The Big Dig

Life goes on in Langley, around sand, large machines and lots of beeping!  Whidbey Telecom was digging yesterday, laying the groundwork for telecommunication.  Barney says thats why I don't have Whidbey TV in my neighborhood yet.  Maybe by summer Barney?

 Come visit the artists at Whidbey Art Gallery, during the week.  You can stand inside and have a ringside seat at all the action. Sketchers will be sketching at the Gallery on the 21st of this month.

Monterey, what can I say!

We have been visiting Monterey, Ca for the past week and all I can say is, I love you Whidbey Island, I truly do. My home town of Langley is the best, most interesting, for me, place to enjoy retirement with lots of art, outdoor hikes, beaches, good friends.  In a nutshell, it's a perfect home, but, it's been a long time since I've visited Monterey, Carmel and environs.  When we leave, I will not miss the tourist crowds near the Aquarium or in Carmel.  After all I was one of them, but the beaches, eucalyptus trees and Monterey Cyprus trees make me want to be a California plein air painter. Like Arnold said, I will be back!

VivatheBean

These sketches are from Fayetteville, n.c.  A new coffee shop has opened in the neighborhood that makes me feel quite at home!  I can't wait to go back and sketch some more of those comfy chairs and couches.  I love the colors of the walls the art and the French roast is terrific.   The music was even amenable.

That night we went to a Super Bowl party and I sketched a couple of the guests to the amazement of the youngsters (preteens?). They were so enthusiastic I would have even spent some time looking at their art and talking to them.

Can you tell they're Military?

All day sketching

Yesterday we celebrated our Whidbey Island Sketchers, fearless leader Sue Van Etten's birthday, with an all day sketching marathon.  We started at Mukilteo Coffee House's Cabuni Cafe with breakfast and moved on to Natalie Olsens, fine establishment, where she provided more food & wine while we sketched and discussed the upcoming trip to Winthrop (I can't wait to see the fall colors from this trip).  The final stop was the Holmes Harbor Rod and Gun Club to sketch the beautiful heads on the wall.  It was a long, but fun day!  Why is it so tiring sitting around all day painting?

Cabuni Cafe colorful food bar!

The best part of my day was acting like a traffic cop at Mukilteo Coffee, shooing drivers away from parking in front of the pumpkins, so I could finish painting them.  Gary came out and said "Oh its Pat", no problem!  Nice to see you again old pal!

Bambi's Dad & friend

View of the valley from Natalies

Part of the wonderful food & wine

The beautiful fall pumpkins at Mukilteo Coffee

Sun=Celebration=Sketching

Such a busy week!  The crazy season is here!  Visitors on the road wondering why we drive so slow when they are rushing to catch the ferry.  The sun is shining, parties are happening; ten days ago I was wondering why my garden looked so terrible.  Two days ago, a miracle happened and it looks lovely.  I guess there is nothing like sunshine to make us all feel like blooming.  Some of these picture are from the So. Whidbey Commons party; the rest from a sketch challenge.  Paint something rusty, two ears and a tail and odd or unusual.

Dog tails

Something odd = sunshine/beach

Jo watching the band

Llama with ugly coat

Trio Neuvo

Jean Whitesavage sculpture @ Bayview Park & Ride

Moving again

The view of Useless Bay Coffee

The Birdhouse

Here we go again!  Our Whidbey Art Gallery will be moving next month to a location further down the street closer to the US Bank, or in what I call the commercial district of Langley.  Our wonderful people watching view of Useless Bay Coffee will be no more. (see above sketch).  Our new digs will be about the same size, but with nice high ceilings.  Our landlords, Herb and Marilyn are looking forward to having us share their wonderful old building.  Herb sells and fixes beautiful clocks and Marilyn has a gift shop with lots of decorative flags and twig furniture on the Lane.

