Sketchbook Meditations

Bouquet of Flowers

2012-01-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

Study for a painting I'm working on.

Bad Weekend

2012-01-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Thoracentesis is an invasive procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. A cannula, or hollow needle, is carefully introduced into the thorax, generally after administration of local anesthesia.

One can end up in the Emergency Room from side effects like a collapsed lung.

An X-Ray and CAT scan indicated the lung was not collapsed and there was no mass in the abdomen. A new treatment will hopefully arrest the fluid accumulation.

She feels better now.

( I apologize if an earlier version of this post alarmed people. The initial crisis is behind us and we're trying to evaluate what is next. - Just like life )

Allen's Radiator Shop

2011-12-07T21:43:00.001-08:00

I've neglected this blog lately, as I've focused on painting and work. I haven't made time to do much sketching.

This shop is on my way downtown and I always think to myself that I want to get down there and paint it, as I go by.

Orcas Island

2011-08-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Rosario Harbor at twilight

I recently spent a week painting on Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Islands, off the coast of Washington state. Most of my time was spent oil painting but I had time for a few sketches here and there.

View near the village of Eastsound.

Small farm from Obstruction Pass Rd.

This was the view from the balcony of my room overlooking Rosario Harbor.

This small island is just off shore from the village park in Eastsound. You can walk out to it at low tide.

I'll post more on my oil painting blog soon.

Beautiful evening in the garden

2011-08-03T20:23:00.001-07:00

Our garden is usually full of weeds and in need pruning. It still is but not as bad as usual and, with the help of one of my sketching friends who designed plantings for a neglected bed, it's been a very pleasant place to spend these warm evenings.

8" x 10" two page spread in sketchbook

The weather has been so gloomy until recently that I'm really soaking up the sun, now that it's here. I can hardly stop staring at the blue sky.

It is a challenge for me to make graphic sense out of all this foliage. I need a few man made objects to focus on.

Hayifield

2011-07-24T16:39:00.001-07:00

I took a drive away from town today and found a spot to pull the truck off the road at this hayfield that had recently been cut. I had my oil painting gear with me but was too lazy to set it all up. I've not done any plein air oil painting this summer.

July 23 Sketchcrawl in North Portland

2011-07-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

I joined a group of Portland Urban Sketches to take advantage of a rare sunny day and revisit the neighborhood near the White Eagle Saloon.

This neighborhood is sort of being gentrified but it's adjacent to freeway overpasses and rail yards that make it noisy and a brewery, which makes it smelly.

It was fun to see everyone and enjoy a day drawing in the sun.

Artichoke Cafe

2011-07-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last night my wife and I enjoyed some really great local acoustic music at the Artichoke Cafe.

Four Singer Songwriters shared the stage and all were really terrific.
The proportions are a little wonky on this one but I enjoyed drawing it and listening to the tunes.

Sketching at Smith Rock State Park

2011-06-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

7" x 10" Watercolor and Ink

On a trip to Central Oregon, I spent a day at Smith Rock State Park, which is very popular with rock climbers. These formations are fun to draw and there were several groups of climbers scaling them as I worked.

Along the trail I came across this incredible view of Mt Jefferson framed through the cliffs of Smith Rock. The boulder between the two cliffs is probably about three of four stories high.

7" x 10" Watercolor and Ink

May Flowers

2011-05-10T13:02:00.001-07:00

Dog sketches - Miki

2011-05-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Over recent months, I've ended up with a collection of sketches of our new dog, Miki. Miki is a really interesting looking little guy that we think may be part Chihuahua and Shibu Inu. He's not as small as a Chihuahua but he has those buggy eyes. His ears are really large so that sometimes, he looks like an arctic fox. He's a rescue dog and was listed as an American Eskimo mix. We looked up Inuit words and decided to call him miki, which, according to the internet, means small ice flow.

When he's awake, he doesn't stay still for very long, so I have to have several sketches going at the same time, hoping that he'll return to a pose I've already started to sketch.

It's easier to draw him while he's sleeping, but, of course, he usually settles into the same sleeping pose, so I end up with a lot of very similar compositions.

Levitating in the studio again

2011-03-27T14:15:00.001-07:00

Self at 58

2011-03-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.

