watercolor

Watercolor watch!

Now, this is a cool idea for portable art – taking a little mint tin and hot gluing it to an old watchband. Combine it with a water pen and there you have it! I’ll be making one of these…

One set of directions for using little Altoids metal boxes for a palette is here, you could adapt it to a smaller box easily. http://www.instructables.com/id/Altoids-Tin-Pocket-Sized-Watercolor-Box/

I‘ve also seen them done with a 3D printer insert – http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:753052
At our San Diego library, we have a 3D printer that can be used for FREE. Check your local library!

The Great Northwest Adventure Sketchbook

Click on the first image for full screen gallery viewing – enjoy!

: Traveling across the U.S. for three months in a truck camper – why not? Summers are for exploration, and seeing the great northwest and all its wonderful National Parks and scenery beckoned – resistance was futile.

: First stop in Jackson Hole was Pinedale, to visit family and relax after a long drive across the vast state of Wyoming. Uncle Tom had a lovely little park with a bridge and river across the way, perfect for stretching weary legs after driving!

: Sketching with a few other folks from a weekend drawing workshop at the Teton Science School – we looked across the stream and there was a moose and her baby. We watched them for nearly an hour!

: The Grand Tetons are my favorite range in all of the Rocky Mountains. Just south of Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming, the park doesn’t get the attention it deserves, in my opinion. I sketched this with the Teton Science School group, looking across the meadow at a herd of buffalo. The Tetons were named by French trappers – Grand Titties!

: Memorabilia in a FABULOUS display at the museum in Cody, Wyoming – where you buy a 3 day pass, with good reason. There are several museums here – one featuring Native American art & history, Western Art (they had many original Remingtons), Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show ephemera and an extensive collection of firearms. I’m partial to the Wild West show – I think I was one of the Perry sisters in a past life. LOVE their leather culottes!

: Chief Crazy Horse statue outside in the atrium at the Whitney Museum – probably one of the most moving memorials I’ve seen. The inscription at the bottom of the statue reads that he “died defending his country.” I think that says it all.

: Cody Wyoming is Rodeo country – with a rodeo every night during the summer months. The rodeo clowns do a lot of scary work, retrieving the cowboys and cowgals once they’ve been ejected from their ride. With kicking bulls and horses surrounding them, it’s no funny job!

: Sweet little home in the little town of Red Lodge, Montana. Artistic license permits me to make the house lavender if I want to!

: In the small rustic town of Virginia City are several classic buildings, including this quaint tinsmith shop. They also had some great authentic window displays in the old pharmacy and other buildings on the main drag. This little town was worth the diversion! The town’s old firetruck carries visitors through town and over the hillside to the old cemetery, too.

: This narrow building in Whitefish, Montana couldn’t have been more than 10 foot wide, and YES it was this color!

: Of course, wouldn’t you know it? The ONE day we are in town to see this gorgeous mansion, it was closed. Well, it was a beautiful summer day anyway.

: Crossing over into British Columbia (Canada) now – I spied a small sign saying The Glass House on the left. Stop the truck! Gratefully, my partner complied and we got to tour this wonder. Built in the 1950′s by an undertaker for his wife – the ultimate in recycling. It was constructed of recycled embalming fluid bottles laid on their sides, with curving turrets and walls – it looked so “Disney-esque” The widow still lives there from September – spring, and the province runs tours of it all summer. It’s on Lake Kootenay near Creston, B.C.

: Not far away from the Glass House was a little artist colony of interesting shops including a broom shop, pottery shop and weaving studio. Imagine a whole shop devoted to handmade brooms!

: We camped along the shore of this lake for a week or more – nearby was Ainsworth hot springs, which is one of my favorite hot springs with caves and tunnels that you can “crawl” through on your hands in the warm water. Very mystical!

: Beautiful view across the lake.

: Back down to northeastern Washington state, the quaint town of Winthrop is a tourist mecca. Ironically, as I was taking this photo – I saw a couple of teens sitting on a sidewalk bench, and they looked familiar. Who is it but Rick Steve’s kids, Jackie & Andy. Small world! (See Italian Travel Adventure under Blogs)

: Fruit and veggies near the Cascades – blueberries, raspberries, fields of flowers – abundanza!

: On Whidbey Island not far from Seattle, the little village of Coupeville has a charming wharf and also a great Art Center, with classes all summer long!

: A farmer has a great sense of humor – Flying Lessons – Rent a Broom!

