Sketching at some favorite locations around my home town...
Quick sketching at the historic Grand Central Market downtown in ink and watercolor... I come to buy chiles for making mole, have lunch and sketch!
With more time, I like to try to tell a more complete story with pencil, watercolor and gouache--observing here the changes taking place at the Grand Central Market. I love this downtown institution, and as I watch it change, I hope with more upscale vendors and cafes moving in that what gives the mark its character will remain. The traffic here has certainly increased, and that seems to be a good thing for everyone.
Another story here, sketching around Bunker Hill downtown on a cloudy day, across from the magnificent Central Library. The sculpture by Robert Graham stands atop a fountain at the top of Bunker Hill Steps. Prosperous looking bankers cross paths with homeless people wrapped in blankets and patrons of the library. I love the tower of the Central Library with its tiled mosaic pyramid and golden hand holding a torch representing the "Light of Learning"...
Sketching here at an annual event celebrating Los Angeles history...Museums of the Arroyo Day. The beautiful Southwest Museum sits on a hill with fantastic views. At the entrance is a large totem pole.
Then, to Heritage Square--a "living history museum" of 8 historic 19th century buildings (rarities in Los Angeles!). For this event, the old Ford was on display and lots of visitors were dressed in Victorian finery...
Sketching here with pencil and watercolor
This is a Turner-inspired panorama...sketched from the Getty Center, where I visited the fantastic exhibition: "JMW Turner: Painting Set Free"--it was very inspiring, especially when I walked out of the exhibition into late afternoon light, and saw this panoramic view of Santa Monica with Catalina Island in the distance engulfed by "Turner-esque" atmosphere. Layering a watercolor, gouache and pencil here...
Really though, this is my favorite kind of sketching...having some time on a weekday to make a lunchtime drawing of "ordinary" life...here in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on a cloudy day...pencil, watercolor and gouache on tan paper.
More leisurely sketching with pencil, watercolor and gouache on tan paper...Blue Bottle Coffee had just opened, but was already attracting a crowd in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park...
A morning sketch over breakfast at the Highland Cafe in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park. The lady on the phone stopped briefly in front of me as I sketched...
