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.

Summer...Bits and pieces

Summer doesn't keep to a schedule. I have been carrying my

sketchbook a lot, but it is definitely bits and pieces that appear.

I've been doing a lot of people sketching. More soon on that.

I was fortunate to be able to sketch with the Puget Sound

Group of NW painters at their annual Rudy Bundas memorial

gathering at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island a week or so? ago.

It was cold and rainy in the morning as braver souls found their

posts. I tucked under the eaves and sketched this little house and

tidelands, tried to stay warm and watched a racoon gather

breakfast. He should be in the sketch..... It was as cold and gray

as it looks... with one spot of color!

In contrast, Island Design, a wonderfully elegant presence in Langley

is filled with wonderful arrangements and color combinations!

Whidbey Island Mobile Studio

Whidbey is such a beautiful place to live, but sometimes a mobile studio (my car....) is the best place to sketch. This is a view of Cultus Bay on South Whidbey, sketched from Hammons Preserve on a bit of a gray day...

Our Apple Tree in Massachusetts

Last year's sketch of our backyard apple tree made its way to Massachusetts. Thanks to the Whidbey Island Sketchers blog. And....save your applewood tree prunings!

A week near Manzanillo, Mexico

The Whidbey Island Sketchers were invited to spend a week with a fellow sketcher at her Casa near Manzanillo, Mexico.

Actually, there were two Casas and four of us had a luxurious house and pool....all our own. Phyllis, our mentor and Barb were just below us, with another beautiful casa and infinity pool overlooking paradise. After an early morning flight from Seattle, we arrived to a wonderful dinner cooked by Susan and Bill, and an evening in the stunning infinity pool, margaritas included.

The week had begun.

Bougainvillea and hibiscus were in full bloom, and it felt like living in

a Mark Rothko painting. Total immersion in color.

Reds, fuschias, violets floated through the air and landed

in the turquoise pools.

Bougainvillea surrounded the pool at Casa Maya.

And all I had to do was turn around to this view.

I loved the constantly changing reflections in our pool.

Early mornings from our deck were soft and muted, filled

with sounds of birds and surf.

My favorite morning coffee chair.

And to my left....

Bougainvillea landed as I sketched.

Travelling with other sketchers made for long

relaxing days with just brushes and pens and amazing

subjects. Weeks of material in just this one place.

Thank you so much Phyllis!

Our pool buddy.

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Pelican sentry at the beach.

Mangos for breakfast right out of the back yard.

What I love most about sketchbooks..

as I sit here in my warm wooly socks and double

layers of fleece, I can look at these images and go

right back to the warmth and color and

comraderie and all its memories. I love my camera,

but it's not the same experience.