Whidbey Island Sketchers

Gertrude Stein and A Companion

2012-01-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

Another knock-your-socks-off production from Outcast Productions. Haven't seen a play this good since the last Outcast production, "Trailer Park Musical." Sometimes I cannot believe the high quality of theater on this little island. And it's all 2 miles down the road, under $20, no traffic, free parking. Another reminder that we live in paradise. Kudos to everyone involved in this show!

The set of "Gertrude Stein and A Companion"

Hats Are Harder Than They Look

2012-01-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

I have several pages of attempts to capture that hat in the 3 seconds between head moves. A slight move of the head and everything changes. Very tricky business.

Russell Klepper laid down some Country and Blue Grass tunes for the Happy Hour crowd at Maple Ridge Friday night. He rocks.

Mid-Winter Sketching in the Desert

2012-01-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

As luck would have it, I was in Arizona for work and family visit the whole week Puget Sound got walloped with snow. Here are travel sketches from Wickenburg and Scottsdale.

Seen around Wickenburg, AZ

Smokey's cowboy boots. Saguaro against background of the blanket on my bed.

Cactus downtown Wickenburg. Our Lady of Guadalupe from blanket pattern.

Watercolor Saguaro

Saguaro skeleton at The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale.

Sketching at Fern Ridge Alpaca Farm

2012-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

Old 1800 log cabin on Fern Ridge Alpaca Farm

This alpaca couldn't resist the fir branch on the other side of the gate.

Maple Ridge

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

What a lively place to sketch! There's something for everyone at Maple Ridge -- art, spinning, games, music, dancing or just gathering with friendly people.

An afternoon of painting

2012-01-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Spent this winter Sunday afternoon - all afternoon - painting,sketching, experimenting with different media and techniques. Here are the results from today.

2. watercolor, Neocolor II water soluable wax pastels

1. watercolor only

3. pen, watercolor (and artistic license)

4. pen and watercolor

Lucky and Dixie

2012-01-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

A VERY pleasant afternoon at Maple Ridge in the company of lots of nice folks having all sorts of fun. I met Lucky and Dixie, who were playing a game called "Kings in the Corner" as if their lives depended on it! What a hoot!!

Happy Hour at Maple Ridge

2012-01-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

The sketchers had a ball at Maple Ridge Assisted Living Community yesterday! We're looking forward to going back again and again. Such a great place to sketch during the cold, rainy season! A big thanks to Summer for inviting us.

Dancers at Happy Hour

Tim Donovan entertains the Happy Hour crowd at Maple Ridge.

Fern

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

Such a busy holiday season this year that we enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve sipping bubbly at home and watching the Seattle fireworks on TV. Happy New Year to all my sketcher friends & here's to many days of sketching together in 2012. Cheers!

Dreaming of travel to come in 2012.

New Year's at the Needle on TV

Sketching - My Drug of Choice

2011-12-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

After a few days of remodel stress, shopping stress and indecision overload, I hit the wall. I needed to go sketching in the worst way. Kris and I made an evening of it at Prima Bistro and Mo's. We were all set to do an outdoor sketch of Christmas lights in downtown Langley after Mo's closed at 11, but it was pouring down rain.

Prima diner

Prima patrons sharing a bottle of red.

Half of the Jurriaans party of 4, dining at Prima.

Mo's crowd

Snow Berries on Penn Cove

2011-12-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

This sketch is a composite of images from my walk along Penn Cove near our house in Coupeville. I've tried to capture the brilliant whites of distant Mt. Baker and the snow berries in the hedgerow.

Nosh and Sketch

2011-12-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

nosh |nä sh | informalnounfood : filling the freezer with all kinds of nosh we bought at the Star Store.• a small item of food : "We have plenty of noshes and nibbles" said the waiter.• a light meal; a snack : in between noshes we sketched people at Prima Bistro and Mo's.verb [ intrans. ]eat food enthusiastically or greedily : there are several restaurants in Langley, so you can nosh to your heart's content | [ trans. ] there I sat, noshing my favorite food as I splashed paint on the table cloth.• eat between meals : today's grazing is different from what we used to call noshing or snacking. But noshing sounds better.ORIGIN early 20th cent. (denoting a snack bar): Yiddish.

First stop, Prima Bistro.

A local fixture at Prima

Then a portrait of Kelly at Mo's.

A pre-med student also studying spanish.

