And I had so much time
To sit and drink and draw.
And there I was.
I wasn’t doing much on this visit except relaxing at this friendly little place. Not much else to do at the beach where cruise ships dock. A friend and I switched between beers and margaritas.
The lighthouse was a bit of a walk from the ship. I never did get all the way there. I walked until I came to a nice little park where I could sit in the shade. I used my drinking water to wet my paints – pretty common, but I did not have my little water cup so I used the lid of the bottle. It worked, but I had to keep changing the water as the lid was so small. The walk was nice, but my mind was busy remembering past visits, restaurants, not bungee jumping, and more.
The ship (Celebrity Constellation) is in the distance. I found a lounge chair at a beach bar. It was free…. for the cost of a couple of good tacos and a Pepsi. I was alone among a throng of people, so I decided to pass the time painting. It was good to be painting again.
I went to my son’s home in Denver for Thanksgiving holiday. I had a few minutes to do a quick sketch while waiting to go to the airport, and home. I went out on his porch and this is what I saw. I penciled in a few marks and added color later – it was time to go. I was flying stand-by back to Phoenix. I was number 26 on the list, but I made it!
Now I am preparing to go on another cruise – and more paintings. Watch for details soon.
Wow. I’ve been away too long, from painting and this blog. Last post was a photo of me on Lost Dog Trail. It’s near my home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Below are three drawings from yesterday’s hike. I must admit I do not hike very far because of the time it takes me to draw. My focus was on hiking so I stopped briefly to sketch and added color later. I don’t like to do that, but I wanted to walk a little.
I drew with a new compressed graphic stick (very cool) and added the color later. It can make narrow and wide lines. I experimented with different color media on each piece. I used combinations of ink, colored pencils, marker, and watercolor.
As we cruise past.
My ship winds its way past the San Juan Islands, north of Seattle, as we head towards Alaska. Stuart Island, USA is the northern-most and last island we pass. We turn northeasterly, towards Canada’s Inside Passage. This point is aptly named, Turn Point with Turn Point Lighthouse. I’ve sketched these islands often, and decided to add some color to this one. They are quite picturesque islands, even on gloomy days such as this.
The Infinity is pulling away from Seattle to begin another 7-day cruise in Canada-Alaska waters. I painted this view of the Space Needle from a photo as I was working at the time and only had a chance for a fleeting glimpse.
