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Urban Sketching Workshop Announcement

I will be teaching two new Intro to Urban Sketching workshops through Skagit Valley College this summer. Locations for sketching will be different on each day of each workshop. All levels of ability and experience are welcome.

Call 360-416-7638     More info online here. Click Summer.

Blog readers' bonus! In addition to four fun days of learning to develop your urban sketching skills, here's a Special gift for those who sign up for both workshops! See details below!

Imagine how amazing your sketching pens, pencils and brushes will look in this faux leather pouch! Sign up for both summer workshops and it's yours!

More Details on my two new Urban Sketching Workshops

Intro to URBAN SKETCHING Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon Campus)

I am very excited to announce two NEW workshops on urban sketching where I can introduce you to some of my favorite sketching tips, locations and experiences. Every level of experience is welcome, but each workshop is particularly designed as an introduction for those who want to know what it's all about but haven't really tried urban sketching on their own. Or maybe you just need a little guidance on what to sketch and how to use your equipment.

Urban sketching might seem intimidating at first, but there’s a whole world of subject matter out there just waiting to inspire you. In each workshop, we’ll explore a number of different ways to approach sketching both in the city and in the countryside. You’ll learn how to create a simple, compact and inexpensive sketch kit, easy methods of sketching people, street scenes, marinas, gardens, markets, farms and more. Learn to do what other urban sketchers do when the weather turns against you by setting yourself up in a cafe window, a park shelter, a mass transit seat or in a museum. Instruction, hands on practice, outdoor sketching.

We'll start in the classroom for demonstrations, hands on practice and orientation. Then we go out on location to try out your new skills. Each day of each workshop will offer different locations in and around the Mount Vernon and La Conner area. Part of one day of each workshop features riding and sketching on the bus! (bus fare included with the workshop!)

Lunchtime will be one hour plus time to commute to the next location. Lunch Day One on your own, Day Two Cafe sketching in class (bring lunch money).
Location maps, materials list and complete schedule sent by email upon registration

6033   CART 072   AG   9:00AM-4:30PM   SaSu 7/9 to 7/10   H208   Cooper M   $179.00  Seats Avail: 7 of 10

6034   CART 072   BG   9:00AM-4:30PM   Su 8/21 to 8/28   H208   Cooper M   $179.00  Seats Avail: 8 of 10

Monday at the old Lincoln Theatre

Anacortes sketchers arriving at the old Lincoln Theatre

Behind the scenes at the old Lincoln Theatre-What to choose?

It was a perfect afternoon for painting outside on the sidewalk in Mt. Vernon today. The old Lincoln Theatre (established in 1926) just had their new sign installed and it's pretty fabulous. So that's what I thought I would sketch. I even got started sketching in a shady spot across the street.

It was tempting, but we had unusual access to all the interior and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to prowl around behind the scenes.

As I passed the old fashioned ticket booth under the marquee and entered the lobby, there was the concession stand. It still has original graphics on either end from the 1940's indicating which way to the Guys' and Gals' restrooms.

Monday with Anacortes Sketchers at the old Lincoln Theatre

I wandered all over, from the amazingly spacious auditorium with chandeliers hanging from truly high vaulted ceilings to the dressing rooms, carpenter shop, ushers' uniform closet, and a labyrinth of rooms, hallways and stairways. Someone was in the alley building a new set of steps for the cast entrance. There are still live performances staged at the Lincoln Theatre as well as classic, foreign,  independent and art films.

All that was missing was the sound of fresh hot popcorn and bubbles rising to the top of an enormus cup of Pepsi. That's how I reached the decision to sketch behind the scenes at the concession stand. The octopus-like tangle of tubes connecting the CO2 tanks to the soda dispenser, the Pepsi sign seen through the side of the popcorn machine, and the massive container (down to one third full) of popcorn kernels; all these were fun to sketch from my view at the base of a crooked set of stairs.

Thank you, Margaret, for arranging and hosting such a great opportunity and thanks to the staff at the Lincoln Theatre.

SKOL2016 at Roozengaard

Although I shared this series of sketches live on Periscope after a morning at Roozengaard, a tulip display garden, it's always nice to see the work in progress. Scroll down to view my accordion book sketches in reverse order, from end back to beginning.

The finished sketches of the day. 4.7.16.  Individual sketches shown in more detail on the replay at the 57min mark. Here on Katch.

I want to engage in the Sketch Out Loud Project along with other artists around the world. The goal of SKO/L is to help celebrate Landscape Architecture and World Landscape Architecture Month with a wide audience of sketchers to promote on location sketching as a way to observe and document the landscape. Learn more about SKOL2016 here.

Final sketch of the windmill and a trophy shot on a warm, sunny bench nearby.

As I sat on a bench sketching in the northwest corner of the display garden, a bee came to view my progress. It hovered for a few moments, so close that I could see it pivot in flight left and right from page to  page.  After it buzzed away, I sketched it in place exactly where it had been, took this photo and continued my work in progress. 4.7.16
Roozengaard

Watercolor classes registering now

My studio is transitioning from sketching pit stop into a place to plan my new fall watercolor classes! I already have some new, fun lessons in store for watercolor painters of all levels. See the Fall 2015 schedule on my website (link in right hand column). Registration is now open.

