Anderson's General Store

It was so nice to join the Anacortes Sketchers on Guemes Island last Friday.

Weekend Sketching Getaway on Guemes Island

There's nothing like 2 whole days devoted to sketching with friends in a beautiful location.

Allium Path at Sue Roberts' Studio

Anderson's General Store

Missy's Deck

Missy's Kitchen

Missy's Coffee Table Agate and Rock Collections

Southpaw sketcher

Sue Roberts' Studio

View from Missy's deck

Tin Man:Sue Roberts Studio

More sketching and talking

Island Hopping

One of the most fun things about sketching in the past year has been getting to know many of the Anacortes Sketchers.  I live just about half way between Anacortes and the southern end of Whidbey so I love splitting my sketching between Whidbey and times with Anacortes pals.

Yesterday, off sketchers from Whidbey, Anacortes and Seattle went to Guemes Island to sketch together on the first day of June.  We had a ball (but it felt like April)!

What a visual delight to sketch at artist Sue Roberts' studio.  Here, some of her beautiful ceramics.

We started our day at Anderson's General Store.  I'm afraid it took me awhile to get warmed up.  Hence the fact that I had to crop 2/3 of the page off the left of the sketch of the guy above.  Let's just say that as I messed up, I could hear sweet Faye saying, "you don't need much detail in a hand at this scale."  Next time I'll try to remember that before I mess up a sketch!

Guemes Island Adventures

The sketchers had a big day of sketching and touring around Guemes Island on Wednesday. We spent most of the day sketching at Anderson's General Store. But then we piled into Tom's truck and headed for the top of Guemes Mountain to see the spectacular 300+ degree view, stopped to see our tour guide's beautiful hand-crafted home at the base of the mountain and took a peek at the all-volunteer Guemes lending library. There wasn't room for all 6 of us in the truck, so a couple of us rode in the truck bed. Great fun.

Good friend, master story teller and local character, Tom Andrak showed us around the island.

Mary Jo (aka, MJ), long suffering wife of you-know-who joined us for happy hour at Anderson General Store when she got finished with her volunteer work at the library.

Hey, it's Tom. Again! Now, officially the most sketched person on Guemes.

Oh, look who it is! Our lovely and talented tour guide, Tom. Again! I'm starting to get tired of looking at this guy!

Sunflowers at Anderson's General Store. Not my best work, but at least it's not Tom!

John, the guy sitting at the next table at the  Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. His wife's comment when I showed them the sketch: "Well, this is a first. "

Susan drives us home after a long day of fun, but hasn't a clue I'm sketching her as we chat.

Thanks for a great day, Tom!

Hit-and-Run Mystery Sketcher at Anderson's General Store

One of the best sketches of the day was done in just a very few minutes by a complete stranger (to us) waiting for the ferry.

To quote our new member, Susan, "This sketching thing is contagious! How great that this guy, waiting for the ferry, just jumped in, asked if he could borrow my sketchbook, and put me to shame? He captured everything with just a few lines. Who was that guy?" Turns out he is Dan Olsen, owner of Olsen Tree Service - on the island for a job.

To capture a scene and gestures with a minimum of line and detail is what we all strive for. Another thing I love about this sketch is that it depicts Tom (again!) and another couple of locals conversing over the fence. Tom is on the outside side of the fence keeping his dog company because the dogs aren't allowed in the food service area. Guemes is a dog paradise and a dog lover's paradise. 

Susan added a little color to the sketch after the mystery sketcher and his friend dashed off to catch the ferry. 

Hey, it's Tom! (Again)

Brand new Whidbey Island Sketcher, Susan Jensen, joined us for the first time for the Guemes Island field trip. She seems to be hooked already! She did this great sketch of Tom using hard pastels. Terrific capture!

Island Hopping: From Whidbey to Guemes

The Whidbey Island Sketchers hopped a 5 minute ferry from Anacortes over to Guemes Island and found a wonderful world of sites (and characters) to sketch.

We started at Anderson's General Store where we all were enthralled by the giant sunflowers.

Then hopped in Tom's truck for his impromptu tour of the island, including Mt. Guemes he and many others helped save from development. 

Betty and I loved his home and couldn't resist sketching petunias from the porch.  Thanks for the tour Tom.  I know we'll be back.

Guemes Island field trip

This is from Mt Guemes looking toward Mt Baker.

Sue's friend Tom took us to the very top to a nearly 360 degree view, breathtaking!

We started at Anderson's General Store near the ferry landing

with color and sunshine and great food! But the sunflowers eluded me

in my sketchbook......

So I sketched Anacortes from the courtyard.

Tom spent much of the day showing us the beautiful Island, then....sat to be sketched!

Thank you !

Betty's Colorful Views of Guemes Island

Betty Rayle sure achieved her trademark color and energy in these two sketches from our Whidbey Island Sketchers field trip to Guemes Island today.  Here's the view from Tom's front porch.

And here are the colorful flowers at Anderson's General Store where we all enjoyed a couple of hours sketching before heading out for a tour of Guemes by Sue's friend, Tom.