Watercolor retreat

What is better then spending time at the beach?  Spending time with other watercolorists at the beach!  Eight of us shared a house at Murrells Inlet SC for the retreat.  Leigh Ellis, a local watercolor artist and teacher, lead daily classes working with us on color mixing, painting birds and water.  

I brought my Plein air watercolor prochade box, equipped with the paints I needed for class (and a lot more):

• Cobalt Blue
• Phthalo blue
• Burnt Sienna or quinacridone burnt orange
• Aureolin Yellow
• Quinacridone Rose  or permanent rose
• Paynes Gray
• Qunacridone Gold

For our first exercise we worked on trees along a grassy bank and reflections on the water. I painted the trees and grass first. Then wet the lower half of the page and working very wet added reflections.  

It took several passes to develop the shadows on the trees, grass and the reflection in the water.

While we worked from photos, we were inspired by the marsh outside and trips to Brook Green Gardens.  I had last been there many years ago.  It was wonderful to see how it had grown and all the new sculptures they now have. 

Montana land of the big sky

Six of us headed out to Montana to do some fly fishing.  We rented a Forest Service Cabin; a log homestead built in 1917.  It sits in the valley between tree topped hills along side a small rocky creak that flows into a bigger rocky creek where we fished.

The fall landscape is beautiful.  Winding blue water framed by Golden grass covered fields and tall green pines with red bark; tree covered hills with Rocky outcrops; brilliant blue skies with billowing white clouds.

The two story cabin had a propane stove and lights.  It didn’t have a refrigerator, so we kept our food in coolers on ice.  A shed behind the house contained the pit toilet, shower and wood storage area.  The largest part of the shed was occupied by wood, since we used the central wood stove to heat the house.

While painting the cabin I notice movement in grass, a mountain grouse was out foraging.

We spent most of our days fishing and relaxing on the porch.  I caught and released several Rainbow and Brown Trout.  

Fly fishing and sketching

I have been fishing my whole life.  By the time I was five, I was helping clean the fish we caught.  Blue fish, Striped Bass, Rock fish, Porgies and Blowfish were all common in the sound and bay.  I spent my time near the water, on the water, and in the water every day of summer vacation.  If we weren't fishing we were scalloping or clamming or sailing or swimming or walking the beach.    

I learned to Fly fishing much later in life, but found it to be just as wonderful as my childhood summers.  I am outside standing in a clean rocky stream surrounded by forests, fields and mountains.  I fish for trout use barbless hooks, and practice catch-and-release.  Casting is more challenging and getting your line tangled more common, and the frustration can ruin an otherwise great day.

When I start to get frustrated I find a place to sit, drink some water and do a few sketches.  I carry a small  pocket sketch book and pencil in my waders.  I sketch what ever is around me.  After a few sketches I am calm and ready to start fishing again.