November!

Harvest

So many wonderful things happen in November.  I feel as if the season has really shifted into winter's mode. This month I will start prepping for the holidays in earnest! In the work arena I have several paintings promised before turkey day; work on a collection of purses made from re-claimed materials with my business "Green Thimble," cards to make, paintings to mat and frame for our holiday market... I'll post some pics to give you a couple of sneak previews but once I start making the purses you may want to lay claim right away.  They are one of a kind and I already have an order for a Beverly Hills boutique that wants to carry them.

Vineyards at Dusk

In the meantime I'm off to continue prepping for my Turkey Trot.  My kids and I run in the Camarillo event every year as part of our Thanksgiving tradition.  It keeps me focused on something besides food and we have a blast.  Laura can legally drink mimosas this year so that will add to the festivities.  She thinks so anyway.

I also have a couple of special Saturday events in the works at the Studio.  There is a Yupo workshop Saturday, November 19 from 9-1 and I'll have an afternoon Kid's Craft Day on Saturday, December 10 from 1-5.

Time to focus...wish me luck!

Morro Bay, Tiny Sketches

It's so important to keep the inspiration coming as an artist. Travel and painting outdoors keep me going.  I'm sure my Channel Islands friends understand. I continued my kayak painting tradition and did these on my trip to Morro Bay.

Dunes in Morro Bay

Dorian Hiking Back from The Rock

I had my sketch box in a baggie complete with Sharpie and brush.  When I got my trusty pad of paper out I realized I had some practice sketches on the front of the postcards.  I had to flip them over and used only 1/2 of the back due to all the pre-printed info there.  These are really tiny (apx 3"x4")and actually quite charming.  The little set will look nice framed together.  

The Rock

Morro Bay Sea Lions

The Big Guy (He didn't have the smile; that was a wild mark of the pen I managed to include in the composition:)

Thanks for the ride and the very special birthday Dorian!

Just a quick update

The romantic site of my latest oil

I've been up to several things and going at warp speed but thought I'd slow down for a second to update here.  I did a workshop for Studio Channel Islands Art Center last week which was written up in our local paper.   Ventura County Star Article on Gifted Students program.

I'm also continuing my work in oil still life in the studio.  Carol Henry, a fellow artist in residence at SCIART, had this set up in her studio last week.  I enjoyed every minute of painting that afternoon.

In my work I like to pretty much evenly split my time between teaching and painting.  I can't imagine letting go of either one.  The continuous cycle of creating and sharing works so well for me. I love confirmation that I've chosen the right path for myself and my career.  Here's to many more years!

The warm glow (sweat!) is from painting on a hot afternoon.
It translated well into the colors of my palette!

What a gorgeous day to paint...

I arrived at the studio today in a bit of a funk.  I wasn't motivated to paint so I went and bought a  door.  You see I looove to paint big pieces and I haven't indulged myself in a long time.  I'm still working towards those golden fields and between a door and a luscious, newly stretched piece of Arches watercolor paper how could I stay in a bad mood?  My favorite part is painting with a broom in the sunshine.  Theres a reason my studio is larger than my apartment!  I'd rather use housekeeping tools to paint than clean!  Happy Friday!

The beginning

What in the world do I do with my time?

I'm a planner; I work very hard; I take care of myself; I love my friends and family and I remind myself every day to embrace the time I have here.

On the Conception last month at Santa Cruz Island

I read Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People years ago and apply those principles to my time management decades later.  When I plan I like to divide my time into the largest blocks I can.  I do this because I want to get lost in whatever it is I'm doing.  As a painter for example, I'm just getting warmed up after six hours in the studio.  Hours slip by when I'm working on the computer or on a walk.  I want to enjoy as much of my journey as I can.  If I'm traveling too fast I'll never see what's whizzing by my window.

I jot down a list of commitments I have for the next year/month/ week/ day.  I prioritize and plug in commitments and preserve as much open space as I can for the things that feed my life: work, relationships, self-care, etc. I keep a clear idea of my long-term goals and dreams and try to remember that there are many possible pathways to get there.  And while I can't be over-indulgent it's just as bad to live a stingy life.

The water clears my head!  Here I am in one of the world's most beautiful cities.