A profile at Mo's

From Whidbey to Fidalgo Holiday Party

2011-12-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful afternoon at the Anacortes Sketchers holiday party in Aleli's beautiful home. We had a ball with our sketcher friends to the north and Ali's home is a treasure-trove of great things to sketch. Thanks ASK!

Beautiful Thai goddess with a red hat on.

Joining the fun, new friend Robin from Seattle.

Merry Belated B-day Christmas!

2011-12-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

For Lisbeth and all!

KW Mug for SG

2011-12-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

With love...

Aleli's Library

2011-12-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

WISkers were guests of the Anacortes Sketchers and met at Alieli's beautiful and amazing home. There were so many beautiful things to sketch that it was almost impossible to choose, but my favorite corner was in the library with its lovely stained glass lamp and bowl full of colorful Russian matroyska dolls.

The Beat Lives On

2011-12-19T09:45:00.001-08:00

Had a great evening sketching at Ott and Murphy in Langley. David Ossman performed poetry readings of Ginsburg and Kerouac while David Gregor accompanied on guitar. I was truly inspired and can't wait for another performance!

Mr. Bennett bathed in mood lighting.

David Gregor playing guitar, though it's hidden.

Beat Poetry Night at Ott & Murphy's

2011-12-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

Sketched some hep cool cats at Ott & Murphy's "Beat & Jive" poetry Saturday night with David Ossman on beat and David Gregor on jive. Wasn't sure if I was in Langley in 2011 or Greenwich Village in 1961. Trippy!

The scene.

David Ossman lays some Ginsburg and Kerouac on the crowd.

Face Time

2011-12-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

Whidbey Island Sketchers, could you possibly be any more adorable?

Self portraits by Whidbey Island Sketchers for Sherryl's handmade book:

"Mary" by Mary

"Gnat in a Hat" by The Gnat

"Judi" by Judi

"Lisbeth" by Lisbeth

"Julie" by Julie

"Cathy" by Cathy

"Diana" by Diana

"Faye" by Faye

"Gene" by Gene

"Betty" by Betty

"Phyllis" by Phyllis

"Me with No Wrinkles" by Yours Truly

Holiday Party

2011-12-15T14:33:00.001-08:00

There was a menagerie of people and holiday decorations at Mary's for (what else?) a sketch party!

Beware of fox sitting on couch.

Christmas Party at Mary Lawson's

2011-12-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

Sheryl is on the phone listening intently.

Sue is drawing the lovely fireplace.

Great, relaxing day. Thank you, Mary!

Christmas Treasures

2011-12-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my sketching friends and your families a wonderful Christmas! This is my collection of odd little Christmas trees----the more Charlie-Brownish the better!

Holiday Sketch-Together

2011-12-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

Wonderful second holiday party for Whidbey Island Sketchers today. Thanks Mary! I decided to sketch Faye by the fireplace though she didn't sit still long! Happy Holidays fellow sketchers!

Grisalba

2011-12-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

I finally got to draw Grisalba, the beautiful server at La Casita. I've always wanted to sketch her because of her fabulous hair and exotic features, but busy waitresses don't have time to sit still for a sketch. So, I got her a gig as as our first model for the new Monday night figure-drawing group at Studio 106. Since she had never done this before, we couldn't believe how flawlessly and elegantly she sat for 3 hours (with breaks at 20 minute intervals). A natural!

Friendship Star Quilt

2011-12-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Winter Dreams

2011-12-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

WISk Party at Studio 106

2011-12-05T10:40:00.001-08:00

Celebrating our 2nd anniversary with some holiday good cheer at Studio 106 . . .

Holly Centerpiece

Unsuspecting visitors to the studio WILL be sketched! I'm amassing quite a collection of sketcher-husband portraits. Soon I'll be able to do a show!

Gar with holiday splashes

Studio Sketching

2011-12-04T21:26:00.001-08:00

Whidbey Island Sketchers celebrated our 2nd anniversay with a little holiday get together at Studio 106 in Langley. Great friends, great gab, great sketching. What it's all about. Cheers!

Inside the artist's studio

See Faye Work

2011-12-01T18:03:00.001-08:00

After scheduled sketching at Useless Bay Coffee, we repaired to Studio 106 where Faye worked and I sketched all afternoon.

Faye setting up for Saturday's Open Studio

Fay at the easel, working on a still life and not happy with it.

Ms. Belov stopped by the studio for a visit.

Robert is always a pleasure to sketch with his wonderful headgear and beard!

