Lucency in Art and Thought

Correspondent: Beverly Choltco-Devlin

Throughout my life glass has held a strong fascination for me.  I have never been able to rationally understand how something that has substance and mass can be clear or translucent. I have read physics and optics explanations that make no sense to me.  Thus the transparency of glass is, ironically, shrouded in mystery for me.

Serendipitously, I have lived and worked most of my adult life in places renowned for art glass; both in creation and display.  I worked with stained glass as a hobbyist for a while when living in San Francisco.  I let go of that avocation for a number of reasons: the toxicity of the materials, my discomfort at a perceived lack of personal creativity while patiently and sometimes painfully cutting pieces of glass to match someone else’s vision, and a lack of space.  I did not have the opportunity to learn other glass arts and moved in a more committed way toward painting.  After moving to upstate NY,  I fed my love of glass and frequented the Corning Museum of Glass often, always planning to take a course in glass blowing.  The work of Dale Chihuly and the many Czech and Italian glass artists enthralled me.  A friend of mine there is a spectacular glass artist in her own right. 

Somehow, magically, I ended up in the Pacific Northwest and working in Tacoma, birthplace of Chihuly and home to the Museum of Glass. 

This past Wednesday, our Urban Sketchers Tacoma outing took place at the Hotel Murano, a hotel in practice, but a veritable glass museum in its own right. The work that graces this hotel is stunning. The iconic Chihuly is represented, certainly and well.  I felt this time that the connections that abound in my art and life fused here like the beautiful pendants found in their gift shop. 

My first ever outing with Urban Sketchers Tacoma took place at the Hotel Murano over a year ago.  Everyone had made me feel so welcome. I was new to the area and very tentative.  It was a pleasure this past week to revisit the place in which I had made new friends, re-energized my artistic endeavors, and finally felt a sense of belonging after moving away from the comfort of 30+ years in one location. Not least, certainly, I reveled in the experience of viewing the beautiful work here. 

With almost too much to observe, I finally settled on a different perspective from our first outing there, and moved to the 3^rd floor Mezzanine. Parking myself on one of the lush leather sofas, I sketched the view into the spectacular atrium below. Behind me were the large expressive sketches of bowls in colored pencil by Chihuly. Below me was the incredible anemone chandelier, by Italian artist, Massimo Micheluzzi (often mis-attributed to Chihuly). 

Glass and sketching.  Crisp razor edges and flowing lines and translucency.  The sun streaming in to create luscious colors in the many pieces. During this outing, I made the connection  between sketching and painting and art glass. The elusiveness and magical nature of transparency and translucency of watercolor and glass art are not that far removed. 

Another startling revelation came to me during that visit.  Chihuly and many world renowned glass artists are of Czech or Slovak ancestry.  Micheluzzi and others are of Italian heritage.  The Hotel Murano is also named after the famed island in Italy noted for its glass art. My father was of Czech and Slovak ancestry and my mother was Italian. Could this fascination with the lucent expressions of art through glass and line and watercolor be embedded in my genetic and ancestral heritage?  I like to think so and that the mystery of these discoveries will be carried on. 

As the famed artist Michelangelo remarked when he was 87: “ancora imparo” – “I am still learning.”

Being a part of Tacoma Urban Sketchers has enriched me immensely.  I have learned much about drawing and sketching and I have enjoyed the rich and supportive camaraderie of my fellow sketchers. As you can see, my sketches are not masterful, but provide a vehicle for continuing to learn.

It is no exaggeration that working with my fellow sketchers has also brought me a profound understanding of myself. I know it will for you also and I encourage you to join us. 

Finally, check out the stunning world-class collection of fine art glass by visiting the hotel when in Tacoma or virtually through their online gallery by clicking here. 

Fox Island Museum outting

   Chalk up another good turn out for Tacoma Urban Sketchers newest regular event outing as 15 folks treked out to Fox Island to appreciate its local museum.

     We were treated to having the museum to ourselves as the museum was so gracious in accommodating our group on a day when it is normally closed. Thus we hunkerd down and made good use of the time and enjoyed the show and share before going to lunch.

May 28 - How to Post workshop

Kate Buike and Mark Ryan will lead a workshop to help members of Urban Sketchers Tacoma fulfill # 7 of the Urban Sketchers' manifesto:  "We share our drawings online."

