Well, after all the lead-in of photos and Facebook posts, are you ready to finally see some sketches from my sketching trip to Maine? Here’s the first batch, with more to follow tomorrow……
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| Ink & watercolor + gel pen + stamping with watercolor |
The sketchbook I took with me was a 9″ x 6″ Stillman
and Birn Alpha series with 100 lb. paper. I love the size and the landscape format – it seems to
suit me perfectly – and I like the fact that it has lots of pages, so it
doesn’t feel so precious that I might hesitate to play around in it. (Yeah, I
still have hangups about ruining precious paper, even though I preach to
my students that “It’s only a piece of paper! Use it up and turn the
page!”)
My mom and I drove up to Maine with my two friends, Cathy and Candy. We made it a leisurely trip and allowed ourselves an extra day, so we could enjoy seeing some sights along the way.
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| Micron 005 black ink + watercolor |
When I’m keeping a travel journal, I always start it as early in the trip as I
can. I think it’s important to dive right in and do something...anything! It sets a precedent and gets me in the habit of recording my days. So I worked on my first page (above) early in the morning on our second day, before we had breakfast and hit the road.
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| Platinum Carbon fountain pen and ink + Micron 02 black + watercolor |
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| Micron 005 black + watercolor |
Our first group sketching session came on the evening of our second day when we found a peaceful spot overlooking the Damariscotta River. After being on the road for two days and driving almost a thousand miles, it gave me a chance to rest, relax and switch to vacation mode. We were finally in Maine!
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| Micron 005 black ink + watercolor (Font for title lettering: DK Carte Blanche) |
6 Comments
Enjoying reading about your Maine trip. We love Maine and try to make it there at least once a year. Many of your photos are familiar and hold wonderful memories. Look forward to seeing more of your paintings.
Yes, my year isn't complete without a dose of Maine. I just wish it were closer!
Leslie, love your work and hope someday to take one of your workshops, maybe 2016.
How about my Cheap Joe's workshop May 9-13, 2016? Check it out on the "US Workshops" page, above. I hope you'll be able to make it. I'm sure I'll be adding other venues, too, so keep checking back.
How fun that you stayed at Oak Gables. You had to have passed my sister's big, white house on the block before you turn left to Oak Gables. Martha, who owns the B&B was my niece's preschool or kindergarten teacher. (I forget which.) We always call her "Miss Martha." Her property is so pretty and you did lovely sketches of it.
Even though you posted this a while ago, I know where the Damariscotta River is. We’ve camped near there for 25 years. Love your painting of it!