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Sketching the Alaska Forget-Me-Not
Alaska’s State flower is the Forget-Me-Not. It is such a simple and delicate little flower ranging in color from pale to deep blue and even shades of pink. With a gentle fragrance of baby powder, it is...
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Sketches of June in Alaska
About ten days ago, the sun came out and finally it warmed up. I’ve been outside sketching, gardening and playing. Without polar fleece. Down at the Matanuska River. Stopped to sketch the lovely River...
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Fall Sketches on Craft Paper
Lately I’ve seen some of my friends sketching on brown craft paper and thought I would give it a try. Watercolor seems to just soak into the paper, creating only muddy color, so I used gouache paint....
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Making Watercolor Pigment from Mud
I’ve been wondering if pigment could be made from clay and I learned that it can from a book called, “The Complete Decorated Journal” by Gwen Diehn. First I used clay from the Matanuska River flowing...
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Late Autumn or Early Winter?- A Sketch
Caribou Creek Hill Yesterday the sun was blazing over the tops of the mountains. As it sinks lower and lower into the southern sky, it will soon be skipping between peaks and we will count the few...
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Sketching a Ranch in Arizona
“Arizona Ranch” 4×6 watercolor sketch We were vacationing in Arizona for the last two weeks. It was so sunny and warm. Such a nice break from the cold in Alaska. I rode my bicycle and sketched cactus...
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Arizona Ranch Sketches
Today I get to tell you who is the winner in the drawing for the gift cards. I’ll tell you at the end of this post. I promised more sketches from my sketchbook of our time in Arizona. We had such a...
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Golfing and Sketching Make A Great Marriage
I’ll never be a good golfer. I just don’t care enough. My husband, however, is all about making good shots and is much more serious about the whole process of getting that little white ball in the hole...
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What Color is Alaska in the Winter? Sketches From a Warm Car
Although it has been cold and windy here, I was determined to get out and paint the soft colors of winter in Alaska last week. I gathered my sketch bag and tootled off in our car with the heater on...
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Sketching and Purring
Last year I took a break from “producing” paintings and picked up my sketchbook to record life around me. This decision was in response to an online class I took from Cathy Johnson. I painted a few...
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Humpback Whales Have it Right
We just returned to Alaska from sixteen sun-filled days on Maui. Humpback Whales, who spend their summers in Alaska were there, leaping out of the water with abandon. Seems they eat until they are fat...
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Painting Children as a Gift of Love
Every now and then an email falls into my inbox and I smile. My niece sent me a note with a photo of her two children on a beach in New England. Would I be willing to paint it as an anniversary gift...
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Sketching with a Policeman, a Biker, and a Friend
I’ve been asked to take part in a sketching project originating in South Africa. People from around the world are joining me to sketch every day in August in this sketch pack they sent. The owner of an...
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Sketching a Mailbox, Rose Hips, and a Glacier
Day 21 through 26 of the Sketching Project. I tried to choose a variety of subjects, but I tend to spend as much time outside as I can since winter is just around the corner. Our son’s mailbox looked...
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Last of the Thirty Sketch Challenge
Finished! All 30 sketches are complete and on their way to Cape Town, South Africa, to be displayed there for the month of October. The booklet of sketches is on Ebay and the winning bidder will...
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Sketching the Change of Season
The Sketch Project was quite an accomplishment and your kind words of encouragement helped so much. Thank you for cheering me on. The sketches will be on display in Cape Town, South Africa during the...
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Autumn in Alaska
Snow is creeping down the mountains in the North as the earth tips away from the sun. I find myself leaning toward the equator. Mornings are stunning this time of year as the golden aspen leaves sing...
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Waiting for the Blink
Portraits have been a love/hate relationship for me. When I’m painting them, time just flies by. The brush nudges a cheek into existence and with just a dot and swirl, there is an eye and I almost...
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Poppy Sketch
Just finished this bright little poppy this morning. I worked from a photo taken this summer. They were so very brilliant. It is for sale on this link. Poppy Sketch
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Sketching a Lake Before Freeze-up
The lakes in interior Alaska have begun to freeze and the swans are getting ready to take the last flight out before their feet freeze in the ice. I stopped at Eureka Summit and sketched part of the...
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