Workshop at the Penticton Art Gallery

After a month of being consumed by business, it was a real pleasure to put it all aside and go teach a workshop at the Penticton Art Gallery on Watercolour Sketchbook Journaling. We had a great group; 8 eager future sketchbook addicts. It was a bit gloomy outside, so we stayed in the tearoom at the gallery, which has no shortage of interesting things to sketch. Lots of people tried sketching the view out the window, which was very complex. I started talking about how to approach simplifying a complex scene, and since there was a sketchbook nearby, it ended up as a little demo. The garden just outside the tearoom is phenomenal. This sketch was about 5-10 minutes. I could spend 5-10 weeks sketching in that garden.

I kept driving past this spot, thinking “That’d be a great place to stop and paint”. I love how the vineyards undulate as they go - It has that great twisted corduroy look to it. This morning we woke up early and we were out of coffee cream. Clearly I HAD to go out. Drive through coffee in hand, I drove up here. I nestled my chair in a the grassy shoulder on a side road, Yogi at my feet, and sketched this. The two towers on the right side are Lakeshore, where we live.

This winery has such a great feel to it. They pipe great 60’s and 70’s music into the vineyards, and are VERY dog friendly. Yogi got treats. So did I - a very nice taste of white - I forget the grape now. See!! That’s why we need to carry wine journals with us! The owner’s name is Prudence (as in Dear) I’ve been humming ‘Ruby Tuesday’ all day. Hey, it IS Tuesday! How fitting. Must have been meant to be.

Ironman Canada Start From Our Balcony

Ironman Canada Start From Our Balcony
Originally uploaded by sketchalina

The start of Ironman Canada. It's a 3.8 K swim, 180 K bike, and 42 K run. That's a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26 miles for you non-metric folks. We're usually knee deep in the water, cheering them on, but this year we're in the comfort of our home. It's always a beautiful, emotional moment watching these athletes begin their journey. Love it. Top finishers will be in this afternoon, but the race continues on until midnight. Congrats to all who are here - including the thousands of volunteers who make it all possible!

Life Drawing with Masks and Cape

I recovered from my 'dental assault' enough to make it to life drawing last night.  First time I've made it two weeks in a row since I think before Christmas.  It was good - I felt like I was in the groove.  

Post Dentist Leer

Post Dentist Leer
Originally uploaded by sketchalina

I'm seriously frozen. My face feels like a catcher's mitt. I'm soooo close to finished putting my book together, but I just can't do it right now. I'm going to bed. I think I'll be done by Friday - then it's just to print!!!

Almost There!

A couple more pages from my 'On Keeping a Watercolour Sketchbook Journal' project.  It's all done now, except for assembling the examples and a bit of lettering on the final page.  Now I just have to get it all properly scanned and printed.  I also need to get my website set up and functioning, since the  address is in the book.  In ink.  No turning back.

I've asked some of my favorite sketchbook artists to let me use one of their sketches in the example section, and pretty much all of them have come back with a yes!  Thank-you all!  Just seeing what other people are doing in their journals is always motivating, and these particular people and journals are, well you just have to see them.