Man Eating Crocodile

2011-11-29T07:38:00.001-08:00

I created these two images to illustrate a point about punctuation in a future article for AzarGrammar.com, the website I manage at work. I generally don't like to work from photos, but Dan refused both to eat or to be eaten by a crocodile in the interest of creating authentic sketches from life. So I had to resort to photo references for these.

Man eating crocodile

Man-eating crocodile

Richard Firsten is the author of the article and asked me to do the illustrations. These are his words from the article regarding the importance of the hyphen:

Punctuation marks were created to aid readers, to makephrasing clearer and more easily recognizable for readers. Here’s a case inpoint. If I write here Man EatingCrocodile, which picture reflects what I’ve written?

In actuality, it’s the picture on top that depictswhat I’ve written, but a show entitled DangerousEncounters on the cable network NatGeoWild (National Geographic Wild) usedthat title for one of its episodes. Of course they should have written Man-Eating Crocodile. That hyphen shows readersthat man and eating are being used together as a single adjective to describe a ferociouscrocodile. The hyphen helps readers to understand that and phrase it properlyin their minds. In fact, the rules of prosody in English dictate a change inhow these words should even be spoken if the hyphen is present or absent. (I’mgoing to use capital letters and bold face to show which words or parts ofwords receive more or less equal stress in the flow of speech):

maneating crocodile = MAN EATing CROCodile
man-eatingcrocodile = MAN eating CROCodile

Post Turkey

2011-11-25T09:54:00.001-08:00

Hubby prepared a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner just for the two of us. A contented and well-deserved rest for the chef followed.

Talking Turkey with Frances

2011-11-24T18:19:00.001-08:00

Lingering at the Thanksgiving table talking (and sketching) after the dishes are cleared. By the by, everyone said it was the best turkey they've ever had. White meat was uncharacteristically moist and juicy. America's Test Kitchen recipe: Breast side down at 425 degrees for the first hour. Flip the bird over and reduce temp to 325 until done (when thigh meat reaches 175 degrees). Gobble, gobble.

Thankful

2011-11-23T10:37:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling especially thankful for friends this Thanksgiving. Interesting headgear is just a bonus.

Thanksgiving Greetings

2011-11-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

More Catch-Up

2011-11-21T13:13:00.001-08:00

Where did time go.....? Whidbey Sketchers enjoyed an

evening at the Anchor Pub in Everett to sketch the wonderful

Magnolia Big Band. This is a view of the bar below.

The Big Band in Action. Some have been with the

group since the 1980's!

At the piano!

This great line up happened as the group

arrived and was setting up.

Old dart board at the Captain Whidbey Inn.

From some random sketches these last

few months.....

Whidbey Island Winery

A small piece of Labor Day color in our yard

One of so many color spots in Sue's yard from

late summer..

A late summer moment at Mo's

Morning greeting from our local papier mache kitty...

She doesn't move much...

A Little Bit of Catch up

2011-11-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

I've been a derelict poster.... Now it's November.

I'll begin with yesterday afternoon's Puget Sound

Group Annual Auction at the Design Center in

Seattle. Some wonderful art went for such

reasonable prices.....This group has an amazing

history and amazing talent archive.

The group has a gallery on the second floor of

the Design Center open to the public. If you are

in the area, take time for a visit.

5701 6th Ave S. , Seattle

A switch, to my Granny week with son Sam's family

in Aruba. The water is as turquoise as it looks, the

beaches white powder sand, the people very friendly

and my grandchildren adorable. This is from Baby Beach

a sheltered shallow bay at the south end of the Island.

Cat Scratches

2011-11-14T17:42:00.001-08:00

Cats.Trying to sketch them drives me crazy. They can't hold still for 10 seconds, I swear.

The many faces of Kate

Kate x 5

Colorful Kate

Soft Kate

More Kate

Kate is Kris Wiltse's large gray velveteen-coated kitty. I don't do her justice. A big beautiful girl, but not a great model.

Captain Whidbey Inn

2011-11-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

Dart board in the bar.

I liked this whisk broom at Captain

Whidbey Inn next to the fireplace.

Neocolor II Beats the November Grays

2011-11-13T20:26:00.001-08:00

The perfect way to combat our dreary, grey rainy November days? Neocolor II water soluable crayons made by Swiss company Caron d'Ache. Think of them as Crayolas with an attitude! They produce extremely rich color and are a heck of a lot of fun.

Here are some gray-day-busting pieces using a mixture of Neocolor II, pen and regular watercolors or Prismacolor markers.

