Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Sketching the old Fred Lewis Building Now

Monday I had such a great adventure! Anacortes sketcher friends and I walked on the Port Townsend Ferry at Whidbey Island for a ride across the sea and a day of sketching. We prowled the town, both "Uptown" and "Downtown" but passed up the opportunity to explore "Undertown".
The old Fred Lewis Building (1889) is great fun to sketch! This is inspired by Liz Steel's online class Sketchingnow Edges. Tap to see a larger photo and to follow my process step by step. 
I got a bit carried away with my two new pens on that last bit. Not sure that it needed the sidewalk.
This building is on the National Register of Historical Buildings. The top two floors have been vacant for many years. Problems with the building are nothing new. A piece of cornice fell onto the sidewalk in 1999, nearly striking the mayor, who happened to be walking by. More debris was apparently dislodged during the Nisqually Earthquake in 2001. People with babies in strollers have been asked to move on.
Good thing I decided to be across the street so I could view the whole building.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for taking photos of your work at the different stages. I love seeing that and reading what you added in each step. Glad you weren't sitting close to the building...you might have ended up with extra texture you didn't expect.

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    1. Thank you, Joan, for your kind words. Yes, that cornice plaster is a bit too much texture for a simple watercolor sketch! :)

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  2. I, too, enjoyed seeing your process steps! Looks like Liz's class has inspired you!

    - Tina

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    1. Thanks, Tina. I've always loved learning something new and art class is my favorite. I know the tremendous amount of preparation and work that goes into a production like Liz's and appreciate her talent and skill. Inspirational for sure!

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