The blogging world is funny.  I can write things like this down and sometimes people will stop by to read it.  I'll certainly lose some people's attention because I do ramble and I probably sound very ordinary.  Many artists use their blogs exclusively to showcase their art.  I see my blog as something a little different.  While I am primarily a painter I have a deep seated belief in empowering people creatively.  To me, that's more than painting.  It means I live a life that is rich with possibility and if I give glimpses into how I explore my time here in the world maybe I'll give someone else the idea that a creative life is a real possibility.  After all, if this very ordinary woman can live this way anyone can!  It takes guts and resource management (time and money- see my blog A Room of One's Own, January 14, 2011 post).  It also takes having a good support system to take care of things at home if you're not as unencumbered as I am.

San Francisco Chinatown

One of the things I've committed to doing with my life is to travel.  Right now I'm taking baby steps and have stuck to the US and primarily the west coast.  The next time I go to visit my daughter in Seattle I'll take my passport and take the wild ride to Vancouver so Canada will be the first foreign country on my runaway list.

Over the last several years I've taught myself how to "run away from home."  Here's what I do:  

1.  Because I work out regularly I often have a gym bag with an extra set of clothes in the back of my car.  

2.  As a painter I keep some kind of paint and paper or canvas handy.  

3.  I like to keep a full tank of gas in my Prius and 

4.  have a small fund put aside to use as mad money.  

5.  I live in a turn-key apartment. 

6.  I have no animals or small children and low-maintenance plants.
7.  I've explored ways to travel inexpensively ie with groups and using discounts for travel.

The last time I ran away to Santa Barbara I had a weekend available and as I drove up the PCH (CA Hwy 1) and saw the sign to San Francisco I wondered why I wasn't going further afield.  I've had the good fortune to spend the last ten years going up to SB and it's a bit of a second home so it's very comfortable.  I needed to get a little bit uncomfortable and go further.

This past weekend I did.  I also realized that I have become a little bit of an adventurer.  I've always thought of myself as quite tame and I am, but I do like to try new things!  The last two months I've obviously had a good time.  I've been cooped up in the studio so much I was running out of material and needed to get some fresh inspiration/ material to paint.

Here's a photo of a vineyard where I painted on the way home Sunday.  I'll have to go back up to Santa Inez or another place a little closer to home for a day trip this month.  I need some time with the fields in the golden month of October...I'll keep you posted. 

Stillwaters Vineyard, Paso Robles, CA  I spent the day painting here on Sunday to research some areas for a large commission I'm painting.  I have sketches and color notes but am a looong way from being finished.

When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again.

"I'd make more mistakes next time," she said. "I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

"You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter than I have.  I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies."

Kayak Painting and Exploration

I have my legs tangled up in kelp here to keep from drifting away as I paint some sea lion bulls.  My painting kit is a small box I put together with some hardware that keeps either an 8x10 or 10x10 canvas panel in place.  There's a tiny mixing palette.  This setup is for oils.  They're bulkier than my watercolors but respond  better when splashed with salt water! The paintings are a sweet reminder of a wonderful experience!

The sea lions who posed for us.  Thanks for all of the photos Marian!  See her blog by going to Musings of a Painter listed under Blogs I Follow.  She has many detailed posts about painting on the trip.

Putting on makeup or painting?
I think this is where I was doing the waterfall piece.

I adore this shot!  My friends Tanya Radik and Diane Nelson Gold look like early American explorers in 21st century attire.  I'm just hanging out in my own little world happy as the proverbial clam.  Thanks again to Marian Fortunati for the photos.

David Gallup showing me the sea cliffs up close and personal.  I was afraid of being crashed into the walls by uncontrollable forces (lol) before this trip.  This kind of kayaking is sooo tame but still took a little courage when I first tried it last year.  It was worth conquering my fears for the adventure.  I hope I can do this kind of thing for YEARS!  I plan on taking good care of myself just for that:)  White water rafting would be fantastic...

I'm back!

Mary-Gail King and David Gallup at Santa Cruz

Here's a snapshot from the Channel Islands trip I just took.  I'm still getting my land-legs back and my tripod has sand in it but what fun!  This photo is from our second day on Santa Cruz Island where I painted from the deck of the boat Conception.  The Painted Cave is the largest sea cave in the world and has become an old friend.