: A hillside overlooking the islands of the San Juans, a little known part of America.

: If You’ve Ever Lived on an Island Poem, seen on the refrigerator of Whidbey Islander Sylvia, a gem of a lady that I had the pleasure to know.

: Lime Kiln State Park Lighthouse in the San Juan islands of northern Washington state.

: In the state of Washington now, just across the water from Canada…

: A beautiful sculpture along the bay in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada), a tribute to the sea.

: This is either the house of a master collector of kitsch or a retired propmaster!

: Boathouses, or Floathouses here in Canada – it’d be an interesting life, but perhaps a bit damp and mildewy?

: This cute little group of miniature ferries carried tourists across the bay to downtown Victoria – they had a synchronized performance on the water near the Empress Hotel, also.

: The elegant Empress Hotel in Victoria B.C. with its floating airport and afternoon tea!

: Built in the late 1800′s by Robert Dunsmuir to impress his wife and family with the great northwest – the poor fellow died before it was finished, and the house was nearly always inhabited by women – his wife & daughters. There was an awesome upper level billards room and an adjoining ballroom, with framed dance cards from their many parties. Sweet!

: A dance card from 1906 from a Smith college ball.

: On down to Issaquah, Washington to my longtime friend Patricia’s homestead. She had llamas, and one had given birth the week before we’d arrived. They named her Chai. Sweet. The llamas really were rather skittish, not warm and friendly like I’d imagined. Oh well.

: Downtown Seattle, this landmark is always a “must visit” site for visitors to Seattle, the Pike Farmers Market. With flying fish and flowers and hand-crafted treats, it is a wonderful place to spend a day.

: A hand-carved sign showing symbols of the northwestern native Americans, a wheel of salmon – seen in downtown Coupeville on Whidbey Island, Washington.

: Aunt Jane & Uncle Jim’s country home on Whidbey Island – always feels like home to me. Boogie dog and his ball are always waiting for an unsuspecting kind person to THROW THE BALL, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

: Multnomah Falls, along the Columbia river, which divides the southern border of Washington state and northern border of Oregon. This cascade is just amazing to look up at and you can climb up to the top if you’re fit, but it takes awhile.

: Kitesurfers along the Columbia in Stevenson, Washington. This was the path of Lewis & Clark on their way to the Pacific Ocean!

: What else? Karaoke at the Elks Club on Friday night – This 70-something gal used to sing on cruise ships oh-so-long-ago, and could belt out a grand version of “I Cried a River Over You.”

: Oregon’s Cape meares lighthouse with it’s brilliant Fresnel lens and wildlife light the way for ships entering Tillamook bay.

: Creeping down the coast along highway 1, in historic Eureka there are many lovely Victorian homes to admire.

: Pulling over to the side of the road to a Sandcastle festival on the beach, north of Eureka.

: The lovely town of Ferndale, on the Pacific coast – the site where many of the buildings were used in the filming of The Majestic, with Jim Carrey – the other town where it was filmed was north in Fort Bragg and Mendocino.

: Avenue of the Giants through the ancient Sequoia forest – the roadway parallel to highway 1 – they’d carved a small house in the base of one of the trees (they’re THAT big!)

: The Skunk Train runs from Fort Bragg east an hour or two through the Redwood forest, a classic steam train that is a familiar sound and sight in this sleepy little town.

: The family’s cabin in the redwoods – our names all carved on the depot’s bench. The train stops if you wave by the tracks!

: At the Guest House museum in Fort Bragg, this display was great! It’s a split log, with a crevice holding a cache of acorns buried over 750 years ago! The wood grew over the hole and entombed the acorns.

Alaska Adventure Travel Sketchbook

Click on the first image for full page gallery viewing – enjoy!

: Trip taken in 2005 with our truck camper up through British Columbia, the Yukon and back down the inside passage via the Alaska state ferry system.

: Hat Creek Historic Park – with a nearly deserted campground, which made for a fun afternoon of tooling around and admiring the antique farm tractors and the farm animals.

: Fishing in Alaska! This is Big Boy fishing – hauling up a 6 foot long Halibut from the ocean floor requires an hour and a lot of muscle!

: A beautifully carved and decorated long house – the imagery represents fish, birds and other precious things in nature.

: Nothing like being held captive out on a lake in a boat with a “Praise the Lord” lake guide at the microphone – all while being assaulted by Yukon-sized mosquitoes!

