River Run Inn

When I stayed at River Run Inn in Winthrop last October and discovered there was a spacious guest house available, it was a no-brainer. I knew it would be the perfect place for a girlfriend  trip. I nailed down our reservations last February to make sure we got the house.  It was three days of pure fun - eating, drinking, making merry and art.

Note: I had fun punching up the intensity of  these images with a Picassa effect called "Lomo-ish".

Pomegranates and Red Onion: Our dining table was a perpetual source of still life arrangements.

The view from my window: Ponderosa Pines and Aspens by the river

Faye painting just outside our house

Our cozy hearth: A great place to warm up from the cold outdoors

Women, Wine and Sketchbooks

Take bunch of passionate sketchers from Whidbey, Seattle and Anacortes, give them a big house on a river in Winthrop filled with food and wine and what do get? A hell of a lot of fun and a whale of a lot of fabulous art.

Happy Birthday to Sue!

Autumn colors at Mukilteo Coffee Roasters on Sue's birthday! Beginning of a

Whidbey sketching day to honor our most appreciated sketcher!

Then at Natalie's for impromptu food and wine and viewing Natalie's amazing

studio. Birthday candle for Sue!

This was delicious...much better than it looks here...grilled prosciutto wrapped around

peach slices. Yum!

Finished the sketch day at the Rod and Gun Club and two of its imposing residents.

Happy Birhday Sue! 

Happy Birthday to Me

My Excellent Traveling Birthday Sketch Party in pictures. Thanks, everyone, for helping me celebrate!

Birthday flowers from my sister.

Stop #1: Breakfast at Ca'Buni

Pat at Nat's

Faye and Kris at Nat's

Moose head on the wall at our new favorite place, the Holmes Harbor Rod and Gun Club.

Sue's Sketchathon Day

Yep! It was a Sue sort of day alright! Lots of superb sketching, delicious food, and plenty of wine. We followed Sue from Whidbey Coffee Roaster (see Pumpkins above), to places that weren't open, to Natalie's cozy home where she produced a birthday feast out of thin air, and on to The Rod and Gun Club. You never know where you'll end up when you are following Sue's sketching nose. My elk head drawings were not as good as my fruit, wine, interior and pumpkins so I shall spare you them. It was a great day.

Sue's Day!

A memorable birthday started at Mukilteo Coffee and ended at the Rod and Gun Club.  We sketched our favorite Coffeehouse and ended up with Bambi sketches (sad).  In between Natalie kept us warm, dry, fed and wined while we sketched the food and each other and discussed a trip to Winthrop.  My favorite two sketches are below.  One of which brought my pal Gary out to find out why I was shooing people away from parking in front of his Coffee place.  The reason was the pumpkins.  I couldn't see through the cars when they parked in front!  Oh well!

Birthday Fudge

Natalie's table top goodies... Wine, grapes, bread and cheeese...




























Here's the Fudge. My fave...

Happy Birthday Sue

Happy Birthday to our fearless Whidbey Island Sketchers leader Sue.  Looking forward to seeing the sketches from your day today.

Trying a Brush Pen

Oh, it's only taken me almost 3 years into sketching to get brave enough to try out a Pentel brush pen.  Goofy, I know, but it's SO bold and while it produces interesting brush textures and heightened shadows, it's easy to go overboard in an instant! 

After a little practice, I was pretty pleased with these early experiments.  Still much technique to learn!



Portrait from Photo - Lamey pen, watercolor, brush pen

 

Pot and Woven Pillows

Alsip Art & Bow WA

It was a beautiful day in Bow, Wa. last week and we had such a nice time relaxing by the canal, sketching and drinking wine.  Here are a couple of those sketches and the one I did this past Friday of John Alsip's Garden Lamps.  I hope to sketch more of his work over the winter.

Garden Lamps catch the light

Through the panel to the canal

Garlic

Today I joined the WISkers for sketching the works of John Alsip. John's "re-purposed materials" sculptures appear all over Langley, tucked in among the gardens and greenery. On Cascade Street, overlooking the marina and the Cascades, John installed these two pieces. The glass and wood pendants hang from a tree, where they swing in the breeze. The pressed glass vase on the rusty iron post, is made of the same intensely blue, cobalt glass found in many of John's sculptures.

















Around the corner from these is John's studio, with its uniquely decorated door.

Pumpkin Sketching

Joined the Anacortes Sketchers this afternoon for a beautiful Fall afternoon sketching at Gordon's Skagit Farm in the Skagit Valley.  Tried 2 opposite techniques in my sketches today:  #1 tight and detailed and #2 loose and piling on the paint.  #2 was more fun.



#1 The Pumpkin Lady

 

#2 Pumpkins & Cosmos

Mr. South Whidbey 2012

As a vote-counter sitting at the back of the room, far, far away from the stage, I don't have much time or opportunity to sketch at the Mr. South Whidbey Pageant, but I try my best. Last night I got a very quick and dirty impression of most of the candidates during their talent performance. This raucous event raised about $18,000 this year for the very worthwhile Friends of Friends Medical Support Fund. Way to go, South Whidbey!

Rocco Gianni belting out "If I Were a Rich Man"

Firefighter, Brian Vick, doing something with metal

Prima Bistro's Christian Albright, doing stand-up comedy

John Auburn of J.W. Desserts, singing in drag

Christian, being interviewed , I think.

Mr. South Whidbey 2012!! Nick Welles

A Sunny Day in Edison

Garlic drying in the sun......

It was a beautiful fall drive to little Edison in the north Skagit Valley last Friday.

Our first stop was TWEETS, and I'm surprised we got any further.

The food was fantastic, and fall color was arranged everywhere. Open Friday-

Sunday, I definitely recommend TWEETS!

                                                     

Slough Foods was next with wine and snacks in their outback

overlooking the Slough. We didn't even hit the bakeries.....Next time.

A very relaxed sunflower...

Sketching on a Fall Afternoon

Nursery Plants on the Sale Table

Beach at Windjammer Park, Oak Harbor