Captain Whidbey Inn

2011-11-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

It was blustery outside and cozy, comfy inside the Captain Whidbey Inn this week. Here are my attempts to capture a view towards Penn Cove, a warm corner in the Inn's main room and a quick sketch in the bar of the bear's head and dart board over swatches of gray.

Penn Cove Hedgerow Gifts

2011-11-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

There is no limit to the number of inspiring subjects for painting along Penn Cove. This fall, the rose hips and blackberries in the hedgerow across from our house enticed me to bring them indoors as sketching subjects.

Catching Up

2011-11-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

Interesting gentleman at Whidbey Telecom and the children's room at the Freeland Library.

Demystifying Winter

2011-11-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

Captain Whidbey Inn

2011-11-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

Flowers on the mantle

Could the Captain Whidbey Inn really be haunted? It felt as cozy as "home sweet home." I think the friendly ghosts kept the storm at bay for our sketching friends. We had a delightful afternoon with good company and good food.

Cozy Inside the Captain Whidbey Inn

2011-11-11T20:03:00.001-08:00

First big storm of the season was promised, but the afternoon turned out to be cold but calm. The fabulous Captain Whidbey Inn was the perfect place to tuck in for an afternoon of sketching inside its cozy confines.

pictures on the wall of the madrona log-lined lobby

looking out on Penn Cove

Captain Whidbey: Wind Storm Be Damned

2011-11-11T18:20:00.001-08:00

The big wind storm appeared to be much ado about very little, so we decided to make the trip up to the Captain Whidbey Inn after all and had a most enjoyable afternoon of good company and sketching.

Our Lisbeth

Captain Whidbey Lobby

Children's Room at the Freeland Libary

2011-11-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

Many happy and mysterious adventures are in store for our young future readers and writers in the Freeland Library's children's reading room .

Friday Afternoon in the Freeland Library

2011-11-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

"It's the sketchers!" I heard this as we descended on the Freeland Library yesterday afternoon. The place was packed with activity for us to sketch. Of course I had to draw Computer Guy but also tried to capture my view into the children's room where lots of sketching was going on.

Library Guys

2011-11-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

What a hub of activity the Freeland Library was on Friday. Dozens of people of all ages were making use of the library resources - it was a model of community vitality. And a truly happening place!

A guy with a long gray beard AND a funky hat? Of course, I drew him.

I thought this guy was very interesting. Everything about him said "Grandpa", except that prominent hoop earring! I was getting too hungry to sketch by the time I got to him and didn't have the strength to draw the details. Added color and finished it up over appetizers at China City.

Friday at The Freeland Library

2011-11-04T16:45:00.001-07:00

So many people and interesting things to sketch. I chose just two in the short 2 hours I was there today.

Museum Sketching

2011-11-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Visited The Frye Museum in Seattle last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the Gabriel von Max exhibit. I could only sketch in the exhibit using a museum-supplied golf pencil - dull of course. At first I was cranky about that, but after doing a couple of pencil sketches, I decided I should pull out my #2B more often!

The Magnolia Big Band

2011-11-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Magnolia Big Band playing their great music and taking a break at the bar at the Anchor Pub. What a fun time for all.

2011-11-03T09:37:00.001-07:00

This is our friend, Max. The Sketchers who went to the Anchor Pub were lucky enough to meet him.

Red Wagon

2011-11-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

More Sherman Farm pumpkins.....

Play That Funky Music White Boy

2011-11-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Who knew you could have so much fun in Langley? Three sketchers hit the town on Halloween looking for something scary to draw and stumbled upon a fabulous party at Ott & Murphy's Wine Bar. Tim Donovan rocked the house. At one point I noticed someone across the room sketching us as we were sketching them -an off-island sketcher.

Tim Donovan

David Ossman, etal at Ott & Murphy's

Tim Donovan performing at Ott & Murphy's

Sketcher gone wild

Halloween at Mo's, where things were much tamer.

Magnolia Big Band at Anchor Pub

2011-10-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

John on Bass

We had an absolute ball sketching at the historic Anchor Pub in Everett yesterday. The Magnolia Big Band was playing and everyone was so gracious and welcoming to the sketchers. The food was good, the music was great, the band was charming.And I got to meet one of my sketching idols, Gail Wong, a member of Seattle Urban Sketchers.