Every year, near my birthday, I try to do a self portrait based on one I did when I was in my early 20s. The original drawing was done as an assignment to learn how the face ages. We were to do a self portrait from the mirror and then, using information on how faces change over time, produce a second self portrait predicting how we would look at age 60.

The two drawings I did for the assignment are reproduced (badly) below.

.. ..

SE Portland

2011-03-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

The back side of the German Deli and Edelweiss Cafe

Ringler's Annex

2011-03-05T15:42:00.001-08:00

I met members of the Portland Urban Sketcher's group on West Burnside today for a morning of sketching. This is the McMenamin's Ringler's Annex Pub. It's actually more a dull yellow than green but it was a dull day, for the most part, but at least it didn't rain.

We met at Ringler's for lunch and compared drawings and tools and talked about the upcoming Urban Sketcher's Symposium in Lisbon.

North Oregon Coast

2011-02-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

I've spent a few days recovering from a cold at a friend's house in Cannon Beach. These two sketches are the scene from the widow. In stormy weather, the scene changes so fast that it's difficult to capture. Looking up from the page before making my next mark, the light would have changes completely.

7" x 10" ink wash

The sketch above was when I was feeling pretty bad. I think it reflects how I was feeling.

11" x 14" watercolor

This one is from a bit later in my stay and I'm feeling more sunny. I'm not used to working this large and had trouble controlling these more extensive washes.

Thanks John and Jane for sharing this wonderful retreat!

Mongolian Boot

2011-02-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

Ink wash 10" x 7"

Drinking and Drawing @ Laurelthirst Public House

2011-01-17T19:38:00.001-08:00

The Laurelthirst Pub on NW Glisan in Portland is a place I like to go and draw while listening to some great local bands. The music starts at 6pm so I can go on a work night and not be too wrecked for work the next day. I like the Kung Pao Chickens. They're a kind of Gypsy Jazz band that used to play early on Mondays but they moved them to the late show so - too late for me now. I also like Lewi Longmire's country rock band. He reminds me a bit of the Jayhawks.

I get there early and draw before it gets too packed to see anything. I started this drawing at about 5PM and by the time the bands started, around 6:15, the place was filled.

They also serve vegetarian food.

Sketchcrawl in Old Town

2011-01-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

Cold, soggy day for sketching. Sketchbook pages were damp and difficult to draw on. Hard to keep clean color. Most of the right hand page was done on location, most of the left was done at home. You can see that the color is less muddy on the left hand page.

Crack Press (NW 3rd and Glisan)

2011-01-04T19:30:00.001-08:00

NW 3rd and Glisan, right at the Steel Bridge on-ramp. This is on the edge of Old Town and therefore has the red lamp posts that are used there.

I'm not sure if this building is still inhabited but, at one time it was the home of Crack Press.

Break in the Weather

2011-01-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

It's been very wet, even for Portland, so when I got up on Friday morning and could see my shadow, I grabbed my sketch bag and headed out. It was in the mid 20 degrees Fahrenheit, so I stayed in the truck but I thoroughly enjoyed getting some drawing done.

These were both done in the SE Industrial area a few blocks from the Willamette River.

The sketch above was done at the corner of SE 3rd and Ash.

This one was done at SE Salmon near 1st Ave. I'm looking toward the river showing the skyline of the SW downtown including the KOIN Tower and Wells Fargo Center with the West Hills in the background.

It was so nice to see and feel the sun.

RR Utility Sheds

2010-10-22T07:41:00.001-07:00

7" x 10" watercolor and ink

This is at NW 9th Ave near the intersection of NW Naito Pkwy, which I still think of by it's old name, Front Ave. Centennial Mills and the Fremont Bridge are visible in the background.

Two Views from a Garage Rooftop

2010-10-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

5" x 8" pages

This spread, on facing pages of a Moleskine Watercolor sketchbook, is of the views, looking in opposite directions, from the rooftop level of a parking garage on NW Station Way in the Pearl District of Portland.

The sketch on the left is looking west through the Pearl toward the West Hills and the other sketch is looking east toward the Wilamette River and includes the Broadway Bridge (undergoing construction upgrades) and the historic Albers Mill Building, which is now being leased as office space.

