Spent some time sketching last Friday with the Whidbey Island Sketchers at Music for the Eyes, an import shop in Langley. Full of rugs, jewelry, beads, hand carved chairs and odds and ends. Beautiful stuff. Got in a couple sketches.

Quick sketch of Double Bluff from Sunlight Beach. The light and scenery is spectacular every moment of every day. This day was a grays and blues day with a tinge of blue green and brown in the water.

Whidbey Island Sketchers met at The Machine Shop in Langley. It's a pinball arcade and brings a lot of fun and cool to Langley. Also bright lights, so maybe a little Vegas too!

I've been trying to spend an hour a day doing what I call watercolor meditations. Though it's more of a stream of consciousness sort of thing, but has the effect of relaxation, thus 'watercolor meditations.' I'm somewhat randomly applying color on a wet surface then responding to the shapes and colors. Doing this is giving me lots of ideas for my future watercolor explorations.
For many years I've explored creating digital abstracts using Corel Painter or Procreate on the iPad. It's a nice way to throw paint and drawings down quickly with the ability for undos. Sketching on location also feeds into this stream. I feel blessed with lots of "fish!"

Added some digital marks:

Following are done with Procreate on iPad.

You may want to give this stream of consciousness painting a go. It's a fun exploration of what's inside your head without taking it all so seriously. It all builds and where it leads to, who knows!

Whidbey Island Sketchers met in Langley at Liesel's Studio 106 this last week. We sketched still life groupings and I got in a few sketches of the gals. Made some effort to work quickly, but next time it'll be a much more serious goal. Spontaneity is a pleasure. Great group of gals were frosting on the cake!

Langley is truly magical during the holiday season, all decorated with garlands and lights. The word must be getting out because the place was hopping last night. A Thursday night, no less. I stopped in for a glass of wine and a bit of sketching at Ott and Murphy on 1st street. If you plan on going to Langley at any time OM is a must. Wines are delicious and the atmosphere relaxing and friendly. There weren't any people in my visual range so laid my eyes upon the poinsettia nearby. The sensation of applying paint to paper was immensely gratifying that evening. The immediacy, watching watercolor flow and react with other colors as it dried. I love the process!

Sketched in 8"x10" Stillman and Birn, Beta, softcover. Really enjoying this paper.

Sketched in 5.5"x8.5" Stillman and Birn, Beta, hardcover. 

My first post on my new blog. I have another called "Drawings from Life." I've posted a lot of sketching and watercolor stuff on that blog. If you'd like to peruse it here's a link: http://drawingsfromlife.blogspot.com . 

The Whidbey Island Sketchers had a sketch day at the Island County Historical Society and Archives in Coupeville. I knew before I went to sketch there that the Maiden of Deception Pass would probably be my subject. She's a carved figure in the style of a totem painted in beautiful turquoise, green, pale pinks, white and black. The myth captured me when I had read it a few years back. Probably because it’s a kind-of mermaid story and I’ve always been attracted to mermaids. They live in the sea and who wouldn’t want to breath under water and see the wonders? She accidentally slips into the water and a merman takes her hand. She eventually marries him to provide food for her people. I included a link to the story at the end if you’re interested in reading it.

​Here's the link to the myth:
http://www.bladegallery.com/graphics/Maiden_of_Deception_Pass_Legend.pdf