Sketched June 2, 2012 [Click to enlarge]

I visited this Everett park with my family earlier in the month. The views of Jetty Island, Port Gardner and Possession Sound were spectacular, but the towering tree by the bluff is what caught my attention. I drew it while sitting on a bench dedicated to Amanda Toni Hayman.

The plaque on the bench said she "loved the water, the mountains and the sunset," so I imagine she was probably a regular visitor of the park, a perfect spot to watch the sun set behind the Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

People sometimes ask me what my family does while I take time out to do a sketch. Here, my kids used the giant binoculars to get a look at osprey nests that sit atop old pilings in the bay. The closest one even had an osprey in it!

Sketching tools and technique: I always like to experiment with new media when I'm not drawing for my Saturday column. Here I used a non-waterproof ink Rotring ArtPen for the line and a mix of watercolor and colored pencils for the color. Non-waterproof ink smears at the touch of water. Did I say this was an experiment? The open sketchbook spread measures 8" by 6."