Rosemary Washington: Chapter Two
Art, books, nature, food, and the good things in life
I love discovering new (to me) things to see and do in my home town of Seattle. Today, my friend Carol and I drove to south Seattle, parked near 5th Avenue South and Lander Street, and then walked along the light rail tracks on the SODO bike trail. We wanted to see the murals that line the tracks, which were painted in 2016, 2017 and 2018. They are a remarkable community art project, and fun to see.
For more photos, I invite you to view my slideshow at this link.
This week I travelled across Lake Washington from Seattle on an outing to the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Here are some photos:
It feels like Fall in the Skagit Valley — misty, foggy mornings, harvested fields, fallen fruits and nuts, pumpkin patches, spider webs. I love the autumnal color palette in the foliage and fields. Here are some photos from the flower beds at Jellomold Farm:
It doesn’t really feel like fall until I made my annual trip to Gordon Skagit Farms to see all the pumpkins, gourds, and Eddie Gordon’s newest crop of paintings.
When my friend Bonnie invited me to an outing in the “Everett Everglades,” I happily accepted. I had never heard of this place, but Everett is just 30 miles north of Seattle, and I am always open to exploring new (to me) destinations. The “Everett Everglades” is what the locals call Langus Riverfront Park. It’s a lovely natural area along the Snohomish River, with a paved trail, benches, picnic tables, a shelter and bathrooms. Bonnie and I intended to paint, but we ended up chatting and catching up on our summer news instead. That’s what happens when it’s been too long between visits!
I did make one painting from one of my photos when I got home later that afternoon. A fine ending to a fun day.
In May of this year, Seattle’s Nordic Museum opened in a new location in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. This week I made my first visit there. The exhibits, celebrating the cultures of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, are tasteful done. You can see more photos at the link above.
I went on a little adventure in downtown Seattle this morning — an exploration of a new architectural wonder, the Spheres. These three conjoined structures are located on the campus of retail giant Amazon. Newly opened in January of this year, they are a work space for employees of the company, providing lots of convivial gathering spots and seating in a multi-level, glass conservatory-like atmosphere. The company allows the general public to visit the Spheres on certain Saturdays. Advance tickets are required, but there is no cost.
I loved this space! The diversity of greens, plants, and foliage was amazing. I could have spent the day comfortably reading a book or visiting with friends in any number of seating spaces — there were rocking chairs and rattan chairs and lounge chairs and metal chairs, small tables and couches. You could buy a cup of coffee and a doughnut. Everything was bright and inviting. It was a fun outing.
Every year I look forward to iris season in the Skagit Valley and schedule a very special day to paint the irises in my friend Kitty’s gardens on Samish Island. This year when Kitty announced the early blooms were ready, my schedule was too harried and I had to postpone my visit to late May. I worried I would miss this season’s spectacle. I don’t think I’ve ever gone up there this late in the iris season, but it turned out that good things happen to those who wait. Kitty’s irises were absolutely stunning — bountiful and colorful and glorious.
I took way too many photos again this year. The many varieties of iris flaunt their frills and flounces and colors like so many ladies at a fancy ball. Each individual flower or small grouping called out to be photographed. I obliged. I knew I would have quite a big editing and uploading job when I returned home! But it was worth it.
I struggled a bit to find a new perspective, a new point of view, amidst all this clamor. At one point I lay on the ground looking up — a worm’s eye view — to see the flowers against the blue sky.
This year I was also pleased to play and experiment with painting irises using a flat brush. I tried to apply some of the practices I started at Tom Hoffmann’s Palouse watercolor workshop — moving toward more abstract shapes. Here are the results:
Considering that people from around the world spend money to fly to the Netherlands to see the tulips in bloom, we who live in Seattle are beyond fortunate to have our own tulip fields an hour’s drive north. I do so enjoy playing tourist in my own local area. And I’m happy to report another glorious day taking in the wonders of the Skagit Valley in Spring.
For me, it is well worth getting up very early so that I am in the Skagit Valley for sunrise. The first light and low-lying fog give an ethereal feel to these first minutes of the day.
Too soon the day brightened and the fog burned off. Now the tulip fields were ribbons of bright color in the landscape.
My watercolor sketches cannot do justice to this natural beauty.
I am delighted to invite you to a show of my art during the month of June. Mark your calendars!
Local Wonders:
Nature in Watercolor and Ink
by Rosemary Washington
When: June 1 – 30, 2018. Artist Reception/Open House on Thursday evening, June 7th, from 5:00-7:00
Where: Elisabeth C. Miller Library, Center for Urban Horticulture, on the University of Washington campus, 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
The exhibit will feature selected works in watercolor and ink — mostly plant and animal portraits — inspired by nature in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Art works will be on display and for sale* during the Miller Library’s regular open hours.
Please stop by for a visit.
*All sales by cash or check. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the UW Miller Library Fund. Buyers can pick up their art on or after June 30th.
Rosemary Washington: Chapter Two 