Visit to Lavender Wind Farm

Beautiful Flowers - beautiful weather!

Wild Man Cooley

I've been doing some outdoor concert sketching this summer. Lavender Wind Farm hosted four free concerts during their bloom season. Mary C and I went to see Wild Man Coolely a few weeks ago.  Sitting outdoors on a sunny afternoon, sketching and listening to live music, surrounded by the fragrant fields of lavender in full bloom is quite an experience. Add the taste of lavender scones and lavender ice cream and you've got all the senses covered. The band was excellent, but I couldn't get all of them on the page of my little sketchbook. 

A Taste of Coupeville

We had an unexpectedly nice, sunny day for the Island Transit Sketching Adventure to Coupeville. We were a small but mighty group of 5, including a surprise appearance by a mystery sketcher. (Stay tuned to my next post for the bus ride part of the story.) Our first stop in Coupeville was Lavender Wind Farm right across the street from the bus stop. It was actually warm and sunny enough to sit outside on the patio and sketch. I took off on a scouting mission to Front Street with the mystery sketcher, so only had time for one quick sketch of the garden at Lavender Wind Farm.

After a delicious lunch at Front Street Grill (don't miss the apricot cider!) we sat in the sunny courtyard of Vail Wine Shop and Tasting Room. Sherryl and Faye headed across the street to Kaspaw Iskreme for their sugar fixes. I managed a fast capture of Sherryl's cone between licks. When our spot got too chilly outside, we went inside where the non-ice cream eaters had some wine instead. I tasted the 6 tasting wines of the day and sketched a witch. Then it was off to catch the 5:45 bus home! Vail would be a great venue for us this winter - great atmosphere, friendly owners, and enough room for our group! They don't get too busy until about 4:00.

The Color Purple

I joined the Anacortes Sketchers for an afternoon of sketching at Lavender Wind Farm last week. I love this color. I even had purple ink in my Lamy.

Lavender wreath making in progress

Quick and dirty effort at the end of the sketching day

Lavender Field

Catching up on posting . . . .

 This is my sketch from this weeks meet-up at the Lavender Wind Farm in Coupeville, with the Anacortes Sketchers. A lovely time in a lovely place.  I wish I could identify all the songs and calls of the birds I heard yesterday - the tweets and chirps were probably sparrows and swallows. Then there were mourning doves, crows (of course), eagles, and red-wing blackbirds, and a happily crowing rooster. Of course, there were many others I recognized but couldn't identify. The tall bright red flowers in the garden were attracting crowds of hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Other sounds - a bell in a marker buoy WAY down in the channel clanging in gentle rhythm with the waves, the thrum of passing freighter engines, and the sighing of wind in the trees and grass. And then there were the FRAGRANCES - of newly cut hay and lavender, newly distilled lavender oil and fresh air and the sea. My God, what a beautiful day to be alive and place to be alive in!
 — at Lavender Wind Farm.

Last week we met at the Sherman farm, also in Coupeville. Peaceful and pastoral also, but fragrant in another way. Here the smells were the aromas of the farm - cows, manure, pasture. And silage. Not as pleasant as the others, but the smell of a hard working, real farm. 

And here is my sketch of Fran and Ed's wonderful home, surrounded by gardens, and wide open to Whidbey Island's natural surroundings. 

August

Lavendar pots of lavendar.....Lavendar Wind Farm

Three little boats nesting in the beach grass, Langley Marina

And, a  spirited sketcher at Betty's on the beach!

Lavender Wind Farm Gazebo

I took on the ceiling of the gazebo, which is also a lavender drying operation. It was a very cool-looking geometric design, but looking up and drawing is not easy. It was like trying to draw a very colorful spider web upside down.

And this was my view straight ahead from the same spot in the gazebo.  I switched back and forth between these two sketches while waiting for paint to dry.

If you visit the farm and find yourself drawn to the Lavender Orange Truffles or the Lavender Chardonnay Ice Cream bar, and you're asking yourself "Should I or shouldn't I?", the correct answer is YES, you should. So worth it.

Thanks, Sarah, for letting us invade the farm for an afternoon!

Gnat in the Hat

Another beautiful location and another beautiful day for sketching outdoors. Lavender Wind Farm offered so many lovely scenes. But I tried to keep it simple.

As Natalie ("the gnat") sketched the chair, I was taken by her lavender blouse and fun hat. Practice really is starting to produce improvement in my sketches.

Lavender Wind Farm

It was a brilliant day for sketching outdoors at Lavender Wind Farm. What a lovely and fragrant setting. There truly is a lavender wind and it's intoxicating. We splurged on lavender flavored ice creams and all are unique and delicious. Here's a large sketch of the lavender fields with some poppies.

Color and Sun and Lavender and Chocolate

I didn't want to leave...and can't wait to go back. There are hundreds of sketches here.  It's such a friendly welcoming place too. And, must try the chocolates!!

Summer Afternoon at Lavender Wind Farm

What an afternoon!  Sun, views, blooming lavender everywhere.  Loved sketching at beautiful Lavender Wind Farm.

View of the Olympic Mountains across Strait of Juan de Fuca from Lavender Wind Farm. 

Though known for their fabulous lavender, their poppies are beautiful too.

Kris sketching in front of lavender rows.