My first sketchcrawl with other people,
the Portland Urban Sketchers;
I’ve crawled around a lot by myself urban sketching! Mitchell was the bravest, being
new to sketching and now going today as well.
It wasn’t raining, it was POURING —
not a monsoon but hard rain.
Never let up. Non sketchers, shoppers,
and just folks were also trying to stay dry,
and everyone wanted coffee, and so,
no window spots in cafe’s either.
It was nice meeting other artists — finally —
and after a bite Mitchell and I
let go of sketching as the focus of the day.
He dipped into a bookstore, Annie Bloom Books, and I was able to sketch a very
fast sketch with tons of kids running all around and my floppy book on my knee.
10 minutes, and my normally free-flowing Preppie pens both clogged!
We tried to find a dry place to sketch but finally gave up,
and went down the street to try a place together that I had been years before with my niece. Unfortunately, the coffee and bagel had changed for the worse,
very so-so green coffee and too sweet latte! I managed to knock out another fast sketch.
The spread for the day, below.
Today, the best part was meeting Deb and Tony and Colleen and Ellie and Kay!
Drawn in an Strathmore Mixed Media journal with graphite watercolor pencil,
Noodler’s Polar Brown and Lexington Grey ink, and Daniel Smith watercolors.
Note: Normally those inks do not run, but they bleed a bit in this journal.
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Too bad about the rain, but sounds and looks like fun, anyhow, and wonderful that Mitchell could come along. It’s been ages since I visited Multnomah Village and your sketches bring back memories.
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There would have been more if there had been even one dry doorway!
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I’ve visited Portland several times, and I used to live in Seattle. I know the feeling of hunting for a dry place, but I never accomplished so much during the process. Lovely sketches.
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Oh Dan, I think you are easily impressed! I don’t think they are so good, but it was great for a pouring day, that is for sure. Portlanders seem to rarely carry umbrellas, but with this type of downpour they were out in full force and so every cafe was wet with them!
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It’s such a more complete way of describing the sights. I am impressed.
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Then I think I must graciously say, “Thank You.”
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You are such a trooper in the pouring rain. I think the cafe sketch of the three if you looks like you’re fittingly begraggled. Love the ones of Mitchell in the bookstore😊
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