Because we are in the middle of expanding our business studio space (and yes, I get a bit bigger art space to boot) I am pulling up old images with a new twist for Thursday Doors, (Check out Norm’s amazing doors, and others, here!)
Most of us don’t think about how
doors affect us because most
modern developers of buildings (not architects) often slap a door wherever. Designers of older buildings, especially formal buildings. knew how to move a person through a space to allow them to experience the building and the
landscape as they wanted them to see it. In the case of the Washington State Legislative Building, the central entry doors, locked (they have a hinge problem that needs to be repaired), are a key to experiencing the building, the portico, and the views. From the rotunda, you can see the door I drew below, right.
Leaving the building through the
beautiful bronze doors,
you move into a formal portico.
Overhead is a majestic hanging
lamp and carved floral motifs
(which may be dogwood)
This is the door the Governor
was likely to use, as the
mansion is a stones throw up the hill.
I sketched what I saw directly
under the hanging lamp, below.
Leaving the portico you walk
down the central axis through the
arches to a path which leads you
to the Prichard Building, right,
the south end of the campus.
The formality is meant to guide
you to what is important, to force your eyes to see what the architects and clients thought to be important.
I sketched my view in October, below, when the leaves were changing.
Stillman & Birn Journal, with a Pentalic 2B woodless pencil, Platinum Preppie Pen,
Noodler’s ink, and Daniel Smith, Sennelier, and Holbein watercolors.
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D.Katie Powell Art 
Just lovely – thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thanks Norm!
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I love your sketches as much as the lamp and ceiling! Great post.
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Thank you!
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Thanks for joining us Kate with your special take on Thursday Doors, Kate! This is great! I love your explanation too, about the way the (don’t really bother to) design modern buildings.
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I had to write something new for the old door images! And it is all true — I love formally laid out buildings, the way they present spaces to you…..
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An impressive building!
janet
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It is a lovely building, one of the prettiest I’ve seen in the USA.
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Extremely interesting. Thankyou. Love the combo of paintings from photos and all the analysis.
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Thanks Sandi… You are heading into autumn, no?
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Yes, but it has been quite mild with just the odd cold night now and again. My Liquid Amber tree is still deciding when to turn on the autumn colours. I live in southern Australia, near Melbourne, so I can usually look forward to a few frosts in winter to counter the heat of summer and the bushfire season. Hope you are enjoying the spring…and your bigger art space!
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Yes. Summer is not my favorite time of year — quite hot in the city. But Spring is grand!
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