The Peeping Fan

Having taken advantage of this great weather, I snuck out to Coulan Park last week to sketch one of the many generic shelters along the water. The problem is that I cant be in the sun long so I had to find some shade which I did beside the Ivars. The cook crew were speaking kitchen-ese talking

about "I'm looking for a hairy baby and swimmers..." which I found entertaining to hear having been away from a kitchen for 30+ years. Then it happened... I heard a voice from above. "Nice work." Looking all around I had a humorous thought, 'I've been under too much stress,' before finally finding the kind soul in the window above my head. The fun part was explaining to the kind onlooker why I wanted to take the picture of her. -Feather

June Sketch Outings

Here are all the regular outings and one ad-hoc outing, all in one post.  You can always check the monthly outings page  and the ad hoc page if you loose track.  

First Saturday sketch outing on June 4th 

at the Museum of Glass

                  HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY URBAN SKETCHERS-TACOMA!!

The Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St. Tacoma, WA 98402-3217

We will meet at 10 am on the Plaza near the Museum of Glass entrance (water-side).  Sketch either inside the museum or outdoors around the museum.

For those who are not Museum members, there is a fee to enter. ($15 adults; $12 seniors 62+; $13 AAAA; $12 for each person in a group of at least 20). If you have a library card, you can check out a free GLASS PASS (good for 2 adults for one week) at the Pierce County Library, the Puyallup Public Library, and the Tacoma Public Library. Call your local library to be sure there are passes available.   If you're a Museum member and willing to bring guest passes, please do.

Inside the Museum are, of course, exhibits.  There is also the action of the Hot Shop! 

At 12:30, we will gather to share our sketches and have our traditional group photo.

Lunch: We’ll go up hill to the The Rock Wood Fired Kitchen
1920 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402

If you wish to re-park, there is a pay parking lot directly across the street, and some on street parking. (It’s next door to The Swiss, which we’ve visited previously.)

PARKING:
The two best free locations:
•    There is free parking at the Tacoma Dome Link Station; then take the free Link (trolley) to the Washington State History Museum stop, and cross the Bridge of Glass to the Museum.
•    There is a free 5 hour parking in the lot located under the 509 Bridge, with its entrance on Dock Street.
There are limited metered spaces on Dock Street and Pacific Ave. (note the time limits!)
The garage under the museum: $5 for 0-3 hours, and $10 for 3+ hours. Pay before entering the museum
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SECOND THURSDAY:

Gig Harbor Outing June 9th 

at  Arletta Store and Community Center

3520 Ray Nash Dr NW, Gig Harbor

Meet at 10 am at the Store

The Arletta Store is on the SW corner of 36th and Ray Nash Dr. with two gas pumps in the front. Hales Pass Park is across Ray Nash to the East with an old school building that is used by Arletta Montessori preschool. There is parking on either side of the park ball field and limited parking next to the store. There is a porta potty next to the ball field as well as benches.

Best to bring your lunch and maybe a picnic blanket. There is one picnic table in a large grassy area behind the store.  Also, lots of lawn with shade trees and a covered structure behind the school building.

The Peninsula Art League Thursday Plein Air group will also be at the Arletta Store at the same time.

Directions:
W on Hwy 16 (coming from Tacoma)
Exit to Olympic Dr NW
L at exit, cross over freeway
L at T (Wollochet)
Stay on Wollochet till it becomes 40th St NW
Curves to L â?? becomes 92nd Ave NW
R on 36th St NW
Arletta Store is on the SW corner at Ray Nash Dr. and a plaque at the corner giving a little history of the area.

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Third Wednesday Sketch Outing:  June 15 Fort Nisqually

Fort Nisqually

Point Defiance State Park
enter from N. Pearl Street and follow the signs.

Parking: on site free parking

We will meet at the Fort entrance at 10 AM where we well be met by a staff member who will let us in early - one hour before opening. There is a covered picnic shelter area to the right of the entrance to gather in case it's raining. Once inside the fort we will gather on the porch of the Factors Home or Large House. The porch is covered and wraps around the building affording good under cover sketching. 

