His Majesty and a couple of the Girls

Don't know what it is about chickens that I find so cool but if they are around, I've got to spend time with them.

My friend, Dee has a flock and I gotten to spend some time getting acquainted with them. I loved the way the he came out, the Girls, well not so much...But a good time was had by all, so there ya go.

a sketch of Dee's garden

I helped my friend in her garden planting and mulching with straw. After we were finished working, I pulled out my paints and painted the scene. The rows all looked so neat and clean and I loved all the different colors and textures. I did run into a bit of a problem drawing the wheelbarrow but pressed on regardless LOL.

Old barn in Kettle Falls, WA

The sunlight bathing this old barn in soft colors drew me in. My perspective painting is getting a little better but after a short time, I can see where my lines are still off, although this barn was starting to bend just a little at the knees. There are so many barns and farm houses up here, just a delight for photographers and painters!

I'll be in a spot the has wifi for the next few days so hopefully can catch up on some of your blogs!

Lake Roosevelt

I did this sketch of Lake Roosevelt the other morning. My daughter and her family live up on the side of the hill above the third cove. An easy drive for a swim but not close enough to walk.

Rim Rock

Spent a few days in the high plains desert in Washington not too far from the Grand Coulee Dam. I find this area, although so totally different from the coastal range, incredibly beautiful. The horizon seems to be endless miles away. The skies were grey and cloudy while I was there so there wasn't a time when the light on the rocks was at the "OMG, how beautiful" stage, that I know it can be.

Again, I lost all the delicate greens and greys in the foreground. It's an ongoing frustration using my camera instead of a scanner. If I'd remember it at the time I'm painting, I could adjust for it but the painting came out pretty close to what I had in mind. I must admit, I tossed it off into the corner as a "no go" several times so it did come out a tad over worked.

Stuart Range

I painted this yesterday morning from the rest stop we were in. I couldn't get the balance in blue and greens in photoshop to balance the same as the real painting. The band of greenish "fog" is a soft blend of light blues and greens that reads much nicer in real life. The lighting on the mountains is nicer IRL too.

This range is the largest outcropping of granite in the U.S.

River by Copalis Beach, OR

ARRGH! My river slopes downhill! I think part of the problem is with using my camera instead of a scanner; the crop is never straight with the edges of the paper. It didn't look that sloped in the actual drawing. Anyway, I did enjoy painting it and will watch those bank lines closer in the future. That funny looking dark object over the water was a Blue Heron that flew by while I was painting.