You'll notice that I'm painting in oils in the photo.  David teaches oil exclusively and I took up oils to study with him in his Masters Class.  I've learned lots of color theory and refined my philosophy and sense of design with him.  That with solid business coaching has made him an invaluable mentor.

Now to my first love...Here are some small watercolor sketches I did from my kayak.

I find that taking just five minutes to sketch an immediate response to wherever I find myself is like taking a deep breath of fresh air.  Here are a couple of gulps I took from my kayak...It was tricky keeping the salt water off of them as they dried but worth the extra juggling in the kayak.

For those of you unfamiliar with watercolor salt causes granulation of the paint when applied to watercolors.  In the waterfall painting the sides of the cliff show this effect.

Small Waterfall on Santa Cruz

Caves Painted from my Kayak

 I took a photo of my travel kit as well.  It's small enough to fit in a pocket or small fanny pack.  That and the cap from a water bottle are all that's needed for a portable studio.  I've painted all over the world with these tools and the little postcard sketches are both charming and engaging

Dreaming...

:) I just went through my "old" posts and found this one. It's worth publishing just to remind myself that the little things become the big things. I've been a little anxious about making progress on my latest BIG DREAM. This entry is from a time of great happiness and contentment when I knew I was doing all of the right things. Reminder to self,"Trust yourself, be kind."

No posts for a while... It's funny that I say that.  I used to beat myself up about not doing something "perfectly" every single day.  Then I started noticing some things.  I've kept journals of some kind since I was about 15.  I'd write the first ones at night in a spiral bound notebook and talk about things like my latest crush and what I was doing for homework.  I'd write for a few days or weeks, then take an unplanned break because of school, a social life or a general lack of motivation and come back to SLAM myself about not writing in my journal.

When I consolidated years of writing a couple of years ago I had two bank box files filled with them!  I destroyed some of the old high school books.  It wasn't because they were incriminating.  They were just boring and redundant. When re-reading them I did notice I was much happier in high school than I remembered. That was good.  It was nice to have the old me talk to the current me and share that.

I enjoyed peeks into my everyday life as a young business professional and then mother.  I saw my journey into a progressively more creative life.  It's the little things I chose to do every day (or most days) that have helped me to grow and develop into a healthy, well rested, active, happy, etc, person.  Those little things are what have made my life so special.  The big things come.  Recognition, a giant painting or exhibit, fitting into a gorgeous new dress, finishing a marathon.  All of those things are built from the little choices I make every day.  When I get up and do something different it's good to just enjoy that and keep looking at my goals.  I'll get there.  I always do!

Master Class

The other thing I learned from my past selves was that I need to be gentler with myself.  Over time I'm VERY consistent.  Thirty-five years of journaling can testify to that.  I'm glad I didn't do it every day!  I'd never be able to go through them all.
So, in spite of missed posts I know what I put in here is sufficient.  In the meantime I stay busy.  I've started filling my classes for fall!  My commissions are plugging along; I continue my Master's Classes with David Gallup; spend time with my friends; take road trips...

I'm feeling awfully clever now creating an itsy, bitsy art journal.

A good education teaches one how to think. I believe being creative is one of the benchmarks of good thinking.  I believe creativity is innate to everyone and can be developed and fostered.  

See this link for more: Lateral/ Creative Thinking, Edward de Bono  In the meantime...

 I had a wonderful day yesterday with some of the administrators and staff from the Pleasant Valley School District here in Camarillo.  (That is the name and yes, it is a pleasant valley...) Several of the artists here at the Studios held workshops for the school district in the morning.  Some made clay boxes, others drew, still others painted a la Jackson Pollock on the grassy field outside.  I had my group make art journals out of baby sandals and pages they decorated themselves.

Several people yesterday weren't sure what the workshop was about.  There is a huge movement that embraces this concept.

 Art Journalling Images

Stampington, An Art Journalling Magazine

I think of a journal as a place where my thoughts are gathered into book form.  An art journal is one that includes images of any kind.

Itsy, bitsy journal

I wanted to give people some ideas to take back to the schools. So, I went to the local craft store where I saw a sandal display at the front door.  Since I had a tiny budget I was taken in by the .80 per pair price.  (Each pair made two books so they fit my itsy bitsy budget.) I got stickers, markers, etc. to have the inspiration of new materials. I also sprung for some bristol board which can accept water media.  I like to be able to do a lot to the paper and the sturdy base is good.