Max V. Irwin (V. is for Varmint)

And best of all, we got to meet the charming Max V. Irwin, an 85-year-old dancing fool and fan of Magnolia Big Band who showed up in hopes of a dance floor. I would have danced with him except (a) I don't know how and (b) I'm 6 inches tall than him. But I sketched his portrait instead. If you'd like a dance with Max, he'll be dancing at the Sons of Norway in Everett every Thursday afternoon!

Max with the lady sketchers

Anchor Pub & Magnolia Big Band

2011-10-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

I never thought of myself as a Sunday afternoon Pub person, but Magnolia Big Band changed my mind. We had a terrific time meeting other sketchers from Seattle (Gail Wong in particular) and listening to the most enjoyable music. Loud, but it didn't blow you out of the room. Prior to the band playing the Pub played Tony Bennet music.

Listening to the sounds!

Our model the dancing man Max!

View of the lower bar.

Three guys and a speaker!

Dia de Muertos Festival

2011-10-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

Had a great time sketching at the Dia de Muertos Festival on Saturday in Seattle. Wish I could have stayed longer! So much to sketch. Happy Halloween today and Day of the Dead on wednesday.

Fabulous altar at the festival.

This dapper chap was taking a break from his street musician duties.

Winter's Approach

2011-10-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

WiFire Apparitions

2011-10-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

My first ghost sighting at Whidbey Telecom's WiFire Coffee Shop...

Happy Halloween!

Backyard Color Riot

2011-10-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

View from the deck

I had to try to capture some of the outrageous color in my own backyard before it's gone. I can no longer remember the name of the bright red shrub, but I bought it years ago at this time of year, specifically for it's red fall foliage. Below it are Autumn Joy Sedums, behind is a purple smoke tree. In the background, rose hips, a Japanese Maple and a Pin Oak also contribute to the joyous palette.

Kudos to Whidbey Telecom

2011-10-27T04:28:00.000-07:00

The Whidbey Island Sketchers experienced Whidbey Telecom's state-of-the-art Customer Experience Center yesterday. Our little phone company really knocked it out of the park with this space. What a great showcase of local artists' works and great resource for the community. I was particularly blown away by Tim Leonard's metalwork and Kim Hoelting's woodwork, both of which were used in this counter. Joe Menth's mural-sized photography of vintage Whidbey Telephone switchboard equipment is also a must-see.

Whidbey Island Winery

2011-10-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Better late than never I guess. I loved our day at Whidbey Island Winery. The weather was sweet and soft and the sketchers were scattered around the grounds. One of my favorite kinds of days.

The Happy Tractor

2011-10-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

It's living a long life, now admired. Here's mine...

And this is Vern, Lisbeth's very first patron. I sketched him at Coupeville Coffee and Bistro. OKA, Miriam's. He's a good model. Great beard, wears glasses, strikes interesting poses and sits still.

Winthrop and the Methow Valley

2011-10-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

My birthday usually falls at the peak of fall foliage season. This year we headed for the Methow Valley for my birthday getaway to find some fall color and sunshine. It was our first family trip with Duncan, the dog, and we found a cabin on the Methow River that was perfect for us. Duncan did great.

I only had one day of sketching, but could have used several more. I was uber-inspired by everything around me. Everything on the other side of the mountains is just breathtaking this month. And Winthrop is so kitschy. I'm inspired to organize a sketchers' retreat in the Methow Valley next October as soon as the shoulder season rates go into effect. 5 nights, 4 days. Seriously.

The Methow River, right behind our cabin

Pearrygin Lake State Park

Sherry's Sweet Shop

Shafer Museum

Old Schoolhouse Brewery

For those of you who just can't get enough of my birthday (I'm milking it for all it's worth this year), Dan posted some photos of our trip on his facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.304971256186811.91835.100000218183963&type=1

Sherman Farm Pumpkins

2011-10-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, I gave myself a full day (and evening) of sketching. And who deserves it more than me? :-) This was my best of sketch of the day.

Did you know that Sherman Farm is the only commercial grower of heirloom Sugar Hubbard Squash in the country? AND that they supply all the Puget Sound area Whole Foods Markets with cut Sugar Hubbard Squash? Well, now you do.

Tall Trees

2011-10-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Time at Sherman Farm

2011-10-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Sketching pumpkins on a cool, sunny Fall day was a treat.

Langley Village

2011-10-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed sketching Julie who was also sketching among the beautiful flower pots.

Last of the honeysuckle berries

2011-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

This honeysuckle vine was peeking out from the branches of the native evergreen plants along the side of the road while I was out for a walk. The berries are so bright and inviting to sketch with watercolor. I took the challenge.

