Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration in Milwaukee

Motorcycles are coming into town from everywhere for this anniversary celebration. See http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Events/105th_Coverage/schedule.jsp?locale=en_US
You can hear the rumble of Harleys and see them everywhere. Welcome signs are on the bridges over the expressway, outside restaurants, shops and bars.

Milwaukee Sketch Club at Brown Deer's Farmer Market

The days are just flying by and fall is here with all the yummy farmers' produce. Brown Deer has a real nice farmers market in Lowe's parking lot on 63rd st. and Brown Deer Road that's open on Wednesday mornings. The vendors and customers are very friendly. Here's a work in progress that is sitting on my easel ready to be finished.

Milwaukee Sketch Club at Greenfield Park

Didn't put in the flock of geese eating under the trees. They were very friendly and let me walk right up to them and take their picture. Young ducks came near us looking for a handout.

Another possibility for about.com July/August abstracted urban painting project

Last month I was sitting outside The Steaming Cup having a cup of coffee with a friend, in downtown Waukesha http://steamingcupwaukesha.com , when we saw these men fixing up the building next door. So I took some pictures. I am very fascinated with men at work.

Downtown Waukesha has some really interesting and excellent buildings to paint. I think maybe we should do a plein air there. There's a gallery right across the street from the Steaming Cup.

Regarding this picture, I wonder if I should make the upper right darker so there's more focus in the center of the picture. My pictures so far are better viewed at a distance rather than close up. I really like oil pastels, the way they feel, even if you do have to save the whites.

A quick oil pastel sketch

A quick oil pastel sketch of my niece while we were up north. Weather very nice, 80 during the day & 40 at night. Not too many bugs, just some flies & gnats. Hardly any mosquitoes, so didn't have to where long sleeve shirts and pants.

Exhibition is ended Saturday at one way cafe & gallery in wauwautosa

Stopped by to see if any paintings sold but don't see any sold signs. So I assume mine didn't sell so will need to get them picked up this Saturday. Also got a mocha coffee over ice and curried broccoli salad to go. Very good. What's really neat about the coffee you can choose to have 1 or 2 shots and have a choice between cow milk or soy milk. Got to go.

Milwaukee Sketch Club Plein Air at VA

I like working with oil pastel even though it is messy. It's really important to lay down your light colors & save those spaces because you can't recover them later.

Went swimming in a pool the other day

Visited a 4 bedroom 4 bath house with a pool on the Gulf. Kids loved it. It was nice to sit and relax while they played in the pool. If all our family came down I would rent both of these 4 bedroom houses that are right next to each other from http://www.accentkeys.com .

Saw a batfish while snorkeling off Fat Deer Key, a Private Island in Florida

We got to snorkel off Fat Deer Key, a private island that's available with a houseboat rental through http://www.rentmyhouseboats.com/ . It was so cool we saw 2 different types of batfishes. They look like they have feet and they crawl along the bottom. Also did a quick sketch after we returned of leaves + shadows. The light is so incredible here how it shines translucently through the leaves.

The Njorth Yacht at Little Russell (Dolphin Jump Key) and Great Snorkeling

Met Ruth & Mac who were staying on their Yacht at this great island before heading to Belize. Their yacht called the Njorth has been in service since 1955 and is famous in the Lake Erie area. They told me that there was going to be an article about them in an upcoming Lake Erie Yacht Club newsletter. Found this site for an Erie Yacht club, http://www.erieyachtclub.org/ . We visited with them and snorkeled around the island.
If you scroll down to the bottom of this web page you'll see some pictures of this great island http://www.rentmyisland.com/2brWaterfrontHome.htm .
There were so many different types of coral, fish, urchins and other sealife. Mac freaked when he saw me giving the olympus waterproof camera to the kids swimming in the water. I love that camera. We spent a lot of time in the water and the kids got some great pictures. I took some pictures of the Njorth yacht and Little Russell Key - Dolphin Jump Key as we were driving away.

A quick charcoal sketch at Florida Keys Island

I'm on holiday right now on a Florida Keys Island with my sister and nieces. (Check out www.rentmyisland.com then click on Private Island Home in the the left menu bar if you'd like to check out where we're staying.) The water is so nice and there's a special quality to the light that you don't have up in Wisconsin. This island home is so cool. The kids have been in the water practically all day and me too but I thought I quick post this charcoal sketch. Trying to learn the medium and also capture the pattern the light and shade made on the tree trunks. I've taken some pictures with my cameras and I've lent my water proof olympus stylus 1030SW to the kids. They take really excellent pictures, closeups of the sealife and each other. I love that camera. Well, back to the water fun