7/13/12

Catching Up

This is a demonstration showing how I would paint a mound of lavender, and also show white lavender growing in the middle of the purple mounds.  The page on the right is a demo of climbing roses. We had a couple of fantastic mornings out at the lavender farm.

The octagon cottage in Bay View  -  a demo showing how I would choose a starting point and move on with a continuous line drawing, showing only the part of the cottage that really interests me.

A beautiful day on Stephens Lane.  There is a nice garden at the top of the hill with huge white daisies against a very dark green background of evergreens.

On the first day of the first Bay View journal class of the season, we painted the bright flowers in the large pots in front of one of the halls on campus.

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The summer is moving along so quickly, and I am blogging so slowly.  Here I am, still in my jammies, sitting on the porch, catching up a little.  No classes today.  Everyone has gone to the beach. I have been here long enough to have switched from hot coffee to iced coffee.

Last weekend we went to Ann Arbor where the temperature was well over 100!!!  It hasn't been that hot up here, and it has been a perfect summer week  -  sand on the bathroom floor, bathing suits on the line, the kids playing card games on the porch after dinner, and our daughter here for the week from California.


We've been having a wonderful time with the California grandkids!  They have been here since the first part of June. One of them leaves tomorrow, and one will stay for awhile longer.

Next week I will be teaching three morning classes and four afternoon classes. While it is quiet here, I should get things together for next week's classes.  Who knows what might be going on over the weekend, and I don't want to miss anything.

Are you sketching?  Are you keeping cool?



9 comments:

Elizabeth B Merriman said...

I love your work... the looseness and the simplicity. The color you put into the tree trunks and the clean, clear color are wonderful. I look at your pages and get inspired to loosen up myself.

Laura said...

Beautiful fresh sketches.

annie said...

Glad you're having such a happy summer with the kids, Catherine. Great to see these sketches. I always love the colorful shadows that you get on the tree trunks. We've been hot and dry in Texas, but we're happy to have some rain a few days ago.

annie

Roxanne said...

Love the sketches. It's wonderful to visit with family and so nice to lean back and take it easy when the weather gets so hot.

Sandy Hunter said...

I found your blog via Pinterest (someone pinned some seriously awesome leaves you painted), and I'm so glad I landed here. I will eventually read every word, but for now I just wanted to tell you your work is amazing and I really like your style.

Catherine said...

Thanks Oma/Elizabeth. I love floating colors on tree trunks - the result is always a surprise.

Laura - thanks!

Annie - we have been unusually warm here. I like it warm, but even I think it is too much.

Thanks, Roxanne - It has been hot and we have been kickin" back. Fun.

How nice, Sandy - thank you!

Debbie Nolan said...

Catherine - love your sketches. Colors are so fresh and vibrant. Thanks so much for sharing. I've also had the pleasure of checking out your Petroskey journal. Lovely images. Have a great day!

Marj said...

Oooo-oo glad you're back on the blog. Fun journal paintings and Grandkids, too--Enjoy!
Finally went to Hollander's via the "back roads" :-) Today (Tues) it is getting to 102' and is now
95 degrees at 11 a.m. AND humid!
:-0

Catherine said...

Thanks, Debbie! And I'm glad you enjoyed my book. Wishing you a great day also.

Marj - glad you made it to Hollanders. Oooooh - the heat you have been experiencing down there!