An Oak Harbor Afternoon

In honor of Oak Harbor's Holland Happening this weekend, we gathered at Windjammer Park to sketch the ochre windmill and tulips.  I loved seeing the windmill sketched in so many different styles by all the sketchers.

But Windjammer Park got windy so we reconvened at Flyers for great gab and sketching.  One of Whidbey Island Sketchers' best days.

Beautiful Faye

Elmer the Wooden Shoe Carver

Kinda fun.  The Whidbey News-Times used my sketch of Elmer, the wooden shoe carver, on their Holland Happening wrap on this week's paper.  Elmer Veldheer in 82 years old and he has been coming from his home in Holland, Michigan to carve wooden shoes during Oak Harbor's Holland Happening for 20 years!  This is his last year because his arthritis is making it harder and harder to handle his carving tools.  He's been a beloved fixture of Holland Happening and is being honored as the grand marshall of this year's parade. 

Sketching in the Tulip Fields

It was glorious afternoon to sketch with the Anacortes Sketchers in the middle of stunning tulip fields in full bloom in the Skagit Valley next door.  So much color; so little time!  Boy do we live in paradise!!

Belle France

Just back from a wonderful trip to the Beaujolais Region, Southern Burgundy and Provençe, France.  Lots of sketching.  These are a few of my favorites, starting with hubby's luggage packed 5 days early!  Then to the long flight on Icelandair with a quick plane change in Reykjavik before heading to Paris. 

Loved sketching the vintage Citroen and several French delights such as white asparugus!  Then on to our gite in St. Saturnin-lès-Apt from which we spent 6 glorious sunny days travelling to nearby villages, taking in an antique fair and pottery market, and just loving life in the French countryside!
 


The Long Flight

 

 

 So Delightfully French

 

Our Gite in Provençe

On the Deck at the Captain Whidbey Inn

Ok.  Could this afternoon have been more perfect?  Don't think so.  Sketching, sipping chardonnay, sun, million dollar view of Penn Cove & Mt. Baker from the lower deck at the Captain Whidbey Inn, great girlfriends, lots of stories, laughing, and gabbing.  Perfection in my book. 


Ali sketching w/ Penn Cove in the background.

En Visite en France

Next week we leave for a long-planned trip to Southern Burgundy, the lower Rhône Valley and Provence.  Getting my sketching gear together, I just couldn't resist sketching our itinerary and of course with a map!!  À Bientôt.

Whidbey Gardening Workshop

It's March, daffodils are starting to bloom and I've got Spring Fever.  Yesterday it was great fun to sketch during the annual Whidbey Gardening Workshop while learning new tips. Ready to get out in the garden!

Sketching Gauguin

Visited the Gauguin exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum yesterday.  Enjoyed trying to sketch bits and pieces.  Not easy since they only let you sketch with a dull golf pencil.  Standing up.  Amongst the other exhibit-goers.  But still fun to capture part of the experience in sketches.  Added watercolor later.

Fittingly, on Leap Day, that's the end of this sketchbook. 

Mid-Winter Sketching in the Desert

As luck would have it, I was in Arizona for work and family visit the whole week Puget Sound got walloped with snow.  Here are travel sketches from Wickenburg and Scottsdale. 



Seen around Wickenburg, AZ



Smokey's cowboy boots.  Saguaro against background of the blanket on my bed.



Cactus downtown Wickenburg.  Our Lady of Guadalupe from blanket pattern.

Watercolor Saguaro



Saguaro skeleton at The Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale.

An afternoon of painting

Spent this winter Sunday afternoon - all afternoon - painting,sketching, experimenting with different media and techniques.  Here are the results from today. 

2.  watercolor, Neocolor II water soluable wax pastels

1.  watercolor only

3.  pen, watercolor (and artistic license)

4.  pen and watercolor

Happy New Year 2012

Such a busy holiday season this year that we enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve sipping bubbly at home and watching the Seattle fireworks on TV.  Happy New Year to all my sketcher friends & here's to many days of sketching together in 2012.  Cheers!


Dreaming of travel to come in 2012.

New Year's at the Needle on TV

From Whidbey to Fidalgo Holiday Party

What a wonderful afternoon at the Anacortes Sketchers holiday party in Aleli's beautiful home.  We had a ball with our sketcher friends to the north and Ali's home is a treasure-trove of great things to sketch.  Thanks ASK!

Beautiful Thai goddess with a red hat on.

Joining the fun, new friend Robin from Seattle.

Face Time

Whidbey Island Sketchers, could you possibly be any more adorable?

Self portraits by Whidbey Island Sketchers for Sherryl's handmade book:

"Mary" by Mary

"Gnat in a Hat" by The Gnat

"Judi" by Judi

"Lisbeth" by Lisbeth

"Julie" by Julie

"Cathy" by Cathy

"Diana" by Diana

"Faye" by Faye

"Gene" by Gene

"Betty" by Betty

"Phyllis" by Phyllis

"Me with No Wrinkles" by Yours Truly

Holiday Sketch-Together

Wonderful second holiday party for Whidbey Island Sketchers today.  Thanks Mary!  I decided to sketch Faye by the fireplace though she didn't sit still long!  Happy Holidays fellow sketchers!

Studio Sketching

Whidbey Island Sketchers celebrated our 2nd anniversay with a little holiday get together at Studio 106 in Langley.  Great friends, great gab, great sketching.  What it's all about.  Cheers!

Inside the artist's studio

Post Turkey

Hubby prepared a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner just for the two of us.  A contented and well-deserved rest for the chef followed. 

Neocolor II Beats the November Grays

The perfect way to combat our dreary, grey rainy November days?  Neocolor II water soluable crayons made by Swiss company Caron d'Ache.  Think of them as Crayolas with an attitude!  They produce extremely rich color and are a heck of a lot of fun. 

Here are some gray-day-busting pieces using a mixture of Neocolor II, pen and regular watercolors or Prismacolor markers.

 

Cozy Inside the Captain Whidbey Inn

First big storm of the season was promised, but the afternoon turned out to be cold but calm.  The fabulous Captain Whidbey Inn was the perfect place to tuck in for an afternoon of sketching inside its cozy confines.

pictures on the wall of the madrona log-lined lobby

looking out on Penn Cove