MINI PAINTINGS

Covid 19 threw us all for a loop.  Some hunkered down and ate more; my husband and went for hikes in the fresh air to various favorite locations on Whidbey. 

Gouache has been sneaking into my watercolor sketches here and there in the form of Chinese White or my favorite Holbein Jaune Brilliante which stays moist and is a slight flesh color.

Working from some favorite photos from Whidbey island and a trip to Northern California in January & February, I was inspired to paint mini paintings.  It is a peaceful feeling to sit quietly looking at a small image and try to capture what you felt when you were taking the photo!

The minis are 2 inches to 3 inches.  A few are a bit more rectangular, up to 2.25".   They are painted on #300 lb watercolor paper and sealed on the back to prevent warping.  They can be put on an easel, refrigerator, or, framed without glass.  If you would like to purchase any please contact me.  The smallest is $25, 3inch on an easel $50 and 3 inches in a frame $75.

Cambria CA

In June we met up with former Whidbey Islanders Sooja and Wayne to see their new digs in Walnut Creek and go hiking near San Simeon.  We stayed with the hiking group at the Cambria Pines Lodge, a beautiful piece of property near the Ocean with multiple gardens to enjoy.  In the winter this place features a Christmas event with many small cottages that sell food and gifts.  There is also a small train for kiddos to ride.  Here are a few of the sketches I managed to make.

There were many clever "birdhouses" covered with succulents.  This is the front and back of one of them.
Two of the best hikes were in Montana de Oro State Park.  These sketches were from the second hike.  We were allowed to hike private PGE trails.  They are open only on certain days and I call it an in and out hike.  While walking along the cliffs, I kept hearing music and finally identified it as an opera - don't ask which.  We decided someone on a fishing boat way out there was really enjoying the music-so did I when someone agreed that I wasn't losing my mind.

Buchon Pt, Montana de Oro State Park, CA

Whidbey Island Garden Tour 2016

Sketching at the Farmhouse B&B garden is appealing.  Everywhere you turn there are artifacts from the way our parents lived, if they lived on a farm.  Collections of old wash tubs, coffee pots wheelbarrows; delicious raspberries, beautiful roses and even a couple of donkeys.  Gary and Janie Gabelein made me feel comfortable and cozy under one of their Gazebos.  People came by in droves oohing and aahing over the garden decor.  Even though it rained later on it didn't stop the visitors.
I had plenty of time to sit and do a very detailed couple of sketches, one of them even has one of my paintings which was on display.
Im looking forward to returning with the Whidbey Island Sketchers later this summer.

rusty tub

wash tubs

Friends with beautiful Gardens

Occasionally the Sketchers go to Private gardens and sketch.  These two sketches are from friends homes that live in the Useless Bay area.
Susan's home will be on the Whidbey Island Garden tour this summer, so preview the new Rose Garden bones now and see what it will look like come late June.  Susan loves to grow flowers and uses many of them in altar arrangements at St. Augustines Episcopal Church in the Woods.  She and Kevin live on a beautiful piece of land with wonderful trees,  (including  a Big Leaf Maple rock eating tree), Rhododendren, Pizza oven and a view of the water.

Future Celtic Cross Rose Garden

Trevor is a Whidbey Wacky Woman.  We belonged to this arts & crafts group many years ago, before I "formally" became a "fine" artist.  She is always fun to be around and talk to; matter of fact after everyone left, I stayed longer and helped her rearrange some furniture.  What else would Wacky Women do!  We hang out at St A's after coffee hour.  Thank you Susan & Trevor for letting our sketching group come and enjoy your garden.

Golf course view from Trevor's patio = peace!

Turmeric is beautiful in the woods!

Isn't that an intriguing title!  What are you talking about Pat?
Last night I was working the Whidbey Island Garden Tour at a home painted THE most BEAUTIFUL, RICH COLOR OF TURMERIC!  Wow, does it pop out of its woodsy setting.  The garden is delightful, with many different facets and the house, built by the owners, is very sweet and interesting.  Go on the tour to see for yourself!

