The leaves are turning

The brilliant colors of fall foliage have finally come to us in Southern Maine. The mountains are past peak and the leaves are probably off the trees. Around Portland about 50% of the leaves have turned. Fall foliage is one of those things in nature that is so beautiful, but so fleeting. One minute the leaves are just turning and then they are gone—it makes me sad. I sometimes have to remind myself to stop and look, so I will really see.

Crocheting

These were sketched while I was working on my most recent crochet project. I actually like the act of knitting and crocheting better than the final product. That's odd isn't it?

My grandmother taught me to knit and crochet when I was quite young. She would give my sister and I each a ball of yarn and those really long plastic needles and we would practice our knitting. We would spend the weekend at their house, knitting, watching TV shows like "Queen for a Day" (that dates me) and eating our favorite foods like 1/2 an avocado filled with her wonderful homemade dressing. They had a Siamese cat named Herman, who liked to eat wool. So, we would have to hide our knitting and of course all our sweaters. If he got to them, we would end up with large holes chewed in our sweaters and we were in trouble!

Often when I knit or crochet I think of my grandmother and those days so long ago.

"Biking the dog"

A beautiful fall day for "walking the dog" or "biking the dog". On our walks, I consistently point out to Sophie well behaved dogs, like this sweet boxer trotting along side his owner. Sophie is basically a good dog, but sometimes she just does bad things...

Waiting

Quick figure study using ink and markers.

Who let the dogs out

It is always interesting to meet other dogs their owners and I am curious as to what kind of dogs people have. Often, we will stop and chat while our dogs get to know one another...or not. Sophie is a 14lb tough guy, except when we see a German Shepard or any very large dog. I guess she just knows, because she will go wide.

It's true, sometimes people look like their dogs...

...and sometimes they don't.

Figure studies in oils

I spent part of this afternoon on small quick figure studies from photos.

Self

This is me, from a photo taken this summer on our sailing cruise. Always wearing my favorite big dark sunglasses (HA—I didn't have to paint my eye)s. These sunglasses are especially cool because the bottom half is a reader for my aging eyes.

Ibu

Balinese woman taking daily prayer offerings down to the waters edge.

The last days

Lately I can't get myself to do more than random sketches here and there. So today, instead of agonizing over the lack of creativity energy, I decided to just freely slop around with watercolors, ink and pencils on this waning bouquet of flowers. Maybe tomorrow I will have more energy...

Casco Bay Ferries

Another sunny crisp fall day here in Maine, so I grabbed a very unused small Moleskine, some pens and colored pencils and wandered down to the waterfront to sketch. Not much time because of apartment duties and Sophie's constant interest in all the dogs and people wandering along Commercial St, so I ended up finishing the rest of the color at home. 

Nasturtiums from Sarah's garden

We had friends for dinner this weekend and after a 4 mile chilly walk along the bay we settled in for a delicious meal and lively conversation. Sarah brought some of the last of the tomatoes, green beans and herbs from their garden along with this sweet nasturtium bouquet. I had to work fast because when I finally got around to getting out the paints, the petals were starting to wilt. Thanks Sarah.

I think I "sketchercised"

Yesterday my energy was quite low, so instead of pounding my body into the ground with a run to the bridge, I headed out on a fast walk with Sophie. A walk with her is never quite as fast as I would like because she is very busy being a dog—we stop a lot. I do, however, manage to tug her along so we can get our heart rates up. At the last minute, I decided to jam my small Moleskine watercolor sketchbook, a pen, bijou box and a waterbrush in the pocket of my fleece. Not at all confident that after all the effort to get it all in the pockets, I would actually sketch. However, I saw a granite bench overlooking the bay so after agonizing about stopping and quite a bit of tugging, I finally got the sketchbook out of my pocket and did a quick sketch of a tanker across the bay while Sophie watched. We then walked home and I told Sophie I think we just "sketchercised". 

The wrong place at the wrong time

A few days ago, at the last minute, I decided to go out for a run instead of going to the the gym. It was a beautiful day so I thought a nice run along the water to the bridge and back would be the perfect solution to my stress...

