Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Wednesday, November 18th Sketch Outing

Wednesday, November 18

Bass Pro Shops/Outdoor World
7905 Hosmer Street, Tacoma, WA 98408



Meet at 10 am in the lobby just inside.  We'll sketch until 12:30 and then meet to share our sketchbooks.

This very large store is located just a few minutes south of the Tacoma Dome off I-5.  There is plenty of free parking. There is a restaurant inside the store so those who want can have lunch together after the outing. 

Even if you don't want to sketch the animal mounts, there are lots of other things to sketch.  The ball returns in the bowling alley (called "The Fish Bowl") are amazing.  There are sporting scenes with models that don't move (mannequins).  There is a very large aquarium.



And they will have Santa's Wonderland set upIt even seems like Santa will be there.  A little early, perhaps, but it does make for more interesting things to sketch! 



Some photos from Kate's scouting visit

https://redharp.smugmug.com/MKB/2015-0412-Outdoor-World/

Thursday, October 22, 2015

In the footsteps of my fellow correspondent, Kate.

   Having missed the Puyallup Fair  event with USK, I decided I needed to go before it closed-especially since I knew a handful of art friends with work in the show and had never been to the fair. Of course I took my sketchbook and came upon the giant horses that I recognized from Kate's sketches. I realized  why she felt compelled to spend time with them and did the same- they are gorgeous!
Strangely I found myself again in Kate's domain where she volunteers at the Museum of Flight. After being overwhelmed the 1st half of the day in a giant gallery of planes, I snuck off to the smaller exhibits. I ended up in the space gallery and was fascinated with the bulk of the space suits so tried my hand with the white one. Perhaps someday I will visit the closed coffee shop in the shape of the pot since it also seems to be a place that Urban Sketchers haunt frequently.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Bair Drug in Steilacoom

October's 3rd Wednesday sketch outing was at the historic Bair Drug in Steilacoom.  It's now a charming restaurant but the original Bair Drug and Hardware Store was built in 1895.  It's also a Living Museum, with the walls full of artifacts from the turn of the 20th century (1900). 



Though there are so many interesting sketch opportunities in the shop, it was such a nice day I decided to sketch outside.  The old clock across the street caught my eye.  A clock also seemed appropriate as this is "Back to the Future" day.



With only a few minutes remaining, I walked down to Pioneer Orchard Park for a view of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the distance, across Puget Sound. 


 
We shared our sketches but didn't gather for a group photo.  A few of us enjoyed a delicious lunch there at Bair Drug.



A few more photos here.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

November 7th Sketch Outing

Sketch Outing on November 7th:  
Come sketch with Urban Sketchers-Tacoma at the LeMay 
Family Collection at Marymount

http://www.lemaymarymount.org/

325 152nd St E, Tacoma, WA 98445

(This is not the the LeMay America's Car Museum near the Tacoma Dome.)

Sketch-Outing, from 10 AM-12:30.  Meet outside the front entrance at 10 AM.

We’ll collect fees for the group, so we may receive the group rate ($10 each.)

We will sketch until 12:30, then share our sketches & join in a group photo.

In 1998 the LeMay family collection of 1,900 vehicles was listed as the “Largest Antique & Vintage Vehicle Collection" in the Guinness Book of World Records.  By the year 2000, the collection included more than 3000 vehicles. While Harold was often cited as the collector of the family, Nancy was just as passionate about collecting as he was. Together, they collected, not only vintage cars, but also a great deal of Americana, from toys to signs to dental equipment.





 











Besides vehicles, there are many other collections in the museum, well as outdoor exhibits.

Driving directions  from the greater Tacoma area:
From Hwy 512,  go south on Pacific Ave.   Turn left(east) on 152nd.
Marymount will be on your left.  LeMay Family Collection, Marymount  

325 152nd St E, Tacoma, WA 98445






Friday, October 16, 2015

September's open market urban sketching

A Seahawks fan had a produce tent.
Steilacoom's market had a colorful
dress tent I was enjoying
using only a 3 color palette!
Previously I participated in a group art challenge which got me to try a new water-based medium called gouache to paint gas stations. Last month another challenge was presented: use casein with  the subject matter being open air markets. We were to use  a limited palette of any opaque water-based medium. Thus, I visited local farmers markets and marveled about how different each one was. The one in East side Tacoma was small, within a park, and all about the children who played all around me. The market in Steilacoom had a large variety with  more produce, food, music in the air, and dancing among the tent owners. The market in Gig Harbor also had live music--a pair of fiddle players along the waterfront across from the Netshed. I visited 3 other outdoor markets but then life took over and I had to stop, so... here are a couple of urban sketches from my Septembers open market efforts.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Pumpkins at Soos Creek

The Tacoma Urban Sketchers went to Spooner Farm to sketch the pumpkin patch.  I missed the outing as I had out of town guests.

But I still got in a pumpkin sketch!

My friends wanted to go for a walk in the crisp fall air.  I took them to the Soos Creek Botanical Garden just over the line in Auburn. I almost couldn't decide between walking and sketching.  I'd walked there a few times before, so sketching won out, as soon as I saw this scene with pumpkins.





Some photos are here.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

October 21st Sketch Outing

Wednesday, October 21

Bair Bistro  http://www.thebairbistro.com/
1617 Lafayette St
Steilacoom, WA  98388

The Bistro is housed within the Bair Drug and Hardware, which refers to itself as a living museum.  The walls are lined with relics and photos from the early 1900's, the shelves hold remedies from the early drugstore and and you'll be served a soda from the original 1908 soda fountain. 

We'll meet there at 10 am and sketch until 12:30, when we'll meet again to share sketches. 

We'll also share lunch there with those who can stay.