Although I've sketched and painted several times, at this location, these both started as absent-minded doodles, during meetings, from snapshot on my laptop.

Missing House

2010-10-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is a site on North Knott Street between Interstate and Mississippi. I was drawn to it because it appears to be the site of a home that is no longer there. There are 2 overgrown cedars beside a concrete stairway that leads up from the street but no house at the top.
The Fremont Bridge looms behind it and the property is littered with dumpsters now. I wonder who built and lived in that missing house.

Apple

2010-09-30T18:55:00.001-07:00

Wrong Way

2010-09-25T16:35:00.001-07:00

Union Station from the corner of NW Hoyt and Broadway, at the foot of the ramp onto the Broadway Bridge.

Empty Grain Freighter

2010-09-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

This is the first sketch I've done in this new sketchbook. The paper is handmade and seems to contain little sizing. It's almost like painting on a napkin.

Caught on film, at the Urban Sketchers Symposium

2010-09-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Someone caught Frank Ching trying to help me during one of the Sketch Crawls at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in July. I don't remember the exact conversation we had but Frank had great suggestions, some of which I think about every time I draw now.

Pepper

2010-09-05T18:29:00.001-07:00

NW Station Way

2010-08-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

I found this little corner of the Pearl District with interesting views in every direction. It's a quiet little space near the train station that I didn't know about.

I thought the structure on top of this condo was interesting. Many of the buildings in the area have rooftop gardens. I'd love to do some drawing from up on one of these rooftops.

Whenever I see an image of a tall building with a plane, I automatically get a weird feeling in my gut.

I tried to resist drawing this truck but I just couldn't do it.

.

Union Station

2010-08-28T09:53:00.001-07:00

The Portland Train station from the on ramp of the Broadway Bridge.

Still Life with Telephone and Scanner

2010-08-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

NW Couch and Broadway

2010-08-08T20:56:00.001-07:00

Hawthorne Bridge

2010-08-06T20:36:00.001-07:00

Hawthorne Bridge from East Side

Sketchers Gone Wild

2010-08-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

I just had the time of my life, drawing til my pens ran dry, at the Urban Sketching Symposium in Portland last weekend. I met some of my drawing heroes and many of them to signed my sketchbook with their favorite drawing pen.

I learned how to draw with my pen upside down from Frank Ching and was reminded of the value of thumbnail sketches by Veronica Lawlor. Tia Boon Sim taught me a technique to pre-stain the page with random color before starting a sketch and Isabel Fiadeiro led us to Powells on a people drawing safari.

Being with people who are at least as addicted to drawing as I am was such fun. Everyone was drawing all the time. During the presentations, people were drawing, during dinner people were drawing. It was kind of ridiculous but I loved it.
Drawing on the paper table cloth at Eleni's after the last day of the symposium.

SE 23rd and Morrison

2010-07-26T15:38:00.001-07:00

Funny little building across the street from the Lone Fir Cemetery.

Early Morning Garbage Truck

2010-07-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

On an early morning walk, I came across our local Waste Removal crew stopping for coffee at 7 Eleven.

Sketchcrawl at the Portland International Rose Test Garden

2010-07-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of sketches from the Portland Urban Sketchers sketchcrawl today. Above is the Frank Edwin Beach Memorial Fountain in the Rose Test Garden. Below is a view of the US Bank Tower (Big Pink) from the garden near the amphitheater.

More from Eastern Oregon

2010-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

A couple more sketches I did on my trip to North Central Oregon.

Palisades in the Clarno Unit near the Painted Hills

Just beside the John Day River

Cowboy Up Cafe

2010-06-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

I spent a few days driving around North Central Oregon last weekend. The sketch above was done in Condon Oregon. Condon is a tiny town of about 700 people in the wheat growing country and near the Painted Hills. The sketch is of the Cowboy Up Cafe and the Roundup Room Lounge. The Lounge closed for business early this year.

It's very beautiful country out there. I'd love to go back on a painting trip.

Here's a peak inside the cafe.

