Story and photos by Aspen Anderson
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Wander into Caffe Ladro in south Morgan Junction one of these chilly mornings, and you’ll find Eleanor Doughty‘s West Seattle in watercolor.

Lincoln Park at sunset. The Fauntleroy ferry terminal, boats coming and going. The neon glow of Luna Park Café. These familiar West Seattle landmarks, captured in rich, atmospheric layers of watercolor and ink, currently line the walls at 7011 California SW.

“My goal is helping people appreciate the places around where they are, even if they’re not a fantastic postcard view,” Doughty said.

Doughty is a Seattle-based illustrator whose work has a distinct, almost-retro quality — perhaps because she sketches on-site, absorbing the essence of a place rather than simply replicating it.

“All of these are drawn on location,” she said. “You are capturing a series of moments and trying to consolidate all of that into one picture… it’s a journal, it’s capturing a moment in time.”

Her favorite pieces on display include paintings of Lincoln Park, where she sketched along the water, and a standout of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal — layered with different boats as they arrived and departed.

“Seeing the place that you love captured in a painting — it makes people emotional,” she said.

Doughty has painted cities around the world, but West Seattle is a recent addition to her collection. Whether sketching ferry docks or neighborhood cafés, she says painting in real time offers a depth that photography cannot.

“Everyone has a camera in their pocket, but sitting on location for an hour or more gives the painting significance,” she said. “I found that the more you tap into what makes you feel something, rather than what you’re literally seeing, the more interesting the painting looks.”

Doughty’s West Seattle paintings are on display and available for purchase at Caffe Ladro, which is open daily from 6:30 am to 6 pm.