Urban Sketchers Symposium—part III

Nina Johansson's workshop "Challenge Through Limitations" forced us out of our comfort zones by trying different techniques and using tools we may not normally use. 

Getting over the fear of the white page. Taking some white paper we had to rub it against the ground, paint watercolors on a pattern such as a manhole cover then press the paper to ceate an impression, splash paint or scribble with pencil. Anything to rough up the paper so we were not faced with pristene white paper. We then had to trade with some one and use a tool we wouldn't normaly use to sketch. The above was a portion of the ruins of oldest hospital in the Americas done with a bamboo pen and ink on a piece of paper that Jorge created and traded with me.

 Direct watercolor sketch using no pencil or pen lines.

Sketched with jumbo multi-color swirl colored pencil.

Mishap...OUCH!

While washing the upper most windows on the deck I had a bit of a "mishap". Not realizing the small bench I was using to reach the last spot had rotted from being outdoors all winter. It gave way and I slipped through the wooden slats scraping both shins on the way down. The right leg took the hit and immediately started to swell. I iced it as much as possible, but I will be heading of to the 3rd Annual Urban Sketchers Symposium with a giant blue leg...UGH!

Long summer days—Back in Maine

I have been back in the USA for a little over a week. The weather has been perfect for those wonderful long days of summer on the Maine coast. Lots of time catching up with friends and getting outdoors. Not much sketching...and I'm heading to Santo Domingo for the 3rd Annual Urban Sketchers Symposium in a few days...

The view from the deck watching the full "Thunder" or "Buck" moon rise over Portland harbor. The sky was still quite light.

4th of July at the beach started out with this delicoius cheese and fruit platter along with a lovely bottle of champagne.

A very quick sketch of our friend Mike while we enjoyed the wonderful food in the above drawing. I had to sketch the food first because, along with the champagne, it was going fast.

Sketch of friend Ben using black and gray shades of Pitt Pens.

Sampai jumpa Bali

Buah untuk dijual (fruit for sale)—On my second to last day in Bali, I walked to a pharmacy located out on the busy highway, then winding my way back home along side streets and eventually the beach path—one last time. There are tiny little markets tucked into every nook and cranny along every street. This one selling fresh fruit piled high.

The food in Indonesia is absolutely delicious, but sometimes we just want a good old American meal. When that urge hits we usually head to the Kalimantan restaurant owned by an American expat friend, Bob Kendall, who we met when we first came to Bali. He always asks for Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix—lots of it. We stuff them into our luggage and then get slather it over our favorite Kalimantan spinach, avocado and shrimp salad on American food night. The wonderful spinach is grown on his land in Bedugal Bali with seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds in Winslow, Maine. He claims they are the best seeds on the planet.

When we leave Bali it is always a huge send off. People who help us everyday come to say goodbye. Pascales, Maria and their two young kids, also Maria's parents visiting from Java and our dear friend Uul all gather, everyone discussing in English and Indonesian caring for the villa, taking lots of pictures and wanting to know when I will come back to Bali. "I don't know", but for now "Jangan lupa untuk memberi makan dan mancintai kucing saya" "Don't forget to feed and love my cat".  It is all very Indonesian—wonderful and chaotic. Then there are hugs and tears and off we go.

Sampai jumpa Bali.

Bali—3 more days

Ibu—(Ibu) Most days I run or walk along the beach in Sanur—a three mile paved path dotted with hotels. By midmorning the path is bustling people walking, riding bicycles and motorbikes and locals trying to sell anything to the tourists—food, clothing, jewelry and more. Bamboo warungs (stands) with water, coffee and fruit, push carts with bakso and soto ayam, people selling fresh caught fish or cooking sate and nasi campur over an open fire. There are dozens of ibu's offering massage, trinkets or selling sarongs which are many times carried on their heads. Many recognize me as the daily runner, but still others try to get me to see their wares. I usually just say "Tidak, terima kasih, jalan jalan". No thank you, I am  running. Many respond with "ah sport".

Setiap Hari—(Everyday) I have a cup of Bali kopi. Two heaping teaspoons of coffee bubuk (coffee powder) in a stainless pot. When the coffee settles it goes into a mug with susu (milk). I love the tiny teaspoons they use here.

Kecil Bali kucing— Alittle Bali cat, given to us four years ago by our good friend Uul, to get the mice in the thatched roof of the place we had rented. She arrived in a rice cooker box on a motorbike—all 4 lbs of her and never caught a mouse. When I left Bali two years ago she found three very attentive teenage girls at the villa next door and this summer they were moving. It was time to get my cat back. So after much Indonesian back and forth, I climbed on the back of Maria's motorbike with a zip top duffle bag and within a few minutes she was zipped in the bag and on her way home. She is tiny, mighty and mouthy and spends most days sleeping in the hot sun, howling to be fed or just howling to be noticed. Most of the time we just walk by, shake our heads and mutter "kucing manja"(spoiled kitty)!!!

