what happens when I travel...

Things get a little crazy around here at times. Dog sticks her nose in the air at her food, so she sneaks downstairs to eat the cat food. Cats eat their food, the dog food, popcorn if they can and tulips when my back is turned.

a day at Dulles

It is not easy to get from a small city in Maine to a small city in Virginia. Today, it took most of the day, to get home. Thank god, for snacks, magazines, the sweater I have been knitting for a year and travel sketch supplies.

cat dreams

The aftermath of the EDM popcorn challenge.

fox in the yard

EDM challenge: draw a bird

This rooster started crowing way before dawn on our first frosty morning on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I peeked out the flap of the tent to get the lay of the land before we started packing up our gear and heading up and over Dead Woman's Pass. The sun was coming up over the Andes and this guy was staring at me.

EDM challenge: draw a kernel of popcorn

Eating popcorn at my house means fending off my orange cat, El Gato. He is "Quick Paw McGraw".

EDM challenge: draw an animal

This morning, when Sophie and I took our early morning walk through the "hood", it was 5°. I came home and did quick sketches of some of our neighbors we ran into along the way.

flip flopped

I wanted to do a quick sketch of these sandals with the last of the paint on the palette. I got tired, impatient and frustrated, fiddling around and going back and forth. Spending way more time than they deserved. They say "Art is never finished, only abandoned" so I am moving on...

peppers on pink

Last night a few of us got together to paint. Running late and scurrying around stuffing painting supplies in tote bags, I grabbed yellow peppers and a handful of napkins. I ended up using the pink one.

EDM challenge: draw something yellow

uh oh...

Someone forgot to water the tulips.

sunday morning sleep in

Sophie is my best friend and my favorite model. She is a super hero. She is the embodiment of optimism and every morning after stretching, yawning and a yoga downward dog, she expects us all to kiss and pet her, which we all do. She then is ready to face her day of walks, naps, treats and attacking the cats.

the last rose

The last rose from the bouquet I bought last week. Some faded away and others became toys and snacks for the cats. I have never painted glass before so I thought I would give it a try. I have used all the paint on the palette and it is almost the weekend. I think I will go sketch.

winter fruit

I haven't oil painted since last August, so I thought I would do a quick study of these very ripe pears before they get tossed. It's like learning all over again when so much time goes by between paintings. My technique is tight and stiff because of the lack of painting. Now that the paints are out, maybe I will be more committed...

My favorite hat

I made this fleece hat with fun ball fringe to wear when we hiked to Machu Picchu last April. I am wearing it quite a bit this winter. 

EDM challenge: draw a bowl

orange tulips

There is nothing like something orange to brighten a cold winter day.

EDM challenge: draw a sink

Oysters in the Old Port

This is one of my "lickety-split" sketches before the dinner is devoured. Not by me, though, I don't do oysters.

pretty in pink

More snow and more shoveling...

Bali dog from the brindle family

Bali dog from the black and white family

Beautiful Bali

In November we traveled to Bali, Indonesia so far, far away. We stayed in Jimbaran, which is a beautiful beach, with resorts nestled into the landscape. Being a dog person, I kept noticing the dogs that ran the beach. They looked much the same—medium size, short hair, pointed nose and ears. There was a large family of black and white dogs and a smaller brindle family. They were very sweet and friendly, seemed to be feed well, good coats and very polite. Busy in the morning, sleeping in the shade at high noon and then very busy in the afternoon into the evening. Every night, as we watched the sunset and darkness fell upon the island, you could look down the beach and there would be dogs curled up for a the night. Close enough to the resorts for comfort, but just far away as to not get in trouble. We found out that they were just Jimbaran beach dogs and did not belong to anyone. They lived as packs and ate fish caught by the fishermen in the village. I made friends with most of them and took pictures of all of them, sometimes more than once. Since returning to Maine, I have sketched many of them from the photos. It's a wonderful way to remember our wonderful time in Bali.

EDM challenge: draw something with folds

I looked over at my oil paints, this morning, and realized I haven't painted in quite a while. 

a rose in winter

Today, a friend and I each did a collage. I separated one rose from a bunch sitting in a vase on the table in front of a window with the Maine landscape in the background. The snow is melting and grass is showing. The days are getting a little longer so even though it was a gray day, the light is getting stronger and warmer.

olive oil and Joan Miro

We had dinner at a Catalonian restaurant that made their own olive oil and Rioja tinto. The olive oil was so good you could drink it, but we didn't and just drank the wine. In Catalonian, the owner explained the difference between the three—o1,02,03 that we would taste that night. Knowing enough Spanish from high school and the fact that he used his hands a lot, we were able to figure out his explanation of the differences and could taste such as we sampled the most delicious olive oils. 

The next day after a cafe con leche I made my way to the Fundacio Joan Miro.

two more days in Barcelona

More cafe con leche...

a week in Barcelona

We just got back from a week in Barcelona. I tried to keep a travel journal as we experienced this amazing city. In the end, my sketch book was filled with five days of the food and drinks we enjoyed. I can honestly say, that beside the most incredible art and architecture, this city has the most delicious things to eat and drink. If you have a chance to go, try the cafe con leche and don't miss the olive oil.

EDM challenge: draw a desk lamp

You might think I only own orange paint, but the truth is, my home is filled with orange things. 

I am new to watercolor and quite untrained, so hopefully, in time, I will get up the courage to use another color.

life in a tote bag

It seems as though lately my life exists in tote bags. This orange one is my favorite.

EDM challenge: draw a bag

My travel bag

EDM challenge: draw a shoe

It's snowing again in Maine so these will have to go back in the closet until spring.

stack 'em up

Sophie

3 minute sketch of Sophie sleeping on the bed.

fuzzy clogs

Home sick with a head cold.