We still have some warm, sunny days ahead before colder, rainy weather sets in. I intend to take full advantage of all those outdoor sketching opportunities while I can. The lessons on color, atmosphere, and composition that I learn out there no doubt will find their way into the new lessons that I share with you this fall.

Here are a couple of spots to view examples of my watercolors and sketches: My Flickr photo stream with high resolution images from my paintings and sketches. 
My Instagram account where I post new sketches almost every day.

Schuh Farms with Anacortes Sketchers

Gravel crunched underfoot as I opened my car door, a cow mooed and giant sunflowers peeked over the top of a ripe cornfield across the street. Anacortes sketchers met at Schuh Farms this afternoon. Now THIS is summertime in Skagit Valley!

Sunflowers and corn grow across the street as they make fresh peach milkshakes at the coffee stand.

Animal, Vegetable or mineral? Take your pick

We had our pick of subject matter: 1) Fresh fruit and flowers, farm tools, antiques, 2) outdoor subjects like the Radio Flyer made into a planter, 3) One of my classroom models showed up with a "Welcome" sign, 4) "The Kid" and his dog drift around the back corner with a fresh load of dill as Janice simply sketches on.
I was standing in the shade across the parking lot, sketching, taking photos and occasionally dodging cars as they backed out.

Sketcher chics admiring the hens.

My two page spread for the afternoon

A little sketching, a little shopping....load it up and take it home!

Today's haul: three sketches on a full two page spread in my Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook, fresh flowers, a bottle of Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad dressing, fresh corn and a pink Adirondack chair for my little granddaughter. Shhhh! She doesn't know yet.

Sketchers at the Tulip Fields

Two more days until the "official" opening of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and the fields are at peak already. Anacortes sketchers met across from Christianson's Nursery in Mt Vernon today at what may be the ultimate field this year.

Spring has sprung! 68 degrees and color everywhere !

Update: My friend and fellow artist took a photo of me painting this sketch. See it here.

ASk sketching in the tulip fields today. A trophy shot of my sketch in progress.

A bystander asked if we all wanted our photo together, I gave her my camera, she took two photos and I have no idea what happened to them. I should have checked to see if she pushed the right button, I guess.

I did get some photos of Anne and Joyce sitting on their portable camp stools very close to the mud! and our group photo of sketches, a distant view of the group putting their work at the end of a row and a trophy shot of my sketch in progress.

Anyone for Croquet?

Jerlyn sketching at Gretchen's Kitchen Shop

These would have fit in nicely at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

I wanted to add text to the teapot sketch and color to my line drawing of Jerlyn. Didn't have time until now. This brought back memories of a very fun day in Mt. Vernon with the Anacortes Sketchers.

ASk at Gretchen's

Happy sketchers! Thank you, Donna and Dianne!

Anacortes Sketchers filled their sketchbooks at Gretchen's on Monday.

The Anacortes Sketchers were welcomed at Gretchen's in Mt. Vernon on Monday, March 16. Give us a beautifully set up kitchen shop nearly all to ourselves and just see how busy we can be! So busy, it has taken me a while to put this post together!

If you are local, you may recall that this shop was set up with the assistance of Graham Kerr, whose national cooking show, "The Galloping Gourmet" was so popular. You should see the kitchen used for demonstrations and classes!

Everyone fell in love with the bright Spring teapots!

Busy, busy, busy, all over the shop!!

Extrememly early season in the Skagit Valley

 

I painted at this field of daffodils near the Tulip Valley Vineyard and Orchard in Mt Vernon this morning. 

The Skagit Valley farmers are anxiously awaiting the tulip bloom, concerned that it will be over by the time of the official start of the annual Tulip Festival, usually on the first of April.

I spoke to the owner of the winery, who said some events have now been moved up two weeks early.

Friday March 20, Update: Field #1 at Roozengarde has red tulips in bloom today.

My two page sketch journal spread from yesterday with ASk

Tri Dee Art Supply is on a corner in downtown Mt. Vernon, across the street from the Co-op Grocery and Deli. Just looking at the two story square brick building from outside, you know it's going to be fun shopping in there.

Thank you, Tri Dee, for my Palomino Blackwing 620 pencil!

I had such a great time, inside the store and out. First, I saw this fabulously colorful umbrella, hanging upside down from the ceiling as a lamp shade. While I sketched it, a woman came in from her walk in the sunny spring weather. She liked it, too. As well as the stack of retro toys and games behind her.

The store owners gave each of us sketchers a Palomino Blackwing 620 pencil, favored by John Steinbeck and others. See the story of the pencil, here. At one time, they were going for $40 a pencil on Ebay.

Outside, on the front sidewalk, was the sandwich board advertising more fun stuff to do here. A tree was all cozied up with a yarn bomb made by an expert. All sorts of colors and patterns decorated it and it was custom fit to the bifurcated tree as it branched out above head height.

The wall mural in the alley is a huge chalkboard, where you can finish the sentence: Before I die I want to:___________________. One person wrote: ......Take over the world with GOATS.
What would you write?