the last day; the deluge

Friday it blew and poured all day (and night, making for a roly ferry ride home), so we stayed in again.
Judi showed us how she makes light, bright-colored abstract underpaintings then, when the paper's dry, paints transparent scenes overtop them.

(11x15)
I was running low on resources to paint from but found a little vignette of the Mainstay Inn in Cape May in my sketchbook. I usually sketch, when I do, just for the sake of drawing, that is, not thinking of the sketch's usefulness as a source for future paintings. Consequently, my sketches are not of much use! Or at least I feel that I don't have enough information--or enough powers of invention?--to turn them into fully developed paintings.
I need to look into the different purposes, uses of sketches and work on identifying and including what is essential. Sketching for its own sake is certainly pleasurable, but it would be nice to have "source material" sketches too.
If anyone has any suggestion for books or exercises on sketching, please let me know. Although I suspect it has more to do with seeing than sketching.

(11x15)
For my second effort, I revisited a Pigeon Key scene, adding a section bridge this time (though this bridge looks more like the Long Key viaduct than the Seven Mile bridge, which is the bridge visible from Pigeon Key).

(11x15)
When the last class ended, Shelby, Carol and I went back to Shelby's where Shelby showed us her technique for painting dunes. It was fun and I got a little carried with my clumps of grass! One afternoon we went walking around Cape Henlopen park, where there are beautiful dunes; I got some good photos and will probably be practicing them.

Finally, I have to add that I had a great surprise when I got home: a beautiful new front porch, thanks to Peter.