Sketching Around Ebey's Prairie

2011-10-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to sketch out at the fabulous Sherman Farm - pumpkin and hubbard squash capital of the world, in my book! Yesterday was a sunny, warm, perfect Fall day to head out to Ebey's Prairie for sketching.

Old tractor at Sherman Farm

Quick stop at the new Coupeville Coffee & Bistro

Lovely Afternoon in Coupeville

2011-10-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

It was nice to tackle something simple for a change. This charming scarecrow was standing against the window at Tea & Treasures in Coupeville. It was a very congenial sketching venue, complete with complimentary shortbread from the owner and a view of the very charming Coupeville High School homecoming parade on Front Street.

Next stop, Toby's, for a bite to eat and a glass of wine. These gentlemen sat at a nearby booth.

Big Buffalo

2011-10-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

After a civilized afternoon of drinking English tea, listening to classical music and sketching a zen garden it was time to move across the street to sketch something much bolder and wilder.

"Catch-up" sketches

2011-10-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

I needed something to demo on Sunday afternoon at Bailey's so I hauled out the sketch I did at the M-C Ranch and added some paint and ink to it. So it is a little more than a sketch, a little less than a painting. Pretty happy with it, all in all. Composition and focal point still a little "centered", but I attempted to fix it with light. What do you think, Pat?

I also had this one in the pencil/ink stage that I found in the bottom of the old art pack, so it came out and got some paint, too. This one was from way back at the Compass Rose in Coupeville. It was an amaryllis on top of a cabinet in that fantastic country kitchen.

Mr. South Whidbey 2011

2011-10-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

I volunteer as a vote-counter at the raucous Mr. South Whidbey (a fundraiser for Friends of Friends Medical Support Fund) every year. We vote-counters sit at the very back of Freeland Hall tallying up all the "votes" that are cast throughout the evening in the form of dollar bills, scrip, checks, quarters, nickles and dimes. It's not a great vantage point for sketching the doings on the stage, but I got a couple quick and dirty impressions in my pocket-sized Moleskine.

Brian Plebenek,in drag, belts out a song for the crowd. He didn't win, but he SHOULD have - if the contest were based on showmanship and heart. A real crowd-pleaser. He gave us a great performance from beginning to end.

Richard Epstein, in the King Tut headdress, was one of the "six-pack boys" collecting votes from the audience in 6-pack cartons. He was a candidate in last year's pageant.

Randy Hudson, Michael McInerny and the Mr. SW candidates entertain the crowd with a song.

The crowd gathers in Freeland Hall before the show begins.

Masterpiece

2011-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Red Geraniums at Whidbey Island Winery

After a short tutorial from the world famous artist Phyllis Ray, Mary discovered the joy of color. She is now free. This is the resulting masterpiece. Thank you Phyllis. The next glass of wine is on Mary.

Behind the Winery

2011-10-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

I "set up shop" over behind the winery by the garden fence and this great "junk" sculpture made out of cast-off, rusty implements. The vintners were cleaning out the grape vats in preparation for the harvest and it smelled so good back there - very grapey and like wine. The corn was still high and on the stalks and all the flowers were still in bloom. There were hollyhocks and dahlias(?) marigolds(?) and some purple flower I didn't know at all. And there was a lovely marmalade cat . . . . .

Wanings at Whidbey Island Winery

2011-10-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

I count us lucky. The weather gods blessed us with one of our last nice days for sketching outdoors. We spent it at Whidbey Island Winery's beautiful park setting. There were peeks of sun and warmth, and with friends and wine, it made for a perfect day.
Besides the nice weather, the light is waning too. I think my Whidbey Island Winery sketch reflects it. I did a silly thing and chose a dark spot under a madrona to focus on.
Here are my sketches for the day...

After the winery Sue and I headed to Mo's for a few more sketches and a burger. I gravitated to the gentleman on the left because of his great profile. Unusual and handsome.

On the right... At times I get tired of drawing the backs of people. Oh well. It becomes more about the medium, light and composition.

Whidbey Island Winery and Mo's

2011-10-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Whidbey Island Winery

Yesterday's sketching was a real treat - a wonderful afternoon spent with new and old friends, a sketchbook, a glass of Whidbey Island White and even a little sunshine! We also had a watercolor demo by Phyllis which led to Mary's big breakthrough. She promised to post it as her first contribution to the blog - stay tuned!

