Should we call it a vacation?  How about a necessary break and reset?  Dale and I have taken December and January to catch up on business and life without the interruptions of setting up teaching, hauling stuff to teach, teaching.  In fact, I've just finished the third of three workshops where I got to be a student.

First one I'll do again:  Bob Burridge.  Very splashy and loose:  much fun!  Subject was a moving nude (Pocket Sketching nude, red nude).  He asked the model to have an "anguished face."

The third workshop was with Stan Kurth.  I wanted to learn how to use gouache (watercolor mixed with white which results in opaque and pastel paint colors).  I got what I wanted (abstract and wine above).  All really good experiences!

You often ask where to go to get more watercolor training.  Tom Lynch does both online and live workshops.  He's traditional and teaches well.  www.tomlynch.com

We plan to limit the number of workshops and they will be in Tucson, or nearby.  New workshops are now here on the website.  As I age-out, I hope many of you will become Pocket Sketching Teachers to have fun, purpose and enjoy the delight of bringing this easy technique to others.  Click on Workshops/Teachers on the header bar above.

The dates are April 11 through 15, when Tucson weather is perfect.  We are staying at the Arizona Inn, a gorgeous historic inn with beautiful gardens, a lovely pool and good food.
​
Day 1    Arrive April 11
 
Day 2    Sketch inside and outside of the Arizona Inn. The neighborhood is typical old Tucson and charming for sketching. Wine, cheese and crackers with a critique on Kath's patio in the evening.
 
Day 3  Excursion to the world-famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Critique in the evening. Gourmet Indonesian dinner in an amazing woman-designed home.
 
Day 4 Tucson street car to the downtown Barrio Viejo: a charming historic neighborhood with colorful homes built in the late 1800's. Tucson Art Museum, Cafe' a La C'Art for brunch and dinner at El Charro, Tucson's legendary Mexican restaurant.
 
Day 5   Departure
 
Space is limited. Only 12 spaces available. Cost $2075 per sketcher in single room. Two beds available: ask for quote.

To have the Pilot Razor Point Pen 'run' into washes, you must have a paper that works.  We get gobs or orders for 5 pens (a really good deal) but if your paper absorbs you won't see the line 'run,' which is the reason for buying that pen. That is why we now stress getting a pad of our paper when you order pens to see how it works.  I have a little test I use in art supply stores to see if a new paper works.  I have to buy the paper I wreck, but if it doesn't work, I don't buy a bunch or recommend it.

Our biggest change is...we plan to sell the business.  Someone with a business background can take this much farther than we can at our somewhat advanced ages.  According to Wikipedia, Bob Ross made $11.4 million in his short life.  Far more than that is possible with international focus and the internet.  I simply don’t want to step into the bigger picture with employees, regulations, brick and mortar, etc.  We will teach teachers as this is how the technique can become available to many more people than we can reach.  If you are curious,  click on WORKSHOPS/TEACHERS on the header bar above.  That description is totally real, including what you can expect to make as an extra income.  Best of all, it’s tremendously fun, you meet wonderful people and you add purpose to your life!  It has been incredibly rewarding.

As I mentioned in the last blog, here are the delightful, hand-made cards we received this Christmas!
​

Most of you know that I sketch a new card for each Christmas/holiday season.  Tucson is not an easy place to find subject matter!  And especially when I have to find it, sketch it, get it reproduced as cards and get it out on time!  This year there's a change.
​
In November I decided I've been working too hard for 15 years and I gave myself two months to go 'black,' a theater term meaning "we are closed: no shows."  I have three major projects which need finishing.   Scheduling and teaching workshops simply made chaos.  And that included the 'hunt-for-something-to-sketch-for-the-card.'  The way out?  I've always loved my sketch of the El Charro restaurant.  It is legendary Tucson.  Simply added the tree and wreath and here it is!
​

In a much, much more relaxed mode, I'll find something to sketch for next December, without pressure.  

​In January I'm taking two workshops, both in watercolor (WHEE!)  In February and March you can expect online workshops.  And I am planning the LIVE Pocket Sketching Retreat in March.  Out weather is lovely then.
​

Just because I miss my 'hard-to-get-done-on-time' Christmas cards, here are two of my favorites.  And I'm going to send another little note this month just to show you a few of the hand-illustrated cards I received.  You are sooo clever!
​

Have a Joyous, Peaceful, Cozy, Friends & Family rest of December!!!

Happy Sketching!
​

It's a wonderful time of year with friends for dinner, music, joviality, crisp temperatures and hopefully time to enjoy.  Take time to sketch a bit and relax.
​

November 17, 18, 19 is the last Basic Workshop in our home studio for this year.  There's room for you and you can bring a friend to sketch with.  It's a possible gift to yourself.  Come join us:  [email protected] or 520-318-9291
The very last workshop of the year will be at Tohono Chul Park (also in Tucson) November 30  - December 2:  [email protected] or 520-742-6455, ext. 228.
​There are no plans for workshops in December or January as we figure out what we will do next.

