and then to Timbuktu

 Who knew? Toys at the Greenbank Store.  Stuffed in a basket on one of the tables....just a brief visit, only long enough for one small, quick sketch.







.
                                 

 ...and then on to Timbuktu!!  Not in the heart of Africa, but in Freeland!!  A coffee shop with delicious treats (many gluten free), and it is now a gallery, too.  Very tempting goodies...

Thanks Lauren for your warm welcome.  It was so comfortable to sketch in your lovely shop. 

Phyllis, our newest sketcher was very focused,   She does look nicer than this however.



Prima Portraits

Ron Kasprisin, architect, artist, UW prof, bon vivant.

Channeling Kris Wiltse on this one. My favorite.

Stefen had attitude.

Okay, I may have used too much water here!

David was reading a book. Heck of a nice guy!

My husband thought this was me. It's a guy.

I hope no one sitting at Prima's bar last night was not supposed to be there because we sketched just about every one of them!

Open Hearted at STUDIO 106

'Open Hearted'  by Phyllis Ray

'Open Hearted' 

at STUDIO 106

106 McLeod Alley, Langley

(behind Whidbey Island Soap Co.)
First Saturday Art Walk

Feb. 5, 5 pm - 7 pm

Add one more stop to your Saturday Art Walk in Langley. Artist (and Whidbey Island Sketcher) Phyllis Ray is opening her STUDIO 106 and throwing a little Valentine's party for the February 5th Art Walk. She's created a luscious new oil painting, "Open Hearted" for the occasion. If you happen to be in Langley on Saturday, the 5th, drop by and join the fun. If you haven't seen Phyllis' work yet, you are in for a treat. In addition to Saturday Art Walks, Phyllis' studio is open "whenever I'm there." 

STUDIO 106 is at 106 McLeod Alley, Langley (behind Whidbey Island Soap Company)

Greenbank Store sketches

Had a totally great day sketching on Wednesday!  I chuckled and chuckled to myself at the twist of karmic fate that had picked me up from the Midwest and sat me down in a General Store in Washington drawing a cast iron stove from Dowagiac in my old stomping grounds of Michigan.  A long way to come to see a very familiar name!

Food & Friends at Timbuktu

Now I'm learning how to post more than one image in a posting. My favorite sketch of the day is the cinnamon rolls under glass. yum. I loved the traveling sketching day. Three venues. Lots of different kinds of food to look at and draw!

Greenbank Grocery #1

I feel so fortunate to have been invited to sketch with the Whidbey Island Sketchers. I had so much fun on Wed. And I was on fire. I couldn't quit sketching. I made 7 sketches!!! I don't intend to post them all, but thanks for inviting me to post with you. I was using my new Lamy fountain pen and brown Noodler's ink (as recommended by Faye and Sue) with a few splashes of water.

Christmas Cards from our Secret Buddies

In December, Faye entertained the Whidbey Island Sketchers in her lovely home where we did lots of indoor sketching in her house. We also had a great time sharing our sketches, enjoying our fellow sketchers and sharing experiences and stories with each other along with munching on goodies and sipping wine. Lisbeth distributed watercolor postcards to each of us with a great idea to sketch a Christmas scene on the card and then send it to our secret Christmas buddy. So...the following are some of those sketches that we would like to share with everyone to show the fun of this project.

This Christmas scene drawn on the card by Gene Berg is so delightful. The line sketch is simple and wonderful showing the yellow warm light in the house in contrast to the cold outdoor snow on the ground.

Julie Pittis did this wonderful two color sketch and sent it to Diana Carter showing Art books that we all love to browse. Great crisp composition.










 Faye Castle used a wide selection of colors from her palette to sketch this cheerful winter scene of the mountains seen from Whidbey Island. Lisbeth Cort was the lucky Christmas buddy.





Natalie Olsen sent this lovely card to me and knowing that I enjoy spinning yarn from wool and alpaca fleece. I love these little sheep with their woolly coats and black faces and skinny legs. It's a keeper!

Jay Hudemann used colored pencils to draw Christmas cookies for Sue.












Cathy Hess sent this greeting to Sherryl from her tropical winter paradise in Hawaii.

And Lisbeth sketched the wreath on her front door to send to Sue Jensen.

Here is Diana Carter's beautiful landscape that Faye Castle was so fortunate to receive!

Cozy's Characters and Timbuktu

This was too good at Timbuktu. Cary and I shared one to eat, and one to sketch. Pumpkin, pecan, cranberry and orange glaze.......

Phyllis in color

Cozy's customers

Cozy's Characters

Bowler Hat at Cozy's

 We discovered another great sketching location yesterday - Cozy's in Clinton! Lots of room, good lighting, great characters, card games, pool players. And last night, a great bowler hat - nothing gets me more excited about sketching than a cool hat!

