Kang's Money Plants

Each time we visit the Kang's beautiful lavender fields, I am overwhelmed by the big view. I am not a landscape painter. Can't see the forest for the trees. I always find myself drawn to the circular flower bed with the birch tree surrounded by money plants and irises. This year the money plant's seed pods had turned the most gorgeous range of colors on the day of our visit.

In the Garden

Some flowers in my garden this summer . . .

Sunflower starting to open

Sunflower

Calendulas and Nigella

Dahlia and Kale

Sunflower

 

Pink Hydrangea

My Happy Volunteers

My vegetable garden is always a happy place because it's chock full of self-seeded flowers. Poppies, calendula and borage in this sketch. But also nigella (love-in-a-mist), evening primrose, johnny jump ups and rose mallow in other parts of the garden.  It's a riot of happy colors. I meticulously weed, dead head, water and tend the volunteers, almost daily, while much of the rest of the yard goes to ruin. Hmmm. . . .

Also, I did a rare direct watercolor sketch! Always a challenge for me to get a good sketch without using ink. I'm happy with the results in this one.

Madronas on a Cloudy Day

A few of us sketched with the Anacortes Sketchers at the Madrona Grove in Anacortes last Monday. It was an overcast day, chilly, breezy, no shadows, no sunny back lighting.

Very different than last year's sketch at the same location:

Poetry (and Hula Hoops) in Motion

She was hula hoop dancing for tips on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Port Townsend, right next to the tarot card reader in the gypsy wagon. Drawing her was impossible, but what the hell. Her name is Alex Eisenberg.

Unchain My Heart: 60's Night at Bloom's

I probably did a dozen sketches at Bloom's Friday night, but this one of David Gregor is my favorite. I find sketching on cheap paper very liberating. Fountain pen and brush pen on recycled rough brown butcher paper.

 

David Gregor

 I'm including this one below just to share process. Just look at all those crazy lines searching for the shapes in the folds of his clothes, fingers and the guitar! I like the way his left hand seems to be in motion. Nearly blind contour.

What a Doll!

We sketched in the Bayview Cash Store yesterday. I scoured the building and settled on these charming handmade dolls hanging on the walls in Side Market. I also met the artist, Valerie Johnson, who happened to be working there yesterday.  An interesting factoid: her dolls are dressed in garments made from artist Peggy Juve's fabric scraps.  Valerie also makes costumes for local theater, including Island Shakespeare productions. I'm looking forward to sketching more of her creations. I love art that makes me smile.

Glass Making with Katrina and Althea

We sketched at the Greenbank glass studio of Katrina Hude and Althea Holden last week. Katrina had the furnaces going and helper Brian on site to help with creating the magic. We got 2 hours of demos, and our hostesses were the mostest. It was a smokin hot sketcher venue and very happy hour!

Brian on one end of a long glass rod

Katrina

Katrina

A bowl of floating hellebore blossoms on the kitchen counter

The World on Your Shoulders

At last month's C.R.A.P. (Creative Recycled Art Projects) show at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, I sketched Janet Pheifer's wonderful "The World on Your Shoulders". This piece is made from a mannequin, an old globe, wine foils, buttons and chains. It is a magnificent thing to behold and always steals the show. (I see I dated it 3/9/2017, but it was really 3/9/2018.)

Peter and the Starcatcher

A front row seat at WICA's fun production of "Peter and the Starcatcher" (the prequel to Peter Pan) gave me all the leg room I could ask for AND a prime position for sketching the fabulous costumes. Tiger Lily's costume and attitude were fierce, but she didn't stay still long enough to get much of a sketch. Alas, tonight is the final night.

 

Chapala Again

Some sketches from my last trip to Chapala. I've been working in on cheap brown paper lately, for psychological reasons.

A view from the Beer Garden on the Chapala Malecon -a great spot for guacamole and people watching.

Las Mananitas entrance

Cactus in QQ gardens. I see a gargoyle.

Pots in QQ garden

A sketch meet of the Lakeside Sketchers (really just me and Phyllis)

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I loved trying to draw Bunny. Such a happy and busy little girl! Sweet personalities seem to run in the family.

Bunny finished her meal before I finished my sketch. Oh, well. I got what I got.

The Colors of October

I am dazzled by the luscious colors of October.

Autumn bouquet from the yard

Bouquet at Flying Bear Flower Farm

Still life on the purple bench by my kitchen door

A blaze of glory in my backyard

Chapala

A few sketches from my latest trip to visit Phyllis in Lake Chapala, Mexico, earlier this month.

Bougainvillea in the QQ gardens

In the gardens at the QQ

Palm tree with carved initials

One of the privately owned homes in the QQ compound

On the Malecon

Bougainvillea

 

Christiana Park, Lake Chapala

Djammin' 2017

Django Fest is the very BEST of all Whidbey festivals, of which there are many. It's the only one I never miss. Sitting outside in the sunshine, listening to music, and drawing is my passion. It was a bonus that so many musicians this year had great hair for sketching.  BTW, the Double Bluff Brewery turned out to be the best venue in town for drawing musicians. And the warm pretzel with 3 dipping sauces is not to be missed.

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