Kalakala Afternoon!

We have been waiting for Kalakala to open their new location doors, and it is absolutely great!Very inviting  and creative space, good coffees and teas, can't wait to sample the beers and wine! Not to mention yummy healthy food! Welcome, and thank you for hosting the Sketchers!

Crazy, wonderful, elfin Christmas tree

A little late, but here is a sketch from the sketchers wonderful afternoon at Barbara's.  Thanks Barbara!

Kalakala Afternoon!

As Drew sat on his reindeer skin sanding newly carved wooden spoons, and people streamed in to check out the new spot in town and congratulate Drew and Amanda on their new adventure, the Sketchers occupied the big swinging table and other nooks and crannies around the place. I like to think we were documenting the opening of a new era in Langley. To me there was a feeling of old and new, ancient and hip. There is a timelessness about Kalakala while at the same time a sense of up to the minute brand new cool. Thanks Amanda and Drew for bringing yourselves and your vision to our little village. Happy New Year!!

Kalakala Mercantile Sketches, Part 1

For someone who loves to draw people, Kalakala Mercantile is a gold mine of material. It was brimming with great sketch-able characters doing interesting things in interesting costumes. Based on my observations, you are required to either have great hair or wear a hat in Kalakala.

So far, I've only tried one of several available flavors of drinking vinegars - the Thai basil. Who knew drinking vinegars was a thing? Apparently a lot of people who are a lot hipper than me. I shall return to sketch people and drink vinegar.

Drew whittles

Joni T.and friend

Tête-à-tête with a red head

KALAKALA

I met with the WISkers yesterday at Kalakala Co. Mercantile, a new place on the Second Street plaza in Langley to gather for coffee, tea, or a bowl of ramen noodles from a beautiful hand-thrown bowl, while seated at a hanging table, on a reindeer pelt, or (when the sun comes out again) at a sculptural table on the patio. I think they also plan it to be a craft beer garden. Kalakala is the brainchild of successful film animator and advertisers Drew Christie and Amanda Moore. It was certainly the "place to be" on Friday! Here is Drew whittlin' one of his many wooden spoons. The interior is tastefully done in very chic, soothing neutrals and white, which are lovely, but which upset my color sensibilities. So I, of course, (utilizing my artistic license) redecorated.

Christmas Cheer

What can I say?  Barb puts on a wonderful sketching/Christmas Party.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Camels, birds, and Sketchers, OH MY!

Camels, Birds, and Sketchers, OH MY!

What could be a finer celebration of gratefulness, good cheer, friendships, and island living than to gather with over 20 talented and uber friendly sketchers who came bearing fantastic food and art supplies?  I was honored, delighted and overjoyed to host the Second Annual WISK Xmas Sketch at Chez B.  This morning, I'm sipping my coffee and dining on yummy delicious Food of the Gods leftovers, delighting as the sketches are pouring into the blog.   It feels like a huge gift to see my home and person in such talented sketches!  A merry holiday to all my dear friends and thank you for your huge hearts and spirits.  LOVE TO ALL!

WISk Knows How to Celebrate!

We arrived in droves. We came laden with fabulous food, delicious wine, paints, pens, pencils, sketch books and hearts filled with Holiday Cheer. We ate (boy did we eat), we imbibed, we laughed and we sketched. Barb's spacious home, filled to the gills with wonderful art and festooned for the Holidays, was doing what it does best.....holding a group of people who were enjoying themselves. The Christmas Gnomes looked on and chuckled. We feasted in nearly every possible way. Thanks, Barb, for opening your home. And thanks, dear Sketchers, for enriching my life in unimaginable ways. We rock!!!

Where Santa Lives (when he's not at the North Pole)

Thanks, Barbara!! It was fabulous, and you are MAH-VELOUS!!!

A Sketchers' Kind of Christmas

If there's anything sketchers love more than sketching, it's partying. Thanks for hosting our fabulous WISk holiday party once again, Barb. A good time was had by all.

A party on the piano

Mary Xmas on a plain brown wrapper.

Christmas party 2015 at Barb Barry's home was divine!

She is much more beautiful than in the sketch...

Sketching with the "other half" of my dear sketching peeps.

