Painting Day at the Gordon Skagit Farm

En plein air painting and sketching at the Gordon Skagit Farm

Several of my women friends, old and new, met for a day of painting outdoors at the Gordon Skagit Farm.  There was no shortage of vegetable models and colorful views to inspire our art making.  And we fit right in with the celebratory spirit of art in the country, surrounded as we were by Eddie Gordon’s paintings.

Painting has been largely a solitary pursuit for me, and I have come to love these informal meet-ups to paint with kindred souls.  Several of these women meet regularly and take classes together.  Someday when I’m retired I hope to be just like them!

Bonnie’s sketchbook

The painters were a magnet for curious kids

Nancy’s pumpkins

Judy at work

Maryam’s pumpkins

Libby at work

The inspiration for my first watercolor painting

My watercolor sketch of the vintage International Harvester truck

Inspiration for my second watercolor sketch

My watercolor sketch of turban squashes

 

Exploring Seattle On Foot: Long Walk # 2

“I have never found a city without its walkers’ rewards.”
— John Finley, “Traveling Afoot”

Common sight on urban walks, waiting for the walking sign

I so enjoyed my first long urban hike across the I-90 floating bridge (see yesterday’s post), that I’ve planned several more.

I set out on my second long walk, a journey of 8-1/2 miles, from my home to the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  I hiked 3-1/2 hours, including stops for photos and coffee and a picnic breakfast, along a route with scenic trails.  Here are some highlights:

6:00 a.m. on the path at Green Lake: notice my long shadow in the early morning light

Summer morning at Green Lake

First stop: the Woodland Park Rose Garden at 50th & Fremont Ave N (unfortunately, the gates did not open until 7 a.m.)

I could still enjoy the roses viewed through my zoom lens!

Tree-lined walk down Fremont Avenue N

Waiting for the Interurban sculpture at Fremont & N 34th Streets. It's a Seattle tradition to decorate these statues.

Trees line the Ship Canal between the locks and Lake Union. My walk took me along the Ship Canal Trail.

Rowers on the Ship Canal

I crossed over the train tracks on W Dravus Street after stopping for coffee at Starbucks.

Mount Rainier seen from the Elliott Bay Trail

I took a short detour off the trail to check out the Amgen Helix Bridge.

The Amgen Helix Bridge is a pedestrian bridge to the Amgen campus.

Looking across Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains from the Elliott Bay Trail

Totem pole along the Elliott Bay Trail

Small rose garden along the trail, with Spaceneedle in the background

Lovely yellow roses

The trail runs along the Olympic Sculpture Park.

I walked along Seattle's waterfront to the Hill Climb to the Pike Place Market.

Flower vendor at the Pike Place Market

Truck at the Pike Place Market

Iridescent Rust

Old truck parked along Greenwood Avenue North

Magical, lovely rust stains

Rusty truck door and handle

I love this old truck that I pass along Greenwood Avenue North on my way to work.  I can only hope that I will wear out as beautifully.

Rust
by Hudson Strode

Rust has some roles to play —
Its dust besmears the escutcheon
Of a vain respectability,
Mouldy with its varletry of mediocre mouthings.
Rust smells hard
And pungent,
Like stale spice.
But in sophisticated sunlight
Its strangely burnt-out roughness
Is more subtle
Than gold.
Love,
Rust-stained,
Gives off a magic iridescence
And sometimes strikes immortal song
From a languid poet.
A feat of genius is a flake of brain-rust.