Osa

2010-06-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

This is our very sweet dog Osa. She's such a good dog that she actually sat for this drawing. I had to talk to her constantly but she patiently sat for about 15 minutes for me to get most of this down.

Osa was rescued from some kind of terrible farm/puppy mill where most of the animals were neglected. Some had died. She was taken better care of, apparently, because she was a breeding female. She had 2 litters before she was 2 years old, which is how old she was when we got her. She was underweight and her coat was raggedy and the slightest noise or unexpected movement would send her flying, at first. She rarely left my side.

We've always had dogs and they've always been good dogs (except Cooper, but that's another story), but Osa takes the cake on goodness. She learns quickly and has always been very obedient. It took about 3 or 4 years to coax her out of her shell but she has blossomed into a great companion. I can't believe she's 7 years old already.

Cirque Du Soleil from OHSU

2010-06-02T13:02:00.001-07:00

This is the view from OHSU hospital looking toward Downtown Portland. The tents, which may seem to be on the bridge but in fact lie between bridges, are the Cirque Du Soleil show Kooza.

N Mississippi and Graham

2010-05-31T08:22:00.001-07:00

It has rained almost everyday this month so, although it was still cloudy, there wasn't any water falling on Sunday morning so I grabbed my sketch kit and headed out to North Portland where there are a lot of old buildings and views of industrial Portland.

I sat in my car for this one and was eventually questioned by a security guard, worried that I was loitering near some construction equipment. It bothered me that I was questioned about sitting in my car on a public street. I suppose I would have looked less suspicious if I'd not been in the car.

The building in the foreground is sheathed with corrugated metal and the overpass is part of the Fremont Bridge over the Willamette River

Dining Room Chairs

2010-05-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

I often sit down before or just after dinner to sketch something around the house.

I've just started a new sketchbook made from Twinrocker handmade paper. The first half of the book is White Cotton Rag hot press. It's a little bit hard to get wet but it's somewhat hard surface keeps the paint brilliance and it holds up really well under abuse.

Rainy day reading

2010-05-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

It rained off and on and off and on all weekend, in fact all week. I was planning on going out to draw but worked around the house instead. It was a great day for laying by the window with a book. Listening to Bill Frisell - good rainy day music.

Straw Hat

2010-05-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

27th WW Sketchcrawl

2010-05-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

I haven't made it to an official Sketchcrawl in quite a while. Thanks to Alanna of Portland Urban Sketchers for organizing this last event. It was a beautiful day and it was fun to meet up with a lovely group of sketchers. I did the sketch above while sitting on the Morrison Bridge.

I arrived a bit early and sat in the park pictured above and drew theBridge. The spot I sat in to draw the top drawing is pictured in the drawing below.

Velvet Chair

2010-04-27T21:10:00.002-07:00

I saw somewhere that another artist had made a sketchbook with Rives BFK paper, so I included some in my current sketchbook, since I happened to have some on hand. It's a printmaking paper and has a soft surface. When it's wet, it gets kind of fuzzy. This is good for intaglio but not so great for ink and watercolor. The drawings come out softer and more diffused looking, which is a nice change, but I don't think I'll use it again.

Day bed and guitar

2010-04-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Willie

2010-04-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

This is Willie, my daughter's 18 year old Ausie/Cocker mix. We've had him since he was 5 years old. His eyesight is severely impaired and he's deaf. He can't do the stairs anymore but hates to be left alone when everyone is upstairs.

He's actually much cuter than he appears here or sounds from this description. He's better looking than I am, certainly.

We love Willie.

in the studio

2010-04-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

SE 20th and Madison

2010-04-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Typical corner in the SE, one block north of Hawthorne. I did this while waiting for my wife to have a shiatzu treatment. Lots of bike traffic here.

View of Portland S Waterfront from OHSU Hospital

2010-04-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

I arrived early for a Dr appt so that I could draw. It was really cold sitting out on this deck and strange to see tourists from the tram wandering the hospital campus with cameras and tourist stuff.

NW 22nd and Nicolai

2010-04-05T19:09:00.001-07:00

This building is available.

54 Calle de Fuente Canary Islands

2010-04-02T19:09:00.001-07:00

This was done for Bill Guffey's Virtual Paint out site. This month we're visiting the Canary Islands.

