Finally the weather warmed up enough to hang out by the pool at the gym. I met my wife and Heather, a friend of ours, last Sunday at Parkpoint Health Club in Healdsburg. Since we met there are noon, I thought I’d surprise everyone with Cypress Point goat cheese (Purple Haze), Italian salami, crackers and several beverages from which to choose. Besides eating and taking it easy under the umbrella, I found some time to draw in my Moleskine.
Spring has arrived in Healdsburg—at least for today. Showers are forecasted for every day next week so I made a special effort to head out early and draw before winter reasserts itself. I drove downtown to Healdsburg’s square and easily found an interesting place to draw, standing on the grass next to Foss Creek and looking east between the Bear Republic and Hotel Healdsburg. Every plant, bush, and tree was in bloom.
The town of Healdsburg is known for its wine, and this weekend happens to be the 33rd Annual Barrel Tasting event. I could easily tell because the downtown area was bustling with people holding wine glasses and laughing while walking to the next winery. This event provides a unique opportunity to taste wine out of the barrel (and purchase futures) before it has been bottled.
After I finished my drawing, I drove a couple of blocks away to one of my favorite local wineries, Malm Cellars, for a taste of wine right from their barrels. Brendan and Amanda Malm own the winery where Brendan is winemaker. I tasted 2009 Russian River Chardonnay (Baccigalupi Vineyard); 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (Missy’s Vineyard); “name it†Red Zin a blend of four vintages (I put in my two cents with “Fourscore Zinâ€); and a tasty 2010 Dry Creek Valley Botrytis Sauvignon Blanc. All the wines I tasted were excellent and I couldn’t resist purchasing a few bottles. Looks like tonight its going to be a glass of Malm Sonoma County Pinot while I’m roasting chicken for dinner.
Grant Street in Healdsburg has seen quite a bit of construction over the last several years with a new apartment complex (to the left of this drawing) and some new town homes (to the right of this drawing). In between these two new constructions sites sits this old building next to the railroad tracks. I stood on the Foss Creek Bridge looking northwest across Grant Street to draw the old building. One of these years, the SMART train will ride these rails taking passengers to as far north as Cloverdale and as far south as Larkspur, Â where passengers can take the ferry to San Francisco.
As we head back toward the docks, the smell of fish and sea water reminds me how close we are to the bay. When we arrive at the dock, our boat, the Margarita, appears filling with tourists within minutes. We are among the first onboard and choose seats with a view out the side window. The boat ride is short, less than an hour. I had worried that the storm might roughen the water, but don’t feel even a tinge of seasickness. Looking towards the bridge, I see the captain at the helm and think the scene would make a good drawing. But I feel myself resisting because too many people are milling about. A bit later, the woman nearest the bridge rises from her seat and heads out on deck to take a look around. Here’s the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, so I grab my sketchbook, and half-kneeling on her now-vacant seat, sketch the captain at the helm as the boat putters on towards Delos.
The Healdsburg Art Festival is one of the most beautiful art festivals around and it’s right in the heart of Sonoma County wine country. I’ve often participated as an exhibiting artist but since the economy has been so bad lately, I decided to take a year off. Even though I wasn’t showing my artwork, I found it difficult to stay away from the festivities and decided to hang out with my sketchbook under a shade tree. While sketching, I attracted a few passersby and I even sold a couple of my books The Artist on the Road that I had luckily tucked away in my messenger bag.
Healdsburg’s downtown square is getting harder to sketch during the summer months because the trees that line the sidewalks have grown noticeably larger. I remember when I first moved here almost eleven years ago, the clock tower was the defining landmark of the downtown area and could be seen a block or two away depending on the direction of the viewer. Today, the tower can only be seen in its entirety from one angle–along Healdsburg Avenue. But with autumn fast approaching, the leaves will soon fall off the trees enabling me to sketch the eclectic buildings once again. For this drawing, I stood in front of Sandy Erickson’s art gallery looking west across the street.
Heavy Equipment moved into Healdsburg this past week to level the remaining walls of the Healdsburg post office that was destroyed in an electrical fire on August 14. It didn’t take long for the wrecking crew to demolish the structure using this clawed monster.
The presence of a downtown post office is much valued by residents but the cost of maintaining the pricy location might be prohibitive for the USPS. Mail is currently being accepted at the Foss Creek location.
To see my drawing of the post office just after the fire, click here.
My wife Marilyn loves to swim, especially on warm summer days like today. She’s often said how much she enjoys the exercise and the simple pleasure of being out of doors, breathing in the fresh coastal air. Most days she swims at the club but today she was taking care of a friend’s cat in Alexander Valley and the owners offered the use of their pool as an added bonus. I tagged along for the company and since we’ve both been so busy lately, it was nice for us to have some time to catch up with each other and enjoy a little afternoon sun.
While Marilyn kicked her way back and forth across the pool, I lounged under a patio umbrella hiding from the stinging rays of the afternoon sun. While relaxing, I became entranced with the sun light as it danced on the surface of the water. The delicate, rhythmic motion of light had a calming effect and reminded me once again what life is about.
Dripping wet, my wife exited the pool and laid down on the deck to warm up. With my attention now shifted, I drew a foreshortened view of Marilyn as she soaked up the sun and immortalized her in my sketchbook. It was nice to have a change of scenery for a couple of hours and a pool all to ourselves.