Red Rooster Antique Mall

Another sunny Spring day, warm in the sun, but cold in the shade.  The Rooster beckoned to me as did the funky Green "dress" that is actually a lamp.  Might this be a fun item in a Teens room?

Green "Dress Lamp"

The Red Rooster!

Busy Friday

Sketching at the Red Rooster Antique Mall, then to Natalie's lovely house and studio for Happy Hour, then more sketching at Freeland Hall at the launch party for the new Whidbey Life Magazine. These are some forsythia branches I found in a room in the back of the Red Rooster. 

And here is a sketch of Gloria Ferry Brennan and Sophia Duccini entertaining the crowd at the launch party. 

Red Rooster Antique Mall

The Red Rooster Antique Mall is the perfect place for me to sketch. All the fabulous things, vignettes, set-ups, displays.....and.....yet......I was unable to stay indoors because the weather was so beautiful. The sun felt so good on my neck and back as I sat outside sketching stuff on the exterior of the very charming building. I only had this long skinny sketch book with me, so I could just sketch a slice of the entrance. Looking at it brings back the pleasant feeling of the day. Then on to HH at Natalie's bistro and then on to the fabulous Launch Party for Whidbey Island Life Magazine in print. What a rich day! 

24 Carrot Bunny

I sketched this bunny at the Red Rooster Antique Mall a few weeks ago. The subject was actually a candlestick. I finished it in the Compass Rose B&B second floor sitting room on Wednesday with a little help from my friends. Mary gave me a new "sketch and wash" graphite pencil to experiment with and Natalie suggested adding the carrot and title "24 Carrot Bunny". My best work ever!

Chaise Lounge & Soji Screen at Red Rooster

Julie's sketch of Red Rooster Antique Mall's chaise lounge & soji screen on a sunny day. Julie says: "Love my Pentel brush pen."

Unfinished to Overworked in One Easy Lesson

Julie at Red Rooster Antique Mall

Many of my fellow sketchers told me to leave it alone at this stage. "I'ts done!", they said. But it seemed undone to me and it was lacking many of the elements that attracted me to the scene - primarily all the patterns and the drama of the black fan. And it didn't have any value contrast to give it depth. So I scanned it and went back later to "finish" it.

After I did my best to overwork it.

The black fan did me in. I admit that the unfinished version is better than the overworked version. But I still think there is an in-between point that would be more satisfying to me than either of these. Always learning.

Elephant at Red Rooster

A bit of sensory overload for me at the Red Rooster Antique Mall, so it took me awhile to settle on a subject. I found the patterns and exotic theme of this corner enticing.

So much to draw at Red Rooster Mall

What a fun and interesting place! The Red Rooster has so many possibilities and challenges..

Simple little sketches are often the most fun, my theme for the day....

Not sure I can wait until Valentine's Day for some red gummy candies!

WC and props

Red Rooster Antique Mall

One of the many fascinating rooms awaiting our pencils and brushes at The Red Rooster Antique Mall. This was definitely a place to return to.

Red Rooster Antiques - a wealth of treasures to sketch!

So many hutches to sketch! So little time!

Funky Chicken

There were 22 roosters and chickens in one room!

The next were caricatures sketched at the Spirit of Writing readings.

Martha Martin reads a memoir.

Jay Who Da Man watches Whidby writers read.

13 year old Hannah wins the Child Lit category.

Sandra Pollard reads her lovely piece about the whale slaughter in Penn Cove.

Pat Brookes sketches at Useless Bay (and, no, she's not jaundiced - that's my fault because I couldn't get the skin tones right...)

My cup runneth over since I learned how to post on this blog!!

A sketch before my trip to L.A.

Off to Los Angeles to visit a friend, but, before I go, a sketch with the group in the VERY "target rich" environment of The Red Rooster Antique Mall in Freeland.  I was drawn immediately to the trunk full of quilts, of course.