SKETCHING IN PT TOWNSEND AT THE PALACE HOTEL

It was a wild and wooly, blustery and windy day today in Port Townsend, but three intrepid Sketchers braved the elements, sort of, and made the very best of the bad weather for a Sketchbook Skool Alums get together. We had to hide out in Better Living Through Coffee, The Owl Sprit and, finally, (for an hours of actual sketching) at the Palace hotel to escape and stay dry, but we had a great time. Linda Tennant and Elsbeth McLeod and I discussed, in depth, such topics at black gessoing paper over modeling paste, using gouache instead of watercolors, employing paint crayons, jelly transferring, stamping journal pages, Roz Stendahl, Tommy Kane, buying more supplies and tools (YES), men, whether kombucha is nasty (also yes, for me),  and other sundry and assorted topics. And a fine time was had by all. 
Later, the boat made it back through the storm, I watched windsurferes on the tidal pool in Ebey's Preserve behind the ferry dock, and then even stayed up late enough to touch up my sketch.

Finished Sketch

Rolltop desk and orchid, upstairs lounge area of the Palace Hotel

Sketched for one hour at the Palace Hotel - this is what I had at the end of that time. 

BLUE HERON RUST SCULPTURE - on the reflection pond at Whidbey Pies, Greenbank Farm

It was another glorious summer day on Whidbey Island, the kind that reinforces the knowledge that we are blessed to live here. Whidbey Island Sketchers met outside Whidbey Pies at Greenbank Farm, in the sunshine, amid the wonders of nature. While I was serenaded by Redwing Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Robins, Gulls, Crows, Mallard ducks, bullfrogs and peepers, I sat amongst a long ton of Canada goose poop at the edge of the pond, entranced by this view of the restaurant terrace. Finished a whole sketch on site, and came home with slices of fresh Rhubarb/Apple and Marionberry pie for feet-up/chair-time tonight. Any day that ends with pie is a day well spent. 

"Tahitian Treasure Grandiflora" at Bayview Farm and Gardens

It was a beautiful day for sketching yesterday at the Nursery - sunny, dry, bright. The Laburnum Arch was slightly past its golden peak, but I wasn't in the mood for yellow paint, anyway.  I was in favor of a comfy place to sit to paint.  Luckily there was exactly that spot in among the roses - one of BF&G's brightly colored Adirondack chairs in the shade of a little tree. I plopped bush with gorgeous, electric pink blooms onto a cart and rolled it over by by me, et voila, perfect sketching under a brilliant blue sky. And it gave me a chance to test the luscious Quinacridone pinks, fuschias, corals, reds and rose tones on my paint chip card from Daniel Smith's.