We will begin at 10 am in Frances Buckmaster's home studio.  She will have beverages ready and the door open by 9:30. (We will be setting up for our teaching at that time...but it will give the rest of time to chat.)  Email or private message either myself or Frances for the address.  (mkbuike @ comcast dot net or fbuckmas @ ix dot netcom dot com  these are edited so the bots won't harvest our email addresses for spam... you'll have to fix them into a real email address). 

Please bring a bag lunch.  Frances will provide coffee, tea, bottled water.

This will focus on posting to flickr and/or Facebook. 

Please establish an account on the service you plan to use. Make sure you have your user name and password when you come to the workshop.  If you have trouble making an account, we'll help you.

Bring a laptop and/or the device from which you plan to post.  That could be a tablet but could also be a phone. 

Also bring at least one digitized sketch to upload as practice.  More is better as you'll have more with which to practice. 

How to digitize your sketches?  Scanning is best.  But if you don't know how or don't have one, just a well lit and positioned photo with your camera or phone is good enough. That image will need to be already transferred to your laptop or on your tablet/phone.

May Sketch Outings

Here is the entire plan for May, all in one post:  

 May 7, First Saturday outing

 Harley Davidson Dealership
2302 Pacific Highway East, Tacoma, WA 98424-1014

Meet at 10 am  outside the main entrance of the Dealership.  You might want to bring some sort of folding chair (to sit out of the way of shoppers). They're having a sale that day so there will be lots of bikers there, plus lots of things going on that will be interesting to sketch.

Bring a sack lunch and beverage

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May 12, Second Thursday Sketch Outing 

Port Orchard Public Market
715 Bay St, Port Orchard, WA

We will meet at 10 am inside the Central Dock Restaurant, which is located within the Public Market. 

CARPOOLING from Artco Crafts --leave by 9:00 am. 
CARPOOLING from Kimball Espresso--leave by 9:15 am.

Driving Directions:
Take Highway 16. Exit,  onto Tremont St. W.
Take a LEFT on Port Orchard Blvd.,
Take a RIGHT on Hwy 166/Bay Street.  
Four Hour Free Parking behind the Market.  Take a left off of Bay Street to go behind the Market.
(It is 17.2 miles from Kimball Espresso, which is near the Wollochet Exit….it is 20 minutes driving time from Kimball.) 

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Blue Poppy Day - Art in Bloom  May 14   Ad-hoc outing
https://rhodygarden.org/cms/events/9519/blue-poppy-day-art-in-bloom/
Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden
2525 S 336th St., Federal Way, WA 98001

 10 am to 4 pm

We have been invited to sketch at the garden.  To enter for free, just say "I'm an Urban Sketcher" at the ticket desk at the entrance.  

Meet & Greet at 10am just outside the entrance - before the ticket booth.  We will decide then where to meet at 12:30pm to share sketches.  Feel free to stay the rest of the day to sketch.  

See the event website (above) for info on all the activities of the day.  There will be music, demos, and food trucks.   

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May 18, Third Wednesday Sketch Outing
  
Breakwater Marina
5603 N Waterfront Dr, Tacoma, WA 98407

We will be sketching at the Breakwater Marina which is East of the Vashon Ferry Landing in Point Defiance Park. Keep left as you go down the street next to the lanes for the cars that will be loading onto the ferry.

Meet at 10 am outside of the Breakwater Marina office for announcements. Walk across the parking lot, cross the lanes of traffic waiting for the ferry…and a short distance beyond, you will see the Marina.  

Parking: There is ample free parking at the bottom of the hill, in the lot between the Vashon Ferry Landing and Anthony's Restaurant.


Antique Sandwich Company, 5102 N. Pearl
Refreshments: After our sharing time and group photo, we’ll have refreshments (snack, beverage, or lunch) at the Antique Sandwich Company (Small amount of parking along the side of the building, but mostly on-street parking.)

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 May 26th, Fourth Thursday Sketch Outing

Tom Taylor YMCA 
10550 Harbor Hill Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98332

 

You must have photo I.D. to enter.

Driving Directions to t he ‘Y’ from Hwy 16:
Take Hwy 16 to the Burnham Drive NW exit. From the first traffic circle, go onto Borgen Blvd. Stay on Borgen at the next traffic circle. Then, on the third traffic circle, go onto Harbor Hill Drive, which will take you right to the ‘Y’.
Meet at the front door at 10 am.

