SKETCHING AT JOE RETREAT

 Occassionally I would get tired of sewing and I would sketch.

THIS WEEK IN THE ART CAVE

 I've been enjoying making some art with Andrea Chebeleu's Watch.Learn.Play.

They meet every Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

Every month is a different palette and a different technique.

December is Vermillion, Hansa Yellow Deep and Phthalo Blue (GS) with a focus on drawing.

I've been enjoying it completely.

NOVEMBER EIGHTEENTH

 It's Darrell's birthday today.  I took him out to lunch at Easy Street Records in West Seattle.  We've never eaten there before today.  So, I took my sketchbook to record the event.

I spent the rest of the day in my studio catching up on some sewing.  I got another month's blocks of the SeaMQGBOM2024 made.

MAKING MUSHROOMS

I'm participating in this year's Fodder Challenge - a month of artists showing us different projects.

This first one, presented yesterday, uses powdered pigments.  I'd never heard of them and now am enamored of them.  They were great fun to use and I can see how they can add something wonderful to future projects.

 

STILL IN LACONNER

 I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Burlington - a few miles from LaConner.  It was a nice room, quiet and a comfy bed - great shower!

In the morning I went downstairs and took advantage of the inclusive breakfast.  It was not good.  There's mostly gluten and sugary things to choose from.  The only fruit were bananas.  I got some scrambled eggs and a couple of dried up sausages.  Oh, well.

While I was 'enjoying' my breakfast I sketched some of the other folks having breakfast.

Since it was still too early to go to the workshop, I went into LaConner and sketched this cute little building, the Ice Cream Tower.

Then it was back to work making gelli prints in the workshop.  After lunch, about 2:30 I ran out of steam.  It's been a great weekend.  I've learned a lot and made some great prints.

I headed out around 4pm and drove right into traffic - it took about 2 hours to go the 54 miles to home.  But, it's nice to be back home.

DAY FOUR OF SKETCH TO STITCH

 Sewing, sewing, sewing, picking out another seam, resewing, etc.

Lots of measuring and fussing.  I need to get my project very close to the drawings so it all matches up.  This isn't what this workshop should be about.  I'm sorta wishing I'd done a different kind of sketch.  But, I'm thoroughly enjoying making this Dalek.  It is so cool looking!

After class, a bunch of us went out to dinner.  I sketched a bit.

PLAYING WITH NEW TRIADS

 I played with my new set of Season Triads from Art Tool Kit today.

NEW WATERCOLORS

 I got a new palette from Art Tool Kit.  

I swatched the new colors.

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

 We've gotten into the habit of going out to breakfast after our morning walk on Sundays.

Our usual place to go is the Alpine Diner in White Center.  Good food and a great waitress.  

DELRIDGE FARMERS MARKET

 I joined the Seattle Urban Sketchers today.  They met at the Delridge Farmers Market at 10am.

I had to leave early, but I got a couple of quick sketches in first.

Unfortunately, my ink drawing hadn't dried before I started applying the watercolor and the ink ran and muddied the colors.  I hate when that happens.  I emptied out that pen when I got home and refilled it with Noodlers Black ink (waterproof).  Hopefully, that won't happen again.

FRANKIE FEETSPLINTERS

 Next stop was Ballard where Frankie Feetsplinters hangs out in front of the National Nordic Museum.

I sketched him while Darrell took a walk in the neighborhood.

Then we walked down the block to have lunch at Portage Bay Cafe, one of our favorite places.

OSCAR THE BIRD KING

 We got on the 7:40am ferry to Vashon Island and made our way to Point Robinson Park where Oscar the Bird King lives.

I came to sketch him. He was in the shade and it was a bit cold, but there were logs arranged to sit and visit with him, so it was very pleasant.  Darrell walked down to the beach to see the lighthouse.

Then we headed back to the ferry and got some popcorn.  When I worked and went to Vashon, a lot of the times I would get a little bag of popcorn - the highlight of the day sometimes.  

