Day two of a three day project-the cottage

Jennings Park, Marysville, the Master Gardeners' Project

Well, I thought it would be a two day project, but since I started the whole thing late in the afternoon, I guess I have to work on this one more day. Too much sun and too late to do it today. Everything I planned to include is in this part of the sketch, but then I saw some squash blossoms on my way out today. So I'll give this place one more afternoon to furnish me with the rest of the inspiration.

The start of a two day Project-The Sunflowers

Master Garden at Jennings Park, Marysville

This is the left side of a tri-fold accordion section for my 2015 sketchbook project. I'm busy with other things today, but the weather looks good for tomorrow. I'll come back then and work some more on the rest of the composition. 

A beautiful day sketching at Lavender Wind Farm

My sketch with a view across the Salish Sea

I enjoyed a beautiful afternoon sketching with the Anacortes Sketchers and Whidbey Island Sketchers at the Lavender Wind Farm outside Coupeville today. It was the best possible weather and the most stunning location. There was so much from which to choose: the shop, with its copper still, the gardens of cut flowers, the maze garden, wreath makers, lavender cutters, visitors touring the garden, the artists at work, the drying room, the koi pond, the panoramic views....!

The driftwood sculpture says it all - JOY!

Sunday painters-Found Still life

"Found still life" usually refers to a composition that you come upon by accident.

I had just finished with my lunch of an avocado with lime and casually put the unused part of the lime up into my kitchen window. Walking away, I glanced back and saw a very good composition. Without rearranging anything, I wondered what it would look like if I brought a chair into the kitchen and sat down to sketch. As I lowered my eye level, the composition got even better. It just so happens that this is getting north light.

Sometimes, everything just works!

Why not try a found still life today? I'm sure there's one just around the corner waiting to be discovered. 

My Mini Watercolor system

I forgot to post this the other day. But I still plan to put more things on the page, so when I do I will post again.

I am making everything small enough to fit into my compact "urban sketch" bag. This is a section I cut off a sponge, and a tiny travel size hair spray bottle filled with clear water inside the cap from a cosmetic bottle.   (It's a lot more fun to sketch these than it is to snap a photo!)

Seattle USk at Lake Union Houseboats

My two pages of sketches for the day

Photo Credit: MKBuike, Red Harp Photography

Here I am (blue jacket, white hat) on the dock outside Mary Lou and Sam's houseboat with Seattle Urban sketchers Peggy, Frank and Jess. See the Seattle USk blog for more photos of the day's outing. BTW, that's my new pared down urban sketch kit on my lap. It worked great this first time around!

An extra treat: Sam took some of us out afterwards on a cruise around the lake in his Lear boat, the "Plug N Play".

A view from Sam's boat

We saw another whole aspect of the houseboat community from the marine viewpoint.
Thank you, Mary Lou and Sam for your generous hospitality.

Sharing Our Work at Breazeale Interpretive Center

See my previous posts and more accounts of this wonderful experience:
Sketching Bay View, Anacortes Sketchers

Ed views sketches of his garden

"You touch the wet paper like this....see what happens?"

My New Urban Sketching Kit

Inside, All loaded up

I must have at least a dozen sketch kits. In fact, I have posted many of them here on this blog.

It's different, though, if you are going to be in the city and want to blend in. You can't be carrying easels and backpacks with camp stools strapped on when you're in a crowded market, bus, or coffee shop.

Contents of my new Urban Sketch Bag

So I've taken the mini-elements from some of my most compact set ups and I'm trying out this chic, cross body city bag for a few times. I took it all out so you could see what's in there. Zoom for details.
Update: My tiny water container and spray bottle were still in the bag! These are the missing elements. :)

Something exciting happened:
Seattle Urban Sketchers posted my sketches from the SAM-USk workshop here!

My New Smaller Bag

And I was able to maneuver around Pike Place Market and 2nd Ave sketching on that Saturday, while carrying this, the plein air bag that I take on trips and out to the countryside! ....with an umbrella and a camp stool added in, no less! (Thank goodness I left the easel at home.)
Imagine what I could accomplish now with this trim, new urban setup instead! Can't wait for my next urban sketching outing to try it out!

A bit of flair

Beautiful colors displayed by the inhabitants of aquariums at Padilla Bay Interpretive Center.
Oh, and a little color and shoe flair by the "two Michele's" in the parking lot.

Completed Sketch Pages

I felt that my quick 20 minute sketch on location yesterday at Ed Epp's garden needed more on the page. Here is how it looked on location. Here is how it looks after bringing it home and doing some more "thinking with my watercolors".

Further exploration of warm and cool reds

I got a better image by scanning the page and tweaking the colors a tiny bit with my watercolors.