As I came up over the knoll, I saw movement in front of me and as I got closer I realized it was a woodchuck wandering blindly along the running path throwing its head from side to side. As I looked closer, I could see this woodchuck had his head stuck into a Mason jar. My first thought was, "oh my god, this poor creature and I have got to help him".

So, I grabbed the jar, which was plastic, and started to pull thinking it would pop right off. I pulled and pulled, but it wouldn't budge. I actually lifted the woodchuck off the ground (see illustration above) as I continued to try to pry this jar off his head. I shook him up and down a bit, but still, it wouldn't budge. Other people were running, biking and walking past me as I was trying to free this poor woodchuck from his "Mason jar hell". Clearly no one else was going to help me. I was on my own...
I then thought I could twist the jar off his head (see above). So, I grabbed the jar, turned to the right, then to the left, but again, I could not get this jar off his head. It was stuck!!! With tears in my eyes, I finally had to say "I have tried my hardest, but I can't help you".  Reluctantly I left him and ran home. Jerry tried to make me feel better by saying he would find a way to get it off, "like Winnie the Pooh", I said?  I know, I know, but I wanted to believe he would find a way.

I told all my friends about this incident and some said "you could have been scratched or bitten". Bitten? I don't think so...hello, he had a jar on his head! Then others said "like Winnie the Pooh?" and all I could say was "well, sort of"...

Such a sad little story that I don't even know why I sketched and posted it. I wish I had gone to the gym.

EDM #241—view from my kitchen window

A quick sketch before heading out for a day of being "landlord girl". Our 5th floor kitchen window looks over the roof tops in Portland's "Old Port". There is usually a mama seagull perched on the chimney on the hotel next door. She stands watching and protecting her babies who sit on the roof behind her. I have watched them run along the roof after her flapping their wings learning to fly. One tumbled off the roof and for several days walked around the square and our parking lot. I kept hoping that it would figure out how to get airborne...soon.

It takes a cupcake

Cupcakes were the latest challenge from Karin Jurik's Different Strokes from Different Folks. Not having used oils in quite a while, I finally managed to squeeze paint onto the palette for the painting of OP and Martha (below). I hate to waste paint so I always move what I can to a fresh palette and and try to put it to good use. This seemed like a good challenge for leftover paint.

Walking to the "Beach Club" in Northeast Harbor

This weekend we are on our way "downeast" to visit our friends, OP and Martha, on Mount Desert Island. Their renovated turn of the century "cottage" sits on a ridge that over looks Northeast Harbor on the left and Southwest Harbor on the right. A mile up the road is Acadia National Park with miles of old carriage trails for biking, hiking and walking. There is usually a boat ride to Little Cranberry Island for a dinner on Isleford Dock and a walk to the "Beach Club" for lunch. It's just so Northeast!

Around town

Since arriving home from bootcamp at Disney, I've had a hard time getting back into drawing, painting and blogging. Seems like the last weeks of summer have been spent outdoors enjoying these last wonderful days of summer. I drag an old sketchbook around and manage a few contour drawings a day along with my "daily dog draw", but that's about it.

My good friend, Elizabeth.

Sadie with baby Quintin and her brother Zeke.
Jerry and I having an outdoor lunch at the Front Room after a long walk along the waterfront and around Portland. He works from his iphone and I draw. 

A perfect evening for outside dining at one of our favorite sushi restaurants. Jerry on the iphone emailing with Indonesia, me sketching the other patrons, a plate of the most delicious sushi and hot sake. 

Dalvero Academy workshop 1

Several days ago I returned from Orlando Florida at a 10 day reportage illustration workshop offered by Veronica Lawlor and Margaret Hurst of Davero Academy. Aptly named "drawing bootcamp", we would spend eight to ten hours a day drawing on site at the Disney parks. The weather was hot and humid with everything from drizzle to torrential downpours, but none of that stopped us from drawing...not even the dark of night. Reportage illustration allows you to experience, engage and record the moment through your drawing. The ten days with these amazing teachers and talented students touched and tested me physically, intellectually and emotionally. Wow, what an experience!

Drawing the African performers at Animal Kingdom as they drummed and danced.

Ronnie encouraged me to add more marks to my drawings and used Picasso and Van Gogh as examples to study. I began to see the value of lines and texture and began to add more to my drawings. Above you can see my thumbnail to the left before I proceeded with my drawings of moving dancers, fast drumming hands and my interpretation of family and the tree of life.