Sneakers

2010-03-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

NW 22nd and Reed

2010-03-28T16:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning was very quiet in this somewhat isolated section of NW Portland.

Felco Pruning Shears

2010-03-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

These are my trusty old Felco Pruners. I once made my living with them pruning upscale gardens around town.

Sketching Symposium announced for Portland

2010-03-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

***PRESS RELEASE***

[March 22, 2010]

Urban Sketching Symposium promises to be a big draw

The city of Portland, Oregon, becomes the canvas for drawing enthusiasts from around the world this summer as Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) and Urban Sketchers (USK), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the art of on-location drawing, host the 1st International Urban Sketching Symposium.

This unique Symposium will feature a blend of lectures, panels, exhibits and sketch outings led by a dozen of instructors, including, among others, renown author of architectural drawing books Frank Ching, Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, Tia Boon Sim, an architect and design educator at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore; Simonetta Capecchi, curator of “In Viaggio Col Taccuino” sketchbook exhibits in Naples; Gabriel Campanario, a staff artist at The Seattle Times and founder of Urban Sketchers; Veronica Lawlor, an illustrator and teacher at NYC’s Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute and the Dalvero Academy; and Lapin, a French illustrator based in Barcelona.

Guided by the symposium's presenters and instructors, participants will take to the streets of pedestrian-friendly Portland to sharpen their drawing skills and get one-on-one feedback. “Drawing is often a solitary endeavour,” says Campanario, “but I find that the energy and inspiration you get from sketching with others goes a long way when you are trying to develop as an artist.” The three-day event (July 29-31) is perfect for illustrators, architects, designers and other professionals who use freehand drawing as a communication tool. Symposium participation is open to everyone with an interest in drawing the urban environment on location.

Sketching sites include Portland's renowned Chinese, Japanese and Rose Gardens, the scenic waterfront and bustling city center of downtown Portland, as well as the vibrant cultural district in Oldtown and the Pearl District, where PNCA is located. Field groups focus on specific techniques —pencil, ink, watercolor— and subject matter —sketching people in movement, architecture. Expect to draw the boating activity along the Willamette River with interesting drawbridges as a backdrop, eclectic downtown architecture, public gardens and fountains, theater performances and Portland's wonderful indoor and outdoor night-life scenes.

Lectures will cover all aspects of sketching. Instructors will share first hand advice about drawing in public, tools, materials, techniques and composition, as well as how to share artwork on the web or get it published. An exhibit of sketchbooks and other original work by presenters will be on display at PNCA during the Symposium.

Participants are encouraged to register early due to limited availability. To register, check PNCA’s website.

Contacts:

Gabriel Campanario
Urban Sketchers
Executive Director
gabicampanario at gmail dot com
or 425.686.2398

Patrick Forster
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Director of Continuing Education
pforster at pnca edu
or 503.821.7864

Under the Fremont Bridge again

2010-03-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Starting to feel like a troll.

Tony's Salt & Pepper

2010-03-04T12:19:00.001-08:00

We've had these shakers for almost 30 years. They were a wedding gift from a dear friend and wonderful jazz pianist, Tony Zano. He passed away many years ago and I still think of him whenever I see these shakers.

portrait study

2010-02-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

Vinegar Bottle on dining room table

2010-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

NW 14th and Savier

2010-02-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

I went out sketching yesterday for the first time in quite a while. The sun was out and I headed for one of my favorite spots near the Pearl District where there's a sunny shipping dock I like to sit on and sketch the Fremont Bridge and Centennial Mills. But, I was disappointed to find that the building whose dock I like to sit on was gone and they've started building something new there. I can't imagine how they could justify building another condo tower there now with so many vacant condos in town. I hope it's at least an industrial use building, but I doubt it.

I had to satisfy myself with drawing this power pole with one of the supports for the Fremont Bridge behind it.

portrait study

2010-01-24T11:20:00.001-08:00

Floaters by Andrea Carlisle

2009-11-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Andrea just had a short story published in an online literary publication.

