More from SF

It's hard to believe we've been home for almost two weeks. There is finally a light at the end of the catch up tunnel!

These two quick sketches were done in the Presidio, one of the prettiest places in San Francisco. It's home to the Walt Disney Museum and LucasArts and LucasFilm not to mention it's rich military history. While we were there Hillary Clinton and Leon Panetta visited. I'll bet we had more fun.

My Life as a Sitcom

We spent two great weeks in San Francisco babysitting for our two and a half year old grandson. Notice I didn't say vacation, it was an adventure filled with mishaps, silliness, work and joy. Grandson, Nana, and Poppy did great but the Granddog not so much. He took sick while we were there, peripheral vestibular disease, but is recovering nicely.

With the added vet visits to our days and keeping up with a toddler's boundless energy I didn't get much sketching done. (Ah yes, what was I thinking? I do recall those days from long ago!) I did do some. I've discovered the Stonehenge sketchbooks and love them. The paper takes watercolor well. I have the 7 inch square one and like that format. I just wish it wasn't spiral bound. I find that, for me, it discourages 2 page spreads.

Hide and Seek the Chicago Way

With all that went on weather wise on the east coast this weekend, a little Chicago morning fog is child's play!

Pencil #2

There's Something about a Pencil

At our regular Monday sketch group, in my quest to loosen up, I started out trying to use only my brush with no pencil marks to guide me. I dove right in painting one of my fellow sketchers. But when all was said and done I couldn't resist adding pencil at the end. It just needed that definition to punch it up a little. I left the other sketch as it was.

We were working at the Nature Boardwalk at the Lincoln Park Zoo. There were lots of tourists and kids enjoying the last days of freedom before school starts. I hope, when they stopped, chatted and commented, we inspired them to give sketching a try!

Not Everyone is a Winner!

Yesterday our Monday sketch group met at Belmont Harbor. Once again we lucked out and the weather cooperated! It didn't start to rain until we were packed up and on our way home. We really have been lucky (so far) this summer. It's either rained in the morning and cleared up in time for our meeting or the rain held off until we were finished.

The luck didn't extend to this sketch but I enjoyed doing it anyway.

Lazy Summer Sunday

This is just a little doodle from a lazy summer day. With all the rain and hot sun our deck garden is quite the oasis in the city. It's a little hard on the flowers but the herbs are going wild. The basil is like a shrub. Yesterday I cut it back and made a ton of pesto. Today it looks as if I never cut it at all!