"In at the Inn" watercolor & ink 5 x 9

Today's sketch - the view out the front of the Island Inn on Monhegan Island. I don't eat there each time we visit, though the food is wonderful.  But, every summer, the elegant dining room displays a beautiful show of a local artist or artists' work and I make a point of visiting.   The work is always captivating, and worth the visit.  It must be, else how could you tear your eyes away from the inside/outside contrast going on along the entire west wall of the dining room?  I love the porch rockers with visitors reading, thinking, resting, being... above the active harbor.  Maybe that's why I don't eat there very often, as with the empty chairs in this sketch, I can't bear to be inside that long away from Monhegan's light and air... 

Again, thanks for looking, and I love your comments.

Sky - Mixed Media

"Sky" was my entry in North River Art Society's Outside the Box exhibit/auction this summer.  All entries were anonymous, until today when the bidding ended, and the names were revealed... so I can finally post my entry.  The stencil letters came out of a small antique box inside a bigger box of things from my mother's studio.  "Sky" was drawn in ink, then I used watercolor pencils, then applied water, and used the pencils in the wet areas again. I like the combination of textures resulting. 

As always, thanks for looking.

Monhegan Sketchbook - Over the Meadow

Half way up Horn Hill on Monhegan is a  plateau which overlooks the village and Manana.  I like the juxtaposition of this house adjacent to to the plateau/knoll and the houses beyond.  In the window is a lovely spindle chair, with its shadow on the wall, quietly sitting above the bustle in the village below.  

I used photoshop to look at the sketch as a monochrome to see how the values read.. I think the entire village and trees should be dropped down 1/2 a value shift, allowing the highest contrast to be solely in the window.  The diagonal of the roof cuts the sketch in half, and it's reading a bit like two paintings.  I'll do another sketch with a few changes as another study for an oil painting... and will post for comparison.
Below is a detail from the window in the foreground.

Thanks for looking.  I'll keep you "posted" on my progress.

Monhegan Sketchbook - Harbor 4:30 PM watercolor and ink

 Later in the afternoon, shadows begin stretch down the east side of Manana, growing and overtaking the light until only a few spots of light remain, and are then extinguished.  Now that I think of it, sort of  a preview to the sunset's rhythm a couple of hours later.  I like being reminded how quickly we are rotating on this Earth.

Here is a recent page from my sketchbook.  I began applying watercolor in those remaining patches of light.  Interesting how dark they look in the top image, when seen against the white page, compared to how light they read below when surrounded by dark. 

We visited the island this summer over the 4th of July week, and again, the last week of July.  There is a huge difference in the light and shadow pattern along Manana in just those three weeks. 

This year, I brought home a clear thought about taking the time in my "regular life" to observe the magnificence of our world as I do when on Monhegan.

As always, thanks for looking.  Your comments make my day.


 

Monhegan Sketchbook July 31 - Long and Short views and Fred Astaire

Here are a few more sketches from my book this week.  We've had some interesting weather, crystal clear days, some big fog pressing against the screens trying to find its way in, more fog that hangs in the harbor only while the sky above and beyond is blue.  As always, it's a joy to be here.  The tall sketch is the long view from the house we call ours for the week.  We can see out beyond Manana to the mainland 12 miles away (many days, but not this one).  Then I have the view over our friends Arline and Moe's house.  We had dinner with them last night.  What a hoot! They are fascinating, and have that way of making their guests feel fascinating, too.  And, they are huge Fred Astaire fans, a passion we share.

Then I have a short view of Bill Cameron's memorial spot over looking the harbor from Horn Hill, and a couple of hikers awaiting the ferry back to Booth Bay Harbor.  I love people watching on the island, and with a sketchbook in hand, you can ostensibly don your invisibility cloak (thank you, Harry Potter, and Happy Birthday today), and just watch and record.  What a blast!

In honor of Arline and Moe, here's a link to Fred Astaire's "Drum Crazy" from the movie Easter Parade.  If you have never seen it, it's 4 minutes of sheer joy.  If you have seen it, it's 4 minutes of sheer joy relived.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTiEJqZMW7E

Thanks for looking, and as always, I love your comments.

Monhegan Sketchbook July 2

Today was an interesting day (as they all are) here on Monhegan.  A friend stopped by for a breakfast visit.  We compared notes about daughters heading off to college.  She commissioned me to do a painting for her friend as a wedding gift.  On my way out to the harbor, I chatted with a couple of people and was invited into their homes for a look see.  I love looking at the homes here on the island!   Each is unique, offers its own views and angles of the beloved island.  Today was a bonus day as I was privileged to see two interesting, rustic homes.

There is some pretty good chop going on in the harbor perhaps due to Hurricane Arthur marching up the coast.  I love sitting by the waves, and absorbing their heady rhythm.  I made my way down to the harbor to do some drawing, and was pleasantly surprised by my husband showing up to hang out, followed shortly thereafter by our daughter and her friend.  The four of us hung out while I pulled out my sketchbook. 

I'll probably lay some watercolor into these drawings, but here's today's efforts.  Oh, look at the second picture up top.  Squashed bugs are the hallmark of artists painting on location!  

Thanks for looking.  As always, I love your comments.