: Deserted when the army’s troops finished building the Alaska oil pipeline – this jeep’s still cool.

: There actually IS a name for the landmass that once connected North America to Asia – Beringia. The museum had some amazingly large mammal fossilized skeletons – 7′ beaver!

: The last stretch of road before we had to load our Camper onto the ferry along the Alaska Marine Highway. Ms. Penny, our Blue Russian cat had logged many miles with us by then!

: A deserted lighthouse we saw on the way to Juneau in a catamaran. Of course, it is supposed to be haunted!

: Tourists on cruise ships seldom venture down this far in Sitka, but the Sheldon Jackson museum is really fascinating!

: SCUBA diving in Alaska – well, not something most people think of to do – but it’s actually a good place to get some SCUBA certifications. The water is fairly clear, you could see down 500′ to a wrecked pair of sailboats, sunken in a storm years ago. Apparently their blender is still upright on the counter in the galley. Margaritas?

: A home from 1895, now has been lovingly restored and used as an art gallery.

: The old fishing boats in the marina are cool to look at, some restored, some not.

: As close as you can legally camp to San Francisco – the parking lot near Candlestick Park, south of the city.

: Two of my King Salmon – I always caught my limit (and added to the boat’s limits), all with the help of Grandpa Alex’s “magic” gloves!

Click on the first image to view in full screen gallery mode – enjoy!

: La Boqueria fresh air market – if you can’t find it here, it’s not available! Chocolates, fruit, fish, vegetables, wine, spices – oh my!

: La Pedrera, Antoni Gaudi’s wondrous building, with an undulating facade, metal “seaweed” balcony rails and the distinctive “whipped cream” chimneys on the top. The inside is painted in underwater tones, very mystical!

: The altar piece at the “People’s Cathedral”, Santa Maria del Mar. The Spanish galleon boat sits right by the altar, a tribute to the working men who hauled massive stones for the construction.

: A collage I watercolored of images from Parc Guell, a lovely hillside area above Barcelona, enhanced with sculptures, fountains and awesome rock structures all designed by Antoni Gaudi.

: Musicians playing in an acoustically perfect alcove at Park Guell

: At the tile museum, near Maria Cristina. The caption should read “Talk to the hand!”

: The space age looking Calatrava Tower, on the top of Mont Juic, near the Olympic stadium and plaza.

: The Magic fountain – my favorite attraction at Plaza Espana.

: This statue had such a lovely back, I just wanted to touch it. (and I did)

: A sweet little bodega (wine cellar and cafe) with a nice selection of wines, olive oil, olives – even legs of Iberic ham! You can buy the wine by the bottle or fill up your own container from the selection of wines in the barrel at a good price.

: The Arc de Triumf – from the world expo at the turn of the 20th century, a small version of the one in Paris.

: The inspiring Sagrada Familia cathedral, still under construction – each facade represents a different period in the life of Christ.

Way up in northeast Spain…near France!

Northeastern coast of Spain, nearly in France!

In northeastern Spain, close to France on a remote spit of land lies the Cap de Creus lighthouse. I first visited it with my Catalan buddy Beth just this time last year. The day was remarkably clear, just a little wind – which is astounding as this outpost gets hammered by the fierce Tramontana winds on a regular basis.

This painting was started onsite in pencil – Done in pen & ink, watercolor added later – (in a much warmer place!)

The winds are so brutal here in this region, the even have names for them –

Rose of the Winds

Another Aspiring Artista!

admin
12.10.2010
Blogs, Photography Blogs, Sketchbook Blogs
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A sunny weekend and an invitation to a Catalan family picnic north of Sabadell. While some played futbol and later jumped rope,
I spent an hour sharing my watercolor palette and prowess with young Amanda, an enthusiastic four year old.
Her first watercolor experience and surely not her last!

Sharing the love of color!

admin
18.07.2010
Blogs, Photography Blogs, Sketchbook Blogs
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Spent time in beautiful southern Spain and delighted in pulling out my travel paint set and letting my friends Abraham and his brother Benjamin express their creativity through watercolor. It brings the kid out in all of us!

A Day in the Park

In Barcelona, there is an intimate little park-like grotto tucked deep in the hillside of Montjuic, on the grounds of the 1929 World Expo – this sweet spot has tables perfect for relaxing and sketching, of course! I spent the afternoon sketching in this sweet little hideaway; the outdoor cafe now closed, but seats and tables perfect for a quiet afternoon alone with my sketchbook.