Check it out here: http://www.melusine21cent.com/mag/node/123

Sketchbook Pro doodle

2009-11-22T09:23:00.001-08:00

Couldn't make it to the Sketchcrawl yesterday, I had to work. So I downloaded a trial copy of Sketchbook Pro and played with it last night. This was pretty fun and no mess to clean up.

Sketchbook Mobile on iPod Touch

It started out on my ipod touch using Sketchbook Mobile. I then emailed it to myself and finshed it with Sketchbook Pro trial.

Sketchbook Pro on PC

Urban Sketching Class Nov 14 2009

2009-11-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

This is from the Urban Sketching class this week. We walked downtown to Pioneer Courthouse Square, where workman were busy putting up the city's Christmas tree. I've never seen them do this before but, since large Fir trees aren't as full as your typical living room Christmas tree, they add extra limbs to fill it out.

Kurt, having drawn here several times before, had some great suggestions on compositions that had very interesting perspective views and, of course, I ignored him and chose this rather dull view to draw.

Along the Kuilau Ridge Trail - Kaua'i

2009-11-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

I just got back from two weeks on Kaua'i Hawaii. While there my daughter and I hiked the Kuilau Ridge trail. This is a view looking back along the trail we just traversed.

Urban Sketchers Class Oct 31

2009-10-31T21:42:00.001-07:00

This is my first day back to class after missing 2 weeks for vacation. We drew inside because of rain.

Kauai

2009-10-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the poor photo. I'm posting this from Kauai Hawaii where I've been on vacation with my family. I haven't gotten as much time to draw as I thought I might but it's good to be away.

Kauai is really really beautiful and there's lots to do, but, be warned, bring earplugs to block out the incessant crowing of the feral roosters that have overrun the island. They crow all day and night often from right outside our bedroom window.

Urban Sketching Class week 4

2009-10-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

This week, Kurt led us on the streetcar to the downtown area. I've never done any sketching in this busy part of Portland.
This is the Arlene Schnitzer Concert hall, home of the Oregon Symphony. When I moved to Portland in 1981, this was the Paramount Theater. It was renovated and reopened in 1984 as part of the Portland Performing Arts Center. The sign that had the name 'Paramount' was retained but the lettering was changed to read 'Portland.'
.
This is one I posted last week with a little lipstick and rouge added.

Paper study

2009-10-08T08:31:00.001-07:00

Trying out different papers for sketchbook binding. I've been using, almost exclusively, Fabriano Artistico 90lb watercolor paper for binding my sketchbooks but wanted to try some other papers. This is Rives BFK, a printmaking paper. I didn't expect it would work that well but heard another artists say he used it in his sketchbooks. It's a bit soft and I wouldn't want to try to do any erasing on it but it worked ok for a quick ink and wash drawing.

Apologies to the model for making her appear cross-eyed.

Urban Sketching Class week 3

2009-10-03T13:30:00.001-07:00

For this week's class, we stayed right outside the PNCA building. My tendency, when sketching, is to find something that interests me and start drawing, adding to the composition as I go. Kurt encourages us to compose before we start. The first hour is for sketching everything in with pencil, making sure everything is placed correctly. The second hour is to complete the work with ink.

I'm being forced to look more carefully.

This is more typical of my way of working. I sat down and thought about what to include in the drawing for a minute then said, screw it, I'm just going to draw the car. Once I got to a certain point with the car, I started to observe what was around it..

2009-09-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Centennial Mills from NW 13th and Raliegh

2009-09-27T16:55:00.001-07:00

This was my ideal sketching experience. The weather was right and I was in an abandoned part of town so I wasn't self conscious or hurried. Only 2 cars passed the whole time I was drawing and one was a police car. I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

Urban Sketching Class

2009-09-26T12:45:00.001-07:00

Centennial Mills from Tanner Springs Park in NW Portland

This is the product of our first day of urban sketching with Kurt Holloman's Urban Sketching class. Already, working with Kurt has helped me to focus more on accuracy. As you can probably tell, this isn't my usual sloppy drawing. Spending 2 hours on a single drawing is pretty new to me for work done on site. I usually focus on getting an impression down and develop the drawing more in the comfort of my studio.

