TA DA! Finished 31 drawings, ink and watercolor in 31 Days, Inktober 2017

So, initially, I thought I would interpret "Mask", the prompt for the last day of Inktober, with a drawing of my masking fluid collection. I left it too late on Oct. 31 to post before midnight, so the pressure was off.

Life continued to interrupt until after having visited the Seattle Art Museum and the Andrew Wyeth Retrospective Exhibit; I glanced over at the light on this old abandoned house this afternoon. Filtered through my recent experience of Wyeth's metaphor, it seemed as though the house was looking out through mask-like windows at the world passing it by. In a way, the exterior of a house masks from the outside world the lives that are lived inside. Sometimes, we get a glimpse through the windows, but in this case all their secrets have disappeared along with those who formerly lived here.

Mask-Day 31

Inktober Days 24-31. See my Instagram feed for "United"-Day 29

Ship, Squeak, Climb, Fall

I couldn't resist giving an Acme Sketch Kit to the sketcher out on the precipice. :)

I love the soft, filtered light that comes through the pleated fabric blinds in our bedroom.

From my reading chair. Day 24. Coziest, most comfortable sketching spot yet!

And that's a wrap until next Inktober! Thanks for the inspiration, Jake!

Three signs of Autumn Rainy Season

You know the Autumn rainy season has begun here in my part of the Pacific NW when these three signs appear from our front porch:

1. The neighbor's maple tree across the street changes color overnight.
2. I need my Sistine umbrella for a trip to the mailbox.
3. Spider webs collect their strings of crystal beads in the rain. (Zoom the hedge area to see the diagonal line of raindrops on the web.)

Fall color in the trees, a spider web with raindrops and an umbrella. 

What are three signs of the season where you live?  Take a Sunday morning or afternoon to express those one at a time in your watercolor sketchbook. 

Foggy Weather

It's that time of year again here in the Pacific Northwest. The fog comes in during the night and it's there when I wake up, filtering the morning sun. I think it's beautiful. Somehow, it makes me feel cozy, like having a big fluffy down quilt wrapped up around my ears. Sounds are muffled and the world is simplified into big shapes of midtones and darks. Fog turns the whole landscape into a watercolor painting. 

The sky is almost a gunmetal color on foggy days.

Welcome to Autumn

Love all the bumps, knobs and color changes this one had

So many vibrant subjects to paint, so little time. Today felt more like summer than fall, but the nights are taking their toll on the summer garden.  Good thing there are crops like gourds and squash that are made to last!