Here are some photos which show the basic process I used to assemble the books.

Remove the back part of the thong

Cut the thong leaving a little tab
in the foremost hole

Once you've done this decorate the papers you want to cut up and use the bottom of the sandal as a template for the pages. Mark the spot where you need to punch a hole in the pages and punch the hole.  Then, wiggle the paper over the tab you've left. Finish embellishing and enjoy.  These are a great place to record little things about a vacation, to use as party favors, etc.  

Think on your feet (ARG!) and come up with other ideas for tiny books:)

An alternate way to attach the pages to the "cover."

Another technique I used during Art Camp with the kids.
One of them was inspired to make her own "envelope book"
with staples to bind it.  I made these by folding the tabs over
 on a catalog envelope and punching holes.  Then I used
ribbons to bind it.

When one thing ends...

Sunset from Home

Well, today is the last day of  SCIART Art Camp.  It's been a fantastic month and we have our final reception and exhibit tonight from 4-6.  It will be fun to see the parents and children enjoy the fruits of their labors!  I'm certainly very proud of everyone.  We've all done an amazing job.

I have a LOT of other work to catch up on. The biggest thing I have to do is to get some commissions finished and prep for my fall classes.  Of course I have ongoing shows and SCIART events I'll keep posting here as well.

The biggest thing I have coming up is a workshop on Yupo next Saturday!  I've purchased some transparent paper which will be fun to play with.  I love the look of layered images so this will be very interesting.  Painting on the paper and hanging it with lights behind it is one of the first ideas that comes to mind...  The transparency of watercolor will be gorgeous with yet another layer for the light to go through.

I am keeping the workshop small but have room for a few more artists.  Children over 10 are welcome with an adult.  Child's rates are 1/2 of the adult prices.  Here's the registration form.

Working with Yupo  Mary-Gail King

August 20 from 9-2 at Studio Channel Islands Art Center

2222 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo, CA 93010

Join me in exploring an alternative to traditional watercolor using Yupo. Yupo is an innovative paper that is made of plastic. My focus is on design as I explore surface texture and color.  I will share some of the techniques I use to make this very spontaneous a material both easy and fun. I'll start with a demo and then we'll all dive in.  Best of all it's a great tool to loosen up the most structured of artists!  It's just plain fun.

Materials list available at registration.  Fee is $95.

_______________________________________

Contact me at:  805.217.9539 or mgking@mac.com.

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Register today to reserve your spot. $95 includes lunch and some materials

Name:________________________

Email:________________________

Phone:_______________________

Payment method:_______________Cash, check, MC/Visa (extra 5% for credit)

Much Ado About Something

Working consistent, long hours with attention focused on the important things to build a business is getting me somewhere.  I have a long way to go and a lot to learn but I'm seeing a payoff.  I moved into Studio Channel Islands Art Center on August 1st of last year.  It's been a year of study, learning and growth.  I've enjoyed teaching, painting and sharing my art.  I've also managed to keep it afloat...That's not bad for a first year!

I've especially enjoyed working with my colleagues from The Ojai Group and Debbie Fox on the show, Pink Moments, that is currently on exhibit at Fox Fine Jewelry.  The Ojai Group at Fox Fine Jewelry

Beatrice Wood

There's been a new event that has come up related to the show.  On September 11 and 12 Ventura will have an art event called Paint Ventura.  Even better, Debbie has made arrangements with the Santa Monica Museum of Art to loan some two dimensional work by artist Beatrice Wood.  That is a Big Deal.  It will go on my resume and be marked in my memory as a milestone in my career.

By being in the right place at the right time and working in collaboration with an amazing group of women, I will hang across an exhibit space from this 20th Century legend.  (She won't be there, of course, except in spirit...)

http://www.beatricewood.com/biography.html

I'm also featured in the latest Society 805 Magazine representing The Thousand Oaks Art Association.  I need to come back to this posting the next time I get discouraged and realize that, over time, hard work pays off.  Now that is something!

