Cap'n Whidbey Inn

So I was late getting to Cap'n Whidbey, and had to leave early, but managed to make this sketch of some of the sketchers so diligently working away. What this sketch does not show is the incredible amount of talking and laughing that was going on. Everyone was in a jolly (maybe after Holiday euphoria?) and social mood. I so love the Sketchers. It is always fun and relaxing to play with pens and watercolor and paper together.

Scenes in the Bar

A rather a wacky afternoon sketching in the bar at the Captain Whidbey Inn. 



The fabulous bear head and salmon on the wall + my surreal "Breaking into the New Year" bottle of wine and a too small ice bucket!!
 

CAPTAIN WHIDBEY INN

Yesterday's adventure took us to the quite quaint, cozy, creaky, elegant Captain Whidbey Inn for sketching, food, and merriment.  Not only is the Inn an ultimate destination place for dining and lodging, but the drive in that area of Whidbey Island is also exquisite.  I only had time for one quick sketch, The Bear.

WISk Party At Phyllis's

It was a treat to be in Langley for the WISk holiday party at Phyllis's house.  Her home was full of handmade gnomes, Santa Buddhas, talented WISk sketchers, delicious food and beverages!  

One cozy corner of Phyllis's beautifully decorated home!

 Santa Buddha!

 Second attempt of the tree....spilled water all over myself and sketchbook the first time.

Festive Q!

Christmas Party at Phyllis'

It was another one of those rainy days, but we were sketching with a Christmas feeling at Phyllis & Robert's home.  We were all snugged up tight on their big couch and in the dining area with lots of food and wine and plenty of Christmas spirit.

A cozy afternoon celebrating Christmas and sketching

Even the puppets and statues celebrated!

Christmas Eve at Zumba!

Drawing people in motion is always a challenge, but really fun if you can manage to get anything at all resembling human beings! I danced and shimmied and jumped and shook it at the Zumba Christmas Eve Burnout this morning at Island S.W.E.A.T. Shop  until I was spent. Then I tried to sketch. It was a blast and a great way to start out the day on Christmas Eve.

T=

Christmas Hug

Christmas Lights upon Lights

                                     

Sketchers' Christmas

There were SO many fabulous sketches done at the Whidbey Island Sketcher's Christmas party, I'm feeling sheepish about posting mine. Thanks so much to Phyllis and Robert for hosting our joyous, raucous group!

Mantle with stag candelabra, Buddha and painting.

Surprise celebrity model!

These big panoramas are laborious! I gave up part way through.

WISKER'S PARTY

LOTS to celebrate -- the holidays, art together, each other's company. AND we survived the Mayan Apocalypse! Here's a cheer to Art, and Paint, and SANTA, who all helped Phyllis host this wonderful event! And here's a toast to another great year of art and fellowship on Whidbey Island. Thank you, Sketchers, for making my new life here on The Rock such a fulfilling one.

Sketcher's Christmas Party

Wow!! What could be more fun than a sketcher's Christmas Party? We wedged 17 of us into my little condo, had more food than we could eat, more wine than we could drink (really), and almost more energy than the place could hold. Everyone made wonderful sketches while talking, eating and drinking. Amazing. We are multidextrous. AND to top it all off our surprise model was Santa himself. That jolly old elf.

CYNTHIA'S HOME

Thank you, Cynthia, for inviting us to sketch your beautiful home overlooking Saratoga Passage.  There was so much to draw, but first I was taken with the clouds outside your window, and the glimpse we had of Hat Island.  Then, I love horses and your horse lamp and comfy chair grabbed my attention.  What a lovely way to spend a December Friday afternoon!

Christmas Bird Count - Area 8

I participated in Audubon's Christmas Bird Count for South Whidbey yesterday. It was my first time birding. I told them I couldn't identify birds, but I could count. I was on Nancy's crack team of birders for Area 8. I was assigned the job of note taker, recording the counts of every species we spotted. It was 37 degrees, windy and raining. Nasty conditions for finding birds or for being a bird, I would imagine.

After a while I had to draw the line. Literally. I turned the bird count book over to someone else, stayed in the car to warm up and sketch at this location.

Maxwelton Valley

The real birders are those dark scratches in the distance huddled together looking for birds in the freezing wind and rain.

Counting birds at Maxwelton Beach

 

I do believe I distinguished myself as a novice birder by identifying a brand new species at the Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom, the Chartreuse-Crowned Hawk. Can you spot her? She's quite magnificent.

A rare sighting of the large, but elusive, Chartreuse-Crowned Hawk

 The only other bird I identified turned out to be a leaf.

When I bailed after a lunch of the best chili and cornbread I've ever had (note to self: must get Nancy's recipes), we were up to 40 species, which I am told is quite low. The most prevalent birds we found were Pine Siskins and Canada Geese, I think.  Last year they did the South Whidbey bird count on a beautiful sunny day and our team identified 60-some species.

CYNTHIA'S LITTLE LOVE MUFFIN

And ANOTHER beautiful home in which to stretch the sketching skills. Cynthia invited us to her lovely home in the woods overlooking Camano Island. Yet again, another exercise in "Omigosh! What do I sketch? What do I sketch?" So many colorful and eclectic collections! The red capped mushrooms, the polka-dot dishes, the Santas tucked into every nook and cranny. But, for me, the highlight was little Muffin, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, tucked into her comfy, English cabbage rose covered chintz cozy. Sweetest doggie EVAH!

ALELI'S BIG RED CHINESE LACQUER HORSES

Aleli and John have so many wonderful, eclectic collectibles in their Anacortes home. It is almost impossible to choose just one thing to draw. A lot of the sketchers do two or three drawings, but I am so slow that I only ever seem to get one done. This time I concentrated on these two beautiful red horses and Santa.We are so fortunate to get an invitation to sketch here again this year!