I have made the two sketches shown above into note cards, along with several other sketches of local scenes.  They will be in the Gallery for the Art Walk tomorrow evening 5-7 pm.  The building below will be our new location as of July 1, 2011.  I've projected a new decorative pot and an awning to see how they would enhance the building.

Projected image of our new location as of July 1, 2011

Living Green

Who knew that this little Health Food gem that seems so far away from downtown Langley was such a busy place.  The store carries supplements, and makes Vegetarian meals. Everyone I spoke to said the food was delicious!   I enjoyed an apple carrot lemon juice drink and plan to have lunch there next week.  The atmosphere is comfortable and quiet and you can chat without a lot of interruption. Cherie, the original owner is back with a partner helping to manage the store.

 Cherie Erwin, the owner of Living Green Natural Food and Vegetarian Cafe,says we're open for brunch, lunch, beer and wine, juices and smoothies, from 11-3PM Sat, Sun, Mon, Wed, Thurs Hope to see you soon! The address is 630 2nd Street ste A, Langley, Wa.  


On to the sketches.  The view through the front window is of the Old original Langley Telephone building.  It sits on a lot waiting for its next reincarnation.   In the back, nearer to the kitchen I sketched the help yourself counter with the bright red tea kettle and tea selections.

Tea with view to Kitchen

Whidbey Telephone original building

Cozy drinks

Successes of the week included filing taxes for the state of WA; improving the coverage of our home insurance and ignoring the rain as much as possible.  The latter was helped by a visit from a couple of sketchers from Anacortes, who came to see our Sketchers show at Unitarian Universalist Church in Freeland.  We then all drove down to Langley to sketch at the Useless Bay Coffee shop.  This place is getting to be a hang-out, mainly because it is large enough to accomodate all of us and their regular customers.  

Latte drips

Red tray

Framed sketches

The sun, the sun!

Innovative Sketchbooks & matted art

Sketching Jay @ Useless Bay and more pears.

6x6 pairs in the air

Pair

We were supposed to be sketching the glass at Callahan McVay's glass shop today in Langley.  Callahan decided to take the day off and was closed so our group went to Useless Bay Coffee and enjoyed with warm atmosphere.  Once again I became intrigued with the view outside through the mirrors and decided to sketch Jay with the mirrors in the background.  Jay is pleased that he looks younger than he is and I am pleased with the sketch.

I have also been working on more pears one of which will be for the 6x6 show at 1504 coffee shop.  It is called pairs in the air (in french).  I have also another couple of pair pears that I call pair.  These pears keep me wondering what will be next.  Enjoy

By the way, come to the Open Door Gallery for more pears and good fun on Saturday, Nov 20, 2010.

Sketching Jay, sketching me at Useless Bay

Ebey Bowl

The Ebey Bowling alley has reopened and is having a new and exciting life on the prairie.  I have never been to this fun spot and was surprised by the vibrant atmosphere and all the people dropping by to chat, eat and of course bowl.  The lanes were refinished and the alley opened on October 10th, 2010.  This old building used to be a squash barn.  I guess all that squashy stuff has moved to Shermans Farm, where squash is the bomb!  Literally and figuratively the use the last of the squash to bomb into the fields, with some kind of a throwing machine.

There were several sketchers enjoying bowling and several more of us being more studious and examining the potential sketching subjects.  I have fond memories, from long ago, of coke in bottles and chose to sketch the coke and popcorn machine.  The colors even say fun!

Coca Cola in bottles and a bowling ball ladybug with antennas!

Mulkilteo Coffee in the woods

The colorful painting shown with the coffee urn is from Mulkilteo Coffee house in the Woods. Turn right off the 525 heading North onto Crawford Rd, on the South end of Whidbey.  It is a fun place to visit for food and entertainment.  Gary & Beth Smith, the owners, roast coffee and send it all over the world.  On the weekends, music, & dancing take over the Roasting room.  This lovely establishment is full of art.  The coffee stands are carved and painted by David Price.  There are hangings on the ceiling and painted glass are by Buffy Cribbs.