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.

Painting in the Alley for Artists in Action at the WAG

Yeah, that moment afterwards, at home, when you could have stepped back for the long view of your watercolor, but didn't. And should probably have stopped, but didn't. 
With apologies to Georgia Mansur for techniques learned, but apparently forgotten, and steps missed or misinterpreted. But, for try #3 on the learning curve, i'm not completely embarrassed, I guess. And I didn't hold it under the hose or drown it in the bathtub, so there is that. Try #4 getting underway today, when I should be weeding, instead. 
Photo of me by Tom Hanify of Whidbey Art Gallery.
Photo of the painting by me, of me.

GEORGIA MANSUR workshop in Seattle at DANIEL SMITH ART SUPPLIES

Woo hoo! Two major win/win victories today. First, I drove all the way down into Seattle and back, without incident of any kind, including not getting lost. Major score!
I did this to take a class at the Daniel Smith Mother Ship store with Georgia Mansur, a fabulous water color instructor from Australia!! It was an absolute blast, and I had a very successful experience. 
This resulted in my second win-win of the day - completed TWO paintings, both of which were on half sheets of watercolor paper. Half sheets! For me, that is tantamount to climbing Mount Everest. And those two paintings were done in the time it would normally tale me to do one 1/4 sheet painting.
It was an absolutely great workshop, I learned a ton, tried a bunch of new techniques, and made great new friends. Totally pleased with what I accomplished and the way the whole day went. (Gary Paul Schallock note wild and loose application of paint!! Kathleen McDonald and no black lines!!)
More when (and if) I "complete" the exercises. But, for now, here are the results of the day.

And here are examples of Georgia's work for reference. 

HERE ARE TWO FOR THE WAG 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Saturday, the 27th, is the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Whidbey Art Gallery. I finished two more pieces for my wall. The first piece is an old sketch I did a couple of years ago, before the gallery got its facelift. Here it is still wearing its old, kitschy, bright and colorful sign for ART, up on the front of the building. I revamped, reworked, and punched up the sketch with brighter colors, to match the sign. I like the sketch better now, just like I liked the old, funky sign better. But that's just me.
The second image is of a watercolor/pen and ink painting done from a photo of the old letters, made by former WAG member Shirley Ashenbrenner and given by her to Susan Jensen to use in the backyard of her Air BNB.
The letters come with bunnies, for the viewing pleasure of her guests.

"Whidbey Art Gallery in Summer", WC Pen/Ink, 11x14 framed, $125, at the Gallery

"Backyard ART, with Bunnies", WC Pen/Ink, 13x16 framed, $250, at the Gallery

"Whidbey Art Gallery"

I skipped Sketchers today so I could finish this sketch for Tom Hanify for WAG (Whidbey Art Gallery). I don't why he needed a sketch of the interior, but mine is not to question why, mine is but to do or die (doncha know) 

So this is my sketching output for the day. 

On A QUARTER SHEET of 140# WC paper, for heavens's sake. YUGE!! 

But I forgot one of the reasons I don't work this big - one cannot scan one's finished work if one only has an 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 glass on one's scanner (and if one sucks at photographing one's artwork!)

Though quarter sheet is the direction to which I want to head, I may have to rethink the business of imaging.