This One's for You, Marsha!

Sketched at Hedlin Farms.  What a beautiful afternoon of flowers, sun, color, and friends!

Sketch by Missy
August 25, 2014

                                                                                        RIP, Marsha!

Sketching in the flower patch at Hedlin Farms

On their way back from an afternoon sketching at the flower patch.

A great cloud of dust arose as dry soil was being tilled in the distance.

Hedlin Farm runs a seasonal stand at the round-a-bout entrance to La Conner. Today the flower patch was full of color-from wild daisies below our ankles to the sunflowers way above our heads. The light was completely different from when the first sketch was done at around 2-3pm and the last one, finished at 5pm.
Sketches by Michele Cooper

Hedlin Farm Stand in La Conner

Carolyn, Lisbeth, Missy, Joyce, Jane, Michele

A very nice bystander took this group photo for us. I didn't notice the wire across there until just now! Sorry for the line across your faces!

Hedlin's Flower Table

Lazy afternoon sketching and gabbing at the flower table.  So many buckets of beauties waiting to be combined into bouquets at Hedlin's farm stand in La Conner.  So many luscious colors!

The "Response" docked at Pier 1

It's all about the tires!

Interesting things happen when you hang around a dock long enough. No, not that! I'm talking about sketching with the Anacortes Sketchers this past Monday.

A typical Pacific NW fishing boat was on its way out as I sketched on the sunny west end of the dock. A "certain aroma" occasionally wafted by. All sorts of leisure craft came in and out of the harbor while the crew washed windows and cleaned the already pristine decks of the "Response", a tanker tug and firefighting vessel. While I was sketching, one of the crew came out and assumed his best "Captain Morgan" pose for a good 5 minutes. No problem. Got it. Little did he know that for me, it's all about the tires! I loved the necklace of huge tires laced around the "Response" as she languished there in the shadows. How much does just that big tire alone cost? I don't know, but here's what a $42,500 one looks like! 

Sailing Away

Here's what she looked like as I was getting ready to paint the all-important shadows. Arrrghh!
It was kind of cool, though, as she gracefully pirouetted 360 degrees and let us see the entire boat before she sailed away. Her crew can rightfully be proud of her.

See more about the "Response" on my blog. -- Michele Cooper

Pier 1 in Anacortes

l to r-Jane, Carolyn, Anne, Patrick, Joyce (edge of fence) & Missy (far right)

Clockwise from lower left: Anne, Missy, Carolyn, Joyce, Kalena

Pier 1 on Guemes Channel in Anacortes was the meeting spot for Anacortes Sketchers today. It was bustling with activity, including sketchers moving from one spot to the next. You could pick your subject AND your weather depending on where you stood.

The Sally Ride, a naval vessel honoring America's first woman in space, was on the east side of the dock. Just christened on August 9, it is the US Navy's newest research ship.Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) research vessel (R/V)

Joyce's sketch of the Sally Ride  and  Pier 1 ambience. 

Here's my preliminary sketch of the Class 1 fire fighting ship and tanker escort tug, The Response. Although she was christened in Elliot Bay back in 2002, she looked brand new to me.

Ink Sketch by Michele

I moved around the corner out of the wind to switch to watercolor for shadows and accents on my sketch. I'm afraid my pink shirt reflected onto this iPhone snapshot, so I'll scan the finished piece and post later. Hope the rest of the sketchers will post theirs, too.

Come and see the boats in action!  Avast me hearties! Steer your vessel to the Port of Anacortes 6th Annual Anacortes Workboat Races and Pirate Faire at Historic Pier 1 on the Guemes Channel in downtown Anacortes from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 .

The Slough View

I'm always drawn to the slough while in Edison.  The skies were grey on this summer day and the slough a colorful mud.  We found a spot behind the Longhorn Tavern to view the slough!

sketch by Missy
Aug. 11, 2014

More from Edison!

Here is Anne's sketch of Edison.  Welcome to ASk, Anne!

Just Outside the Longhorn

Fun afternoon sketching in funky little Edison.  Had to try to sketch the Longhorn Saloon - a true Edison icon and never without at least one motorcycle out front!

Hot Summer Afternoon in Edison

Lisbeth, Jude, Jane, Kalena, Aleli - Michele & Missy in front

With temperatures soaring into the high 90's elsewhere, the Anacortes sketchers lounged in the shade in Edison this afternoon. It was a refreshing 84°F, in the shade. My car made it to 100°F where it was parked on Cains Ct near "Hedgerow".

Jane and Lisbeth sketching in a high traffic area of Edison. (Pop. 110)

Some of the sketchers found a welcome umbrella table out back of the Longhorn Saloon & Grill with a (low) tidal view southwards down Edison Slough. That's where we shared our sketches and got our group photo. (Click images to zoom larger)

The bakery that Jane was sketching from across the street. 

Some of Edison's renowned restaurants were closed on Monday, but not the Breadfarm Bakery, where I bought a wonderful loaf of ciabatta bread, warm from the oven. (My husband and I enjoyed thick slices of it with brie, olives and cold prawns for dinner. Yumm!)

Sketching with WISk at the Tahoma Zen Monastery

Here's my sketch of the pond at the monastery.  Every shade of green was illuminated by the sun.

Sketch by Missy
August 8, 2014

Another Day at Cap Sante

I never seem to get tired of this place.  This is overworked, but I think I will go back this week and try another!

Sketch by Missy
August 2014

Lavender Windfarm in Coupeville

We had a fabulous, sunny, summer sketch day at the beautiful Lavender Windfarm in Coupeville.  The fields were rich, the smells intoxicating, and the sun and breeze made for a memorable day.

Sketches by Missy
July 2014

Cap Sante Marina in August

South side of Anthony's with Missy, Jane & Janice. Michele's sketch on easel :)

We had another fabulous summer afternoon in the Pacific NW, sketching at Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes, Wa. Even though the temperature was in the 80's without a cloud in the sky, we enjoyed cool breezes as we sketched and painted right on the water near the boat lift.

Kevin Paul, the Swinomish Coast Salish master carver, stopped to chat for a while, as well as Aleli and her daughter. Carolyn and Sueña were further south on the harbor. They saw an entire sailing school embark on their Monday afternoon lesson. 

Watercolor Line and Wash - Michele Cooper

Micron Pen sketch, Michele Cooper