Green macha tea and an almond cake in the Tea Room of the historic, old funky, charming Panama Hotel. A part of the exciting International District in Seattle, and, for me, a nostalgic trip down memory lane. With the PNW Sketchbook Skool sketchers - friends from Poulsbo to Mt. Vernon, Issaquah and Redmond, Whidbey Island and Seattle - all up and down the I-5 corridor. 

Over forty-five years of carving

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We went to the home of a sculptor who focused mainly on First Nation designs. The home, situated to take full advantage of our island's beautiful surroundings, was full of her work and her Mother's work from over 45 years of study and carving. Another gem on Whidbey Island. Thank you Diane for sharing your work and your Mother's work.

'tis the season at the Flower House Cafe

The Flower House Cafe is so cheery this time of year it would be impossible to not be in a joyful mood while there. Of course the delicious food they serve helps.

The down side of painting on Yupo is any drop of water can smudge the image. Of course that happened as I was walking out of the cafe and not willing to work any more on this piece.

Wi Fi Coffee

On a cold day, casual sketchers at the casual Wi Fi Coffee Bar. 

Warm and comfy!

Sketching @ WiFire Coffee

It was leaden, grey and sleeting outside, but inside Whidbey Telecom's WiFire Cafe it was warm and cozy, and the company was, too. Schmeinke watercolors, brown Tombo pen, Prismacolors

People at the Flower House Cafe

Our first time sketching at the cozy Flower House Cafe at Bayview Farm & Garden was excellent. Some of my favorite activities  -- drinking good coffee, eating delicious food, sketching people, shopping and hanging with fun friends -- were all rolled up into one congenial afternoon. Thanks to the friendly staff for making us feel welcome. We'll be back!

Gillian enjoying her coffee

Jean painting

Customer at the counter

Barista Mary

Barista Mary

bird aviary

Such an amazing time to be with Susan's birds, but rather a challenge to sketch. With birds on our shoulders whispering in our ears, tugging at our earrings, landing on our heads, putting their beaks into our paints, trying to take the brushes out of our hands and moving around constantly it took some perseverance to get any sketching done.

Paint fast, roll with the challenges!

Another lovely day sketching, this time with new bird friend AnnaBelle. She seemed to say "Paint me, I'm equally beautiful."

Halloween Dress-up at Studio 106

Halloween was really an excuse to play dress-up, strike a pose and have a party. Eat your heart out, Dr. Sketchy.

Miss Piggy

Too sexy for her hair

Too sexy for her slip

Too sexy for her ears

Halloween at Studio 106!

Thanks dear WISkers for making Halloween so dang much fun this year! The costumes were magnificent, the food fabulous, the sketching endless, and Studio 106 was pulsing with laughter and creative energy. Paula was magnificent as Queen of the Night just stopping by for awhile on her way to the opera. Nothing could make Judith look spooky, not even her cracked china doll face. Her inside out jacket was a stroke of genius. Of course Mary, with her new hair do, nearly stole the show. But wait! Miss Piggy posed provocatively for us, moving only to sip her wine. Kathy the skeleton, took a yoga break. Sherryl looked rakish in her top hat fascinator, and Sue's spider head dress scared us all. Faye underwhelmed us a bit as a purple crayola but she got points for creative thinking. Ann may have been a ninja warrior dressed in all black. Tricks and treats all around!

Halloween at 106!

Food, fun and sketching other sketchers at 106

Italy with a Sketchbook

This is the Whidbey Sketchers site, but the sketching addiction extends far and wide!

But, I couldn't resist trying to put it all in....including the pomegranite tree. Much time spent

gazing out on this over dinners and wine!

Color and boats, how could I resist? 

Italy is simply filled with light and color, windows, doorways,!

This is a small fragment from  the Abbey of Sant Antimo, near Montalcino, that dates back to the year  814. It is near the Via Francigenia, the old pilgrim route from Cantebury to Rome.

Thrilling to hear  Gregorian Chant from the interior.

An icon of Tuscany between Montalcino and Montepulciano.

Its a traffic stopper, we stopped, sat on the hillside, sipped wine and sketched.

Pitigliano,  I could not do it justice..like stepping back into the middle ages.

One more icon, the Roman Colosseum

 And the blue blue Mediterranean, this is the Bay of Naples from a rooftop on our last night in
Sorrento, the cloud is hanging over Mt Vesuvius.