Summer 2012

This summer has been busy, a little crazy, the fun of  family and friends to visit and  

not so much painting. Thank you to the Whidbey Island Sketchers for providing

the friendships, continuity and amazing sites offered each week. We sketch at some of

the most beautiful places on Whidbey Island, How great is that?

Definitely.....Sketchbook Play!

The Lavendar Wind Farm is north of Coupeville, on a beautiful bluff overlooking

the water and the Olympic Mountains. Lavendar, and sunflowers, and sun!

Small boats tucked into the beach grass at the Langley Marina

I was totally taken over by this grouping of orange flowers...yes,

it does take over the sketch....front and center.....guess that's what it's about! 

This is the Smith  Garden near Lagoon Point. September layers of color!

Sue showed me some small samples of colored inks she had ordered from the Goulet Pen Company

http://www.gouletpens.com/ So many colors to choose from and so much fun to experiment......!

The orange on the right is called Apache, and it literally explodes with color when water is added.

A little oil  peony from Sue Scofield's back yard. Sold.

Whidbey folks, in summer

And a local celebrity agreed to sit for a sketch during Choochokum, our summer art fair.

Thank you!

These two little sketches are from a recent camping trip to the Long Beach Penensula,

  near Oysterville, on the Willapa Bay side. Afternoon and evening light on the tide lands.

Winter and Spring

This is what I see in our neighbor's yard when I sit at my computer. 

Quail love the bird  feeder in winter, 

And ever changing color in  the spring and summer!

Just did this sketch this morning.

Thanks Randy and Sue!

Sketching Whidbey June 1-3

We have a great group gathered for our Whidbey sketch travels this

next weekend. And...the weather forecast says..........sun...!

Much fun and many sketches to come!

whidbeyislandfineartstudio.com

Green  rolling hills and  trails at  Greenbank Farm

in the spring.

On into the afternoon and evening, often with a glass of wine

out somewhere, endless material, Holmes Harbor in the afternoon

and from Bush Point at sunset.

Our Sketching Whidbey workshop is filling up. We will have our own little bus to
explore some of Whidbey's remarkable places and sketch. What a great weekend
get away, check it out!  www.whidbeyislandfas.com

Earlier this spring,  shadows crept toward

Mount Baker just north of Whidbey Island.

Further south down the Island is Windjammer
Park in Oak Harbor, with it's Dutch landmark
and own collection of tulips.

And in our backyard, the apple tree is in
full glorious bloom!

 

These are two of several little pocket sketches
I made while spending time with family in
wonderfully warm Houston, Texas. Our
Northwest April  has been a little bit.....cold.
The Broken Obelisk is near the Mark Rothko
Chapel near Montrose. Beautiful, peaceful
oasis.

A Lesson in Patience

Patience? I'm not doing so well waiting for spring, as are the chess
pieces at Bayview Corner on Whidbey...

Signs of Spring...

The rhododendrons will be showing color .....soon. I am so ready! They transform our landscape.

And other greens are popping out. This little historic building is at the Whidbey Institute.

And always, Bayview Nursery is an oasis. Nice new spacious greenhouse invites in any kind of weather.

A Little Bit of Wales on Whidbey

The Pettis Farm extended an invitation to their annual sheep shearing day with Welsh shearer

Eifion Morgan. It was amazing to watch this man so efficiently and smoothly shear the wooly black sheep. He made it look quick and easy to handle the large and constantly moving animals.

Other sheep farmers, as well as spinners and knitters were invited.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014941284_sheepshearer03m.html

Spectators included classes from local schools.

 
One very wooly white sheep was no issue for Eifion's skill with the electric shearer.       

Sketching Whidbey in June!

Whidbey Sketching Weekend with Faye Castle

June 1-3, 2012

Pack up your pencils and pens and spend a weekend sketching and exploring some of Whidbey Island's special places. From picturesque Langley to historic Coupeville, join other sketchers in a visual treasure hunt.

Offered through the renowned and fabulously organized

Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio http://www.fallcityfineart.org/. We will have three days to travel Whidbey in a van to explore and sketch the Island's historical and scenic landmarks, along with some possible pub sketching in the evening. Open to all levels, anyone wanting to get away for a weekend, play and learn in your sketchbook while enjoying a beautiful and friendly environment.

Check it out at the WIFAS website http://www.whidbeyislandfas.com/workshops

Deer Lagoon at high tide, Cascades in the background

Mutiny Bay barn, just down the road from our house

Sun ..however we can find it.

The Brackenwood Gallery in Langley is featuring

a SUN show for March. I brought out my pastels

and these two small pieces came from it.

This one is Flavors of the Sun. I am so ready....!

Sketching People

People watching is entertaining most anywhere, and where better than with a sketchbook. It's really just finding shape, both negative and positive...

This figure was just a simple flat shape as we sat at

Toby's in Coupeville.

Looking at negative shapes, angle and length of lines,

other overlapping figures were added.

More simple shapes were added with attention to scale.

People got up and left, others arrived .

Chairs and a little background anchor were added.

Color and more detail can be added after shapes are in place.

Gathering at the Brick in Roslyn

                                                    Afternoon at an art auction

                                       Pub sketching! Big Band at the Anchor in Everett.

                                      Checking the schedule on the Port Townsend ferry

                 The Whidbey Sketchers were invited to sketch at our local Retirement community.

                  Cisco came to visit on a sunny afternoon. His owner had a cast on his right foot,

                  not the fault of Cisco. Cisco charmed everyone.

We were also invited to join for Friday

Happy Hour, and residents gathered.

                                                     Russell Clapper on the guitar!

                                                      Random talking heads from TV...

                                                       Sometimes I'd rather focus on

                                                        drawing than on the news...

And, a little late, but every year the

Gage Academy in Seattle hosts an

entire day of great models at Drawing

Jam. First Saturday in December.

Rooms full of models and live

music! http://www.gageacademy.org/

I love the costume room! One hour

poses with amazing models.

    Back to my sketchbook, Spring is not far away. This is the view from Ebey Bluff on Whidbey Island          
          looking toward Seattle and Mt Rainier.