Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Wandering the Costa del Sol


Wandering in Spain's Costa del Sol this morning was pure joy.





Malaga's Alhambra is a 14th century fortress/palace full of courtyards and gardens, mosaic and brickwork. I loved every detail!


I'm working as artist in residence on Grand Princess, sailing for Barcelona, Monaco/Nice, Gibraltar, Naples, and Ajaccio (Corsica.) If you have travel tips for me in those city, please email.

And whether you do or not, go on an armchair trip with me as I share a few highlights from my sketching tour of the Mediterranean.



Saturday, August 13, 2011

Family time


When you don't get to be together very often, family time is extra precious.

Which explains why a few days in Alaska meant so much.


Sheltered by forest and mountains, we waded together into the chilly waters and brought out silver and pink salmon, halibut, and crab...



Hiking the bush, we munched huckleberries and blueberries...


... and found ourselves inspired by the sheer beauty that is Alaska, even in the middle of a summer downpour.



Better than anything else in all the world is the love of family, 
and happy times spent together.


I made Emberly a heart from mussel shells on the beach and she shut her eyes tight and made a wish!





Look at your feet and everywhere there is a still life waiting to be sketched...

or look up and see the big picture, one of a million perfect palettes, ever changing...


Wherever you are, I trust you are keeping your eyes open to the beauty of life around you.


Next week I'll fly to join the Grand Princess, where I'll work as ship's artist for a few weeks in the Mediterranean.
I can't wait to share what I find there!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Let's go for a bike ride!

I want to share my neighborhood with you.
Shall we hop on our bikes and go?


At the end of the road we trudge up the banks of the dike and ride along the Skagit River...


We stop to pick up windfall apples to feed the horses, and cycle on.


On past rolling farms...


... fields of drying hay...


... and barns beautiful enough to be in a magazine.


The farmland is so rich with promise in the height of summer.


Oh, the beauty of corn ripening...


... wheat warm in the Northwest sunshine...


... and workers picking blueberries in the fields.


We head for home, past beautifully simple farmhouse gardens.


Doesn't it seem like we've walked right into painting after painting?
This must be one of the loveliest places on earth, humble and common and unbelievably beautiful.



Now we're almost home.
We round the corner...


What beauty there is right at home in our own little corner of the world.