Well, as I look at this again, it's still pretty sloppy, but better :)

Hall Street Grill

2009-09-21T10:35:00.001-07:00

SE 23rd and Ankeny

2009-09-20T22:50:00.001-07:00

Beautiful evening in SE Portland. Watercolor, black and white ink.

I'm looking forward to a few months of regular Urban Sketching with sketchbook master Kurt Holloman. I've begun an Urban Sketching class taught by Kurt, who is an Urban Sketchers correspondent and featured artist in Danny Gregory's "An Illustrated Life".

Les Watching

2009-09-19T22:52:00.001-07:00

NW 21st and Pettygrove

2009-09-14T08:11:00.001-07:00

Two quick sketches done last evening in cloudy Portland Oregon.

Evening out

2009-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went out for a bite at a local pub. I'm not a very good dinner partner since I just stare into my sketchbook until the food comes.

Diners at the Deschutes Brew Pub

After dinner we walked to another cafe and had a drink at a sidewalk table. I usually go sketching in places where there aren't a lot of people around and it was fun to be in the midst of a busy Friday night in a trendy part of town.

Big Pink from NW 10th and Couch

Digger

2009-08-31T07:41:00.001-07:00

Economic recovery? The property across the street has been slated for redevelopment for over a year but no work has been done on it until last week.

NW Portland

2009-08-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning trolling the NW Industrial area for sketches.

Esco Water Tower

Under the West side of the Fremont Bridge. This area used to be difficult to get to but, now that they're building condos all along the west side of the riverfront, there is a walk along the river that allows nice views of the river action.

This is on NW 25th and Wilson, looking up Wilson toward the old Monkey Ward, now Montgomery Park.

David Friesen at Jimmy Mak's

2009-08-28T21:02:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I went to see the wonderful bassist David Friesen and his quintet.

David Friesen

John Gross

Dan Balmer

White Eagle Saloon

2009-08-23T13:11:00.001-07:00

I went to the White Eagle Saloon Friday eventing to hear the Reverb Bros band. It was a fun show with the lead singer's family there to wish him a happy birthday.

The crowd sand Happy Birthday as the band ended their second set.

SE 22 and Gladstone

2009-08-09T19:04:00.001-07:00

I found this while trolling around Portland for more squalor to draw. I have no idea what it is but it runs on rails.

Orange Dumpster

2009-08-01T22:59:00.001-07:00

Trailers on N Page St

2009-07-07T20:35:00.001-07:00

Glacier Concrete Dome at Dusk

2009-07-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

Park Kitchen

2009-06-25T10:14:00.001-07:00

SE Industrial

2009-06-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

Barbecue

2009-05-23T22:01:00.001-07:00

Town & Country: Oregon at 150

2009-05-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

4192 University Way Seattle

2009-03-02T22:58:00.001-08:00

Bill Guffey has started a blog he calls "Virtual Paintout" in which he invites artists to choose an image from Google's Street View to paint. He chooses a different city each month. I did this one for his Seattle month.

Rose hip studies

2009-03-01T11:43:00.001-08:00

Kelley Point Park 2

2009-02-22T09:43:00.001-08:00

Here's another secne from Kelley Point Park in my sketchbook.

Kelley Point Park

2009-02-21T21:30:00.001-08:00

Today was a lovely warm day. It was a bit hazy but not as dingy as this sketch looks. It was quiet at the park and relaxing to sit and draw for a couple of hours.

I had never been to Kelley Point Park before today and always imagined it to be a sort of unsavory kind of place but, even though it's right next to the Port of Portland, and I mean RIGHT next to it, it was really a nice park. Situated at the confluence of the Wilamette and Columbia rivers, it has a good view of some industrial sites and a lot of shipping traffic but also a nice bike path and wooded picnic sites.

Union Station - Portland

2009-02-10T15:30:00.001-08:00

View of Portland's Union Train Station from the ramp onto the Broadway Bridge. Drawn in watercolor and black and white ink.

View North From 2 Rooftop Parking Garages

2009-02-04T16:03:00.001-08:00

View north from the rooftop of the East parking garage at St Vincent Hospital.

View looking north from the rooftop of the West parking garage at St Vincent Hospital. Our house is on that hill there, somewhere.