Local News

Sketched Oct. 18, 4:21 p.m.
Any time I’m around Fremont I make a point to check in with our beloved Troll. Earlier this week, I found him surrounded by scaffolding and construction equipment. A couple of WSDOT workers I talked to said that the Aurora Bridge columns are undergoing seismic upgrades and are being wrapped in fiber (here’s the official word on that at WSDOT’s website.)
Did the Troll mind all the work going on around him? Of course not. He’s Seattle’s most stoic resident. Like usual, he was being photographed by passersby. I wonder if they noticed the red tagging painted around his only eye. The poor Troll. He goes through a lot inside that dark cave.
Next Halloween marks his 21-year anniversary. I will miss that party but, if you are in the area, make sure to wish him a happy birthday from Sketcher.
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Click over to my Facebook page to see the coloring process I followed for this sketch.

Sketched Nov. 23, 2:14 p.m. [Click sketch to view larger]
The Fremont Troll may look like a grumpy old man, but he is barely out of his teens. Next week marks the 20th anniversary of what’s arguably the most visited public art project in the city. Even on a frigid day this week, tourists were here snapping pictures while I hurried to sketch before my watercolors froze.
Thanks to the Troll, the space under the Aurora Bridge is far from the dump it used to be. Back in 1990, you would find mattresses and beer cans laying around, said lead artist Steve Badanes. But even today the sculpture still gets vandalized.
A neighborhood group’s proposal to improve the “Troll’s Knoll” is among 15 community-generated initiatives vying for money from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy. If approved, the project could break ground in 2011.
Badanes supports the initiative but said it shouldn’t be a “themed Troll park.”
“You don’t want it to be too cute,” he said.
Sketch-worthy Seattle. Where should I take my sketchpad next? Do you know of a good sketch story waiting to be drawn? I’d love to learn about it. You can send me your suggestions to gcampanario@seattletimes.com or via Facebook or Twitter. Have a great weekend!