Sketches of Cannon Beach

 

A few months ago I started a dedicated sketchbook of buildings in the coastal town of Cannon Beach, Oregon where we spend lots of time. I've made a habit of going in to town early in the morning so I can draw buildings before the streets fill with tourists cars. When I get out later in the day I wander the back streets of this lovely town and draw houses like this one. 

One of the features that makes this town so lovely is the amazing profusion of flowers. There are planters and pots everywhere and most of the year something is in bloom. I like to draw flowers, so adding flowers to each page satisfies that desire and creates continuity through the book. It's a 5 x 8" Moleskine sketchbook. I'm not enjoying the paper, so once this is filled I'll change to something else. I'm halfway through the book.

One day the town was so crowded that my friends and I drove south to Arch Cape and walked to the creek at the south end of the beach. The sand doesn't stand a chance against the constant flow of the creek which eats away at the sand, creating the most interesting patterns. I stood at the edge and drew the edge of the sand as it crumbles into the water, and then tried to capture the water as it rushed over and around the rounded rocks.  Taking the time to really LOOK at what was happening here has glued the memory firmly in my mind. I remember the feel of the soft breeze, the roar of the waves just a short distance away, the heat of the sun on my shoulders, and the occasional call of the seagulls.

Today I'm gearing up for my Open Studio which will be Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5. If you're near Portland, OR you're invited to stop by between 11 and 5 either day. I'll have work for sale and you might catch a demonstration of my collage process. My sketchbooks and studio journals will be available for you to hold and page through, if you wish. Do come!