Elephant Slide, Howard Amon Park, Richland, WA

Thinking about making a coloring book based on Howard Amon Park in Richland, WA. This is my first subject. The sturgeon sculpture and slide ship is my second subject

"Pots"

I spotted these pots at Beaver Bark last Wednesday morning when Nancy and I went sketching.  I have seen them before but the sheer numbers of them sort of left me breathless and clueless about where to start.  This time, I found a good spot from which to work, opened my sketchbook, and simply drew one of the pots in the middle on the left.  From there the page just sort of filled itself in. 

I liked the multiple colors and how they were laid out in front of the distant greenhouse.

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Noodler's Lexington Gray ink, watercolors, Faber-Castell ink pens.

WEDNESDAY MORNING SKETCHING

Met up this morning at the Artspace in Kennewick and headed out to Beaver Bark thinking it might be a little warmer inside their incredible space OR all those colorful pots outside...

I chose inside (still suffering from a hacking cough) and sat in front of trays of small plants and this beautiful bouganvilla that I obviously don't know how to spell!  These detailed drawings are always a bit daunting to start but once you put down that first leaf - the rest just fits in around it.  Can't wait to go back to pick up some gorgeous color!

"Road Trip to Meet Don Colley in Spokane"

On October 5th, Renae Williams-Favor, new member to USkTC, and I, drove up to Spokane to meet up with Urban Sketcher, Don Colley, and here, for his demonstrations at the Spokane Art Supply store.  Also there was Spokane Sketcher, Don Walls. 

We had a great time discussing the art of sketching with Don Colley and came home not only with new supplies, purchased at 20% off, some free supplies offered by Don (pens, pencils, etc.), but some new ideas about how to expand our personal techniques and skills.

After the demos, Renae, Don W. and I stopped at Riverfront Park and sketched the carousel as it nestles in front of the Spokane's downtown buildings.  The weather was sun and 72 degrees, no wind, and there was carousel music permeating the air throughout the park.  A great day, and with company, a short ride up and back.

Here's my contribution to the collection of sketches done at the park, and if you click the pic you'll be able to see the rest of the pics taken.

 

9x9 Super Aquabee Sketchbook, Lamy Safari with Noodler's Lexington Gray ink, and watercolors.

 

 

Quick, before they die...

Quick clipping roses in the yard before they get froze out!

I have looked at these for several days as I walked by them on my kitchen table.  I am surprised that my impulse was to draw them and I am happy that I don't shy away from it, that I am actually DRAWN to it!  How thankful I am to have stuck with the drawing and to be at a point where I long to draw, not that I should...

"Wednesday Sketching II"

 

My rendition of the FedEx plane that Nancy so deftly sketched in the post below this one.  Not super-pleased with this, but hey, this blog isn't about quality so much as it is about just drawing and having some fun with other like-minded folks.  Nancy and I are committed to as many Wednesday mornings into the future as we can see, and then some. 

After lunch, I drove over to the Grand Opening for the new Yoke's grocery on Keene Road in Richland.  Of the two sketches I did there, this one is my favorite.  I found a nice comfortable chair in the luncheon area (where there is a fireplace that opens both inside and to the outside patio), and sketched out these folks shopping in the produce area.

WEDNESDAY SKETCHING!

After meeting up at Roasters (across from CBC in Pasco) at 9:30 this morning, Jim and I headed over towards the airport and ended up outside a major fence in front of a FedEx plane and HERE

are the Results!

It feels great getting out there again - it's been a while!

Apartment Balcony

View from our apartment balcony where we dried our clothes. This is the inner garden of the apartments.
I went to large for the picture.

Jerez Spain

Finally I can share some of the sketches I did in Jerez Spain. This is the entry, after the street gate, into the Bar Parron apartments. The bird is a pet of the owners.I made the picture x-Large, I hope that's right?

"Sold yet kept..."

Thought I might share that through this website, I sold the rights to use this little sketch to a company doing contracting work out at the 'Area'.  I was contacted here for permission and that's Super Cool!  Hmmm, I should have asked how they came upon it!

The "Fiery Foods Festival"

After a three year hiatus, the Fiery Foods Festival returned to downtown Pasco this weekend. Three of our sketchers took the opportunity to head over and catch some of the action:  Ed David, Renae Favor, and Jim Bumgarner. 

Just about the only thing that some of us found "fiery" was the heat of the day.  There was only one small Mexican Food vendor and the line was way too long and the workers way too slow.  The local newspaper did mention two vendors: one was selling freshly roasted hot peppers from New Mexico, and the other a concoction of cucumbers, onions and jalapenos, grown in his garden in Kennewick. In previous Fiery Foods Festivals a much greater selection of Mexican foods were available. 

We were thereat the beginning of the scheduled 8 hour event (noon), so the crowd was a bit sparse and the bands way too far apart. The thing that caught our attention was the large two-story building on one of the corners and opposite it a shade tree to hide beneath. 



L to R:  Ed David, Renae Favor, Jim Bumgarner

 

Ed's fabulously Red corner building at the Fiery Foods Festival.



Jim's sketch of the same building showing the band stand a few people in the street.

 

water garden in the Demonstration Garden

The Benton-Franklin Master Gardener Demonstration Garden in Kennewick, behind the Mid-Columbia Library, has 25 different gardens featured in it, and this is the water garden. Even though it is pretty small in size, it has what for a nice water garden...fish, turtles, water lilies, and a waterfall.

"My Day with the Spokane Sketchers"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bmgarner/sets/72157635002161622/

I drove up to Spokane yesterday, August 8th, to meet up with Don Walls and his Spokane Sketchers.

We met at 10am in the Browns' Addition, an early upscale neighborhood in west Spokane, to sketch mansions, and other things. 

The weather was perfect, the coffee at the bistro where we met was hot and steamy, and the company of sketchers, about ten, couldn't have been more inviting and welcoming. 

This is mining millionaire, Patsy Clark's mansion. Built in 1897.  I challenged myself to put the line work down in 5 mins., and though I didn't really time myself, it was close.  Color added later.

To see the other two, click the caption link below the sketch.

I will definitely be returning to Spokane to join them again.  If you want to tag along, I'll drive and we'll have a great time.

"Another Day at Richland's Farmers' Market"

Yesterday the Allied Arts folks held a "First Friday Paint-In" on their patio so I dropped by to see what and how they do that.  Huddled up against the building on a concrete pad in front of the building they were all busy with their paints and canvases.  

What they were doing looked like fun, but I felt the tug of the excitement of the Farmers' Market just a block up the street, so that's where I spent my morning.

Future "First Friday Paint-Ins" are scheduled for inside the building.  Too claustrophobic for me, and I hardly ever do any sketching/painting from reference photos, or imagination: They are all on location these days for me.  

6x9 Super Aquabee Sketchpad, Noodler's Lexington Gray ink, watercolors.

A Corner at the Parkway,Richland

 

Went sketching with Nancy and Jim on Wednesday. I am very grateful that they explained the one vanishing point perspective to me. I think I finally understood the concept and knew how to approach a sketch afterward. While I struggled with an aching back that day, this was all I could do at the time, actually I did the coloring part later at home.  There are mistakes, but this is only the first try. I'll get better.