One more live broadcast on Periscope finished!

Here's the live demo and the original from today, side by side.

Thank you for watching, for the comments and for the hearts! Missed it? You can still see the replay and send hearts for a few more hours on Periscope.tv/michelecoopart  

Periscope videos vanish after 24 hours!

Would you like to see me do the background next?

News Flash! An Artful Touch, in Kirkland, just got in a whole selection of Lamy pens (Safari and Joy) and extra nibs of varying sizes! 

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?

Now for the Friday class and their ATCs!

Just when you think you can't be amazed any further, the Intermediate Class gets busy on the ATC assignment. Look what they produced in class at the Kirkland Arts Center today!

Intermediate Class ATCs at Kirkland Arts Center

Well, gotta get back to tidying up the studio! The 20th Annual Studio Open House is tomorrow. Hope you can come! Hours: 10am-7pm (Wine and Cheese from 5-7pm)

ATC from the Thursday class in Stanwood

These people amaze me! This is what my students in Stanwood did during class today at A Guilded Gallery. We are all working on more ATCs (Artists' Trading Cards) at home for the big trade in class next week!

The Thursday class ATCs

If you would like to learn more about ATCs, please follow the links below:
Explaining ATC or ACEO cards

• 1001 ways to make them
• Starter Kits online

Artists' Trading Cards in class this week!

What fun! With all the drenching rain and stormy weather we've had recently, there had to be a class on wet streets and another on people and their umbrellas. Everyone worked continually on their ATC format, making 3 1/2x 2 1/2" cards. Just look what the Wednesday students produced in class!

From the afternoon class

From the evening class at Skagit Valley College

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.