Washington DC Sketchbook, 2007, Part Two

Continued from: Washington DC Sketchbook, Part One

World War Two Memorial (larger)

After my stroll through the National Gallery I continued my day by walking the two-mile length of the National Mall. The mall features a series of iconic and monumental American sites, all arranged rather conveniently in a long line. I am not always one for patriotic monuments, but I figured I should visit these once in my life and am glad I did. [cont. below]

Washington Memorial (larger)

Lincoln Memorial (larger)

Einstein Memorial (larger)

It was sunny, getting hotter, and quite dry, and I had trouble keeping my watercolor paint wet enough to behave the way I am used to. So, I ended up doing my ink sketching on site and adding the color later. [cont. below]

Union Station (larger)

At the Lincoln Memorial I sat on the floor in the back of the viewing area and sketched him between openings in the crowd. There is a sign requesting respectful silence, so of course there was a lot of screaming and running about. And the hot dog stand was a much bigger draw than the Lincoln bookstore. 🙂

It was a hoot throughout the day to listen to the other tourists, mostly families. They say the funniest things and at times I felt like I was in a Simpsons episode 🙂 . One thing about traveling alone is that I am more aware of others around me: how they look and behave, and what they say.

The Einstein Memorial is a wonderful, super-sized (and climbable!) likeness of him, hidden from view in the dappled light of large shade trees. The surface of the sculpture is chunky, as if it had been molded out of clay by the hand of someone even bigger than giant Einstein. This memorial is more casual and inviting than the rest; an interesting contrast to the Lincoln statue and, I must say, more to my taste.

The last sketch was done the next day in Union Station while I waited for a train to New York. The station is a beautiful restored space, warm and light-filled, and even the shopping mall now contained within does not detract from it’s ethereal atmosphere. This sketch shows the ceiling of one of the side alcoves; the main space is even bigger.

Next Up: New York Sketchbook, Part One, On to New York.

All posts from this Trip:
     Planes and Trains
     Washington DC Sketchbook, Part One
     Washington DC Sketchbook, Part Two
     New York Sketchbook, Part One
     New York Sketchbook, Part Two