A DAY WITH THE BIRDS!

We Sketchers get to do the most amazing things! Today I went somewhere with the group I had absolutely no idea existed. Tucked way Way WAY back in the deep woods, in a meadow clearing is Susan's Aviary, a facility for rescued parrots, macaws, cockatoos and cockatiels. It is essentially a huge cage where over 50 birds fly free. They are almost all very friendly, tame and crave attention from the people who are lucky enough to get to come visit them. 

Susan welcomed us, told us the story of the aviary, gave us a few rules, and let us in through the airlock to be greeted by its inhabitants. Almost the moment we entered we were covered in friendly, curious birds who wanted to be part of our sketching action. They screeched and whistled, sat on our heads, grabbed our pencils, worked over our sketchbooks, competed for our attention, and really put on a show for us.

 Barbara hit it right on the head when she said it was like being in a room full of toddlers. 

I was totally entranced. I could have stayed there for hours longer - in fact I was the last to leave.

My models were captivating. Brutus, the pink Cockatoo, must have spent his whole pre-Aviary life in constant company of a short wave or CB radio - he talks just like one. And he screeches and hollers, and says "good boy" and "pretty bird". 

Sunday, the Yellow Crested Cockatiel was also a screamer, but she was so endearing - cuddling and putting her head against my chest and sort of purring. 

"A Selfie with Sunday!"

Frostbite, the Macaw, lost her toes as a result of a tragic accident during our freak blizzard two years ago, but their loss hasn't slowed her down. She stumps around very confidently. 

The little brightly colored Sun Conures flocked to us, sitting on our heads, walking up our arms, hanging on our pants. They were WONDERFUL (if noisy)!

The rest of the birds were just as colorful, just as much fun. In fact, I was pretty sure Susan and her crew were going to have to drag me out by force. 

I am no fool, though. I know that parrots can live 80-100 years, and that they require an immense amount of care and work. Which is why I did not leave with one. I WILL, however, make a return visit very soon to sit with them, talk to them and just generally enjoy them.
I did get a sketch done, but barely. All I wanted to do was play with the birdies!

SKETCHING WORKSHOP WITH DON GETZ

So, just before the kids came for their summer visit from D.C., and also just before Choochokam, I saw a little notice in a Cheap Joe's newsletter about sketching workshops with artist Don Getz on his "Odessey Sketching Tour USA". Here is a nice little video on Don and the tour. 

I spotted a stop on the schedule in July at Pacific Northwest Art School in Coupeville, just up the road. I knew it would be great fun and, even though it was more expensive than I could afford, I registered for it. Then, in all the confusion of the following two weeks, I sort of forgot about it.

When I got a reminder email from Lisa at PNWAS I was stunned to realize the workshop started the day after Choochokam! And there would only three of us. I had totally expected it to be A. full, and B. full of other Whidbey Island Sketchers! Not so. Just me and Kate, a Seattle Urban Sketcher from Tukwilla and Gary, a retired designer/builder from LaConner. And, of course Don, an artist from Ohio, by way of Boone, North Carolina.

Don, 78, is a sweet man whose career began in commercial art. He has been associated with Joe Miller (of Cheap Joe's Art Stuff) for many years, as well as many, many other very well known artists (his stories are excellent!!) The loss of his beloved wife drove him to think about where his life was headed and the best direction to take to share his artistic knowledge. He approached Joe for sponsorship and the around-the-USA tour of workshops was born.

Don is an amazing draftsman possessed of a gorgeous sense of color. His work is stunning. He showed us some of his sketchbooks from the tour (Maine, Florida, California) and sketches from his most recent sketching journal (book 10). You can see great examples of his work here and here. We were inspired to produce beautiful journal sketches from the get-go.

We all hit it off quite well, I think, at our first meeting to see Don's work. After lunch at Mosquito Fleet Chili

 we were off to a location Don had scouted - the parking lot of a church in overlooking some rooftops with Penn Cove in the distance. We watched him deftly and quickly produce a wonderful sketch of the scene using his methods and "Don's Amazing Enlarging Tool" (coming soon to Cheap Joe's Art Stuff!) Then were were set to the task. Here is my first effort. Lesson learned - using a new tool is hard but rewarding.

On our second day we headed for Ebey's Landing. I had an audiologist's appointment I'd forgotten (for TWO new hearing aids!) and was late getting there, so I had to do the impossible (for me!) - produce a good sketch in a short amount of time. Lesson learned - quick is good, less is more.

After a very long lunch at a local bistro (an insecure server in training and a restaurant filled with a jury from the nearby courthouse) we adjourned to sit on the porch of the Masonic Temple and sketch Kate's lodgings, a local landmark B&B. Lesson here - 
1. learn how to draw, and 2. draw what you see, not what you think you see.

On our (and sadly, last) morning we met at the school to decide were we should go to sketch. Don had been given a couple of leads, but I could tell he hadn't been steered to the best spot of all. At my suggestion we all headed out to the nearby Captain Whidbey Inn. From the looks on their faces as they stepped out of their cars, I knew I had led them to the Sketching Mother Lode. After a quick tour of the many, many spots from which to choose we settled on a view of the front of the building (best shadows) and sketched until lunch.

Bikes on the Porch

Years ago when I made one of my first trips to Coupeville as a tourist with friend Trudy, we'd asked one of the local merchants where THEY ate (pretty sure it was not in one of the expensive, trendy cafes). Sure enough, he replied "We eat up at the Tyee hotel. Good food. Cheap." That was good information then, and it was good advice for Don's class, too. We had a great lunch and came back to the Captain full, happy and ready to sketch. 

I loved the spot I picked out back - a view of the old building used as a conference center, and the road winding back to the cabins. Unfortunately, in sketching, you can do a good drawing, then ruin it with bad painting. Sadly, this is the case here. 
Oh well, you can't win them all. 
Darnit, where was dear Don last night when I really needed him??!

The end of our last day together came WAY too soon. This was an artistic experience I will never forget, with new friends and a fantastic teacher. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!!!!!

Don Getz Odyssey Tour Watercolor Journaling Class, July 2013, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA
Judi, Gary, Kate and Don

Don and his sketch 

Gary

Kate