North Instead of South Today

Well, change in sketching plans today.  Had planned to sketch with the group at the Zen Monastery but didn't finish my work for a Monday morning meeting in time to head South.

So I threw my sketching stuff in the car and headed North instead.  After looking at carpet samples and flooring in Oak Harbor for a client, I headed out to the beach at Mariner's Cove.  Solitary sketching instead of with the group.  Sure not the same but better than nothing on this sunny summer afternoon.

Sunny Afternoon at the Lavender Farm

Today some of the Anacortes Sketchers came to Whidbey.  Several Whidbey Island Sketchers joined in the fun to sketch at the gorgeous Lavender Wind Farm outside Coupeville. 

They were distilling harvested lavender into lavender oil in the still shown on left below.  A glorious, sunny day for sketching with a wonderful lavender scent filling the air.

Nearby - La Conner & Anacortes

Summer is a terrific time to take a watercolor sketching on location workshop - fabulous warm weather, great water views and sunny skies.  Three of us from the Whidbey Island Sketchers joined a few from the Anacortes Sketchers and a few sketchers from Samish Island for a 4 day workshop taught by Montreal sketcher/painter Shari Blaukopf. 

 

Below = my workshop work on (top to bottom):  1) simplifying, 2) boats, and 3) foliage.  Still MUCH to learn and practice but it was a glorious 4 days!

 

Mt. Baker and La Conner across the channel from the Swinomish shores.

Learning basic boat shapes at Cap Sante, Anacortes, WA

Focusing on foliage at Causland Park, Anacortes, WA

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.

 

 

An Afternoon at the Captain Whidbey Inn

What an unexpected treat to get to sketch outside on the deck at the Captain Whidbey Inn.  Gorgeous day and a deck filled with sketchers, wine, and a glorious view of Penn Cove.

Trip Prep: Italy 2014

Now that we're under 3 weeks from leaving for a trip to Italy, it was time to begin the Italy travel sketchbook.  Prep has begun - 1st step:  pick the palette & make sure all the pens works!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church Sketching

Unusually quiet sketching while in the sanctuary at Langley United Methodist Church.

Bottles in a Bar

Plenty of opportunity to practice painting bottles and liquids provided by the row of scotch bottles at the Bookstore Bar in Seattle.  Nice late afternoon painting opportunity before heading to my birthday dinner nearby.

Holiday Sketching Parties Begin

What a glorious time some of us Whidbey Island Sketchers had at the Anacortes Sketchers holiday party.  Aleli's beautiful Asian statues, art and holiday decor provided enough sketching material for days and our challenge was to pack as much in as possible (while also gabbing, sipping afternoon wine and munching on holiday treats) in only a few hours. 

Happy Holidays to all my sketchy friends!

Sketchy Ornaments

This rainy Sunday afternoon was spent in a new sketching adventure - making two ornaments for the Whidbey Artists tree at Oak Harbor's 15th annual Festival of Trees.  After a couple of hours, two watercolor sketches on Aquabord + silver wire + beads... voila!  Two ornaments for the tree! 

This was fun, plus the proceeds from the festival benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County.

  



And here's the tree!





 

A Week in Paris

Just spent a week in Paris.  Managed to get a few sketches in my travel journal between seeing new sights, sipping wine in cafes and trying new restaurants!

First day:  sites around St. Germaine where we stayed.  Love the 5th arrondissement!

 

Ventured to several small museums we hadn't visited before and also managed to see the stunning interior of L'Opéra for the first time.

 

 

 

What a fun time I had sitting outside a café sipping rosé while sketching artists in Place du Tertre on the top of the butte in Montmartre.  Mikolo (middle) sketched my portrait while I sketched him and his fellow artist friend, Luigi. 

 

 

 

Delay leaving Heathrow so plenty of time to sketch my view out the window and hubby to my right.  Au Revoir Paris!

Port Townsend Birthday Sketch Trip

Sue's birthday was a fun excuse for a gaggle of Whidbey Island Sketchers & Anacortes & Seattle sketcher friends to take the ferry to Port Townsend for a sunny afternoon and beautiful evening of sketching. 

 

New Langley friends hosted us on their boat docked at Pt. Hudson for sunset happy hour.  Tabor - the fabulous boat dog - charmed us all.

 



Visiting Salt Spring Island

Managed to get in a few travel sketches while spending a long weekend on bucolic Salt Spring Island - part of the Canadian Gulf Islands. Loved the goats with the insatiable appetites!!


A few of the places we visited - Sand Dollar Beach, the Harbour House Farm goats & Ganges Saturday Market

A local salty dog sketched waiting for the Fulford ferry

Road Trip to Northern California

Just back from a 10 day road trip to the Bay Area. Soaked up sun, beautiful scenery and a big dose of urban San Francisco.  Like visiting an old friend.  Managed to get some sketching in on the road and on the sidewalk.  Some highlights:

From the passenger seat - on the road driving through Southern Oregon

 

The Driver - in Northern California



  

Giant redwood, Big Sur, CA

View from top of the hill at Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA

Mission Dolores, San Francisco.  Built 1776.

North off Island

My available sketching times/dates have recently synced more with the Anacortes Sketchers than the Whidbey Island Sketchers.  While I miss my Whidbey sketching pals, here are a couple of sketches with the sketchers to the North.



A couple at Trumpeter Pub & Restaurant's bar in Mt. Vernon.  Sketched during the Line to Color Workshop in Mt. V.


 

Blown glass fish and sea plants.  At The Glass Aquarium outside Mt. Vernon.

Skagit Valley Tulips Fields

I joined the Anacortes Sketchers in the Skagit Valley tulip fields today.  It was a glorious sunny day to sketch tulips in full bloom, and stop at Christianson's Nursery for lunch and a sketch inside before returning to the fields. 

Up close and across the fields toward the mountains - either view is spectacular in the Skagit Valley tulip fields.

 

Inside the greenhouse at Christianson's.