Nancy Salmon's Garden

What a treat!  This was my kind of creative gardening, a beautiful house, and art in the garden.  Nancy is a delight, has 3 gorgeous Bernese Mountain dogs, collects recycled items and incorporates them into her large garden.  She is lucky to have her own well too as the sprinkler was merrily watering the whole time we were there.  Down here in Langley, we pay big bills, even on a small lot.  I'm jealous!
Deb and I arrived a day early, thanks to Mary and Nancy.  I'm monitoring a class starting tomorrow and she had a Dr's appt five minutes away today, so we asked about sketching Thursday.
The front of the house caught my eye with the symbol of the salmon and the colorful orange umbrella.  Later, I slipped around the side of the house and drew the back of the "Outhouse".  It has a gothic window frame that really dresses it up!  Our sketchers group will have fun tomorrow!!!

Clever garden outhouse (back)

Mary in the front garden, Salmon on the chimney.

Singing in the Garden

I wasn't singing in the garden, but I did hum along. The group Triptych was performing at Lavender Wind Farm in Coupeville.  My artist friend, Claudia Mitchell invited Ted and me to come enjoy the afternoon and hear her sing.
Triptych is an instrumental group led by trombonist John Leeser; they play songs from the Big Band era. Eileen Soskin on piano and bassist John Hughs rounded out the group. Claudia Mitchell fit right into the group.  She has a beautiful, classically trained voice.  We loved being there!
I knew my husband would enjoy this music and he stepped right up for an afternoon relaxing outside.

Instead of a Lavender Festival, Sarah has been promoting concerts in the garden surrounded by the beautiful blooming lavender.

Thank you, Sarah!  If I had been smart enough to read your wonderful website, I would have seen you had sandwiches for sale and we could have avoided Bubba burger.  Nothing against Bubba dogs, but an Italian Submarine sandwich does sound really yummy!

Capt Whidbey's Spring Garden

It was a beautiful Spring day on Friday at The Captain Whidbey Inn.  I tried to capture the garden where the Rhubarb was showing off.  I wish my rhubarb looked this good! I met a new sketcher, another Kathy who likes the same quiet areas that I do.  ;-)

Capt Whidbey's Garden

Ebey bowl

This is a quaint old bowling alley on the prairie in Coupeville.  It has recently been taken over by a couple of women that worked for the former owner, therefore saving it from going downhill.  When we were there, a birthday party was in session and after school kids were bowling.  It is such a funky colorful, personal space with lots of fun old posters and you can't beat the checkerboard floor.

Cynthia sketching something in the corner and a rack of balls.

I sketched this across the fold.  Need a bowling bag or ball?

BZZZ,

Like the bees, I have been busy, sketching, painting, monitoring a three day class, then working in the garden replanting a section where we lost a tree.

Last week was the busiest I have been in a long time.  Dreama Tolle Perry, a very colorful artist from Paris, Kentucky came back to Whidbey to paint at Whidbey Island Fine Art Studios.  I have painted with her in the past and really enjoyed the experience.  This year Cary asked me to monitor her class.  This allowed me to paint with the group and enjoy the "Dreama" experience once again.  I will be posting the paintings I did in her class soon.

After that, our church St. Augustines, put on their annual Trash and Treasures sale, so I worked at the church for three days helping buy and sell the goodies.  This was the place I sent some of my stuff from the house and studio cleaning frenzy that I posted about last time.

The garden was screaming me, me, me, so my pal Al came and we chopped down a number of trees which Ted took to the composting place.  The garden girls and I also spent a couple of days cleaning and mulching beds.

The one thing I gave to myself was Friday afternoon to rest and sketch with the sketchers!!!  Here is a compilation of recent sketches.

Cynthia's colander

Coupeville Crater on Hwy 20

Full Moon Maple at Froggwell

Marian & Phil's gazebo

Lilacs

Froggwell peonies

The tractor shed at Amy's

Rosehip Garden

This a record of my struggle painting this past Friday.  Sketchers met at Rosehip Garden in Coupeville on a beautiful warm, sunny day.  I found a shady place to sketch that gave me a view of the red back door and a wonderful shadow slanting in from the West.

Feeling experimental, I sketched with my big brush and lots of water.  Unfortunately, the paper was not quite up to it and would look better ironed! 8-)  I love the size and  whiteness of the paper, but it can't handle too much water & paint.  It is a 93lb Aquabee, Super deluxe. The shadow didn't look right and required repair with gouache when I got home.  Next time, heavier paper!

The Red Door

Sketch # 2:  There is something in my makeup that looks at multiples, like mirrors on a wall or in this case, sets of windows.  I love the puzzle they create and it absorbs my mind when I am sketching these complicated views.  I wish for the talent to be a bit more correct with architecture, but life is what it is and its still fun.  This was painted on Arches 140lb paper that I made into a sketch book.

Sketch Two

Another recent sketch is of the Boatyard Inn.  A place Ted and I stayed for a couple of nights this summer. The architecture is so fun and funky.  The inside is modern, clean with lots of space and views of the Langley Harbor.  We loved it!

The Boatyard Inn, a lovely place to stay!
Keep painting!  Pat

Capt. Whidbey Inn, Coupeville, WA

View outside from the bar window.

The last time I sketched with our group was at the Capt Whidbey Inn.  Since then, we have had family visiting for a reunion and a number of celebrations. My granddaughter and I did get away for part of a day to sketch, but I will show those sketches next time.

The old stove in the bar.

Door dartboard!