Dahlias and nasturtiums:Whidbey Island Winery

Mos': Mr. Adams works a puzzle

Mo's: A lively conversation about flying

Color and Contrast

2011-09-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this image for Sherryl. Sorry for taking a week! She created it in Langley, but the exact location is unknown to me. I've watched Sherry sketch since WISk's beginnings. I see this sketch as a merging of her different intents and interests in abstracts, a more realistic drawing approach and love for the dye-like qualities of intense watercolors. It's beautiful. I enjoy the play of complex, patterned areas with the open, unpainted and simply drawn areas. And of course the value contrasts, intense colors and washes. No mud or burnt umber here! (Not to diss burnt umber)

Sketching on Second Street

2011-09-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

You can't beat a sunny September afternoon strolling around Langley sketching with friends. This time of year, every warm, sunny day in the Northwest is precious and not to be squandered. We made the most of it.

P.S. Suisse Bakery in Langley Village

South Whidbey Commons Garden

Mo's

Ben and Willie

2011-09-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Dan and I spent a relaxing afternoon visiting with friends Mary and Al at their magnificent Soaring Eagle Lodge on north Whidbey. This place is in the "must see to believe" category, but I ended up sketching their dogs, Ben and Willie.

Beautiful Ben, an elderly Australian Shepherd

Sillly Willie, a playful and energetic Standard Poodle

Willie was one of those energizer-bunny dogs who would bring you his Frisbee to throw over and over until the end of time. Getting it back from him was not for the faint of heart. That was one SLIMY Frisbee! But Mary and Al have trained him to settle down with the command "Time to relax," which had to be employed several times in order for me to finish his sketch.

An Afternoon in Langley

2011-09-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

What a fabulous warm, sunny afternoon along 2nd Street in Langley. Afraid my sketches weren't my best work, but what they lack in quality, the weather and gab with fellow sketchers more than made up for.

Great line-up of glass garden art at Callahan's Firehouse Glass Studio

Langley Village

Giddy Up

2011-09-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

We lucked out at the M-Bar-C Ranch. The sketchers arrived on the same day the ferrier was there so we had an ongoing parade of horses coming through to have their shoes changed all afternoon. It was great fun listening to the staff and volunteers talk about the horses and their individual personalities. They are reportedly a fat, lazy bunch (the horses, not the staff).The staff was great and made us feel very welcome. Can't wait to go back and sketch the miniature horses, the donkey, mule and buildings!

Mariners Report Part 2

2011-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

The three days we hung on a buoy in Echo Bay on Susia Island

were the calmest we have ever experienced.

I sketched this little guy on the first morning at low tide.

After that it was photos of a lot more great reflections.

We spent most of the days hiking to the other bays.

Watch Out for the Fir Cones

2011-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Every autumn the little brown squirrels on the island climb the high limbs on the fir trees and try to collect all the freshly ripened cones by dropping them off the trees. After the cones hit the ground with a thunk, the squirrels try to remember where they all land so they can gather the ripe seeds out of the cones. Most of the time they miss a bunch and vehicles' wheels smash the cones or they just stay on the ground and reseed for next years little starters. It might be safe to wear a hard hat at this time of the year. I did this sketch the other day after almost being hit by one of the cones on my way to the mail box.

Little Ghost Town at the M-Bar-C Ranch

2011-09-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

This 'little' town scaled for 'little' cowboys, and cowgirls is a real child's fantasy come true.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who created it and maintain it.

Mariners Report from the San Juan Islands

2011-09-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

With the weather forecast for a week of sun, we used our retirement card, cast off the lines and set sail for the San Juans.

These two sketches of the cabin top under the dodger are actually contour ink (no pencil first).

This cute little tug was right behind us in Reid Harbor on Stuart Island.

We hiked out to the Turn Point Lighthouse the next day.

While we were waiting for slack tide to return to Lagoon Point, we checked out the Wooden Boat Show at Port Townsend.

Lovely Afternoon at Sue and Dan's

2011-09-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect. The setting idyllic. The gardens sweet and old fashioned. The sketchers and writers spread themselves out in the landscape. We went to see the sculpture forest at Ivan and Sarah's house. I was so moved. It was an ideal day. Thanks to Sue and Dan for such a sweet experience. These two sketches are two halves of one....but I'm not so clever as to know how to stitch them together.

Trio Nouveau

2011-09-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Keith Bowers, Guitar

We were excited when we realized Trio Nouveau was setting up right next to our table out on the rooftop deck at Prima. I LOVE sketching musicians and love the festive atmosphere on Prima's deck.

