Disney—Epcot

Walt Disney created EPCOT the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow". We sketched at Epcot on day 1 and day 6. 

 Morroco Pavillion at Epcot—dip pen and watercolor.

China Pavillion—colored pencil.

China Pavillion—ink and watercolor

It's exhausting going to Disney. I know exactly how this guy felt.

Urban Sketchers Symposium—Part I

I attended the 3rd Annual International Urban Sketchers Symposium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic July 12-14. It was my second USK symposium having gone to Lisbon, Portugal last year. It is an amazing opportunity to meet other sketchers and to "see the world one drawing at a time".

The cathedral at Parque Colon sketched at the 36th Annual SketchCrawl on the last day of the Symposium.

The statue of Critobal Colon at the SketchCrawl.

The Parque Colon is a major gathering place in Santo Domingo. So besides 100+ sketchers there were many families enjoying a Saturday afternoon in the park.

The work shop "Improvising with Lines and Colors. The Urban Sketcher as a storyteller." was taught by Inma Serrano and Orling Dominguez. Both great teachers and artists, it was a very special treat to take a workshop from them. Our first assignment was to create a story at the Parque Colon using lines, color and improvisation. Playing with line weights and using color to emphsize focal points.

I came me to Santo Domingo with a very banged up bruised and swollen leg from my fall washing windows. Standing and sketching for three days in 90° heat just made it worse. I thankfully threw my red cotton Chinese shoes in my luggage at the last minute. They were the only shoes that fit my poor swollen foot. Besides hiding my hideous black and blue foot they were comfortable and cute!!! They definately deserved to be part of my first sketch on the square.

The second exercise was to use the same elements of the first but to add typography or handwriting to the composition. By this time my leg was killing me so I sat on a bench at the corner of the park and sketched. The workshop went by so quickly, I never had a chance to fihish this sketch.

I had an amazing experience in Santo Domingo. So much talent, creativity and inpiration.
Thank you all for a wonderful event.

Urban Sketchers Symposium—Part II

The "Mercado Merengue" workshop was taught by Melanie Reim and Nathalie Ramirez. A busy place where they sell everything from handicrafts to fruit. Noisy and frenetic with lots of traffic and people. The object was to capture people in motion. Assignments were tumbnails, quick gesture studies and mark-making and patterns.

 Quick geture drawings of a banana vendor.

Using patterns and marks to define space.

The workshop "The Decisive Moment" was taught by Veronica Lawler and Jonathan Schmidt, both accomplished reportage artists. Assigment was to walk along Calle El Conde and create quick studies and thumbnails of the lively feel of the streets of Santo Domingo.

One page of thumbnails using colored pencil and Neocolor II.

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...