Sitka Center For Art & Ecology...

...On the central Oregon coast. I'm here for a week taking two watercolor classes with Molly Hashimoto. . No, I'm not a beginner, but I wanted to stay here for a week and never hurts to review techniques, especially with this being Plein Air. The intermediate class starts tomorrow, and we will be visiting the same areas, so I will have an opportunity to reexperience painting the areas, maybe from a different perspective. Then we will return the class in the afternoons, to paint a studio picture using our plein air pieces for reference. This will be something new for me.

Here are the paintings I did in her beginner class:

 ...and here are the journal entries in my new watercolor journal book...

Arrowleaf Balsamroot...

...below is the first page in my new Arches Watercolor spiral bound field book.  I decided to to try painting from a photo I took of Arrowleaf Balsamroot flowers when we were in Idaho.  It's okay...I really want to loosen up but I seem to always paint so "tight" and am not sure how to loosen up.  I'm getting ready to head off to the Sitka Center for Ecology & Art on the Oregon coast for two watercolor classes by Molly Hashimoto.  There will be lots of Plein Air work and later in the week we will focus on translating field work to studio work.  When I took Molly's class last year I really liked the looseness of my work.  I'm hoping to reconnect with that feeling.

Here is the work I did in my Arches Watercolor Journal last year when I took Molly's class at the North Cascades Institute:

Idaho Vacation...

...We spent last week in the Sun Valley/Sawtooths region of Idaho - Spectacular country!!!!!  We stayed in Hailey, Idaho - 11 miles south of Sun Valley for a few nights and explored the area for a few days.  Then we headed north to Stanley, ID which is in the heart of the Sawtooths and stayed a night there before heading home the next day.  Lots of hiking and amazing scenery.  Next time we would like to base out of Stanley, a more rustic and real feeling town.

Joe and I on the trail to Baker Lake.

Sawtooths viewed from Stanley, Idaho

The motel view we plan to have on our next visit!

Below are the journal entries I did on the trip...

Taking time out to work on watercolor techniques...

...Another exercise from the "Ready to Paint Series - Watercolor Flowers" by Wendy Tait.  I loved the exercise in painting the negative spaces to carve out the flowers and leaves.  Very fun to do and I'm quite pleased with this!!!!

New Watercolor Journal - Page 2

Grapes are a wonderful source of shade and I have them planted in two spots in our yard - these are growing up a wire trellis next to our patio in order to provide shade to our patio dining table.

Let July Begin...

Here is the last page of the hand bound watercolor journal I made last Summer. Not too crazy about the painting...but it's all a learning process. I just finished making my new journal and this one is all hot press (Fabriano Artistico 140 lb.) and I'm not sure if I'll like only having hot press but it's easier to do ink drawings on and I may not always want to paint my drawings. It doesn't have as many pages as the book I just finished just in case I start to miss the cold press paper. My next journal may end up being a mix of hot and cold press papers.

And here is the first entry of my new hot press watercolor paper journal.  I just added flower boxes to the windows of my studio two weeks ago.  I love the brilliant red Mediterranean look of these geraniums!