SKETCHY DOG

And played around with it in photoshop.  Passing time while waiting for my son and DIL to arrive and spend a few hours with us in the mountains on this beautiful day - the first sunny day
we have had in a week.  Fog has retreated and sunshine lights the way - along with the tourists...

Any fun plans for the weekend?

WILLIE'S NEW SONG - A MINI DOCUMENTARY - BEAUTIFUL

THANKS TO MISS VAL WHO VISITS HERE AT MY BLOG

I found out the name of these amazingly cool flowers I saw in Harmony, Ca.  I had blogged them on another blog but thought I would bring them here so she could see them.  They are called Red Tiger Flowering Maple.

Harmony is a most beautiful little area with a population of like 18 or something.  It's a great tourist stop on the way to places like Cambria and San Simeon along the Central Coast of California.

We stopped here in January  last year and it was a perfect time of year - great temps, great skies, great feeling to be near the coast and oh yes, great food too.

Val gets around in her area in South Carolina, much like I do around my area - always visiting pretty places, most gardens, museums or hiking trails and taking her camera for some great photos.

So thanks to Val,  I now will never forget the name of this flower should I ever run across another one.

NO RECENT ART - SPENDING WAY TOO MUCH TIME OUTSIDE

I don't know if I've posted this in years but if I havent I'll post it now.  I remember several years ago I would buy glass vases at thrift stores and then paint them.  I actually only did this about three times but I remember it was fun.

One day I put the glass vase I painted out on a table and was sitting out with my camera waiting for a bird to come by and eat the seed I left.  I took a photo and then decided to do a painting of the glass vase I painted.  So here it is.

We have been having kind of breezy chilly weather but the days the sun is out or it isn't too foggy we have been out enjoying the weather.  How is your weather....  One of our mountain tops here higher up could actually get snow tonight.  Glad it won't be here.

I am still waiting for some kind of inspiration to strike me but it hasn't yet.

SOMEWHERE IN THE DESERT

For the first sketch of May I decided to do a desert scene.  My dad would always paint the desert that he loved so much.  I like the desert at certain times in the year but it doesn't call to me like it did my dad.

I watched a move recently called "Queen of the Desert" and wow, what a great movie.  It was made in 2015 starring Nicole Kidman.  You won't be disappointed if you check it out.

I told myself I had to get some art done before I could go out and walk today - so soon I will be out the door.

A VIEW OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE LAKES HERE IN THE MOUNTAINS

Looking across the lake to the ski lifts at Big Bear.

It was foggy and chilly again today and it felt like we were in the middle of a cloud all day.   Hoping tomorrow it's sunny and warming up a bit. Big Bear actually got snow the other night.  We were going to go up for Taco Tuesday at a favorite Mexican Restaurant but the fog was so thick on the hwy going up that it just seemed silly to even think about it.

So, instead I stayed home and sketched.

STRAWBERRY SEASON IN CALIFORNIA - HARVESTING IS DONE FROM APRIL THROUGH JUNE

I was curious about it since I've been seeing fresh strawberries at the store so I googled the info.  I then had a picture come to mind of a painting i did about 10 years ago.  The flowers are not so good but I do like the desserts.

I haven't sketched anything since I've been home so figured I would put this up.