Lunch/Snack: We will go down to the waterfront in the Finholm District of Gig Harbor, to the Marketplace Grill, 8825 N. Harborview Drive. From the YMCA, take Harbor Hill Drive to Borgen Blvd. Turn Right. Take another right on Peacock Hill Ave. NW to N. Harborview Drive. Take a right on Harborview Drive. Grill will be on your left (waterfront)

Next event... Gig Harbor goes to Fox Island

 This week Urban Sketchers Tacoma get to explore still another new place, the Fox Island Museum... across, the other bridge. This quaint little jewel boasts 3000 artifacts and the largest collection of pulley blocks in the state. There is a totem and cabin outdoors if the weather permits. Bring $1 for the donation box to support the museum, a sack lunch for the "after party"and your sketching supplies for this exclusive opportunity as the building will not be open to the public on this day.

     Fox Island Museum
1017 9th ave, Fox Island 
Thurs 14th 10-12:30
      To get there from Hwy 16 exit either wollochet (from the west/ bremerton) or exit Olympic ( from the east/Tacoma direction) to connect with wollochet drive. Head south, away from Gig Harbor historic waterfront. Wollochet becomes 40th st NW. Pass a school on the right and the next light is 70th ave. NW where you turn left.  Road stops at a T, turn right on Warren drive NW. The road will bend left and take you across the fox island bridge becoming 3rd ave FI, 6th ave FI and finally Island Boulevard FI. It doesn't matter as long as you follow this until it ends at a T and take a right on to 9th ave FI. The very next street you will see a fire station on the SE corner of the intersection. The museum is behind the  firestation so proceed forward through the intersection and turn left just behind it. To be prompt you may want to allow extra time as there are school zones and one lane traffic to cost you extra time in getting there. Plenty of parking... see you there!

Meeting THE Daniel

Daniel Smith is a well know name in artists' paints.  But it's also the name of the founder, whom we were invited to meet yesterday - Saturday, 9 April - at the Seattle mothership store.  It's not sketching, but since so many of us use their paint and shop at the store, I thought I would share.  I took some notes on his talk.  There may be errors but I was writing as fast as I could......


Store manager Joe greets people arriving.  He gave out DS watercolor dot cards, samples of their watercolor sticks, a DS pin, and lost of handouts.   I really liked having the pin!

Daniel and a display of Primatec paint-outs and the minerals from which they are made.

Dan moved from Michigan to Washington in 1970 after graduating from Olivet College.  He worked as a printer but also had a studio.  After some years, he thought he might try making his own printing inks and paints.  It was a real shoestring operation.... he sold a motorcycle to have money for equipment.  He lived in a storefront on Capitol Hill  and later bought a house in another neighborhood.

The first year, he made $1300.  The second year $16,000 and the third year $160,000.  That's when he quit his job as a printer.  His home had increased in value, he refinanced and with the equity bought a gas station into which to expand the business.  He also started to carry some paper.

As the business grew, he moved it to 1111 W. Nickerson for a 5000 sq foot space and opened a retail store.   [I looked it up on the map... it's near the Fremont Cut.  He didn't think the building was still there.  Looking at Street View, there is something there.]

I'm not sure of the time line, but some time later he moved the business to the building next door to the current location on 1st St.  He was 10 years there and then moved into the current building.   [According to John, they also now have a 20,000 sq ft distribution center in Tukwila, where product and ingredients are stored].

He grew the business from 1975 to 1992.  He described himself as obsessed with it.  In 1992 he turned the management over to Bill (didn't hear his last name) as CEO.  Dan  moved away to Eastern Washington and later to South Dakota, where he and his wife Nancy live now.

Nancy and Daniel

Bill got sick and later died.  Meanwhile, the IT manager, John Cogley, had become more involved in the overall management while Bill was sick.  After he died, Daniel named John as CEO.  John later bought the business, so is now owner and CEO.

John Cogley



John started with the Daniel Smith company (DS) 30 years ago as a computer programmer.  He interacted with every part of the company in order to integrate all the IT systems.  He said he loved the manufacturing.

These days, as owner and CEO, he interacts with suppliers and other companies.  He'll be at Fabriano, in Italy, next week!

DS has a geologist/mineralogist who sources the minerals used in the Primatek pigments.  His name is Bruce.