 Entrance to fort

                                                               Factor's House

Posting our Fort Nisqually sketch outing on our blog site affords us free admission. The Fort is hosting a juried art exhibition which we are encouraged to participate in by submitting our sketches of our Fort Nisqually outing.  Go here to download the pdf for the prospectus.

After our photo opp at the fort we are in close proximity to the Antique Sandwich Shop for those wanting to gather for lunch.

5102 N Pearl St., Tacoma, WA 98407

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Fourth Thursday Sketch Outing 

June 23 at Harbor History Museum

 

 

Meet at 10 am in front of the Museum.

You may wish to sketch either inside of the museum or in the outdoors in the area of the museum, as it is on the waterfront:
-The museum exterior and statuary would be interesting to sketch.
-The Austen Estuary Park is next door, with a lot of views of boats.
-There is a view of the old Gig Harbor School House on the trail behind the museum.

Entry to the Museum is Adults $7, Seniors $6

We will gather at 12:30 for sharing sketches (location announced at our 10 am gathering), and our traditional group photo.

Now that it’s nicer out (sometimes) a bag lunch becomes more popular. If you finish it early, come have a beverage and join those who are having lunch at The Thai Kitchen (across the street from the museum)—we always gather as much for the fun and fellowship as we do for food!

**The Peninsula Art League Plein Air Painters will be joining us for this outing.


Driving directions:
From I-16, take the City Center/Wollochet exit. Take a right and go down hill on Pioneer Drive until you dead-end at Harborview Drive. Turn left. Go about ½ mile and The Harbor History Museum will be located on your right. (It is across the street from the Beach Basket and the Christmas Store.)

Parking: There is limited parking in the museum lot, plus on-street parking, and also a large parking lot beside The Beach Basket across the street.
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There is also one Ad Hoc outing in June (so far):

Ad Hoc Outing: Chandler O'Leary's sketchbook show, Feast Arts Center, followed by Sketch-out June 5

FEAST ARTS CENTER 
1402 S 11th St, Tacoma, WA 98405
From downtown Tacoma, go up hill on S. 11th to the corner of S. Sheridan. 

 
 
Chandler O'Leary is an Urban Sketcher and a professional artist.  She has kept sketchbooks on her travels and shares them in her blog:  Drawn the Road Again
Feast is hosting a solo show of her sketchbooks. 
 
Feast has weekly "Sunday coffee" sessions from 9 to 1 every Sunday.  We've been invited to have a sketch outing. Chandler be at the Feast from 9 am-10 am to answer any questions about the show and then everyone can officially check in and share any announcements at 10 am.

After that, we can split up to go sketch around the Hilltop neighborhood.  She plans to sketch with us. We can also invite the normal Sunday Coffee crowd to sketch with us…and she has invited her mailing list subscribers to come.

Meet back up at Feast at 12:15 to share sketches, take the group photo, and make a plan for those who would like to go to lunch. We need to leave Feast by at least 1 pm  because classes begin at that time.

From Chandler:  “Hilltop has a bit of a seedy reputation, as I'm sure you know, but if anyone is concerned about safety, I wanted to put it out there that I have spent a lot of time in the neighborhood and have never had a problem. Daylight hours, in particular, always have been fine for me.”

Also, The Hilltop is a little blah near the Feast Art Center, but there are some interesting landmarks not far away. Chandler has provided a list of her favorite places to sketch that we will have available at the outing.

Tumwater Falls Park

This place is a sketcher's dream with its old buildings (remnants of the Olympia Brewery), bridges, falls, fish ladders and trails. Worth the trip. I did the original sketch on a wet cloudy February day when there were no leaves on the trees. The color added on a second trip in April during unusually warm weather.

Pen and ink with watercolor in a Stillman & Birn Zeta series Sketchbook.