"McNary Sketches"

These two sketches were done at McNary Wildlife Refuge Tuesday April 28.

Sharpie and watercolor washes on arches watercolor paper in a homemade sketchbook.

During this outing I saw Yellow-headed Black birds, Osprey, turtles, Ruddy ducks,

White Cabbage butterflies, and a beautiful yellow wild flower. 

I did not know what it was called.  Cassandra Wald saw my post and  it is a  Balsamroot.

Gail Roadhouse full time artist and urban sketcher: find me here -  gailsgalleryandgifts.com 

Chinese Garden Portland

For my birthday my husband surprised me with a trip to Portland. While there I took some time at the Chinese Garden sketching.

"Cheese Louise"

Tomorrow we will hang our second show at Cheese Louise at 2pm.  We will be there to collect them, then Gail and Jim will hang the show.

Come check it out!

Red Mountain Appalachian, Hedges Vineyard

Red Mountain Appalachian, Benton City is where Hedges Vineyard and Winery is located.

The vines are just sprouting and the wispy crisp spring morning kept me sketching from my open passenger window.

Urban Sketchers Tri Cities is a wonderful group to sketch with.

patti kirch

"Hedges Family Estate Winery" Red Mountain, WA

On a rather cold and blustery spring morning, a small group of dedicated sketchers drove out to Red Mountain to the Hedges Family Estate Winery.  As usual, there were as many interpretations as there were sketchers and even though it was cold for those of us in the shade, we prevailed.

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's Lexington Gray ink, and watercolors. 

Goose Ridge Winery

It was a beautiful morning at Goose Ridge Winery in Richland,WA.  I love that everyone went out in all different directions and really capture the essences of this gorgeous winery and their grounds.  Some of us stayed for lunch and some delicious wine as we continued to sketch.  I was the last one to leave (imagine that) and had the privilege of meeting one of the family members that owns the winery. She was very interested in seeing what we all came up with.  So post your sketches peeps!

I was on the back side of the winery

"Goose Ridge Winery"

The USkTC (Urban Sketchers: Tri-Cities) drove to Goose Ridge Winery this morning on Dallas Road out of Richland for our Wednesday morning sketch.  It turned out to be another beautiful morning for sketching and we had 19 members there.  

I did this one standing in the bed of my truck.

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's Lexington Gray ink, and watercolors 

Sons of the American Revolution

 Special guest historians, Sons of the American Revolution visited our Citizenship class at West Side Church in Richland, Washington this evening, they drove in from Spokane and headed back right after class.

West Side Church hosts a pretty special program for potential citizens especially our teacher, Irene!!!  

I sketched and wrote notes at the same time, sadly, on the back of my class notes, not sketchbook.

The above sketch, features the hunting frock, tricorn hat of a private.

The officer's uniform sketched above features a gold trimmed black tricorn hat.

The round hats were pinned up with a cockade, to keep it from interfering with their single shot weapons.

These historians also singled out special women in time, Helen Trotter the Scout, was one.

I wasn't anticipating sketching, I had a writing pen, class ended at 8:30 this evening.

I finished with water color, then a 1 micron as soon as I got home.


patti kirch

The Seattle Baroque Orchestra

My son and I went to this concert last Sunday at the Battelle Auditorium.  He tends a bit toward being a classical music savant: since he was very young.

The featured playlist was Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," which they played beautifully.

I am always amazed at how musicians, ten in this case, become so intricately in tune with one another in terms of timing, spacing, rhythm, and intonations. And they were!!

I took my sketchbook, just in case, and once they started I felt the strong urge to try to capture them.

The top image is what I sketched during the event, trying to capture the energy of the music they were playing as well as the energy they were releasing while they played.

Later, I decided to put some color to it to push the background back and bring the audience forward some.

It's not a great sketch/drawing, but it does capture the mood of the moment: for me.

"3 Rivers Convention Center and new Marriott Hotel"

Been wanting to sketch the "3 Rivers Convention Center" and the new hotel since they began construction on the hotel, from this location. Today I drove through to check it out and figured it is done "enough."

I kinda like this one.

"The Carnival's in Town"

After leaving our sketchcrawl at Clover Island, I found this carnival in the Hobby Lobby parking lot. I pulled in and began sketching when Patty G found me. Later it was she that convinced me to post this one. I wasn't too pleased with it, but now that I look again, it'll do...

Here's an earlier I did of the same carnival, three years ago.

Day Trippers Visit LaGrande, Oregon

My wife, son and I drove down to LaGrande, Oregon, today so my son could visit a friend.  While he did that we drove around town to find a few sketching opportunities.

There were far more than I could get down before it was time to grab a burrito at "Raul's Taqueria" downtown, and head back to the Tri-Cities.

I spotted this little episcopal church online the night before we drove down (google maps and my buddy, Pegman).

Very quaint and somewhat secluded on the corner of "O" street and 4th.  I kept waiting the the father to walk out the front door, but he didn't.

While driving through the residentials, this one grabbed my eye.  

I drew it from my car while parked on the other side of the street with my back bumper almost in the way of traffic.

A Vancouver Gift, Urban Sketcher's Eyes

Touch Wood Sculpture Exhibition,         #4 CONFIDENCE,     Michael Dennis, Red Cedar
Eco - Friendly, found driftwood
Cherry blossoms were the most brilliant three weeks ago, what I had found was an urban sketchers paradise in Van Dusan Gardens in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Cast shadows as upon a sundial, moved around these stationary figures.  Mid morning while I sketched the couple, they were individuals, as the day warmed up so their intimacy .......

 Same red cedar couple from a different view.  This art piece was purchased and then donated to the Van Dusan Gardens.  Oh how fortunate, what a treasure Vancouver!

Now, I am from arid shrub stepp, Eastern Washington, visiting home and taking my Mom on a Cherry Blossom field trip.  Lo and behold, a most brilliant blossoming tree was right in front of her place in Burnaby.  Patti Kirch