"IHOP Sketching"

L to R:  Patti, Patty, Jim, Nancy, Katherine, Cindy, Gail and Harry.

With local temperatures hovering around the century mark this week, we decided we needed to go inside for today's sketch crawl.  Where better than the local IHOP (International House of Pancakes). Most of the members had never sketched their food before, so this was a really fun experience.  We started with portrait and table items sketching, ordered our food, then drew it.  What a great fun, outing.

"Texas Road House"

A popular eating establishment, the Texas Road House, Kennewick.  Not much reminds me of my years in Texas here, with the exception of the nearest flag; but the food is pretty good. The beer is really cold and those buns they serve with the honey butter are worth waiting for a booth during the long lines at dinner time. 

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, ink, watercolor

Portland Sketch: St James Lutheran Church

St. James Lutheran Church on the South Park Blocks in Portland, Oregon.  Sketched during the
2nd Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers Sketch Crawl" on July 12th, 2014.  

Methodist Church: Kennewick

The Kennewick First United Methodist Church on the corner of Dayton and Kennewick Avenue.  

Initially Green, Hwy 395's Pioneer Memorial Bridge

My thanks to this shady tree at the Lampson Pit, beside Columbia Park Trail's bicycle path in Kennewick, Washington.  Comfortably cool, I sketched the Pioneer Memorial Bridge, dedicated July 30, 1954.  There are three bridges in our area that cross the Columbia River;  The Blue Bridge, Hwy 395 and The Cable Bridge connect Kennewick to Pasco and The Topless Bridge, Hwy I 82 connect Richland to Pasco.
Patti Kirch

7/9/14 - Lampson Pits and the Blue Bridge

               

Another beautiful, hot day in the Tri-Cities!  This is the "Blue Bridge" sketched from the Benton County side of the Columbia River.  A nickname?  For as long as anyone can remember, she has always been this color.  Also blue, is the Lampson Pits sign, floating docks and ramps that are used at the hydroplane races, held each year in our community.  Blue sky, Blue Bridge, blue water and Lampson blue...this day was full of blue but was anything but.  It was pure joy!  #usktcbluebridge

Patty Gardner

"The Blue Bridge"

Our Wednesday morning sketchabout was down in Columbia park this morning, July 9th, 2014.  We were there to sketch the Blue Bridge which spans the Columbia river connecting the cities of Pasco, and Kennewick, Wa.  Upstream, to the left, another bridge connects Pasco to Richland: thus the Tri-Cities.

"This Week"

I have long wanted to sketch the Pike Street Market and got the chance last Saturday when attending a sketching workshop in Seattle. Frank Ching said to "sketch something with the big sign in it."  I walked to the corner and standing in both a large crowd of people coming and going across the intersection, and a threatening rain, sketched my sketch.  I like we didn't have but 15 or 20 minutes to do the sketch as that lends quickness, expressiveness, and energy to the sketch.

Following in the footsteps of hurry-up-and-get-it-done, I found myself at this intersection in Prosser, WA today, the 4th of July, with my family.  We were there to celebrate the 4th as we have such warm memories of their celebrations when we lived there in the 60's, 70's and 80's.  A real flop today with nothing more than a Car Show in the park.  Phil's Corner Drug is long gone now.  Phil had a real soda fountain in there, one of the few I ever remember seeing.  It's a Mexican restaurant now.  No soda fountain.

Four Approaches

I am here at Cannon Beach OR enjoying every single moment.  After an amazing weekend of the Cannon Beach Plein Air Festival I have been been doing a bit of sketching.  For some reason I kept fooling around with different approaches.  Probably matching my moods at the moment. 

Enjoying a leisurely lunch on a rainy day under cover at Sweet Basil's

pencil sketch w/watercolor

Sunny day at the beach looking north  =)

Micron pen w/watercolor

Relaxed evening watching the sunset and the shadows creep over the dunes looking south at Hay Stack.

2b pencil sketch

Hot day at the beach looking north

watercolor sketch

Hope to join you all next week!

World Cup Soccer-futebol-futbol

 Soccer was so exciting, two crazy great games, I'm Canadian, I loved the colors!  I looked up soccer in Spanish and Portuguese.  Goooooooooaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!!!

Out with a hamstring injury, the USA was ousted, great road exciting game.  The two sketches were of situations that seemed to be suspended in time.  The top sketch the players seemed to be align ready for the pass and the lower agony waiting for an official.  I used pencil followed by micron .05 pen then Art Bars.  So exciting!
Patti Kirch

Wimbledon, not quite yet

 Max is a 7 year old sketcher and tennis player, so at the end of our lessons he sketches and writes what he learned.  One of his service attempts, this actual pose happened, unplanned.  I had to sketch this one, too funny.

Over this past windy weekend Sporthaus Northwest Sweetspot Tournament was held.  For over 25 years my husband and I have created and directed a "tennis flash mob" over this tournament weekend at Kamiakin High School and previously Kennewick High School.  Hey, I was the tournament  director, only had time to sketch one participant's grandparent and their shitzu. Initially, I sketched with pencil followed by micron .05 pen then Art Bars.
Patti Kirch