A Special Day to Catch Up

After a super busy week or two on our own projects, my husband and I took the day off to catch up......with each other and for me to catch up with my Inktober project. We took advantage of the beautiful autumn weather drive up to Anacortes.

The prompt for the 29th was "United". Since I was teaching a workshop yesterday, I took today's opportunity to "unite" all my sketching tools in a single sketch. I thought the idea of a ferry crossing that unites the mainland to Guemes Island was a nice little extra touch on the theme.

The quietude, time to listen to the waves, seagulls and wind soughing through the grasses......what a restorative time we had. AND I'm all caught up until the last day of Inktober tomorrow!

As I placed the rose hips I "Found" on the weathered picnic table, I also found that their round shapes were repeated in the round knothole and bolts. Inktober, Day 30, "Found"

Annual Studio Open House

"Snow Bird" Art Lesson on DVD

Our 23rd Annual Studio Open House takes place on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. Hours: 10am-12:00 and 5:00-7pm

5-7pm: Wine, Cheese, Nibbles and a drawing for $100 worth of Art from Michele's NW Studio

We are excited to show new works and to welcome artists, students and friends. Enjoy some nibbles, conversation and perhaps take home a painting, DVD or just the experience of visiting a real working art studio.

Save a spot on your calendar and come on over! Please note the change in open hours this year: the studio will be closed between 12:00 noon and 5:00pm.
Hours: 10am-12:00 Noon and 5:00-7pm
Contact me for map and directions. Send email to michelec12 at gmail dot com

Inktober 2017, Day 19-22

For some reason, I've been inspired lately by animals to represent the official Inktober prompts.

Day 20 - Deep (There are several pods of Orca here who swim the deep channels up the coast to the Canadian Pacific)

Day 21 - Furious (I have no idea why he is so upset, but it's hard to take infuriated squirrels seriously)

Day 22 - Trail (Ewwwww. We have snails AND slugs leaving lots of trails in this rainy season.)

Day 19- Cloud (You can hear the geese flying south above the clouds)

Although I am surrounded by glorious autumn color, it is still immensely satisfying to draw something with ink every day. Thanks, Jake Parker, for the inspiration!

Watercolor Workshop for Absolute Beginners, Sat and Sun Oct 28 & 29

Follow this link for more information or to register

Not sure if watercolor is for you? Tried watercolor but need a little help? Gotten rusty and want to revive some old skills in watercolor? Come on over to Kirkland Arts Center next weekend and have some fun discovering what an expressive medium it is with Michele Cooper, NWWS!

You don't even need to purchase an expensive collection of supplies! Get unlimited use of all supplies from the instructor for $10 per person per day. Take home the art you make.

Take home your own painting of Autumn leaves.

This hands-on workshop presents all the basics for the first-time watercolor painter or a great review of color mixing, brushwork, and painting techniques for the out-of-practice painter. You'll learn how to set up your work area and arrange your palette. We'll discuss different types of paint, brushes, and paper. You'll get to compare student and professional grade paint, cold and hot press paper, and different types of brushes. Learn how to do dry brush, wet in wet, flat washes, and graduated washes.

Discover how to mix and layer colors and how to mix a complete color wheel from just three colors. Continuous hands-on demonstrations will show techniques first hand.

Education Office

(425) 822-7161 x181

 

Sat, October 28, 2017

   10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Sun, October 29, 2017

   10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

 

Catching up with Posting Inktober, Days 10-14

Inktober Day 10-Gigantic (See my Instagram for caption)

Inktober Day 11-Run, that's what you do if you see this! My parents had a pair of geese that terrified our 4 year old son.

Day 12 - Shattered  (Condition of the cell phone and the owner who just realized the damage)
Day 13 - Teeming (The coral reef is teeming with life. May it ever be so.)
Day 14 - Fierce (Fang toothed Moray eels are truly fierce...the way they look, their fangs and the fact that they anchor themselves in the reef, latch on to their victim and don't let go!)

For high resolution photos of these and other work not shown here, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Walking with Andy

If you look carefully, you'll see a tiny figure walking at the top of the hill. In anticipation of the upcoming Retrospective Wyeth Exhibit at SAM, opening on October 19, my watercolor students are practicing some important aspects of watercolor. Wyeth is a prime example of the hard work involved in creating fine art.

Playing with drybrush, my preliminary value plan with water soluble graphite and initial inspiration.

Screech!

Inktober 2017, Day 9-- Daily prompt "Screech"

 

"Screech!!!" Went the soles of my shoes as I stepped out onto the front porch and saw this awe inspiring lantern of a fall tree, lit up by the autumn sun.

 "Screech!!!" Went the brakes on the truck as it went around the sharp corner.

"Screech!!!" Went my paintbrush as I came to the decision that I had already said all I wanted about the beauty of the autumn color and light. I feel that if I add anything else at all, it would take away from the concept that I have so far.

Inktober Day 7--Shy

A rare semi self portrait

There could be a few reasons why I seldom, if ever, do selfies or draw/paint self portraits:

1. I'm suddenly shy when too much attention is focused on me.
2. There are so many more interesting things to document.
3. It's just too exhausting to go to the trouble of hair, makeup and lighting.
4. All of the above.

No filter, makeup, hair styling etc.

So I thought I would do one in my reading spot in the bedroom while lazing around this morning.

Reminds me of those "Killroy was here" drawings my Dad used to do when I was little. :)

Underwater x3

Above is my classroom demonstration of a wave crashing against a rock, depicting the concept of how much strength there is in ocean waves. Over time this action helps turn these rocks into the sand on the shoreline.

My demonstration for the beginners in the class.

Day 4 of  Inktober--the prompt is "Underwater"

I hated to leave my Cosmos #10 round kolinsky sable watercolor brush underwater in the jar for even the few minutes it took to draw this ink wash response to the day's prompt for Inktober.

Inktober Day 1

The official prompt for Day 1 of Inktober is swift.

"Spider-Man" on the sky bridge at the new Funko world headquarters in Everett, Wa.

What could be swifter than Spider-Man as he shoots out his web and swings from building to building?