Doorways on the Old Port

Doorways on our walks around the Old Port

I sometimes think I depend too much on ink or pencil in my drawings, so I experimented with just using watercolor directly to create the images. I added a little crayon for the dog.

"Randomness"

Sketching doesn't comes so easily these days. I find I throw more away than I keep, let alone post. So I find I am in a state of ran•dom•ness—"things made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious". Hopefully this soon will pass...

House guests: Michael and Marcella are visiting the USA from Costa Rica. Michael is the son of an expat friend, formerly from Connecticut and a diehard Red Sox fan, who has lived with his family in Costa Rica for years. Marcella is from Buenos Aires. They own the wonderful restaurant, Salsapuedes, in Quepos Costa Rica. I loved the T-shirt she bought while here in Portland so I did of sketch of them last night. I gave it to them as a souvenir parting gift as they left for more USA adventures.

Beso: This is one of the many residents that live out at the farm that my kitties now call home. Beso is a "Schnoodle"—Standard poodle and Giant Schnauzer. When Nina throws a stick in the air, Beso goes airborne. She looks like a furry snowboarder.

Bobo: I bought the book Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists. When I feel like I am creatively stuck, I find some of her exercises help me work through the block. I especially like this one where you let the random paint marks "tell" what to draw. It is fun to just slop on the paint and go back later with a pen.

My kitties have a new home

We are spending more and more time in Bali because of a sustainable seafood project. Looks like it will be going on for the next five years. In January I will be going for six months—my longest time away from my home in the USA. 7 year old Sophie will be going to California to stay with my parents until we can move her to Bali. The move to Indonesia would be much harder on my 13 year old cats, so they have moved to a wonderful old farmhouse not far from here with my good friend Nina.

Bobo, my orange tabby and a dedicated flosser, has had a bit of a hard time with the transition. It seems as though Nina and her kids all have dogs that are easily 4' tall. However, recently he has decided that it is much better lying in the sun at the bay window near the crunchies then under the bed or in a closet with a dog or two between him and his food.

Nothing bothers Jazzy. She settled right in on the first day. Dogs of any size don't even faze her. She will sit on the back of a couch and just watch the dog antics on the floor then get bored and go back to sleep. As long as there is a sunny window with a comfortable place to sleep, she is a happy cat.

Jazzy is a very social cat and loves to be with people. When friends come to visit she is usually in the middle of the party. She is not a small cat and there is not much room once she spreads out. However, the night before I took them to Nina's, I scooched forward and let her share the chair with me while I painted. We all then piled into the bed for one last sleepover.

Nina's home is a good happy place with lots of love and life, however, I think she has drawn the line at letting Bobo floss with her...

Summer in Maine

The Presidential Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

One of my favorite places to hike and on this beautiful day we hiked the Glen Ellis Trail to the Glen Boulder. Precariously perched, this huge boulder was pushed by the glaciers and landed in this spot never to move again.

We had a spectacular day with incredible views when when got above the tree line. I swear I could see my house on the coast of Maine from where I sat and rested before we headed up to have lunch at the boulder.

Waiting for my friends gave me time to sketch.

Merideth, Terry and Jerry coming over the ridge.

Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island Maine.

View from OP and Martha's house at the top of School House Ridge overlooking Northeast and Southwest Harbors.

A boat ride up Somes Sound.