Another attempt at Healdsburg’s Farmers Market. Progress but I still have lots to learn.

I admit it. I love art books. Drawing, watercolor, illustration, animation, and of course, sketching are some of my favorite subjects. This stack represents approximately 15% of my total art book collection, but even still, I feel my library is no where near complete. What are some of your favorite art books?

How to Make a Journal of Your Life by D. Price

Process Recess by James Jean

The Urban Sketching Handbook: People and Motion by Gabriel Campanario ( I have a sketch in this book!)

The Urban Sketching Handbook: Architecture and Cityscapes by Gabriel Campanario

The Urban Sketching Handbook: Understanding Perspective by Stephanie Bower

The Urban Sketching Handbook: Reportage and Documentary Drawing by Veronica Lawler

Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory

PR3: The Hallowed Seam by James Jean

Lapin a Saint-Emilion by Lapin

Manchester Sketchbook edited by Jan Chlebik and Phil Griffin

The Artist on the Road: Impressions of Greece by Richard Sheppard (my book!)

Mostly Montreal by Shari Blaukopf

Sketchbooking by Barbara M. Stecher

Road to Rome: An Artist’s Year in Italy by Marlene McLoughlin

Keeping a Watercolor Sketchbook by Brenda Swenson

Random Beach Bodies by Melanie Reim

One Drawing a Day by Veronica Lawlor

Impressions of Wine Country by Richard Sheppard (my book!)

An Illustrated Journey by Danny Gregory (I’m one of the featured artists!)

An Illustrated Life by Danny Gregory

Seattle Sketcher by Gabriel Campanario

On-the-Spot Drawing by Nick Meglin

Creative Sketching Workshop by Pete Scully

The Art of Urban Sketching by Gabriel Campanario

Learn to Paint in Watercolor with 50 Paintings by Wil Freeborn

Urban Sketching: The Complete Guide to Techniques by Thomas Thorspecken

Sketching People by Lynne Chapman

Drawing People by Barbara Bradley

Now Where Was I? by Steven Reddy

Papas’ Portland by William Papas

Papas’ Greece by Tessa and Bill Papas

Back Roads to the California Coast by Earl Thollander and Herb McGrew

Drawing Fire: A Combat Artist at War by Howard Brodie

The Urban Sketcher by Marc Taro Holmes

The Artist’s Guide to Sketching by James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade

Artist’s Journal Workshop by Cathy Johnson

Freehand Drawing and Discovery by James Richards

Last night Grammy Award winner and world renowned jazz superstar, Paul McCandless, played with Bay-Area Jazz Trio, Charged Particles, to heat up The Jazz Club in Cloverdale, presented by the Cloverdale Art Alliance. McCandless recently celebrated his 45th anniversary with the jazz super-group, Oregon.

Sketched with my new Caran D’Ache water soluble colored pencils in a Stillman & Birn Alpha Series sketchbook.

My new book “Impressions of Wine Country” (pictured below) is now apart of the Wine Library located inside the Healdsburg library. The book is now available for check-out at any Sonoma Country branch.

It’s also, of course, available on Amazon.

The World Famous Hamburger Ranch in Cloverdale, CA has long been a popular spot for travelers along Hwys 101 and 128. The ever popular brisket, baby back ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and BBQ chicken is slow cooked in a giant wood-fired smoker and tastes so good, it begs for repeat visits. But what makes this Road House ‘World Famous’? There are hundreds of postcards decorating walls from all over the world reminiscing of the food and fun times.

I too have had some great memories here including today with my friend Phil. We both had pulled pork sandwiches with onion rings and sweet potato fries, then we headed out for an afternoon of sketching under the shade of an oak tree.

I’ve always loved the old Rosenberg’s Department Store building located at Fourth and D Streets in Santa Rosa. Built in 1936, the structure is the most significant example of the Streamline Moderne style and was the tallest building in the city. Santa Rosa’s government approved demolition of the store in 1994, but it was subsequently saved when bookstore chain Barnes & Noble leased the space. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1994.