saturday 31 october

little faces stare
at strange creatures
handing out candy

friday 30 october

late october —
everything covered with leaves
except the trees

This is the first entry in a new sketchbook. It's always a little traumatic to make the first mark. This is my second 2.5" x 3.5" paperblank book, after 11 simarly sized nepali lama li ones. I think I found the last five of those in the US — online in an art store in Baltimore some years ago. My hoard finally ran out this summer, but I like these new ones; and the kimono pattern covers are very appealing. And (everyone seems to be copying Moleskine features) there's a little pocket in the back for tiny flowers and leaves.

thursday 29 october

scuffling through fall leaves
the one childish pleasure
we still allow ourselves

wednesday 28 october

nothing
on the horizon
but winter

tuesday 27 october

tumultuous clouds
fling themselves across the bay
autumn storms

monday 26 october

late october —
neighbors getting into
the spirits

sunday 25 october

screeching
seagulls celebrate
a free lunch

saturday 24 october

preposterous —
the old blueberry farm
so close to Jimmy Choo

friday 23 october

inexorably
wind and rain undress the trees
from top to bottom

thursday 22 october

a sparrow alights
to sing on the old anchor
then flies away

wednesday 21 october

yellow leaves
reflecting in the windows
of the lighthouse

tuesday 20 october

october —
the flower stalls filled
with vegetables

monday 19 october

mid-october —
more and more openings
to the sky

sunday 18 october

the shout of "Kabobs!"
by the International Fountain

It was TurkFest at Seattle Center today, as the Seattle Urban Sketchers crawled the premises and did some nice work. I started one sitting on a Seattle Center truck. Murphy's Law of Sketching meant that half-way through the driver came out to drive it away (very apologetically!)

saturday 17 october

after the storm
the air glows beneath
the cottonwoods

friday 16 october

no lack of color
on a grey October day —
maple leaves

thursday 15 october

mystery lies
around the next corner —
autumn leaves

wednesday 14 october

the macadam path
colored raw sienna —
mid-october

tuesday 13 october

rustling leaves —
a squirrel scurries down
the tree limb

monday 12 october

street decorations
for Columbus Day —
yellow leaves

sunday 11 october

clouds floating
over Sunday morning
stillness

saturday 10 october

Arizona —
long thin lines
of long thin palms

friday 9 october

SeaTac airport --
only the flights connecting

thursday 8 october

summer lingers
in the scent of salt water
and a toddler's laugh

wednesday 7 october

six trees gone to gold
keep me company
all afternoon

tuesday 6 october

warm days, cool nights
turning autumn colors
to the 'on' position

monday 5 october

blushing
under the red umbrella
the ghost pumpkins

sunday 4 october

full moon —
a lone walker keeps looking
over his shoulder

saturday 3 october

a small girl
in a lavender jacket
hopping on poems

After attending the 2nd Annual NW Tea Festival (if you ever get offered Li Shan (Pear Mountain) oolong, do NOT turn it down!), I wandered through the Poem Stones at Seattle Center. Rubbed a piece of an e.e. cummings one to start this sketch:

i thank you God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes...

friday 2 october

friday afternoon —
the ferry line stretches
back to summer

A sketch from Lincoln Park and its view through the madrones to the Vashon Island ferry boat.

thursday 1 october

october first —
doodling 'o's
into pumpkins