Book Binding

My New Journal 

and a Page From Our Book Binding Workshop

Last week we did a two day book binding workshop.  It is so much fun to pick out the fabric and paper for the cover.  I felt that the design of the fabric (on the left side of the book cover) needed to be broken up just a bit, so I cut out two shapes from the paper (on the right side of the book cover) and glued them on.  

The shiny reflection on the book is the acetate cover we use to protect them.  They take a beating  -  paint splashes, grass stains, pencil smudges . . .

One of the pages we did on day-two was "what I wore today", which is also the homework assignment for my Wednesday and Thursday classes this week.

The books made in the class were just beautiful, and the creative participants were such fun to spend two days with.

Today I'm watching dark and dramatic clouds over the Bay. The sun in and out of the clouds (mostly in) is doing some interesting things to the colors of the hills across the Bay and the surface of the water  -  a good day for some color swatches in my journal.

Museum buildings' steps

The Steps in the Garden 

Behind the Woman's Council

This is one of my favorite places to paint in Bay View.  The light is always changing and the garden is doing something different every time I go there.  Move three feet one way or the other and the view and perspective of the quirky buildings change.  Zoom in,  zoom out . . .      The garden is right behind the Woman's council building with a good view of the museum buildings just a few feet away.

I did this watercolor sketch at least a month ago, and now the sun and the garden have really changed.  It's very dark and windy today.  I'm all about comfort  -  I won't be going out painting.

Do you have any creative plans for the weekend?

At the Waterfront

A couple of evenings ago I went down to the waterfront to walk.  I went east for about a half mile, and when I turned around to go back, this sky to the west just took my breath away.  Look at the color of the water!

Last night there was this juvenile cormorant sitting on a rock right near the walkway.  Some kids came down and sat on the rocks right near it.  It didn't seem to mind that we were right there talking about it.  That lone duck kept hanging around too.  

What is it about cormorants?  They're a little creepy. Very creepy. But thrilling to see up close and personal. 

Another Cottage

Early Fall Garden

The flowers in front of this cottage are hanging in there  -  still colorful.

The little door on the left has always fascinated me.  It looks like a regular paneled door, but on a much smaller scale. I think it must go to the basement.

Another warm week here.  Nice! Last week was beautiful, and I went out sketching a few times.  Now I need to buckle down a bit and get things ready for classes, but I'm sure I can get in a few more outdoor days.

How has your September weather been?  Have you been out sketching?

More Rooftops

Painting in the Evening

It's getting late in the season to be painting in the evening.  This is really not what was going on with the light.  In fact, not much at all was going on with the light. Because of all the trees, the sun was a little too low to reach this location.

On the way home we saw the most gorgeous sunset! We were hoping to see the green flash, but it didn't happen.  I have only seen it a couple of times in my life.  

Another beautiful day here today.  I am heading down to the waterfront with my sketchbook.  My plan is to take my sketchbook out every day this week.  Day two.

Rooftops

Rooftops on Stephen's Lane

It finally warmed up to about sixty degrees Friday, and there was some sun, so we headed out with our sketchbooks.  With the sun so low in the sky now, it kept going behind the trees, and we had to keep moving to stay in the warmth of it.

It is pretty quiet around here now, so we aren't as likely to get run over if we sit in the middle of the road to sketch in the sun. 

Just checking the weather forecast and my calendar for next week. My goal is to get out every day and paint.  The weather looks perfect and the calendar is pretty empty  -  perfect combination.

Julio In and Out of the Studio

My Pal in the Studio

Julio loves paper, pencils, pens, and paint brushes! I have to shut him out of the studio when I have a class because he tries to help everyone paint.  He's not that helpful.

Today I'm really feeling the effects of summer's end.  No more outdoor classes, no more open doors and windows, no more evening meals on the porch.  Well, there may be a few, and there will be more days of sketchbook journaling out and about. Oh yeah,  there's always that stuff to do in the yard.  I think people who take good care of their yards call it "putting the garden to bed".  I call it "cutting down all the overgrown stuff that has taken over".  

Really, all I have to do is switch gears to autumn mode  -  there are plenty of fun projects to get going on.  I think instead of cutting down all that stuff in the yard, I'll go out to the farm market and get some fall produce.  

I need to sketch something  -  I like paper, pencils, pens, and paint brushes too. 

Are you sketching?!

Soup Season

My Favorite Spot in the House?

When I did this watercolor sketch, the stove was new and it was soup season.  It's the beginning of soup season again, so this seemed appropriate to post.  

I have neglected this blog for at least two years.  Short breaks sometimes have a way of turning into a long stretch of neglect.   When I got back to my blog again, I was going to spiff it up and do all the "fancy" things other bloggers do  -   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, links to everything out there, moving parts .  .  .  .  That's not going to happen.  I'm just moving on here, as is.

It's the day after Labor Day, and it feels like someone flipped the "change seasons" button. 
I have some summer sketchbook pages I'll be posting  -  maybe that will stretch summer out a little.