Thursday, July 12, 2012

another yerba buena sketch


This is a more broad view of the Yerba Buena Gardens. Many of the folks who came to the gardens seemed to be there for the sun, or to read, make-out or sleep. A good number probably came for the free music program. Oddly enough I drew almost everything except the musical entertainment. I'd like to think that it was the hot sun that prevented me from walking close to the stage to draw the singers and musicians. But I think it was because the focus of the program was on opera that I didn't go in for the close-up. (For that matter I wouldn't go up there to see that Beiber/Bierber? dude perform either.)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

yerba buena gardens


I joined another sketch group called the SF Sketchers on July 7 at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens. I am seated under a tree and sketching people who are sitting on or have sprawled out on the grass as a music program goes on in the background. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Monday, July 9, 2012

historic building in Berkeley

I had passed this building for decades and never knew what it was until my Tuesday evening sketching group decided to draw it a few weeks ago. Since 1976 the building belong to the Marmot store which sold some specialized items for the outdoors-person. However, the store closed recently and is it in kind of a sorry state. When it was built in 1923 the building on Adeline Street - next to the 5th String store -  had been the site of the Hull and Durgin funeral home. But more than that it is an example of storybook-style architecture, a reflection of old European design right smacked dabbed in a business district many decades younger. I did a real close-up sketch of one of the building bulbous towers. From a distance it is a striking structure.