Tugboat Tyee

It was a quiet bay and we were at anchor. In the late afternoon we heard the sound of a large diesel engine, the sound attached to the tugboat "Tyee". They anchored not too far from us. It looked like a working tugboat that was converted to a live aboard boat. I was charmed by the tires and fenders tied to the rails with thick ropes.

Echo Bay

Echo Bay (Sucia Island) plein air

bow set up

The wind was down today (from the 20-30 kts yesterday) and the sun came out so I set up on the bow and painted. As quickly as I could. A breeze came up while I was painting and turned the boat so that I was looking over my shoulder at my subject (you can sort of see from the second photo). Such is the excitement of plein air painting!

Sketches

Reid Harbor

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

Still trying to make friends with my new pastels.

Plein air Orcas Island

Olga, Orcas Island

Saddlebag Island Plein Air

Saddlebag Island final

morning set up on the bow

afternoon set up in the stern cockpit

It was good to set up my easel today and paint! Our boat is hanging on the anchor near Saddlebag Island State Park on a beautiful day! This morning I set up on the bow and in the afternoon in the stern cockpit (a little more crowded back there).

My new pastels are great but they are unfamiliar. It will take some time before I feel comfortable with this new collection of colors. Today I felt like I was wearing someone else's clothes. I'm not sure they fit yet.

Any day spent painting is a good day.

Before and After

Here it is, filled and ready for me to paint!

Empty box with new foam (courtesy of Dakota Art Pastels)

Old box before the ocean disaster

No, really, it's not a trick question, but can you tell the differences between my old pastel collection and my new collection?

Tomorrow I will paint! Yay!

New Pastels

Dakota Art Pastels
the best pastel store in the country!

I wanted to buy the whole collection of Great American Pastels!

Sketching is nice but I miss painting

I continue to experiment and play with my sketching. Today, a comic strip across the top of the page with panels of various sizes. Quick gestures while I finished my morning coffee. Another gesture of the bridge at Deception Pass. Then of the bridge support. I like these little drawings.

On the dock at Anacortes, I sat comfortably and drew the rigging on the Day Star. Boats are complicated subjects and I have avoided painting and drawing them in any detail. Today I plunged in. Things got a little wonky but some things are just right. More practice will help, I think.

Sketching today

Until I get my new pastels, I'm sticking to some watercolor sketching. The sketches don't take long but I still have the experience of studying and composing and considering and putting something down on paper.

My mind is very distracted by the accident. Today I spent a lot of time wondering "what if."

What if Angie hadn't heard me...
What if I had hit my head on my way into the water ...
What if I hadn't held on to the dock ...

You get the idea.