Painting On The Boat

Here I am, working in a sketchbook on our boat. this only works at anchor and on smooth crossings of the straights. The laptop was set up to view some of my photos.

My Grandsons: Kevin at age 4, Ryan at age 2 oil on canvas

Sketchbook Journaling

May 1, 2011

May 1st, and we have had two whole days of sunshine after the coldest April on record in the Seattle area. These trilliums are blooming in the woods on the back of our property, along with Indian plum and salmon berry bushes. I love this time of year when everything is new and green and promises more to come.

The boating season began for us this weekend when we took our first overnight trip of the year. We don't have heat except when under way or plugged in at a marina, so we usually wait until late April to enjoy being out on the water.

My husband and I joined our Power and Sail Squadron friends at a rondezvous in Oak Harbor. It was a two and a half hour run for us from LaConner where we keep "Seascape". Smooth waters both coming and going, and I am a fair weather boater, so that was great.

I took along two bags of art supplies and books to read but didn't get a thing painted. Too busy visiting and savoring the day. The water around the docks was glowing green in the sunshine, with schools of perch and smelt about 6 inches long . I did take lots of photos for future painting reference. If the weather continues so nice my painting mania will be warring with the urge to dig in the dirt and plant things, but I should be able to spare some time to sketching in the garden even if I am planting. If it rains this week I am saved the choice. At least I will never be bored!

I'd Rather See Than Be One"...Swankey the Sheep

8 March 2011

It is starting to feel a bit like spring here. We have had days recently with rain, hail, and sun all in one day. The crocus are up, and our plum tree will open its buds any day now. Just two weeks ago we had a flurry or two of snow, but it didn't daunt the new growth on our rose bushes.

I haven't been in the back yard this week to check if the deer have pruned the roses for me, as they usually do. Poor things' habitat is so hemmed in by development, just a narrow stretch of evergreen and maple woods on a hillside. I can't seem to get upset when they look for tasty treats. They find the windfalls from our apple trees in the fall.

These baby carnations were some my youngest daughter and fiance' gave me at Christmas. My sweet husband brought home peachy/orange roses last week, and I forgot to photograph them. He thought I needed "sunshine"! They smelled like violets, and I am trying to root cuttings from the stems. My thumbs are not too "green" though.

I am working on portraits in oil of my two grandsons at the moment, and will post those photos soon. I set them on the mantle and look at them for a few days and always find something to change! It is hard for me to stop and call "finished" to a painting.

This was done about 15 years ago. It is not my daughter Heather's favorite, she was
tired of posing for me, and her expression shows it. I always intended to go back to
this and turn the lips up in a smile, but that has not happened yet! This is on canvas,
18x 24 .

I need to do more portraits, that is where my heart is. I have been painting landscapes because they are more of a challenge for me. Not the usual artists complaint, but I have drawn faces since I was a child. My goal for this spring is to paint more, especially portraits.