My paint still doesn't capture the richness of this color!

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

Brookes Garden sketches

Last Friday I had the privilege of having the sketchers come to my garden.  The sketches are wonderful and you need to see how beautiful the garden looks this time of the year!  It was fun and the weather cooperated.  Mike did a lovely sketch of the front of the house/garden.  Check it out!
Here is a link to Whidbey IslandSketchers.www.whidbeyislandsketchers.blogspot.com, and the two sketches I managed to complete:

Sedum table and chair on the back patio

Our food and wine with Antique couch in the background.

Nest

Last year I found hiding under the Heathers a robins nest made from strips of cedar and other twigs.  I kept it on the porch table and recently thought I had better preserve it with a painting.  I painted a 12x16 version that is at Whidbey Art Gallery and framed it with a fancy frame.  This  8x8 version has a simple more modern frame and is square.  I like both of them and hope you do too!

Large nest 12x16

8x8 version with a bit of glare

Word and Pictures

One of my favorite publications is Palette magazine.  It is published by Christopher Schink and William Lawrence with Cheap Joes Art Stuff.  I receive this six times a year and stop everything when it arrives. There are no advertisements, just art, lessons and inspiration.
This month's inspiration comes in the form of words, wise words.  For instance, what are you thinking when you start a painting; your mood, what would you like to express?  If you were writing about this image or idea, what would you say (Gerald Brommer).
Myra Levy has a technique, called 5&5.  When she begins a new painting, she brainstorms five adjectives or phrases that describes the feeling she wants to express and five adjectives  that describe what she doesn't want to fall into.
I am just trying to remember to write down what attracted me to this particular landscape and the mood it conveyed to me, with the hope that I can convey that to you?
This Madrona tree is so large and usually glowing with the afternoon sun.  I hope to capture it another day when the sun is shining. This was painted on a gray overcast afternoon.
John Alsip is a friend that has left Langley with so many memories of his art that the Sketchers decided to start an art record of his work.

Prewitt's Madrona tree

John Alsip garden lamps

Drought tolerant garden, view & color!

Beautiful layers

Meeting this past week with the Sketchers was at the home of a friend who has a garden design business on Whidbey.  I haven't seen Deb's garden for quite a while and even then, I think it was in the evening when it was too dark.  So, imagine my surprise to arrive with the Sketchers and discover, the most beautiful drought tolerant garden with views of the Sound in the distance.  It was peaceful, colorful, and a joy to contemplate.  My thoughts: holy smokes, where do I start?  I finally settled on a river of Miscanthus and Mexican Feather grass with Yarrow and a tall Straw type purple flower whose name escapes me.  What fun!  Many thanks to Deb for allowing us to enjoy her beautiful garden.

River of grasses

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

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

Tell your brain to shut up!

Original 

Aargh!  Last week I was sketching at the Bayview Farm and Garden and very happy to be there, because it poured, then it sparkled with sun, poured again.  Get the picture, one minute my subject matter had light, the next it didn't.  That doesn't matter, because the sketch was good TILL I decided to add some background.  Never, listen to that gremlin that says "just a little bit of this or that".  Needless to say, then it needed more contrast, more whatever.  I just want to shoot myself and tear up the original, but decided to share the pain and hope to prevent you from doing the same.
So, yesterday I looked at the original sketch and sketched it all over again.  Yes, it needs more, but, I like the cheery colors and at this rainy time of the year in the Northwest, anything that makes me think Tropical is very welcome.

Yes, it needs more, but not today!

Artists in action

Coupeville, WA in 90 degree weather under a tent. The once a year Coupeville Arts and Crafts Fair.  It was bright and beautiful but the heat....killer.  Nevertheless, we demonstrated art.  I hid in the shadiest part of the tent, rolling up the sides for a bit of a breeze and sketched other tents and artist working.  Not my best work.  I started a painting of a Lily from a picture that is a bit more colorful and to my liking.

