On the Scene in West Seattle

November 3, 2025

On the Scene in West Seattle

Could Be No Happier

at home, though away,
coffeehouse, though not—
scott, alisa, music, joy

—dotty seiter

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*Calling the Orcas Home*
~3 x 3″; watercolor and ink in travel art journal
abstract portrait
2025

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Notes about poem and art:
• “Could Be” could be considered a haiku since it is a poem of 17 syllables in three lines, but it could also be considered not-quite-a-haiku because the syllable pattern is 5, 5, 7 instead of the traditional 5, 7, 5. The pattern I chose feels more musical to me, making it more fitting for this little poem.
• Calling was probably the most challenging painting I undertook while traveling. The image above is my second sketch/painting of an artist’s sculptural interpretation of the troll Bruunidan. Said second attempt took place at home when I had more time, more focus, and two new lessons under my belt, one on abstract faces, the other offering up a few tidbits of watercolor paint instruction.

artist at play

pnw travel art journal, scott and alisa, west seattle

Posted by:

Dotty Seiter

9 responses to “On the Scene in West Seattle”

carol lee

November 3, 2025 at 3:55 am

Feeling at home but being away! How great is that!

You are correct the second has more focus and intentional direction while the first is spontaneous and childlike and has it’s own special niche.

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  November 3, 2025 at 6:13 am
  
  Carol, delighted in your recognizing how great is feeling at home but being away—I wasn’t sure if I could convey that feeling in a haiku.
  
  Thank you for your feedback on both versions of my simple portraits of the Bruunidun troll. Helpful and informative for you to comment on the visual language of each one : )
  
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Joyful Puttering

November 3, 2025 at 7:54 am

Your not quite a haiku but also a haiku is a delight.

At first I thought the painting was a sideways landscape. But once I saw the original troll I went back and saw it in your second lessons learned painting immediately. It’s quite extraordinary! Well done!

That look…and look again thing can be so magical!

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  November 3, 2025 at 8:43 am
  
  MaryAnn! This feedback about my rendering of Bruunidun is such a smile-inducing surprise in my day—thank you! There is something magical in my not being able to see anything in my 2nd painting other that what I intended as I painted, whereas you saw it through different eyes and discovered a sideways landscape. That delights me with regard to the big-picture of creative undertakings; they are always a ‘collaboration’ of creator and recipient (viewer, reader, listener, etc.). Anything I make involves that gift/lesson/act of letting go. And for you there was the magic of look-and-look-again! Win win magic going on today!
  
  And thank you, too, for enjoying my not-quite-a-haiku-but-also-a-haiku : )
  
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lolajovan

November 3, 2025 at 7:05 pm

Haiku vs not-a-haiku! Monster vs not-a-monster! Love your trolls and your playful poetry, eschewing the box and running amok outside of it – YES! More, more, MORE! xo

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  November 3, 2025 at 8:04 pm
  
  HA! Hadn’t really considered my eschewing the box and running amok outside of it. Perhaps the malarkey in your studio is contagious, running amok way outside the box of the west coast to see who’s susceptible on the east coast!! Malarkey tags me, yelps: you’re it!
  
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Sheila Marie Delgado

November 12, 2025 at 3:26 pm

Wonderful! I love both versions, such different moods. Loving the color combo. Warm and bright. Bravo, Dotty. 🙂

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1. Dotty Seiter
  
  November 12, 2025 at 4:07 pm
  
  Sheila, thanks for the feedback on warm, bright color combo and the difference in moods in the two versions. It warms my heart to have you love both versions (since I do not!).
  
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Meg

November 30, 2025 at 5:50 pm

scott, alisa, music, joy

(and a troll!)

🤎

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