I was asked if you wet the pen line and let it dry before adding color.  No.  The line of the Pilot Razor Point pen is both your skeleton of the drawing and your source of value change.  Hit it with water and let it dry & it will remain a dull and obvious line - never giving shades.  Hit it with solor in your brush and you get the shades in the object.  Following are examples of doing it both ways.
​

After a nasty summer we finally are in 'the other season.'  You can sit in the sun and not become hardtack!  Would you want to come to a Sketching Retreat (maybe a short daily lesson, then just sketch with a convivial group in the Tucson area, shop, eat, relax, share.  Stay at the Sheraton on Grant which has offered a great winter rate of $125/day for my group.  If interested, what month(s) would work for you?
​

​Enjoy the weather, the fun with friends, THANKSGIVING!  Thanks for being such an inspiration.
​

As our Northwest teaching and sketching trip turned out, it was the former - not the latter.  I should have known as I'm from Salem, Oregon.  The sketching was to be an end reward...but it rained.  September is always safe; not this time.  We fled into eastern Washington (always dependably sunny) ... and it rained.  The three workshops were excellent and we stayed with friends and visited friends.  We came home with a darling pot made by Rosalie, a recipe from Houb and wonderful memories.  We don't plan to do any more travel workshops.

We leave Saturday the 7th for Grand Rapids to film Season Four of Pocket Sketching®  I've been writing furiously to get the 13 Episodes ready.  Guess what?  They are people.  My famous striped outfit that doesn't fit, but it sure makes it easy to sketch people.  I do hope this works.

October 27, 28, 29:  Basic Workshop in m,y Home Studio in Tucson.  Space is limited. I have room for only 7 people.  To join us, email me: [email protected] or Phone 520-318-9291.
November 2, 3, 4:  Basic Workshop at Tohono Chul Park in Tucson. Scroll down to 'workshops' Tohono Chul.
November 5-10:  My big Teachers Workshop in our home studio. 
​This is loaded with everything I know.  We cover art and business so you can easily teach.  You can make an additional income for life, enjoy delightful friendships and find out how totally rewarding it is to bring this fun artform to other people...at home or anywhere.

Come join us!  [email protected] or 520-318-9291.  If you've enjoyed learning Pocket Sketching® consider how much more fulfilling it will be to share it with others in your town!

New 1-Day Online Workshop
Saturday Oct 21st 10:30-5:30 p.m.
The Secrets to Painting the Fall Landscape
sponsored by ... Cheap Joe's Art Stuff
Questions?  Email TOM:  [email protected]

Happy Sketching!

1.  If the line is terrific, leave it alone.
2.  You can pull or push it to the outside or the inside, depending on whether you want the inside to have shadows or you want the inside to show because the outside is darker.
3.  If you want the line to disappear, wiggle the brush as you wet it and it will go totally into solution.
4.  You can add more lines when the paper is dry, and you can run those lines.
5.  Any lines that were wet and then dried will not run again: they are stabilized and so are the washes made from them.
6.  You don't have to 'stay in the lines' when you wet them.  It's far more interesting if you don't.
​

Sept. 8, 9, 10:  Bend Oregon, Central Oregon Community College, 541-383-7270 (high desert, sage, juniper, excellent fishing, hiking, mountain biking, very cool nights, rivers and lakes).
Sept. 15, 16, 17: Lake Oswego, Oregon (Portland) Lakewood Center, 503-635-3901 (charming upscale town with sculpture everywhere, excellent restaurants, gorgeous landscaping, wine country all around).
Sept. 23, 24, 25:  Coupeville, WA, Pacific Northwest Art Center, 360-678-3396 (on the water just south of Victoria, Canada. Gorgeous views, terrific seafood, very rural.  On Whidbey Island west of Seattle, very relaxing, next to San Juan Islands).

There's room for you and friends!  Come join us as we get away from the heat of Tucson!  No monsoon this year and it's really hot!!!!

Happy Sketching!

I have been asked several times to show water in a fountain.  Trying to find a fountain with water running in Tucson during the heat of summer is impossible.  So I sketched one from an ad for a fountain dealer (no water) and made the water up using only the Pilot pen.

​To show you color, I sketched Image 1 and used too much pen (use less when you plan to use color).  Images 2 & 3 were traced from Image 1.

Here's the biggest thing with water:  Make the water darker if the background is light.  Make the background as dark as you need to show off light water.  Where it splashes, wet  the paper and then put in little splashes of color on the bottom of the splashing water, leaving the top clean paper.
Before I forget, to get copies of something you want to work on, hold the original up on a clear window with the same kind of paper on top.  Trace with a Pilot if you want ink that will run.

We are making BIG CHANGES and these may be the last. See the next email for schedule and to enroll.  Remember, you can easily teach Pocket Sketching® in your home, or wherever,  after you have taken the Teachers Workshop. 
​