Bali—one more week

We leave Bali in a week. I am trying to get in as much sketching as possible, but with limited days and so much to do, it is hard to get it all in. I will simply have to come back...

 Morning prayer at small temple.

Pura Tanah Lot. I have sketched this temple many times before. A sacried temple built on a rock accessible only at low tide. I was so fortunate several years ago to attend a ceremony here with our friend Mangku Astika a priest at Tanah Lot.

One of a small group of men sitting around dressed for ceremony.

Bali days

My Agung is the highest peak and still an active volcano on this island island. It is 3,031 meters (9,944 ft) and the most important temple on Bali, Pura Besakih is located high on its slopes. Much of the time it is covered in clouds, but when the cooler drier westerly winds blow this time of year, it is quite a beautiful sight from where we live. 

We are all waiting for the lotus blossom in the pond to open. Checking on it hourly. Mungkin hari ini (maybe today) or mungkin besok (maybe tomorrow) we shrug as we walk away.

Villa Kompass Rose in Sanur Bali

I found a block of Portofino Acquerello left over from when I was last here two years ago. I brushed off the cobwebs and started to wander around Villa Kompass Rose painting vignettes using only a brush and my paints.

It is all so beautiful!
Carved wooden doors at the entrance and "pohon tua mangga" (old mango tree).
The full dragon moon of June 4 standing in the garden.
The two koi that live in the pond between the garden and the living space. They are shy and scurry away when we come close. I call them "The Twins". Maria, our housekeeper, calls them "ikan gemuck"—"the fish are fat".
Sign at entrance and compass rose design in marble.

My three more weeks in Bali will fly by. Too busy to sketch much—excuses excuses!!!

Beautiful Bali—week one

I arrived in Bali a week ago after two years away. Much of the first week was getting used to the time change, trying to understand what everyone was saying, catching up with old friends and meeting new very interesting people. I was at first completely baffled by this complicated language until it all started to come back to me and then even easier with the help of the Google Translater App! On top of that I came down with a giant Balinese head cold. Made it through an entire winter in Maine then arrive in the warm tropics and I get a beastly cold—hard to figure that one! 

Indonesian remedy for batuk (cough)—do not drink anything cold—only hot drinks. 3 times a day lemon and honey with hot water or fresh ginger tea.

 Balinese ceremony and offerings.

 Afternoon sketching at a beach cafe.

Dinner with friends and time to draw while everyone was talking, drinking and ordering. Jerry's friend Tom has such a great face so I drew him several times.

Dinner at Lestari restaurant in Umalas Bali. Jerry and I with friend Henny from Bali Arts magazine.

I left a piece of my heart in Bali...

...so I'm going back to find it. 

It has been almost two years since I was last on the "Island of the Gods" and a few days I am on my way back for a five week visit. My bags are packed with clothes for the hot humid tropics, a few pairs of flip flops and lots sketching supplies. I am off to see old friends, visit favorite places and sketch as much as possible.

Sampai jumpa di Bali

Fiddleheads

                             
                   

Spring in Maine means Fiddleheads. Tightly curled ferns break through the forest floor and the tasty greens are available for a brief time. They are quite delicious and enjoying sauted or steamed fiddleheads is a rite of spring.

Portrait of a Schnoodle

Cody 6x6 oil on panel

Cody is a very cute "Schnoodle" owned by my good friend and coworker Ellen in Potomac MD. For a year I have dragged around a photo of him promisimg that I would do a portrait for her. Finally, here it is Ellen...and its in the mail to you.

Weekend in the Old Port—April 28-29

Sophie and the Pitbulls

Sophie and I live in the Old Port section of Portland Maine, a shopping/restaurant/waterfront part of town where both tourists and locals stroll, shop and enjoy good food. A lot of people have dogs. Sophie runs into the full gamut of dog breeds, many of them are Pittbulls. Some owners keep there dogs on short leashes and pull away when the little white dog comes into view, others are leashed but curious so we go wide and then there are the ones that she wants to take down. Those moments can be quite embarrassing!!!

Afternoon walk and errands. Sophie knows which shops have dog treats so she will dart in, run up to the counter and start dancing on her hind legs doing the Bichon front paw waving routine. This always scores her a treat or two and the attention of many patrons. She tends to also do this at any store with a counter and when they say they don't have treats, I have to tell them she thinks you should.

Exchange St at the heart of the Old Port is one of our routes.

Sketches April 18-22

Quick sketches from last weeks travel to work and back and then a few days home. Spring nor'easter started to blow through yesterday and Sophie didn't like it at all. Wait until she goes out this morning...