Some of us had never been there and others hadn't been in 30 years. This is one of the great things about our group - we discover places we might otherwise never go. And we ended up there last night only because Faye had a hair appointment in Clinton. I'm adding Cozy's to our list of indoor sketching venues.

Card Players at Cozy's

I've heard that Whidbey real estate has changed hands in poker games. This looked like it might have been a serious game.

Food (the fat kind)

We must have been hungry today; everyone seemed to be sketching the food displays at the Greenbank Store and Timbuktu.

Greenbank goodies

Timbuktu goodies

Sketchbook Play

Lisbeth always has color and life even when she's concentrating!

Sometimes it's fun to just sketch whatever is in front of me...yummy red pepper soup at Useless Bay Coffee. And...pesto bread.....

Just my purse and coffee...

And...2 color spots, just there in front of me.

This obliging model was just the right color.

Poodle

While listening to a lecture I drew this porcelain sewing kit poodle. It is one of many porcelain poodles in the collection of Mary, co-founder of "Life's a Poodle" -- an organization that raises awareness of the issues of children with learning differences.

Drawing around other people who are not sketching still makes me uncomfortable. But with other people focused on their own note taking, it was easier. Also easier because the porcelain poodle holds still, unlike people.

Phyllis Ray's Useless Bay Coffee Sketches

Sue

Diana & Lisbeth

The lovely and talented Phyllis Ray joined us for sketching this week. Love, love, love her sketches! We're hoping she will be a regular. Check out her work on the next Saturday Art Walk at 106 McLeod Alley in Langley.

Upcoming Sketching Classes

The Goose Bakery, Kris Wiltse

Kris Wiltse is teaching a 4-week Saturday workshop at South Whidbey Parks and Recreation:

Sketching for Pleasure
February 5-26
Saturdays, 10am–12pm
$140

From Our Cottage on Kauai, Faye Castle

Faye Castle will be teaching a 1-day sketching class at Cole Gallery in Edmonds on Saturday, March 12.

Watercolor Sketching with Faye Castle

Saturday, March 12

 11am–4pm

 $80

I found this wonderful testimonial online from someone who took her class last year.

Not really a good sketch day for me . . . .

. . . .  input overload, I think.  However, I DID manage a quick caricature sketch in Useless Bay Coffee of a cute little girl with Pippy Longstocking hair enjoying a cuppa with her sister and Mama. 

High on Art

Didn't get much sketching done this Wednesday, but it was one of the most fun and productive Wednesdays in memory. We had a great time and a great turnout at the Sketchers exhibit viewing at the Unitarian Church, including the delightful Anacortes sketchers and their entourage. Thanks to Christi Schaffer of the UUCWI art committee for opening the gallery for us. Some favorite nuggets of conversation overheard at the gallery:

"I'd love to attend services sometime. Do you allow atheists?" "Oh, yes! That's what many of us are!"

"Do you have a blog?" "A BLOG? There are only two of us. And we can't even draw!"(Anacortes Sketchers - I love those two nuts!)

The guy in the corner: UBCC

Next stop, Useless Bay Coffee, where we did some sketching and met the wonderful and talented Phyliss Ray, our new favorite Whidbey artist. After sketching, Phyllis invited us to her studio at 106 McLeod Alley for some wine and brainstorming. Stay tuned for more on that . . .

We were all just blown away by her oils and watercolor work. Check out Phyllis' Ray a Day and stop by the studio on the next Saturday Art Walk on February 5. Rumor is there will be wine, roses and chocolate!

Looking at art, talking about art, sketching, laughing, brainstorming, hatching plans . . .  all-in-all a perfect day. The creative juices were flowing and I came home exhilarated.

Bayview Cash Store

While others were huddled around the purple chair, I found a spot to just stare at the wall and draw this light fixture illuminating a Japanese print. It was part of  a beautiful print display by Fine Balance Imaging.

Useless Bay Coffee

A large group of sketchers filled up the back room of Useless Bay Coffee. Overwhelmed, I focused on the cookie directly in front of me.











After settling down, I had fun using primarily my pencil to sketch the person across the room.

Cozy drinks

Even though it was a pretty day outside, we were cozy inside drinking and enjoying the company of the Sketchers from Anacortes. The Sketchers show at UUChurch is terrific.

Latte drip

Muffin & Tea on the Red tray

A Day to Play

Today was a day just to play.  Experimented with putting down watercolor before doing any linework.  Tried bolder colors and color combinations.  A fun day to play.  Maybe it's because the sun came out today, bringing mid-winter joy to this sketcher.