Scroll down to see the small profile Society 805 did on me:)

Mary-Gail King

Next up-Mondrian Collages

Mondrian

I'm taking on a couple of extra classes for SCIART's Summer Art Camp and tomorrow's project will be collage based on work by Piet Mondrian.  I looked into a couple of articles on his work and found this SFMOMA video to be very helpful.  I really didn't understand his work until seeing the video.  I've always known that he's all about design but this made it clear what he was looking for.  SFMOMA video on Mondrian

He, of course, was all about simplifying what he saw.  He systematically reduced the visible world into a series of vertical and horizontal lines with primary colors, black and white as his only design elements.  

Tomorrow I'll talk about design with the kids by showing one of his works and talking about his choice of line and color along with the logic of how the paintings achieve a sense of balance.  I hope that makes sense...it's late and my right brain may have left the room a few hours ago.  

The fun will start when I give them an assortment of cut out cardboard pieces, watercolor paints and glue.  I've cut 4x6 inch pieces of white cardboard out and painted it with absorbent ground.  The ground accepts watercolor paint well so I'll have them use primary colors to paint them.  This is a great way to reinforce the color wheel concept as well.  Once those dry I'll have them place them in a grid and add black lines to finish.  I haven't done such a "canned" project yet but these classes are bigger than the ones in our last two week session...

In my last painting class I introduced them to Jackson Pollock and they ended up painting the grass instead of the paper we laid out.  They were adorable crawling around with their little paint brushes!  We ended up using rice paper for monotypes.  Last of all we attached yarn to make kites.  Whew!  One thing certainly led to another in that lesson!

Maybe we'll walk the campus and talk about grids.  This is a mid-century modern school campus and a perfect candidate to teach students about reducing structure to simple linear elements.  Hmmm

Rough sample of project

Here's another fine mess...

So, I don't have much time for a post today but...I just want to say that if a neat studio is a sign that you're not working then I'm a busy little beaver!  From the bikes in the kitchen area to the living room set up in the classroom area there are art materials spread from one end to the other.  I'm going back tonight to get the materials together for tomorrow's classes and also need to frame a piece for the raffle we're having at my reception at Fox Fine Jewelry on Saturday. In between all of that I have a social life:)  Nice and crazy.  I like it this way for a little while but I'll be anxious for a break by next weekend! TTFN

Opening Reception/ ArtWalk to come

My friends from the Ojai Group and I had a great reception last night at Fox Fine Jewelry.  Debbie Fox has been amazing to work with from the get go.  She's made this a seamless, easy show and it's beautiful.  Be sure to come by to see me at ArtWalk this coming weekend (Sat. and Sun. the 23rd and 24th.)    I'll be doing a demonstration on Sunday from 1-3.  

We have so much fun together as you can see.  Painting and exhibiting together are almost secondary to the support we give each other in all aspects of our lives.  When one of us is down the others carry and support her.  We take turns as life changes...I'm not sure there's any better synergy than that. 

A Forgotten Vacation

I meant to post this for you all too.  It's from a trip I took to Seattle last week to visit Laura where I also got to see several cousins and an art friend who lives in Gig Harbor, WA (Donna Carver.)

This is a simple sketch I did looking back at Pike Place Market with the Puget Sound at my back. I also sketched the Sound but especially like this one.  It's typical of what I like to do when I travel.  I pack a stack of Arches Watercolor Paper postcards, a fine pointed Sharpie and a travel sized palette filled with my own WC paint.  It all fits in my purse and I like to pull it out when I have a break.  It's a nice breather and helps me really experience a place.

Seattle, Pike Place Market

Shark's Teeth

Here's what the shark's head will look like after the soft tissue is gone.

This is from day two of my shark painting adventure.  It's what the shark's head will look like once his soft tissue is gone.  I can't claim this as a solo painting.  It was done under significant supervision.  I'll have to save this one.  It's almost a David Gallup "collaboration."  That's something...(Check out his web site and you'll see why I'm so lucky to paint with him.)
http://www.dgallup.com/

BTW,  I have an article in the Ventura County Star today.

The Ojai Group

I co-founded a group called The Ojai Group and we have the opening reception for our show Pink Moments tomorrow, July 16 from 6-9 at Fox Fine Jewelry on Main Street across from the Mission.  Details and the exact address are in the article.  I have four oil paintings, cards and some matted original watercolors in the show.  I hope you all can come! I always appreciate your support~!

Painting a Shark's Head

Shark's Head

I managed to slip in some painting time the last couple of days which has been great fun...  Yesterday I taught my morning class and afterwards went across the lawn to Dave Gallup's studio to say hello.  I walked into quite the party!  It was Dave's birthday and one of his students brought him a shark's head.  His birthday wish was to paint it so of course we all had to join in. 

