Non Dominant Sketching....in solidarity

What a tribe we have in WISK!! So member Paula broke her wrist and lamented she could not come to sketch because it is her dominant hand. "NO!" we cried, "You must come! In solidarity we will all sketch with our non dominant hand!" And we did. Throughout Pat Brookes' sumptuous garden you could hear the moans and grunts of sketchers figuring out small things like how to hold a brush in the non dominant hand. I felt like I was 6 years old again, painfully drawing the pen across the paper....all wiggly woo. And guess what! I really like this sketch! I did a quickie with my regular hand, but it's not nearly as interesting as this one. AND....it was one of those perfect NW days. 

Beautiful Gardens at East Harbor home

Another wonderful visit to this remarkable home and garden.

@ Bayview Farm and Garden

After standing to sketch and commune a bit with the chickens, in general, and Bob the Big Boy in particular, I needed to sit down. I cruised around a bit and found the perfect spot - a table and chairs under a little pergola back along the fen ce, among a host of colorful pots. A ham and cheese biscuit, a cup of soup and a mug of chai from the new café fortified me and warmed me up and I sketched happily until it was time to go. 

Bayview Farm and Garden

My reputation is set.  As I walked into Bayview Farm & Garden, fellow Sketcher Judi excitedly told me about Handsome Rob and how I just HAD to meet him and his hens.  Yes, I obviously love sketching and painting animals.  Who knew Bayview had chickens?  I think chickens are beautiful, funny, big personality birds.  Couldn't pull myself away, except to shop.  Brought home a carful of wonderful new plants for my garden.  The displays are irresistible ... so many flowers and edibles ideas!  Thank you, BF&G, for allowing us to scurry and sketch all over your place yesterday.   And ... I agree ... Handsome Rob is exactly that.  Crow away, big guy!

I'm still experimenting with fine colored Sharpies to play with lots of lines under my paintings.  Sketching musicians, constantly in motion, is good practice for sketching chickens.  That sounds odd ... but it's true.  How do you capture a constantly moving target?  Lines ... playful repeated imprecise lines.

Beautiful East Harbor Home

Meditating on Holmes Harbor was one way to stay cool on a warmer than average day.

With my back to the water I discovered frogs, frogs and more frogs. They know how to stay cool on the shady side of the house.

Italy Travel Sketchbook 2014

Just back from 17 days in Italy - Milan, the Cinque Terre, Florence and Italy.  Lots of sketching and  journaling on this trip (such great cafes to stop in for wine and sketching!).  Ciao to Italy - but just for now.

 

 

Carla Stroh's home

Frog on a block

Talk about work!  I over worked this frog like crazy.  Fay where were you when I needed you?
I loved the scene and, as usual got carried away.  Maybe the cataracts are growing???

Stroh Home

An exquisite home and gardens in a deep forrest with vistas and views of the water! What is a Sketcher to do? We spread ourselves throughout the magnificent acres and went to work. Who could capture it? Can't be done. But like the blind men and the elephant, we each told a small part of the story. Except for a few comments among sketchers the only sounds were birds....primarily herons. I felt at peace, first sitting in the sun on the deck sketching a tiny corner of the home with a few bits of flora. Surprisingly, it got too hot! So I found a shady bench at the bend of a path, this time looking toward the patio. An unimaginable feast of texture and shades of green. Even this tiny slice was filled with unbelievable variety. The day was perfect.....temperature, slight breezes, quiet, peaceful and beautiful setting. Thanks to the Strohs for gifting us with this day.

Carla Stroh's Garden Art

Whidbey Island is an astonishing "rock" of beautiful vistas, home, and gardens.  Carla ... thank you for welcoming us to your paradise!  An animal artist, I lately can't help but to find the faces in the garden ... and you have plenty!  I just ran out of time.  Here's your bird bath, with magnificent rhodies in full bloom.  

This Georgia Gerber ... her first large bronze cast? ... is precious.  I just had to capture it from two angles, tho I still didn't get it all.  This sculpture, truth be told, is of a family of three.  Maybe next time I'll find the way to get the whole family in.

A literate porcupine

I love the images from the Freeland Library and Friday I discovered the Porcupine in the kids section.  The chairs below were made with love and are sturdy but cute.  The backs are Clover, Tulip, Flower and Acorn and the legs look like baseball bats. I did three sketches, the last one was hasty because China City beckoned with Happy hour food.

Porky Pine!

These chairs were below the Porcupine wall.

Rough sketch, behind the scenes at Freeland Library.

One more from the Freeland Library

Started at the Library, finished at home. For Sketchers, and also, nicely, for the Every Day in May Challenge, Day #9. 
FYI, for anyone interested - a Pentel Technica Hybrid pen is not waterproof. Not that it matters. Much.

SKETCHING IN THE KIDS ROOM AT THE FREELAND LIBRARY

Sketched this today for my home work assignment for Sketchbook Skool - a Tommy Kane style drawing/painting. Three hours on the drawing at the library, four hours on the finishing at home - WAY too long for a "sketch". But I had fun doing it. 

Smuggler's Cove

It seems no matter where you are on this Island there is an overwhelmingly beautiful view. Thank you Elizabeth and Fletcher for sharing your dreamy overlook. 

A Day Above Smuggler's Cove

A lovely day of sketching at the home of Fletcher and Elizabeth. So peaceful to sit out on the deck and watch the tugs and barges, huge merchant ships and private boats cruising and sailing by down in the channel, under the overcast sky, in view of the brooding Olympic Mountains. And to see all the birds in the air and on the ground. Or, in the case of the herons, hearing them back in the woods. 

Home with a view..

Per Pat's request here is the sketch I did Friday at Elizabeth's lovely home. The portrait on the wall
is of Elizabeth when she was age 6 or 7.

Bush Point Views

We were invited to enjoy a beautiful home that is for sale (Windermere) on Smugglers Cove Rd. yesterday.  About ten of us showed up and sketched the view of Bush point and the garden.  Thank you to Elizabeth and Fletcher for hosting.

Bush Point view

Just as we were getting ready to leave, the sun came out and shone on the white bench in the front yard.  I realized that it is a perfect sunning bench for any time of year, protected from the wind and weather.

The sunning bench