sketchbooking picnic
What fun to repeat the Sketchbook Workshop I did last year with Judy Labrasca, this time with a new flock of arty folks. Judy and I shared sketchbooks and materials with the class and began our trek, starting by the “army dock” near the ferry landing on Peaks Island. She gave a nimble watercolor demo with a brush pen. I added a quick pencil sketch to the handmade sketchbook from last year. Another curious flock kept an eye on us. The boat in the background above is the E Cosi, which sailed into my illustration in Here Come the Humpbacks! I drew a goose on sanded pastel paper,...
Read Moredrawing with color
I live just up the hill from the TEIA, otherwise known as “the club.” I’ve drawn it many times, including this commission for an island wedding that took place on the porch, “Island Vow.” It was my pleasure to lead a 2 day Drawing With Color workshop there recently. Rainy skies didn’t darken our creative spirits. We gathered inside to discuss our intentions, color properties, and materials. Ralph brought a pristine box of pastels he’d had for nine years, untouched. Johanna brought these vintage chalk crayons. Pastels do not go bad! Amid the din of a...
Read MoreA Generation of Leaves
Peaks Island author Nicole d’Entremont debuted her second novel recently at the Peaks Island Library to a warm crowd, stating, “I wanted to launch my book in the community where it was written.” A Generation of Leaves begins in Pubnico, Nova Scotia, where Nicole’s ancestors settled centuries ago. The story follows two brothers who enlist in World War 1, and takes the reader from Canada to the trenches of France and back. She displayed some of her rich sources of inspiration and information, including her uncle Leo’s attestation papers from 1914. This...
Read Moreholiday homestead
We’ve sent off our annual greeting cards, and this one above by Marty really captures the feel of holiday around the ole homestead. It’s an artful combo of our barn door and the view from the rear of the barn. Yes, that’s Marty stacking wood. The holiday season always gets so compressed. I have to remind myself of the blessings that come with it. Like snow! And amazing light And shopping in Portland And thanks to a recipe in my favorite Christmas book by Tomie de Paola, I enjoy baking some cheer. I do like words and baking! We may be the last ones to trim our tree, but it...
Read Moreheron cottage retreat
Ever since I drew a heron for Susan Blackaby’s Nest, Nook & Cranny, I see them everywhere. I’ve spied them in the fog. My neighbor, Kathy Hanley, loves herons, too. She created one for her own deck. She and her husband, award-winning architect Will Winkelman, recently renovated the cottage they built on Peaks Island, dubbing it the Heron Cottage. For the first seven years of their marriage, they lived in this two-bedroom home while building a bigger house nearby to make room for a new family. It’s a marvelously secret spot, facing a pond protected by the Peaks Island...
Read Moredrawing with color
Peaks Island’s TEIA club house, above, is a daily view upon walks with the dog. It’s a well-loved setting for sailing, tennis, weddings, and cultural events. I was honored to lead a workshop, Drawing With Color, last week. We gathered on the porch for a discussion of the color wheel, examples of the relativity of color, color contrasts and associative properties. I shared my favorite books about Monet, Connie Hayes, Wolf Kahn, Fairfield Porter, Matisse, and Alex Katz, all masters of color. I laid out a selection of pastel varieties and papers of various textures, asking them to...
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