Here's a new block I've almost got done this week. It's a scene from Country Workshops, a grove of trees I've painted several times over the years. I intend this print for my fall show at Dixon Gallery and Gardens.

This is the first color proof, but it's close to what I want. I'll do a little clean up carving, and I think I'll hand paint a blue sky, just to see what that would look like. I'm really trying to keep a lot of these prints to just two blocks, though. It's a huge addition of labor each time you have to mix ink, hand roll each one, line it up, and print it on the proof press. Two times is way better than three, but the blue sky in the original sketch is pretty integral, so I'm going to try it.

Here's the underneath block. I roll the green and yellow at the same time, using one block there instead of separate printings.

Here are the two blocks together along with the original sketch.

I sat outside today and painted the Red Cottage, my favorite of the Victorian cottages owned by Cape Resorts. It's got a lovely tower you can't see in my close up. Over three years of painting here, I've become much faster at painting architectural gingerbread.

Here's my set up. At 39 degrees, I figured none of the guests would be fighting me for a porch chair...

All the architectural gingerbread made me crave the real thing, so I warmed up afterwards with tea and a cookie.

I'd been looking through the window at the neighborhood cheese shop as I walked past, wanting to draw it. The other day was cloudy, and it didn't need a lot of sunlight to sketch, so I stood outside on the sidewalk and drew standing up. I'm still learning how to do that efficiently and well, but a jacket pocket of just the markers I needed helped.

It's a busy scene, and I'm not sure it worked great, but I had to try.

Then I headed for one of the indoor covered Victoria passages, hoping it would be warmer than outside. It wasn't, but I still had fun sketching in there.

Then on the way home I ran into a group called Jingle Django, playing Django Reinhardt style jazz. They also danced around while they played, which made them tricky to sketch, but I had to try. I also got their cd. Really good music and a nice end to the day.

I got behind again posting photos because of the time change. I kept getting home after dark and not being able to take a decent snapshot of my sketches. I'm also looking forward to the scanner at home, but this is as good as it gets on the road, and it's fun to post while it's all fresh.

I had a great Saturday. Rene Miller played with Dede Macchabee at the Marche d'Aligre. It's a neat old street market. Half food and half brocante, or flea market. I scored a table just behind them at the cafe and painted while drinking mint tea, made with real mint. One of the lovely treats here in Paris.

My cousin Jonathon Gilmer, currently at university in London and over for the weekend, came to the market to join me and listen. Afterwards we walked through the center, had falafel at one of the walk up stands in the Marais, and ended with hot chocolate from Angelina's, one of my favorite treats here.

Sunday I went to St. Sulpice. It's the church where Faure and Widor both played and composed for the marvelous organ. They usually have a half hour organ concert open to all between masses, but there was an extra long service going that morning, so I had to content myself with sketching the lions in the fountain outside instead.

Here's how the page looks together. I kind of like the effect, even though they're facing different directions. It's been fun to play with the sketchbook and see what works and what doesn't.

I did a sketch walking home in my neighborhood. This is Stabilo pens with water wash, markers on top, and watercolor in the sky. Probably my most mixed media attempt. I'm going to have to try more of these.