Woodland Park Zoo

Squeezed in a couple hours of zoo sketching over the weekend. I tried to read a little bit right before I started sketching on how to approach the animal, but I think that made me tighten up a little bit. The red panda was particular tricky as I wasn’t used to sketching him out in the open since normally when I visit him, he usually sleeps in his tree. Even though I may not be happy with the results, it’s still another step in learning just like how my next sketches will be another step.

: Kunekune pig and white-crested laughing thrush.

: Flamingos.

: Red panda waking up from nap and white-naped crane.

: Normally, the red panda naps in the tree when I visit, but today he is unusually active.

: The red panda takes a stroll.

: Ostrich and kunekune pig.

Zoo Sketches & Sara Bareilles Concert

by Nolen
May.12.2013Oct.04.2013

Seeing as it was going to be one of the last remaining sunny weekends in Seattle for a while, I spent part of my morning at the zoo doing some animal sketches for my mom. My mom would give me all sorts of books from the library about insects and other bugs, as well as dinosaurs, and rocketships. As a tribute to her fostering my curious side, I spent a little time in the humid bug world exhibit over at Woodland Park Zoo.

: American cockroaches, Black Widow web, and giant water bugs

: White-eyed assassin bugs, flamboyant flower beetles, and golden orb weaver

: Leaf insects and tarantula

: Red swamp crayfish and northern helmeted curassow

: Temerick’s tragopan and blue magpies

: Blue magpies and Japanese serow

: Red panda napping

: Red panda waking up

In the evening, I rendezvous with some friends over at the Showbox to catch a Sara Bareilles concert. I don’t go to concerts usually, but this was the first that I got a seat this close to the stage.

: Head sketches of Sara Bareilles concert

: Sara Bareilles sings for the audience

: Singing from the stage right with ukulele

: Playing the e-guitar stage left

Easter Weekend sketching

by Nolen
Apr.02.2013

Spent a good part of the afternoon hanging out with the Higashi boys sketching at Woodland Park Zoo. It was pretty awesome weather which we haven’t seen for a while. The rest of Seattle noticed as well and decided to pack the zoo to the rim. I hadn’t done animal drawings for a little while so there was a little rust that I needed to shake off. One of these days, I’m going to get something out of these brush pens! Nate, Josh, and Andrew had a really great time and were loving the sketching even though drawing live animals is one of the hardest things to do. We even got a lot of compliments from strangers about our sketches!

Later that day, Olwen and I got to swing by the UW campus to get a glimpse of the cherry blossoms in the quad before grabbing dinner and heading out to the Holy Saturday service over at Blessed Sacrament. Other than a funeral, this was my first vigil, which ended up being, as my friend Lawrence who invited us described, the “mother of all vigils.” I probably didn’t get all the etiquette involved with a Catholic service, but it was quite a spectacle to witness. Despite the three-hour duration, I could sense the joy behind all of the singing, readings, and prayer and how every article and gesture seemed to have a purpose behind it.