The "Response" docked at Pier 1

It's all about the tires!

Interesting things happen when you hang around a dock long enough. No, not that! I'm talking about sketching with the Anacortes Sketchers this past Monday.

A typical Pacific NW fishing boat was on its way out as I sketched on the sunny west end of the dock. A "certain aroma" occasionally wafted by. All sorts of leisure craft came in and out of the harbor while the crew washed windows and cleaned the already pristine decks of the "Response", a tanker tug and firefighting vessel. While I was sketching, one of the crew came out and assumed his best "Captain Morgan" pose for a good 5 minutes. No problem. Got it. Little did he know that for me, it's all about the tires! I loved the necklace of huge tires laced around the "Response" as she languished there in the shadows. How much does just that big tire alone cost? I don't know, but here's what a $42,500 one looks like! 

Sailing Away

Here's what she looked like as I was getting ready to paint the all-important shadows. Arrrghh!
It was kind of cool, though, as she gracefully pirouetted 360 degrees and let us see the entire boat before she sailed away. Her crew can rightfully be proud of her.

See more about the "Response" on my blog. -- Michele Cooper

Pier 1 in Anacortes

l to r-Jane, Carolyn, Anne, Patrick, Joyce (edge of fence) & Missy (far right)

Clockwise from lower left: Anne, Missy, Carolyn, Joyce, Kalena

Pier 1 on Guemes Channel in Anacortes was the meeting spot for Anacortes Sketchers today. It was bustling with activity, including sketchers moving from one spot to the next. You could pick your subject AND your weather depending on where you stood.

The Sally Ride, a naval vessel honoring America's first woman in space, was on the east side of the dock. Just christened on August 9, it is the US Navy's newest research ship.Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) research vessel (R/V)

Joyce's sketch of the Sally Ride  and  Pier 1 ambience. 

Here's my preliminary sketch of the Class 1 fire fighting ship and tanker escort tug, The Response. Although she was christened in Elliot Bay back in 2002, she looked brand new to me.

Ink Sketch by Michele

I moved around the corner out of the wind to switch to watercolor for shadows and accents on my sketch. I'm afraid my pink shirt reflected onto this iPhone snapshot, so I'll scan the finished piece and post later. Hope the rest of the sketchers will post theirs, too.

Come and see the boats in action!  Avast me hearties! Steer your vessel to the Port of Anacortes 6th Annual Anacortes Workboat Races and Pirate Faire at Historic Pier 1 on the Guemes Channel in downtown Anacortes from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 .