Blues Festival on the Waterfront (07-03-11)

It looks like things were pretty regimented at the Waterfront Blues Festival this year: chairs could be no taller than a specific height, blankets no be larger than a specific size (different is it's a blanket for two vs. a blanket for four...), not pests, err...no pets whatsoever.

So, armed with our (non-regulation) fold-out chairs, Gary, Valérie and I went to brave the crowds and listen to some good music this afternoon. We found a spot on one of the lawns, incurred the territorial irritation of a few people, but such is life...

It's un-be-lie-va-ble how many people were there! We were all piled up in one place for the concerts, and anyone sitting close to the stage, got their ears blasted off, those further away had to resort looking at a screen (we could have brought binoculars). As for those who were cross with us because of our chairs, the minute the concert started, the people in front stood up and blocked their view anyway...

 But Gosh, how I LOVE the Blues! It's everything "America" to me... at least, everything I've always associated with yearning for a place where anything (good) can happen.

The big event of the night was Buddy Guy, who was pretty funny and a virtuoso at the guitar, but I also liked Patrick Lamb's band. What a great time!...

Good looking young guy

There was also a little kid tirelessly dancing in the crowd that got everyone around rooting for him...

People Studies at Blues Festival (07-02-11)

http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/On the way home, I stopped on top of the Hawthorne Bridge to draw people at the Waterfront Blues Festival, a perfect way to enjoy the good weather (and one of the only sunny days we've had so far this year).

The drawings below look like caricatures because people were moving along pretty fast, so one focuses on catching general details (I know, a contradictory statement) that give personality to the subjects (whether size, clothing, hair, etc.).

BluesFest (07-05-09)

I love Blues, so I recorded another great Portland event in my sketchboook: the Waterfront Blues Festival! I wandered around from stage to stage, enjoying the wonderful music.