I couldn't stand to leave after we ate the cupcakes. I had to stay and paint.  As the frozen head thawed it got shinier and smellier. By the end of the afternoon its little nose started to shrivel up.  It must have been having trouble with the aroma too! We all ended up with some facsimile of a shark and the good feeling that comes from doing something you really love.  

It felt like summer with the fishy smell and a nice coastal breeze coming through the studio.  I'm glad it was Dave's place and not mine though.  I'm not sure how long it will take that place to air out.  I think they spilled a little bit of the melted "shark water."  What we do for art...

Focus

I'm excited about the growth of my business to date.  It's small but mighty.  I keep reminding myself of a statistic I read in a news article somewhere (what a lame reference but that's not the point...) Apparently 20% of businesses grow in poor economic times.  It may be counter-intuitive to look at art as a business with a lot of opportunity right now but I think it is.  I've put some thought into how to make that happen and hope to see it work.

My focus right now is business follow up and drawing.  Discipline in those areas will support the growth I'm building.  I'll talk in another post about why I chose those two things and how they fit into my business plan.

I'm taking a drawing class from my colleague, Rich Brimer.  He's using the classic book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and does a good job with it. I'm happy with what I'm doing.  See Camarillo Artists' Drawing Class for information on the class.

Just to throw in the dash of reality here. I had a great evening but I dropped and broke the teacher's pencil, had to borrow an eraser from the woman next to me, got totally confused about how to color inside (inside not out, inside not out) the lines, traced a grid (in Sharpie) on plexiglass crooked, had the "wrong" sized drawing notebook and managed to coat both of my hands and most of my right forearm in graphite!

 It reminded me of kindergarten and sitting next to a girl with a perfectly sharpened box of 64 Crayolas.  She carefully outlined her coloring book pages with black crayon and gently shaded the insides of the pictures.  I had a box of 8 and always preferred them after they were broken. Then I could use the sides of them as well as the points.  I liked to color the backgrounds on the pages too, outside the lines.  It was hard because I kept comparing my coloring to hers and worrying that mine wasn't as perfect.   I'm not sure, but she may be an accountant now and here I am...

Anyway, there's my hand.  I'm happy with the sketch and grateful to have the actual hand to help me do the things I love!

The Ojai Group

I have a show coming up with a group of talented painters at Fox Fine Jewelry in Ventura, CA.   It will be quite beautiful and celebrates the "aha moments" or special times that happen in all of our lives.  Come join us on Saturday, July 16 from 6-9 PM.

www.theojaigroup.com  

Did you ever?

I've been in Seattle since early last week.  Have you ever had so many experiences that seemed worthy of sharing that they just piled up and became a mountain?  Well, that or just the lush experience of experiencing life.  Well that's what I did this week.

I came up "on the house" as a celebration of selling my former home.  I also wanted to see my daughter and get an idea of some of the opportunities in the arts in Seattle.  In the process I got to visit with some cousins from Florida and a Ventura County art friend who now live here.  They showed me some of the sometimes overlooked sights I'd have missed without their guidance.  I never did find the Daniel Smith art supplies headquarters but I learned a lot about the public transportation system in Seattle.  I also wandered around the port area (looking for Daniel) and learned something about the big imports here (lots of raw materials from Alaska.) That one is hard to explain and let me say I was glad to have my tennis shoes!  This is one of the few sketches I was able to finish while visiting Seattle.  I was pretty busy.

just getting around on my own.

It's easier to get lost in painting when you have seeing eye people around!  I never did get to sketch the classic entry to Pike Place Market but I can do that later.  This was done from an observation deck near the end of the Market looking up towards downtown.

Tacoma Museum of Glass

Chihuly Glass detail from the Glass Bridge in Tacoma

Me and Gig Harbor artist Donna Carver

Jack

Erin

White Cousins  (That's the literal family name not a reference to the skin tone!)

                             

New trend in the making...A lanyard with a lifeguard whistle to loop into your hair.  Very cool.  I always feel safe with Laura.  She keeps a Red Cross mask on her keychain to admin mouth  to mouth as well.

To simplify I'll just share some pictures...Enjoy.