We would be required to draw at least one or two parades a day depending on the park. You have about 10 minutes to capture the essence of what is going by very quickly with little room between spectators. Above is just one of many parades I drew over the course of ten days. This one was at Animal Kingdom where just before it started the skies opened up. I managed to get out of the rain, found and shared a table with a woman who was sound asleep using her handbag as a pillow. She became part of my drawing along with all the animal floats that came by.

After drawing the "celebrate the dream" parade at Magic Kingdom the rain chased us under cover. I was on Liberty street at the Magic Kingdom so I slipped into the Hall of Presidents to wait out the rain. I quickly and quietly sketched the presidents while I dried off a bit. Still raining, I had to get to the evening critique. We would be at the park until after another parade and the fireworks and it was going to be a long night. With the rain still coming down I succumbed to buying a Mary Poppins umbrella complete with a ruffled edge and the possibility that I could fly?

In the evenings back at the hotel, I would try to read before falling asleep, but with my mind spinning from the day's events, I found it impossible to focus on the words on the page. So I gave up reading along with my usual early morning exercise. Life was just different and was going to be for these 10 days. I started the above drawing of the Tree of Life and it became very relaxing and soothing to just draw lines from my imagination while catching up on what was going on in the real world by watching CNN and of course the real news on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.

Dalvero Academy workshop 2

Drawing the Taiko drummers in Japan at Epcot one evening.

Throughout the 10 days I would draw faces of the tourists and many of the characters at the parks as they passed by. The woman at the bottom right asked me to draw her and then took a picture of me holding the drawing. I figured when at Disney...

Sitting against a building on the shady side of the street to avoid the midday heat as much as possible, I sketched Sunset Blvd at MGM. I would look up and could spot others from the group dotted along the street bent over their work. This was a quick sketch because soon I would have to wrap it up get in position for another parade.

I positioned myself at the curb under a tree for some shade waiting for the parade to pass by with only the usual 10 minutes to capture what I saw. But instead of continuing through the streets and passing us by, this one came down Hollywood Blvd and stopped. I was basically at the feet of the Toy Story float watching and drawing giant toy blocks and Mr. Potato Head as they jumped around at my feet and then the parade receded back the way they came. What a mess, but that's what I saw...even my foot in the lower right!

This final drawing at Animal Kingdom is quite large for me at 28"x 12". I found a shaded spot just out of the way of the foot of the thousands of people visiting Disney. Across from the Prayer Tree I spent the major part of the day drawing a panorama of people moving through the park as they walked from the Asia to Africa. It was a challenge for me to do something this large, but I enjoyed the process of watching and recording what I saw. Then I was off to get ready for one last parade...

After 10 days of reportage drawing with Dalvero Academy I can honestly say I am quite exhausted and it has taken me days to get up the energy to scan and post. However, it was truly an amazing experience and I will take what I have learned forward in my life as an artist and a now a reportage sketcher. Plus, Disney World ROCKS!

Cruising the Penobscot Bay

Our sail started with a little set back of very serious engine trouble. We spent the first night on the mooring in Rockland Harbor.

Our friend Ben sings the blues.

While the engine got repaired, we decide to take the ferry to Monhegan Island for the day. A sunny warm day of hiking, enjoying the spectacular views and wandering through galleries.

Lunch at the waters edge looking from Monhegan to Manana Island.

Finally underway we spent our first night at the Barred Islands. The fog had settled in that day and the subtle colors were wonderful to paint.

Cruising the Penobscot Bay

After heeling through the Eggemoggin Reach, we spent the night anchored at Coot and Camp islands.

I painted the sunset as we sat in the cockpit drinking "wine in a box", listening to Ben sing and planning where we might head the next day.

Sailing through the Deer Island Thorofare to North Haven.

Gone sailing

We are heading off for a week of sailing on the Penobscot Bay. We went last year at this same time and had rain and fog 6 out of 8 day os sailing. It was also quite cool so there were times when I was wearing my down parka while sitting on the deck sketching islands in the fog. We haven't had a stellar summer, but next week looks to be a good one...