people watching

"At the Convention" monotype, 6 x 10

While at a three day convention where my interest in the subject was only one day long, I found a way to keep myself amused. I sketched people. Lots of people. This monotype was inspired by some of the sketches.

Summer heat in the studio creates a difficult environment for printmaking. Temperatures nearing 100 degrees dries out inks in a hurry. This print happened in the cool of the morning before the day heated up. Subsequent prints, no matter how much medium I added to the sticky ink, were failures. The ink dried on the plate before I could manipulate it. Tacky ink fused itself to the paper and had to be soaked off.

The figures in my convention sketches may inspire more prints, but I will wait for cooler weather to experiment more with monotypes.

Mungo Jerry "In the Summertime."

easy living in the summer

Watery Way, 9 x 12, alcohol ink on Yupo

 

 

For me, summer months usually mean time on the waters of Puget Sound on a boat. It was a thoughtful time, a time for thinking and writing, for looking at light and color and shapes, and for relaxing into a meditation that is all about water.

The painting above is an abstract reflection on our meandering path on the Salish Sea.

Monotype, 12 x 12, Gamblin Intense Cool Black on Rives BFK paper

The monotype above is more specific, but still abstract in a sense. The way light pulls across the water fascinates me and I never tire of looking for the patterns and rhythms of interlocking shapes.

Me, playing the public piano at Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes

When we pulled into the Cap Sante Marina to provision, I was delighted to discover a public piano at the top of the dock. It wasn't until after we'd gotten our groceries and loaded them back on the boat that I had a chance to come back and play. What else? "Summertime."

Here's Norah Jones playing and singing. The livin' is easy in the summertime.

dahlia bouquet, getting off the boat

ink on paper

My sketchbook is full of drawings as we begin to pack up at the end of our boating season. Here's one I did of a bouquet of dahlias my mother bought when she went ashore to a little farmer's market in Silverdale, Washington.

It's been a beautiful summer on the waters of the Pacific Northwest. In the three months we were aboard, we traveled 1071 miles, had 19 guests, and saw amazing heart-filling sights. Click on images to enlarge.

buttermilk sky in Olympia, WA

pink sunrise at McMicken Island, Washington

gray midday reflections in Hood Canal

Whether sunrise, midday, sunset, or night time under a blue moon, the light and water reflections begged to be noticed and attended.

sunset at Port Townsend, WA

Blue Moon over Admiralty Inlet

summer boating aboard M/V Flying Colors

Norah Jones "Summertime." Before we know it, it will be fall, so enjoy!

summertime abstraction near Hope Island

7 x 11, pastel on Rives BFK

Temperatures at home are nearing 100 degrees, but on the water it's just sunny with a breeze and about 85. Summer time is full of color, shimmer, and glow. Especially on the water.

Patricia Barber "Summertime." A heaping of smooth to go with the shimmer.

I love visitors!

My youngest son came for a visit recently. When I asked him what he wanted to do, he asked if we could go out to the studio and "goof around." Oh, we had a grand time! 

Some things are so sweet, it makes my heart ache.

Last days of summer

After we unloaded the car, one of my first acts at home was to sit at the piano and play. I played and played and played. This song often figures in to my noodling around when I just play for the sheer joy of it.

Summertime. Almost over. Always a little tug of sadness when fall blows in.

Low Tide at O'Connor's

"Low Tide"
pastel, 18 x 24

"Summertime"
pastel, 20 x 10

It was a lively morning today at O'Connor's Restaurant on Capitol Highway. My art group, Eight+, hung a new show. There's a happy energy when we hang new paintings. Customers are already talking about some of the pieces!

I rushed to the framer yesterday to have "Low Tide" framed for this show. Framing really makes a painting take on significance! "Summertime" hangs in the hallway, and the light from the window is just perfect on it.

All of the new work looks great! You can see Celeste Bergin's new piece on her blog, but I hope that you will stop in at O'Connor's and see all of the work for yourself, in person.

Summertime

Imagine, hanging on the anchor at Echo Bay near Sucia Island ... it's almost sunset and the sky is turning shades of pink and orange. From a sailboat somewhere nearby you hear the sound of a trumpet playing "Summertime" from Gerschwin's "Porgy and Bess." Jazz styling. And the sound fills the air and slides across the water until it bounces off the land in a sweet echo.

It doesn't get better than that!

Autumnal Equinox on MONDAY

So, one more day to relish summer. Too bad it's cool and rainy. But, I will share another rendition of "Summertime." Hope you enjoy it like I did.

Guess now I'll have to find some fall music I like as well...