Paris in Portland

Paris 1900, City of Entertainment

Today's challenge was to do a sketch of some sculpture, using only straight lines.  OK, this is a repeat.  But I can do it again.

The new Paris exhibit had just opened, and they had installed a 'garden cafe' on the main floor. So I started there, with a croissant and a cup of tea.

Then I worked my way through the exhibit, stopping to make sketches a couple more times.

Singing in the Square - the Prince edition

In celebration of the 35th anniversary of both PCHSq and Prince's Purple Rain album, we, backed by three separate bands and fronted by a host of soloists, sang through most every song on the album. And, truth to be told, I had never heard a single one of the songs. For many of them the MC took the time to teach us harmony parts for the chorus, so I learned that much. But couldn't sing along with the verses because I had no idea what the tune was. But many, many people did, and were lustily singing along and remembering the dance moves from their youths.

Seattle

On my way home from Seattle, I got to King Street Station in plenty of time and tried to do a sketch of their pedestrian bridge, to book-end the one I'd done in Portland yesterday. But I couldn't find a spot that would give me a good view of it. I spiraled around and found a section of the Alaska Way Viaduct that hadn't been torn down yet. But was really taken with an old wedge of a building in front of it.

Reed Canyon

The campus was beautiful, but very empty, as the spring term was over and all the kids had split. And Kay, who had taken the initiative of calling facilities to make sure that we'd have access to restrooms, couldn't find one that was unlocked.  Yikes!

I found a path down to the lake, and sat down under the bridge to try to do its weird curvy perspective.


And then strolled around the lake, stopping once to do a study of a tree trunk.


We met back at the library for the throw-down (and, happily, someone had found a set of open restrooms in the lower floor of the library).

Then I went to catch a bus back to town, ending up at Union Station.  But I had time before my train to do a quick sketch of the pedestrian bridge behind the station.

Book Reading

Grand Floral Parade

One of the Clydesdales pulling the wagon bearing Miss Pioneer Oregon.  Never mind that the pioneer wagons weren't pulled by horses.  And that the pioneers didn't ride in them.

Orenco Woods Nature Park

Not much in the way of woods, actually.  A lot of prairie, some lawn, and a playground, quickly filling up with preschool age kids and their mothers.  And some sculptures (Head over Heels) that were created two years ago, from woven branches and twigs, and will degrade over time.  Have already started falling apart in bits and places, with the nose of one of them unraveling.  They're heads, big as rooms, and the kids enjoyed running around and playing in them.

I started out inside one of the head (the one with the sneezing nose) looking out
at the trees across the meadow.

 And then joined Deb and Cynthia on the outside, looking at a clump of heads.

Finally, I started looking at all the different grasses in the meadow itself.