A Day with the Whidbey Island Sketchers

On rather the spur of a moment, I trekked up to Whidbey Island today to play with the Whidbey Island Sketchers group. They meet weekly at various places on the island and today it was at the Spoiled Dog Winery near Langley. Hating ferry lines as I do, I cooked up a plan to take my bicycle in my car as far as Mukilteo, abandon the car and take the ferry across and bike the rest of the way. 

It was only about 3 and 1/2  miles, after all. Well! Even though I had lived at one time on Whidbey for 25 years, I had never biked this route and soon discovered it was an endless hill. In the hot sun.  Did I say uphill?  After a mile and a half of going up, it then went back down to sea level, meaning my return trip was going to be just as big of a gruel as getting there.  I didn't even get to enjoy the mile ride downhill, because I was thinking about how I'd have to pedal back up it on my way back.   In my head, I was plotting how I'd have to try to catch a bus going back and throw my rig on the forky thingy they have on the front. 

As I arrived at the winery, any reluctance I had had about coming disappeared. What a beautiful place.  

I was warmly greeted by the owner and introduced to the other sketchers, all a warm bunch of people. 
I chose a spot close to the barn and in the shade and picked a corner to sketch. 

I was out of my league with this group, many of them being professional artists.  The beauty of being a member of the "older set" is that it is OK to be out of my league.  It gives others an opportunity to look good and that is a good thing.  And nobody really gives a hoot anyway.  

I say "WOW" A-Mazing.  I want to learn from this dude.




But, it was a comraderic (my own word!) group, and there was much joy whiling the afternoon in such a pastime.  A little wine-tasting didn't hurt to top off the day. 

This was my view/corner that I drew/painted:

My first sketch.. a two page spread in my little sketchbook.  I was not happy with  the values coming out mostly the same.  I have a ways to go with the watercolor medium..  I am still treating it too much like acrylics.  

This one was better.  More watercolor-y.   So much to learn... like how much detail with the black pen?  

It became my lucky, lucky day, when one of the sketchers offered to haul my bike and me back to the ferry dock, since he lived close by. I love a good bike ride but do NOT enjoy endless  hills.

Sun, ferry boats, vineyards,  water colors and sketch pad, wine and friendly folks makes for an awesome day. 

Check out the Whidbey Island Sketchers website here and enjoy their amazing sketches around Whidbey.  So inspiring.