DS also employs two chemists to maintain absolute consistency of the paint they manufacture.  John described one as a PhD chemist and the other as a research chemist.  "They ain't cheap".   Every single batch is approved by a chemist at every step of the manufacturing process.

John went on to describe in detail how the paints are made.  It may be that DS is the only company that rigorously tests light-fastness with a Xenon Fadeometer.  So when the information on a paint says it is light fast for 200 years (or more), it has been proven to be so in this very high tech machine.

Then he took us on a factory tour!  This is the second one I've had the privilege to take.  They shop was quiet with no one working today as it is a Saturday.  During the previous one, they were working and we saw everything in action!  No photos allowed, though.

The Hobart mixers are like your Kitchen-Aide (which they make) on lots of steroids!  They are huge machines that are decades old.  "They last for-ev-er!" John said.  Their newest was bought from the CostCo bakery department!  One of them is 43 y/o and sometimes runs 24/7 for days on end.

A couple gems from John:  "If technique is important, always use distilled water" (with watercolor paint).   "Making paint is like making cake".

Thank you to Joe, Daniel, John and everyone else involved.  This was an excellent presentation.

A Ballpoint-I (Almost) Always Have One Along

I was in Gig Harbor for a committee meeting. After everyone else left, I decided to stay in Kimball's Coffee Shop for a while longer and wind down from the adrenaline that seems to rise during a good meeting.

I'd left my sketch bag in the car and didn't feel like going out to get it. But, I know myself well: I had a tiny, 3.5 x 5.5, Fabriano sketchbook in my pocket....and a ballpoint pen I'd used to take notes during the meeting. No one needs more than that....and one could even do with less: I've seen beautiful ballpoint sketches on cardboard coffee cups, around the edges of meeting notes, and on the inner side of cardboard cereal boxes...and, of course, the proverbial cheap white napkin.

The shop had been crowded earlier, but it was empty now...except for the nice paintings on the wall done by members of the Peninsula Art League. Then, fortunately, two women came in for a beverage, making my day. I love to sketch people in coffee shops!

One thing I love about ballpoint pens, besides the likelihood that I have one 'on me' most of the time...is that it's possible to easily achieve the whole range of values using them. Another thing I like about these pens for sketching is that there's no pressure to 'make art.' Using a ballpoint, my mind is fooled into thinking 'this is just a doodle' so no worries. I don't have even close to that same feeling with any other kind of pen.  In fact, I'm just barely getting over the intimidation factor of sketching/drawing with any pen costing more than $4....with my inner peace heading for the hills as the price (and the juiciness) of the pen goes up.  So much so that I feel the need to do a pencil under-sketch (sometimes) before I allow myself to make a mark with one of the fancier pens. I know: I should take more sketching breaks and sketch with all sorts of pens more often..and JUST GET OVER IT. Sketching OFTEN does that for you--but then, life is sometimes pretty busy. So, meanwhile, if you're at all like me, you'll admit that a ball point is that favorite old pair of sweat pants or well-worn bedroom slippers. A ballpoint is a sweet cool breeze on a warm day, and it's polliwogs in a creek: nothing to worry about. A bit of quiet, peaceful bliss.

I just received a book in the mail that looks very interesting: "The Art of Ballpoint" by Matt Rota. So far, I've only had time to flip through the pages...it looks to offer some ideas, approaches, information about what other ballpoint pen lovers are 'up to' ---in other words, a book full of new ballpoint sketching pals. You're welcome to join us!!

Best,

Frances

Watson's Nursery

We held our 1st Saturday sketch outing at Watson's Nursery in Puyallup.  A lot of people came and several new people said they enjoyed themselves.

I arrived early enough to scope the place for preferred sketch subjects and make a few photos.  Those are all here, along with photos of sketchers taken later.

As it was still a little chilly outside, I started inside.  These are glass mushrooms.



My kit:

I've been using the coroplast support more.  It has a hole cut in it just the size of my large pill bottle water container.  That way, I don't spill the water!  It's big enough to hold the size paper I usually use and my small palette.  Binder clips both hold the palette and rag but also brush and pen. 

Once it warmed up a bit, I went outside to sketch the charming little cottage.  Alison sat down after I did, so I added her to the sketch. 



We did not do our usual sharing of sketches and group photo.  We had reservations in the small cafe, which was filling up so we thought we should claim our tables.  We shared sketches there but didn't have a group photo.  These are just a couple tables.  I think we had 5 in all!