people looking over the top of the duomo--not for me.

I decided that half of this very elaborate church with so many different styles, was plenty for me to draw.

This last sketch isn't mine at all. It was drawn by Laura, from Madrid, who I caught sketching me in the Florence airport as we waited for our flight. It was an hour late, but she and I had a delightful conversation about sketching and art, her studies in Florence and her future as a children's book illustrator. In the meantime, I hoped to make an Urban Sketcher of her.

Later, on the plane, the woman across the aisle from me was sketching her daughter, so once again, I had another lovely conversation about sketching and art. 

It was a great trip, from beginning to end, filled with gorgeous sights, delicious food, and friendly,  marvelous people. I can't wait to go again!

Winter Trees

It was a beautiful cold, sunny day in Portland today, so I decided to sketch some winter trees.

This view was from the cozy cafe, Behind the Museum, where I sketched while drinking a latte and nibbling on fruit cake.

Then I did a quick sketch of the same tree seen from the plaza between the two buildings of the art museum.

Sitting on a bench in the park blocks, this view between the buildings caught my eye.