Aside from my printmaking workshop this weekend, I've been to the Shell twice in two nights for the free concert series. (In my park, five blocks from my house. Perfect.) Friday night was the Steep Canyon Rangers, and I was too busy listening and hanging with friends to sketch. Last night was the Stax Academy kids, and I did a watercolor of the bandstand for an upcoming feature for the Daily News (so I won't post it yet). I also had a couple of young boys come watch, ask me to sketch their shoes, and then want to draw with me. The more excited one wanted to use my paints too (I had my full set out for the watercolor instead of just my mint tin one). I showed him how I have different sections to mix different colors, and he was super careful to keep all the colors placed right. It was neat to see him so excited about making some art of his own. I sketched his shoes while he did a landscape. He had done his shoes too and also asked me to draw them. I did one for him with both their pairs of shoes and then a second quick one for me to remember the moment in my journal.

After I got home, I was having such a good time drawing that I did Mr. Darcy, along with my foot, as we were hanging out on the couch. It had been a little since I'd drawn him, and I was due.

I had a historical kind of day on Saturday. I walked through both Yorktown and Williamsburg. It was fun to see the old houses and history, but once again, I notice that what I actually sketched are the trees. I have realized recently that one reason I like old places is that they also tend to preserve their old trees. I sketched the tree above on the fringe of the Yorktown battlefield.

Just for variety, I tried the bridge nearby as well, next the farmers market they have. I've been trying to work more in markers again, but this one wasn't particularly successful.

I finished with one more garden, somewhat hidden away, with a gorgeouly gnarled tree at its center. It was a lovely shady place to sit, and I couldn't resist sketching as well. Many thanks to my patient tour guide who hung out while I did all this. I was just on a panel at Crosstown Arts about art and travel, and one of my fellow artists said one key piece was to pick patient traveling companions and also make sketching just the thing that you do, so they know it's a part of who you are. Good advice all around. I tend to travel solo usually but am grateful to my periodic traveling companions who do end up being kind and patient while I sketch a bit.

I am a total sucker for sawgrass. I got to hike in two Virginia parks over the weekend that featured water snaking through sawgrass, ospreys, herons, eagles, crabs, dragonflies, and sunshine. Both parks also had gorgeous forests, but since I get to do forest sketching at home, I focused on the more exotic (to me) scenes.

The weather was almost picture perfect this weekend, after a slightly stormy start. Sunny with low humidity and a great breeze. Mr. Darcy and I took off for the forest with a sketchbook in hand one afternoon. I sketched the "Elvis urns" in the forest, playing with the varied colors they've weathered to. These huge concrete urns sat on the stage at the Shell when Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee performed at the open air band stand back in the day. They have since migrated to the forest to decay picturesquely.

The clouds were gorgeous, and I'm trying to figure out clouds in watercolor, so I took a little time to paint them as well. I loved sitting and enjoying the breeze in the shade at the edge of the Greensward.

Last night I went to the Shell to hear Rising Appalachia. It's a beautifully restored place, after being derelict for a while, and they put on about 50 free concerts a year. It's also four blocks from my house, which is lovely.

I also spent some non sketching time in the park. It was the Day of Merrymaking festival on Saturday, put on by the Overton Park Conservancy which manages the park. They had an empty slot in their entertainment, and since I'm on the board they asked if I would fill it. I was a bit nervous, since I don't usually perform on a stage with a sound system. (In fact, there's really not a "usually" at all. I usually play at home for my own pleasure.) But I had a total ball, didn't embarrass myself, and now would kind of love to sing songs in public once in a while. It helped that I had the moral support of Mr. Darcy, since I really never go to the park without him.

Even better, Allison sketched me while I was playing! I've been drawing musicians for years now, and I was completely thrilled to have her sketch me while I was, for once, the one playing in public. It's doubly lovely because Allison was at the class I did recently with a 5th and 6th grade art class and got fired up to sketch again when I showed off the ease of the brush pen. I'm so happy to spread this everyday joy, and I'm so grateful to her for coming out to both support and sketch me.

Clouds and gorgeous skies were my favorite thing to capture in pastels and oils back when I was working in them. (Well, besides trees, of course.) I would love to be able to do them justice in watercolor too, so I've been thinking I need to do more cloud studies and just figure this out. I was watching this evening sky recently and couldn't resist reaching for my sketchbook. I'm happy with the top one, less happy with the one below, but it will be a process.

A recent moonrise was also stunning. I'm always drawn to the moon.

I got excited about my sketchbook on my trip and have been sketching as I'm out and about at home, even though I'm doing pretty intensive print work in the house. Above is the set for The Country House at Circuit Playhouse this past weekend. I love going to live theater, and we have a great one in Memphis.

I've also recently been at St. Mary's Episcopal (where I went so many weekends with my grandparents growing up) and given a talk at the Artists' Link group on Monday night. It was fun to get to talk about my work with a bunch of artists, and since it was Monday, I took my banjo along to go on to my jam afterwards.

Memphians are still fighting our own city council to save the central area of our huge central park from being paved for yet more parking lot for the adjacent zoo. It breaks my heart. So I went down for the second reading of a resolution to hand the zoo the land. I was pleased to see a large turnout of people who waited patiently for a couple of hours and stayed to both speak and listen to all the other supporters speak as well. I'm so nervous for our park and hoping for the best. Overton Park is my main muse. It's where I walk every day and paint regularly. It's historic. It is needed respite from asphalt and city life. I have been heartsick about this all year.

I did the self portrait because it was good to be back in that space again and also because I was still testing out my new watercolor graphite. Below are a couple of more I did at Zuivre on lunch breaks from more serious painting or museum going.

Since I had been drawing the eclairs and fondant in Paris, I figured I should pay tribute to a lovely dense Dutch cake as well.