The George & Dragon Pub

These are two views of the George & Dragon Pub, one of Seattle’s premier sites for watching the World Cup, just a block away from where I live and work.

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I drew the first during a lull in the soccer action, the day before the U.S–Germany match. I then returned yeterday during the match and added the crowd watching the outdoor screen to the first sketch. Notice how the screen was raised for better viewing.

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Even though the U.S. lost 1–0, they still advanced to the knock-out round! Next up, Belgium…

Alki Homestead

When the Seattle Uurban Sketchers met along Alki beach for its monthly meetup yesterday, I decided to draw the Alki Homestead located at 2717 61st Avenue SW. This is one of the few historic log structures remaining in Seattle. The log house, originally called Fir Lodge, was designed by Tom Lin and built in 1904 as a country estate for Gladys and William Bernard.

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The Homestead Restaurant operated here from 1950 to 2009, when a fire closed the restaurant. Because of plans to demolish the designated landmark, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation listed the log building as one of their Most Endangered Historic Properties.

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, and Historic Seattle all began a campaign to encourage rehabilitation of the property as opposed to rebuilding with new construction. In 2010, the building’s owner expressed interest in selling the Alki Homestead property and, as you can see from the sketch, it is currently for sale.

Seattle Art Museum Workshop

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Opening tomorrow at the Seattle Art Museum is a special exhibition, Modernism in the Pacific Northwest: The Mythic and the Mystical, featuring the work of four artists central to the Northwest school of modern art—Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan, and Guy Anderson. Tied to the exhibit is a special event on Saturday, June 28: A tour of the exhibit followed by a three-hour field sketching session at Pike Place Market led by Gabi Campanario, Gail Wong, and myself. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Seattle Urban Sketchers site at <http://seattle.urbansketchers.org>.

History House of Greater Seattle

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Another in a series of Fremont scenes. This is a view from under the canopy of the History House of Greater Seattle at 790 North 34th Street in Fremont, just under and to the west of the Aurora Bridge. Suzie Burke founded the museum in 1998 to celebrate the history, heritage, and art of Seattle’s diverse neighborhoods. Because its motto is “giving every neighborhood a place to tell its story,” the museum allows the residents themselves rather than a curator to define the history and evolution of the neighborhood being featured.

The Hardware Store

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This is the center of Vashon town—the four-way stop at the intersection of Vashon Highway SW and SW Bank Road. On the southwest corner stands The Hardware Store restaurant, the home of “great, good food.” The popular restaurant also hosts a fine bar and art gallery space showcasing the work of island artists. As the name of the restaurant implies, the structure formerly housed the Vashon Hardware Store. Built in 1890, it is the oldest commercial building on Vashon Island and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fremont Public Library

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Designed by city architect Daniel R. Huntington in the Mission Revival style, the Fremont Branch of the Seattle Public Library system has stucco walls, decorative ironwork, and gable and hip roofs covered with clay roof tiles. It was the last Seattle branch library built with funds donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Work was scheduled to begin in 1917, but budget issues and World War I delayed construction until 1921.

Remodeled several times over the years, the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a landmark building by Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board.