Exploring Los Angeles Neighborhoods

...heading west on Sunset Blvd. next takes you through Silver Lake.  I spent the first 7 years of my life in this neighborhood...perhaps it wasn't as hip then, but it's always been the home of artists, film makers and other creative people...

The hilly neighborhood just north
of Sunset as you leave Echo Park
heading towards Silver Lake...

When you're out drawing on location, you never know what you'll see!  I was sitting at the corner of Sunset and Silver Lake Blvd., almost finished with my sketch of this green jewel of a hamburger restaurant...

...when around the corner came a group of bicyclists whooping and hooting...as you'll notice, minus the usual bicycle gear!  I later discovered that I just happened to witness the "Los Angeles World Naked Bike Ride"!  This was going on in cities around the world that day...






A few blocks west, I found a corner with interesting views in all directions...El 7 Mares, old and new houses across the street, and street-side "antiques" for sale on Sunset Blvd...

Exploring Los Angeles Neighborhoods

...my favorite subject is the city where I was born, Los Angeles.  It is sprawling, ever-changing, so there's always opportunity to discover new neighborhoods or re-discover old ones...I have been drawing Los Angeles by neighborhoods...here are some sketches of Echo Park...

I remember when the lake had lotuses...which seemed to suddenly and mysteriously disappear.  Last year it was still a favorite spot for families to gather.  It has now been drained, and is undergoing reconstruction. Hope to see the paddle boats and the lotuses return some day!








Echo Park is an interesting neighborhood of vintage clothing, antiques, music, botanicas, many ethnic cafes--some views along Sunset Blvd...

More downtown views...

...at some favorite places to visit and draw in downtown Los Angeles...

I always love returning to the Grand Central Market to shop (and sketch, of course!)...

 

Valeria's is the greatest place to buy chiles...and other interesting things...

...and another sketch at Olvera Street, the oldest street in Los Angeles, and the center of El Pueblo De Los Angeles...these last two made during a Worldwide Sketchcrawl with the Los Angeles group...

...across the street at Union Station...

Drawing at the Huntington

A favorite location for many years has been Huntington Gardens...in all seasons...

Here I was experimenting with telling
a "story" in multiple panels and limited palette..

The Japanese Garden in spring...

                                       

A plant sale, and a bacchante...

A very hot summer day...

Films and TV are often shot at the Huntington
here's an elaborate movie set...

 

...and my favorite season, Chinese
New Year at the Huntington,
with persimmon-colored lanterns
hanging everywhere...

More Driving (Passenger!) Drawings...

...Here are more high-speed drawings, generally made on road trips, where I'm fortunate to be the passenger...

Driving in and out of town, morning and night...

Driving to Ventura County 

in the fall...

Driving east to the desert in the morning...

Going to Arizona on a quiet stretch of back road--wonderful, empty expanses!

at dusk...

at night...

going home...