Island Views

This week I've featured a view from a garden overlooking Holmes Harbor and the Old Pietala garden at the Whidbey Institute.

The Whidbey Institute, also known as the Chinook Center, is on a 70 acre farm that was  established in the early 1900's.  The Institute is now a conference and retreat center, with overnight  facilities for about 30 people and day use for about 150.

Having lived in Finland, I admire the Finns' work ethic, and practicality in building. Every time I visit the Pietala Farm I am transported to a little Island where we rented a cottage year round. The owner had built the beds on the wall bunk style.  We walked through the woods to the sauna at the waterside. We got our water from a well, bucket by bucket and near the well were several rocks that Hannes, the island owner said the Vikings had roundtable discussions.  In the winter we would drive or ski over the ice to the island.

On the Pietala farm, the trees are huge, and speak to the history of the early settlement of this farm.  There is a typical outdoor sauna, many work buildings and gardens.  The home itself is available for groups to stay.  Inside there is a large meeting room and a practical kitchen with screened pantry; upstairs the beds are built on the wall and a sleeping loft for the more nimble.  Be sure to visit this wonderful place for its beauty and meditative qualities.
 

Trail to the beach-Holmes Harbor

Interiors

Until last week my painting/sketching time has been short.  Our art group has been meeting in homes and gardens recently so this view of Sue's Tea Set was inspired by the romantic view out the Dining Room window.  Continuing the interior view inspiration, I have added a sketch I did at a recent dinner out at Skylarks Restaurant in Fairhaven.  I like the complexity of looking through to see another view.

Wine & Flowers

Meerkerk Gardens entrance on a rainy day.

Whidbey Island Winery

Laburnum Arbor at Bayview Farm & Garden

One of the things not to miss on our Island is the Laburnum Arbor at Bayview Farm and Garden.  It blooms in early June letting you know that Summer is not far off. The other is Meerkerk Rhododendren Garden in Greenbank.  This is a small painting down while sitting in the car in early May.  The entrance building is brand new, built by local artisans donating their time and although it makes you think of England, quite beautiful!

 A few weeks later we were meeting at Whidbey Island Winery on a cold and windy day.  Everyone else ended up in town at Music for the Eyes, but I stayed in a protected sunny place where I could paint the view of the vines.  Go to my link to Whidbey Island Sketchers to see the lovely Langley paintings that were done by the rest of the group.

Gardening

                                          The hummingbirds love this foxglove.

Johns' creative garden lamps.

These fence sections will be filled with dry plant material in the fall and                                  planted below with Clematis disguising the lovely tank!

Gardening is my other passion.  We garden about one acre, the other three acres are lawn and trees.  About eleven years ago this property was mostly grass and upturned tree trunks in the back yard.  I spent the first few years madly creating beds, hardscape and a space to display art in the garden.

I've always been a recycler before it became so popular and it shows in our garden.  There are old windows and doors used in new buildings; a display fence of rock grading screen, creative art work using glass, concrete and rebar.  This year we built a garden closet under the eaves and just the other day made two standing fences, called compost fencing to hide the Propane tank.

Our friend John is very creative with recycled bits and pieces.  He turns them into the most wonderful sculptures that live outside!  He has loaned us three pieces that look like lamps for the garden tour this weekend.  They are made from large glass water bottles, metal rods, lamp parts and ridged glass shades.  They glow as if there is a light on inside.  Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!
p.s. You can see art by John all over downtown Langley.

Chocolate Flower Farm

Wednesday, new time (2pm instead of 10am) and crazy weather.  Will we be outside or in a coffeehouse?  The weather finally gave us a break and we sketched at the Chocolate Flower Farm.  Such a beautiful setting and so many things to sketch.  Maries garden is beautifully punctuated with accents of deep colored plants, it is fun to paint because it isn't all green!