Brush in Hand

I was privileged to spend most of this day ensconced in my cozy studio, brush in hand.

  I warmed up with a very quick charcoal sketch of this morning's walk...

and a poem I came up with yesterday morning.

Then I opened the door into my new 8.5x11 sketchbook with watercolor and Pigma pen.

  I added a bit of detail to my imaginary furniture with Prismacolor pencils.

 Mother always accused cats of being snake-like, until Chester B. Good came to live with us.

Albert Pynkham Ryder

In the corpse light of this morning's half-dead moon

further paled

by thin veil

of quick cloud

Albert Pynkham Ryder walked beside me.

Holiday Walks

We have been on Christmas Holiday here since Thursday afternoon, spending lots of time at home and taking long walks every afternoon while dinner cooks.  The thermometer hovers right below freezing, making for good footing.  6" of snow fell last night.

Crystal Mountain, wrapped in clouds.

 The wintry view this afternoon from Hungry Point.

The high tide obliterated any possibility of walking the beach.

 Lots of lights add color to our black and white world.

At the mouth of the Narrows, looking at Petersburg Mountain.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Cold and Clear

The thermometer has dropped the past week as is typical here in winter when cloudless skies turn clear as crystal.  I got super chilled walking the beach.  My feet felt cold as this bulb kelp.

Looking north up the Narrows toward town, the last of the short day sunlight fades on Kupreanof Island.

On Foot in the Snow

This eagle landed in a nearby tree to watch Flossy run around on the beach, kept clean of snow by the tide.

 The half-moon floating at 3pm.

Seattle Girl is visiting this week - we got locked out of my car and had a great walk while we waited for the Sailor to rescue us.

Alpine-glow mountain peaking above a foot of snow on the muskeg...

as the sun goes down another day closer to Solstice.

Sketchbook Project II

The past couple of weeks I have been working away on Christmas gifts for people - my family - who may drop by this blog occasionally.  So instead of posting images of these projects and possibly blowing the surprise, I will show you some recent pages drawn in my Sketchbook Project. 

These images are ramblings from my subconscious, as un-edited by my Left Brain Judge as is possible. 

As I wrote in a previous post, I am using the transparent properties of the sketchbook pages to let each new image spring from the previous one.

 Sometimes it's ok to not have any color...

 ...or only a very little...

...but I do love my Prismacolor pencils.

 Last evening it got too late and I had to go to bed before I finished the drawing below.  I want way more color here, but have a drafting job to get out tonight, so the Sketchbook must wait, for now.

Hope your new week is filled with brightness in this darkest time of year here in the Northern latitudes. 

Out at the Slough the ice is starting to form flows that get caught on shore in the outgoing tide.

Flossy and the Sailor, attempting to give a sense of scale.

Interesting how the reflected clouds are more vivid than those in the sky. 

Winter Sunset Walk

I left the studio at about 2:30 this afternoon to go home and walk the beach before it got dark (which happens by 4pm these days). 

Looking south toward Crystal Mountain, 3:20 pm.

Looking across the Narrows to Kupreanof Island, the fragile color of sunset - temperature was right around 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sketchbook Project

Like many of you, I am participating in the Sketchbook Project. Here's a glimpse of what I've been drawing.  The Sketchbook Project is serving as my at home in the evening entertainment, and as such has been very relaxing and freeing.  The drawings have influenced my studio work in unexpected ways, best of all giving me permission to be a little more goofy.

 I chose the theme 'Make Mine A Double' and have been using the transparency of the sketchbook pages to let each new drawing build upon the previous ones.

None of these pages have titles - I really can't explain what any of it is about beyond the pure pleasure of letting my hand and mind wander with Micron pens and Prismacolor Pencils.

The pages depicted here are sequential, created over the past two weeks.

Last night I drew this.  I like being able to start one drawing off the last in such a direct way.  Studio time has been consumed by more commercial ventures since my last dye-painting effort, making me grateful for the freedom of my sketchbook. 

Cooking and Giving Thanks

In honor of the big cooking (and eating) holiday here in the United States, Thanksgiving Day which we observe the fourth Thursday of November, I give you here my top five favorite cook books.
I have cooked out of four of these at least once a week since the Sailor and I got married over thirty years ago. Beard on Bread was a gift to myself a couple of years ago and have not been disappointed by a single loaf - I bake bread every other week.  Cooking and baking are a creative charge for me and I am grateful that my mom let me get into the kitchen early and often as a girl.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

First Ice on the Slough

We have been experiencing some beautiful cold days and nights the past week, a wonderful change from the rain.  The low temperatures have caused a skim of ice to form on the sloughs around the Island. 

Since it is salt water, the slough won't freeze solid.  The air is smoky from people burning their wood stoves to keep the chill out.  It smells so good outside. 

These photos are taken on the bridge near my studio in town.

Complete - Not Finished

I washed out the paintings done in the last two weeks - they are up on the wall awaiting the next thing.  Complete but not finished, as Professor Spafford used to say.

 Snake Handler I - work in progress

 

Snake Handler II - work in progress

I am re-reading Peter London's 1989 book No More Second Hand Art and finding lots to ponder on the morning walk, which is now a complete flash light show.  Sun rise is about 7:15 am - and it's dark by 4:15 in the afternoon.  My neighbor cheerfully pointed out that solstice is less than 40 days off, and then we'll have lengthening daylight again.  Yeh, that'll be good.

Beach Walk

I quit work earlier yesterday when there was a break in the downpour and we had a nice walk on the beach north of our house.

 Flossy hangs back to wait for me while the Sailor forges ahead.

 I love the pattern of the alder branches against the late afternoon sky.

 On the shore we found a jellyfish washed up along with lots of different kinds of kelp.

 

 

Outside and Inside

The snow is creeping down the mountains toward our hapless town.

8 am yesterday

Looking outside the studio 9am yesterday.

Looking inside from the doorway...

my studio is an oasis of color and light on these dim days of early winter. 

Adding color and texture to the work begun last week:  I mix about a tablespoon of print paste with dye concentrate 50/50 in my palette cups, then dole out small amounts to paint with so that the soda ash picked up on my brushes and tools doesn't exhaust the Procion. 

 detail 1

 detail 2

detail 3

These paintings are curing now, waiting to be washed out and stitched. Their stories are not clear to me yet but emerging... I have more work to do.