"Steptoe Street and Gage Boulevard"

Intersection of Stepto Street and Gage Boulevard in Kennewick, WA> 

I was sitting atop this incline, there is a bank behind me so I'm in their parking lot.  It's Tuesday evening, later than the sky here would indicate.  This intersection has caught my eye before, in fact, I think I've sketched it before from another angle.  I continue moving along using this quick-sketch approach trying to capture the energy and expressiveness of the scene.  I keep thinking, one of these days, my drawings will enter the next level.

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

"Columbia Park - Kennewick, WA."

What caught my eye here was the way the light was hitting the bridge behind all the trees in the park. Originally I decided to leave the tree trunks white, but after looking it over, I realized to grab what I wanted of the bridge, the trunks had to be dark.  So there it is, another Wednesday morning out sketching with the Urban Sketchers; Tri-Cities.

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Safari Lamy, Noodler's Lexington Gray, Dick Blick Watercolors.

"Quick Sketching the Upper Floors"

With time to kill prior to a presentation I am scheduled to give at the 5th Annual Triconf Conference, I went to the second floor windows in the Richland Public Library to do a quick sketch of the new construction going on top of nearby Kadlec Regional Hospital.

The real purpose of adding this image to post one that will move our blog up toward the top of USk International blog.  I want to demonstrate this feature on that blog.

Wish me luck.

"Columbia Center Mall"

The USkTC group met this morning at the Columbia Center Mall food court at 10am.

I have been interested in trying to capture these vaulted ceilings for a long time, so today was my opportunity.

Using my oldest sketchbook (literally, it is 112 years old) for the task, I found a nice location from which to draw (one where I could also plug in my phone), and got started.

At 11:05 it was 95% completed, so I returned to the food court and met up with the rest of the sketchers (six of them) and finished it off.

I used a pencil to get it started, then added the ink. Dark spots are intended to push the background back and bring the middle ground forward. The darks in the foreground to emphasize different color schemes and contrasts.  This was a fun one.

"Drawing Cars"

We met at the local "Toyota of Tri Cities" auto dealer this morning to practice our car sketching. Some of the folks had never drawn cars before. Tell you what . . . wish I could draw them as well as the "first timers" did.  The Wow Starts Now...

Lamy Safari loaded with Noodlers, Super Aquabee Sketchbook, watercolors: 3 x 9


Really quick, fast sketching.  I had 20 minutes before the sharing and a blank page in my sketchbook. Seven cars in 20 minutes, color added later.

Lami Safari loaded with Noodlers Lexington Gray ink, Super Aquabee Sketchbook, watercolors.

"Uptown Richland"

Out sketching with the USkTC group this morning.  Great fun, good sun, tasty spudnuts and coffee at the highly popular Spudut Shop around the corner, great sketches and social interactions... (that's important, too).  Some of us stayed until Gail got her keys removed from the trunk of her car (requiring a locksmith), and we left Trish O'Neil sitting in the parking lot by herself.  I wonder if she's left yet...

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Noodler's Ink, watercolors

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.