Today turned out to be a beautiful day.  The sun was shining and life is good.

Then we made our way to Ballard for our next stop.

CHINESE GARDEN SKETCH

 I met up with the Seattle Urban Sketchers at the Seattle Chinese Garden next to South Seattle Community College.

We gathered at the entrance and introduced ourselves, then we all dispersed to sketch.

I choose a rock in the shade with a view of the entrance to the building, which turned out to be a mistake.  It was cold and breezy.  And the rock was cold and hard.

But, I really didn't notice any of that while I was busy sketching.  But, as I drew near to finishing, I realized how cold I was.  I quickly finished up and left before the throw-down, where we share our sketches, which was still more than an hour away.

QUILTCON SUNDAY

Stood in line to get my breakfast and coffee at Starbucks, with everyone else.  Then it was off to a lecture with Carole Lyles Shaw entitled Geometric Abstraction.

I met up with Claudia and her friend Anita.  We all went to Durham.  Anita was meeting up with an old friend for brunch.  Claudia and I went to some art museums.  First was a wonderful Art Deco Hotel, 41C, downtown Durham.  They had an electic collection of interesting art.

The Art Deco Lobby

The restrooms, with see thru walls.

But, luckily the glass would become opaque. 

Then we headed to Duke University to their Nasher Art Museum.  It was a very interesting building, too.  It was five-sided and the structure inside was a marvel, connecting the five 'buildings' which contained various exhibits with an open atrium.

I didn't take many pictures in the exhibits, but really enjoyed them.  We all headed back to Raleigh for a late lunch.  Claudia had found a great little place where you could get breakfast biscuits with egg, cheese and added bacon for under $9.  I splurged, it was delicious.

Then Claudia was nice enough to drive me to the airport.  I arrived a bit early because I was getting nervous.  I walked back and forth in the small airport, then sat and sketched the others waiting for the flight that wouldn't leave until 6:50pm.  It was the only non-stop flight I could find.

Good-bye Raleigh. Good-bye Quiltcon - until next year!

 

QUILTCON SATURDAY

 I started the day, early at 7am, volunteering a shift until 10am.  I worked in the ticket booth.  People came by to pick up their prepaid tickets or to purchase a day pass.

We started out by tearing the bracelets sheets apart.  I was told they were expecting to sell 1700 today!

I gave each a bracelet for their wrist which would get them into the show.  I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of husbands and companions that were accompanying their quilter.

Then I was off to a lecture about writing Artist's Statements by Robert Bosscher.  It was more informative than I thought it would be and I'm glad I took it.  I will look at artist's statements differently now.

The Featured Speaker this year is Jacqui Gehring.  It was amazing.  The whole house was brought to tears by her emotional talk.  Amazing.

Me, Ethylene and Claudia sat together.

Then, I took another spin around the quilts.  But, somehow ended up in the Vendor Mall, again.  I might have a bit of room left in my suitcase.

Another of the patient but bored companions that was dragged to the show.

QUILTCON THURSDAY

 First day of Quiltcon in Raleigh.  There were so many people!  I was volunteering at the Merchandise Booth from 8am to 10am.  It was non-stop.  I heard they ran out of tote bags before the show opened at 10am.

The big award winners - Ethylene's is right there!

Here is the Best of Show quilt.

"What We Will Use As Weapons:  School Supplies" 
made by Ginny Robinson of Chapel Hill, NC

The back of the quilt

It was so wonderful meeting up with my BravePatch Friends.  We mostly just meet on zoom every week.  Some of them I had never met in real life.  I met Claudia for the first time.

Some of us went out to dinner at a great Lebonese restaurant, Sitti.  The waiter had better things to do, but the food was excellent.  They gave us a postcard with the history of the restaurant and I included it into my sketch.

Dinner with Ethylene, Kim, Robin and Maggie.