June Re-Cap

June was a busy month for me creatively, but I didn't get in as much sketching in June as I did in May. However, I do like to focus on the 3 W's (What Went Well).

• I made some great headway on my "Learn to Screen Print" project.
• We finished up a lot of much needed exterior upgrades on our home. While we weren't doing most of the work ourselves, there were a lot of extra details for me to take care of.
• I filled in a Col-o-ring with ink samples and made a YouTube video about it and I learned how to do voiceovers!
• I finished filling up a Stillman & Birn Beta 7.5x7.5" sketchbook. It has heavyweight watercolor paper and I fit 30 separate sketches in it. I really loved this softcover sketchbook, but when I went to get another one... it was out of stock... almost everywhere. So I decided to try a different format. After much deliberation (talking to my husband who was likely ignoring me), I picked another Stillman & Birn Beta, but hardcover, spiral bound, and 7x10". I am loving the hardbound because it works so much better with my Stablo, but I think next time I'll go with one that isn't spiral bound. I do plan to do a sketchbook review post/video in the coming weeks.

I have found taking random notes in cursive and then adding a bit of a random sketch on top to be quite fun and relaxing! Ducklings are always really cute!

My son turned 7 in June and he did this sketch at church. He also changed his tune from "I don't sketch, I draw" to "I am good at sketching"... one of our greater achievements this month! Microphones really are fun to sketch!

I met up with the Urban Sketchers Bremerton group @uskbremerton in downtown Bremerton at the marina near the giant propeller. I didn't feel like tackling the propeller and there was this great cluster of giant planters nearby. It was so great to chat with other sketchers and find all of the other things we also shared interest in. 

My husband is very active in this local club that gives train rides to the public for free. So there is often a line and it was very fun to sit and watch all the parents and kids waiting. I was able to sneak this sketch in while our littlest one took a nap in the stroller.

My cousin really enjoys meeting up with my while I sketch and she knits... so we went and checked out the cool old buildings at her alma mater, Pacific Lutheran University. The campus was extra dead for the summer + COVID and there was a nice warm rain (something we don't get much of here). 

I've done a lot of sketching during outdoor church services and I mixed it up by trying to do the beautiful rose. The windows behind the rose are actually kind of special to me because they belong to the office my mom used for many many years. 

Gateway Park on the Key Peninsula in Gig Harbor was a blast for our family. After we enjoyed the splash pad, I tucked myself up on the hill and sketched. For some reason I wanted to do a really really good job because it was the last page in my sketch book. I am really happy with it. I especially like all the dandelions on the bottom left.

We had a second meet up with the Urban Sketchers Bremerton group in June. This was the Saturday morning of a very hot weekend. We had record setting temperatures the following Monday. So we sketched from where we could find shade to sit... a bit of a limiting factor, but I think it worked out great. The group can be found on Instagram @uskbremerton​. Megan @heythere.chickadee has been doing a great job of organizing the meet ups!

Looks like I was using my Kung Te-Cheng Ink on the 26th and I did these last two sketches indoors where it was cooler.