Weekly sketches April 9-13

Weekly commuting make it more difficult to keep up with sketching, especially when it comes to adding watercolor. I've starting throwing a small sketchbook and a couple of pens in my backpack. With less commitment, I am more able to sketch while waiting at an airport, on a plane, taking a walk and in meetings.

I still practice portraits whenever I find some time.

Our friend Skip Baker an expat for years, he lives in Costa Rica with his family.

My dear old dad who is struggling, but still hanging in there. Love you dad!

Cherry Blossoms

My creative consulting job takes me weekly to Potomac Maryland. Last week, after being away for three weeks, I arrived to all the glory of full blooming cherry blossom trees everywhere I turned. Quite a spectacular sight.

6 X 6 sketchbook

Yupo

Small Moleskine Watercolor Journal

Meanwhile back in Maine it is still a little brownish, grayish, greenish...

Portland Maine—March 22, 2012—Sunny 78°

March in Maine is usually cold, snowy, rainy, sleety and gray and this relentless dreary weather usually lasts through most of April. Spring is a long time coming to northern New England, but not this week. Warm, sunny, dry weather has decended upon us and though it is not normal and probably wreaking havoc with the balance of things, it is so lovely to see clear blue sky and feel the warmth of the sun.

A quick sketch of the coastline. Though the landscape is still mostly brown, some trees are starting to bud and the grass is just starting to turn green, well brownish green...

California family visit

My dear old dad hasn't been very well lately, so off I went to California to help my family get him back on his feet.

My parenst have been married for 60 years and have live in the same house for 56 years. A California ranch house built in 1956 in the scruffy hills near Palo Alto in the San Francisco Bay Area. I often marvel how we all fit in that house, but two adults and three kids is far different than five adults. Not to mention all the strong personalities.
It was teamwork as my mom, my sister, my brother and I shared in making my dad comfortable as he recooperated.

A drawing I did of my mom at Christmas—a much happier time.

A quick sketch when I went outside one night to see the moon rising next to one of the redwood trees in my parents yard.

The good news is my dad is doing much better.

The amazing Cathy Johnson was kind enough to interview me for her blog The Artist Journal Workshop. If you have a chance here is the link to my interview and the interviews and work of so many other talented artists:

http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/02/interview-18-meet-peripatetic-jennifer.html

Mt Kilimanjaro—part 1

In my daypack I carried raingear, a lightweight parka, a camelback water bladder and an extra litre bottle of water, snacks, sunglasses, sunscreen, a headlamp, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and a small sketch kit which included a small Moleskine watercolor journal, Staedler pens, a Pentel Pocket Brush pen, (watercolor pencils which I never used) and a small watercolor palette. My pack was not outrageously heavy but every little thing adds up, when you are hiking 4-6 hours a day….uphill.

My good intentions of sketching were slightly curtailed by the fact that we hiked all day and it was cold at night.

Day 1—After a three-hour jeep ride to the start of the climb we all waited around while they weighed our luggage. Not knowing anyone or what to expect of the days to come, I tried to calm my nerves by drawing as we all just waited—not too successful.

I had no idea that this would be one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

Every evening we would devour a plate of popcorn and drink tea with powered milk and lots of sugar. I usually managed a quick sketch before dinner and then would huddle in my tent, in my sleeping bag, wearing many layers and usually a hat while I added color by the light of my headlamp before I would finally succumb to sleep usually before nine o’clock.

Camp would come alive very early in the morning. Nature would call and we would all wait as long as possible knowing it would be a cold walk to the outhouse. I brought the “Freshette” which was an alternative to that cold night walk. I am not sure what was the lesser of the two evils…

Beautiful Shira Camp 1 at 11,000 ft. Altitude low enough that it wasn’t too cold to sit outside and sketch before tea and popcorn.

We came out of the dining tent after dinner to see the full moon peek out from behind Kili. We all just stared, as this beautiful moment was happening before or eyes. The cold night air forced me into my tent where I quickly sketched peeking out to check the moon and its light on the landscape.

Mt Kilimanjaro—part 2

Day 3—Shira Camp 2. A short hike acclimating to 12,000 ft. I got a very bad headache from the altitude, which forced me to lie down. With my feet sticking out of the tent the sun was shining and warm as I closed my eyes after taking a handful of Advil, I recovered. We did yoga on the rocks as the sunset waiting for tea and popcorn.

Day 4—A long hike to Barranco Camp at 13,000 ft through the Barranco Valley where giant Senecio plants dot the rugged landscape.

Giant Senecio—Some are up to 30 ft tall.

Lunch and dinner we would always start with the most delicious soup. A new flavor everyday—warm and satisfying after a day of hiking.