But once again, I only managed to capture 2/3 of the trio. Someday I'll get all three of them, but probably not at Prima. As soon as they realized we were planning to sketch, the staff politely let us know they didn't want us tying up the table too long. So we tried not to overstay our welcome and vamoosed shortly after we finished dinner. Oh well, we're just gonna have to find more sketcher-friendly venues for sketching musicians.

Troy Chapman, Guitar

Fun with Goats

2011-09-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

We came to Sonshine Alpaca Farm to draw alpacas, but the goats turned out to be much better models than alpacas - or chickens for that matter. Sweet, funny, curious, personable and generally adorable, they really seemed to enjoy the attention. They also know how to strike a pose and hold it for a while. They nuzzled us, nibbled on us, peered over our shoulder, closely inspected our art supplies and kept us laughing all afternoon. I tried to forget the fact that I saw the term "meat goats" on the website.

Sketching at Sonshine Farm

2011-09-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful afternoon spent with the WISkers, this time at Sonshine Garden and Alpaca Farm on Crawford Road. The sun was warm, it smelled like a farm and there were animal sounds all around me. Put me right back to my childhood on my cousin's farm in Moscow, Idaho. The alpacas were great, the goats adorable and they have best, most PEOPLE friendly GIANT Bulgarian Shepherd stockpen guard dog! Had a truly great time. And I got a little vignette of some of the residents with which I am really happy.

I especially got a kick out of the fat little goat who ate IN his feeder, not from it.

Blakely Island

2011-09-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have missed sketching with you all at Sue's on Sunday. It was our last day of camping before construction begins later this week on Blakely Island. Pete was sitting in one of the chaises in what will eventually be our great room, looking across Thatcher Pass at Decatur.

A Peaceful Afternoon

2011-09-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Sue, for sharing your lovely garden with us. And the delicious munchies. And thanks to Mary and Sherryl for their yummy crab dip. I think I ate most of it. Last but not least, sharing it all with great company. I was filled with ahhhhs.
Here's a couple sketches I did on the deck. To the right is the talented Michelle, our newest member. She sat still for awhile which made her an easy target. I look forward to many sketchings with her.

Below is an experimental sketch done on watercolor canvas board. No absorbency whatsoever, so I'm not sure I like it. Hard to do any glazing because the bottom layers pick up so easily. Great for making changes if one's unhappy with parts or all of it. I was interested in giving it a spin as an alternative to the expense of framing watercolor paintings. Surfaces that accept watercolor are available on mounted wood frames similar to oil panels. Once painted, they can be coated with acrylic to protect the surface from dust.

On the Deck

2011-09-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

Good times partying and sketching chez moi with the Sketchers today (and a few stray members of the Vicious Circle Writers Group). More partying than sketching in my case. This is a grouping of shade plants and a bird bath on the deck.

Ink Ladies

2011-09-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

And now the opposite of my previous post, Watercolor Ladies. Starting with ink - and lots of it - and then just a little watercolor wash. Which do you like best? Watercolor/light pencil only or these?

Orcas Island Focus on Sketching

2011-09-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Creating texture with Sue's black brush pen kept me entertained the 1st day on Orcas Island.

View from the Pottery Garden

Rosario Resort hanging basket

Sue and I collaborated on this piece of "buddy art" in the condo's guest book. We're onto something...it's freeing to pass one piece back and forth...so much more than my vision alone.

Watercolor Ladies

2011-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

I love to sketch portraits, but after my watercolor class I've been loving using watercolor only (on top of just a little pencil) for a change and new intensity.

Three Sketching Days on Orcas Island

2011-09-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Spent 3 glorious days on Orcas Island sketching with Sherryl and Missy. And by the by, Sherryl did her best work ever. Stay tuned!


Cascade Bay Grill at Rosario Resort


Cascade Bay Grill at Rosario Resort

View from Cascade Bay Grill, Rosario Resort

Rosario Resort Lamp Post

Ferry People - Anacortes to Orcas Island

Bronze Mermaid on the Beach at Lieber Haven Resort, Orcas Island

What's New at Island Recycling?

2011-08-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Obviously I'm catching up on my blogging posts. Our visit to the Freeland Recycling Center, and then on to the Goldfinger's deck was a great day. What a classy dump! They even played classical music! The weather was gorgeous and the junk was absolutely fascinating, and beautiful in it's own way. I'm including 4 sketches from the day, 2 from the recycling center and 2 from the Goldfinger's. Of course I had to include the ubiquitous wine bottles.