​Our Fall doesn’t begin until October which is why all things social begin sometime in October.  Today and yesterday have been below 100 degrees after weeks well above 100.  We do what most of you do:  stay indoors.
I bought a few roses and baby’s breath. and sketched them.  Here are two of the sketches and your TIP:    The more exciting sketch has a white line of wax straight up the middle, dividing the picture in half.  Very bad design.  It’s high contrast and you can’t hide it, remove it, paint over it.  It’s the first thing you see because of the contrast.  I can enhance the weak sketch. 

​Some of you bought copies of my sketches while I was using Art Store Fronts.  I hate being bombarded with email advertising from anyone!  It was an expensive experiment in marketing.  It’s also over.  I’m sorry if you were bombed with ads.   The website and prints remain available until November 1, 2025.   https://art.pocketsketching.com
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Both workshops here in Tucson are almost full.  (Teacher's Workshop October 26-31 and Basic Workshop November 7-9.  I will plan something in January.  Click here to join us:  https://www.pocketsketching.com/workshops.html
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​And last, Season Five of Pocket Sketching.  I’m scared because I’ve never sketched in public places with a camera crew!  Sort of like you when you first go out to sketch in public.  I’m used to being totally, happily invisible when sketching plein air.  The crew will attract attention.   As for the funding, we are currently at $6440 with only $3560 to go, thanks  to your help and the very generous  anonymous donor who donated $20,000 in a matching grant, making your tax deductible gifts three times bigger.

​This sketch was done in Margie Beckett’s back yard on our July trip.  It’s mostly green.  Look what happens when you add the complimentary color and a tiny bit more color at the focal point.  Focal point is that important!  

As the Pacific Northwest Art School workshop was a success and I re-found what fun it is to teach, I’m announcing coming workshops in Tucson at my home/studio.  ​If these work well, there will be more!

October 26 (half day) through 31:  Teachers Workshop, (limit 5 people)
https://www.pocketsketching.com/teachers.html​

November 7 - 9:  Basic Workshop, (limit 7 people)
https://www.pocketsketching.com/basic-workshop1-178342.html

​Arizona Inn
A fun outing:  The Arizona Inn is up for sale.  They are booking rooms through December.  We have a quoted room rate of $239.00 a night.  Several of us are getting together December 3, 4, 5 for the fun of sketching together in this elaborate, 1930s property while we can and while they have their Christmas decorations up.  I need to notify my travel pro who has pull with the Inn by Wednesday, if possible.  Wanna join us?  Email me, [email protected].

PBS Pocket Sketching Show
Season Five for PBS is alive and well, thanks to the anonymous donor and you.  The dates are October 6 through 10 for filming.  Your donations to make this possible are coming in.  They are matched 3:1 so 100 becomes $300.  So far WGVU has received $6440.00! (The matching gift is $20,000 if we can raise the rest of $30K.)  

This PBS show will be totally challenging!  I’ve always been able to sketch totally incognito.  How do you do that in public with a camera crew???  This will be like being King Charles painting plein air with security guards all around.

On the way to Coupeville we stopped on the Oregon coast for some practice sketching, as I had been painting in watercolor and acrylics and was a tad stale.  THIS IS YOUR TIP FOR AUGUST.

​Here are Sketch 1 and Sketch 6 of the same subject. You may have quit for a while, but if you will just practice, you’ll be right back where you left off. It’s truly fun to see very fast improvement because you have already learned once and re-learning is easy!
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Most amusing of the trip was Mister T's Family Cafe in Mt. Vernon, WA where we had the 'Inmate Special.'  A local jail inmate broke through the ceiling of the jail and announced he wouldn't come down until they brought him 'biscuits and gravy' from Mister T's.  A cop ran into the restaurant and demanded the order, took it to the escaped prisoner and he came down to eat it and be re-jailed.  It is really good!

​I had planned to end PBS shows, not doing Season Five. An anonymous donor has promised $20,000 to WGVU as matching money toward the $30,000 needed to finance the Season (13 Episodes). Because some wonderful person has huge faith in us, I plan to film Season Five in October. Any donation will be tripled, as in $100 becomes $300 until they have the $30,000. This Season will be filmed ‘on location’ as in plein air. I have always wanted to film on location where you typically sketch. WGVU has agreed.
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Thanks in advance for your support of Season Five of the Pocket Sketching Show on PBS! YOU make it happen!