Santa Fe Sketchbook

A tour group stopped here while I sketched the fireplace bas relief.

No Fear Man

Palace of the Governors

Colored Paper

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.

Quick Little Sketches

I always have a little moleskine sketchbook in my purse for when I have a few minutes for a quick sketch. Here are some of them...

Laurelhurst Theater from Starbucks on 28th & Sandy

Wisteria at Pioneer Square

Aretemsia from Crema

Jimmy Mak's without the band

NE 28th from Alma

Corner by the gym

From Whole Foods on NE Burnside

March Branches and Blossoms

Lan Su Chinese Garden

In spring in Portland, we have beautiful trees bursting 

 into new leaves and fragile blossoms of pink or white.  There's so much potential for sketching, but there is often accompanying wind, rain, chilly temperatures, and sometimes hail. Luckily, the tearoom at the Chinese Garden offers shelter and views out the window, along with  fragrant pots of exotic

tea and delicate, tasty snacks. I think I could spend days there, watching the sky change, drinking tea and  never running out of things to draw.