8714 North Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor 98332
| Donkey Creek Park |
Meet at 10:00 near the restroom building. Street parking is available on the one-way road surrounding the park. This site is adjacent and north of the Harbor History Museum which opens at 11:00. Sketchers can find views of Donkey Creek, a small bridge crossing, sculptures, Austin Park beach access and estuary.
We will be partnering with the Peninsula Art League Plein Aire Painters.
We had a nice turnout at Narrows Park in Gig Harbor. The tide was low enough to walk the rocky beach all the way to underneath the bridge. Cloudy skies gradually lifted. The views of the Narrows Bridge from this park are grand.
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| The throwdown |
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| Urban Sketchers at Narrows Park. Welcome Barbara and Margi. Joe not in photo. |
We had a small but mighty turnout at Soos Creek Botanical Garden in Auburn. The weather was perfect...warm and dry. The lily pads on Schaefer Pond Garden were interesting, as were the hydrangeas and countless other botanical plants and gardens.
Thanks to Kate for organizing.
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| The throwdown |
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| Urban Sketchers at Soos Creek |
1502 Lucille Parkway, Gig Harbor 98335
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| Bridge from Narrows Park |
Meet at 10:00 in the parking lot. Portable toilets are located at one corner of the parking lot. From the upper level, there is a small, covered picnic shelter. There will be a short, a bit steep, walk down the hill to sea level. This park offers scenic views of the Narrows Bridge, a small creek and waterfront access.
We will be partnering with the Peninsula Art League Plein Aire Painters.
This morning Urban Sketchers Tacoma and Urban Sketchers Seattle chapters met together at the Vietnamese Martyr's Church
in Tukwila. I've been wanting to show others this location for some
months now. I have done many sketches of this location throughout its
construction, from September 2023 right up to the consecration in
November 2024.
Back then I found some history of the parish,
which is part of the Catholic Seattle Archdiocese. In 2018 it was
reported the Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in the Central District was to be
rezoned & demolished. This particular church community was formed
around 1976 with about 50 Vietnamese refugee families and in 2010
officially became Vietnamese Martyrs Parish. It grew to about 1600
families. In 2014, many of the parishioners moved to a temporary
location in Tukwila by the Green River, with plans to build a new church
& classrooms. I remember watching the new long, narrow, one story
building being built about 5 years ago. That building is where they
worshiped for 10 years. This cathedral-like church has now realized
their dream.
This morning was cloudy, breezy, and with an occasional bit of drizzle. But we all persevered and made good sketches.
Given that's I've drawn the church a dozen times already, today I gave my attention to a small detail.
I only did the one sketch as I enjoyed talking with the sketchers I hadn't met before. There were a few new people and Lee visiting from Australia. The pastor came to look at our throw down, took some photos, and said he'd put a note about it in Sunday's bulletin.
Today is our 12th Anniversary. The first sketch outing was held at the then Tully's Cafe on Broadway, in the Theater/Antique district of Tacoma. The cafe has changed names a number of times and now it's back to the Bostwick Cafe, in honor of the building that houses it.
Given that it's Pride Month, I wanted to include one of Tacoma's flags in my sketch. This scene caught my eye with the antique store, lamp post, flag, and the old city hall clock tower above.
Several sketchers chose the historic Bostwick flat iron building as their subject.
We met at Farm 12 in Puyallup for the first time last Wednesday. We enjoyed perfect weather and a bonus was the fields of blooming Lupine. Most of us did at least one sketch of them.
The other popular item was the red truck with is also on the farm logo. It was surrounded by lavender.
I think we'll go again.
