With the weather heating up in Northern Virginia, tourist season is just starting up again. In summertime Old Town, Alexandria is very a popular destination for locals and out of towners. People are attracted to Old Town's luxurious dining options, rich historical setting, cultural activities, lively nightlife, varied shopping, and waterfront atmosphere. As an amateur artist, I was drawn to visit Old Town for a few brief sketching sessions of a busy Spring weekend.
After I found an appropriate and non disruptive angle, I planted myself for a 15 minute sketch. The lighting from the Spring season was a great transition from the lasting reach of winters darkness. Gone were the days of wearing layers, now only a light jacket would do just fine. With endless motions of people in passing, I jotted down what I could. From parents pushing strollers, to couples enjoying ice cream, to an accordion player providing background noise, to the parked King St Trolley, to the block away Fish Market sign, I tried to capture the lively happenings of King St. and Union St.
Moving on, I made my way towards the waterfront. Behind the Torpedo Factory, past a magician working on keeping an audience of children and adults attention, past an artist with his work laid out for those in passing to view, past the riverboat taxis, past Chart House Restaurant, and to the waterfront. Here people snapped pictures, people rested on benches, and in general enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. I started my second 15 minute sketch of National Harbor & the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the horizon. To finish, I scribbled in some clouds with birds in the foreground.
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A sketch just past the Chart House Restaurant, on the waterfront with National Harbor in the distance
A sketch at the drop off point for the King St. Trolley
Old Town
homes and condos for sale in the Old Town area of Alexandria VA
Aubrey Nesbitt is a native of Northern Virginia who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the US Army and helps his family business by providing informational articles like this one. In addition to photography and blogging, Aubrey provides administrative support for the office.
Aubrey is a service-disabled retired veteran and a part of our family. We give him the opportunity to work at the office and on the web as part of his recovery. The opinions and statements presented by Aubrey are his own and we don't necessarily agree with them.
