Back to the Bass

 A small group gathered at Bass Pro Shops. We've been there before but it's been many years. I found a fun diorama above the rest room entrance that looked like a dock.

Thanks to Josh for taking the group photos.

Out of the rain

What a great place to sketch on a wet and rainy northwest day. A few sketchers from Vashon and Tacoma met at the Bass Pro Shop in south Tacoma for USk Tacoma's 3rd Wednesday sketch outing.
The lodge-like setting with it's large stone fireplace, mounted hunting trophy's, realistic dioramas featuring huge outdoor murals, an amazing array of taxidermy,  water features flowing into a large live fish aquarium all add to an overwhelming visual experience. While The Bass Pro Shop provides a dizzying visual experience for the sketcher, one is reminded, this is a retail establishment tempting the visitor at every turn with well displayed product for sale.
After sketching, we gathered near the big stone fireplace for our through-down and group picture, followed by lunch in the on-site restaurant. 

Outdoor World

Several people came to our regular 3rd Wednesday sketch outing at Outdoor World (Bass Pro Shops) in Tacoma today.  I was not expecting as many as we'd had very bad storms yesterday with many people still without power and having big messes to clean up.  In fact, I learned after I got home that the governor has declared a state-wide disaster.

The storms had passed and it was actually sunny as we arrived.  Normally, I'm a bit annoyed when Christmas decorations are up before Thanksgiving.  But I chose Santa's village as my first sketch.  Santa doesn't arrive until 3pm.  So I sketched a side of the village with the animals.



My intended sketch of the day was the unique bowling ball returns in the Fish Bowl!  The entire bowling alley was made to seem like it was underwater.






We shared sketches on the coffee table in front of a huge roaring fire. 





A few of us had lunch together in the adjacent restaurant.  Even there, a frighteningly large shark "swam" over us, high up near the ceiling! 




Lots more photos here.

Indoors at Outdoor World

After failing to check the open hours of my intended Tacoma destination, I reworked my plan.....As I drove down, I noted the sign for Bass Pro shops.  I'd thought I might eventually scope it out as a possible sketching venue. Since my intended venue was closed,  I decided today is that day.
For those who are anti-hunting, it might not be a place to sketch.  However, there are lots of other things to sketch besides the mounts!  It's a huge and impressive environment. 

All photos here.

As I entered, I just stopped in the 3 story lobby. There were chairs so I sat to sketch the opposite wall.  As I wrote in my book, within the range of vision as I moved my head side to side and up and down, there were 62 trophies mounted on the walls.

Stillman & Birn Zeta hardbound (5.25x8.5) 180#/270gsm; Platinum Carbon Black in a Platinum Cool Pen; Daniel Smith Watercolors