As I was finishing up the final paragraph of my last blog post, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to include Buckley and Buddy in my sketch. That just wasn’t right! How could I have been so thoughtless? They had waited patiently for me for over an hour as I drew and painted; they certainly deserved a spot on the page. So I managed to squeeze them in – can you find them?
Category: Nature Journaling
After the Walk: Finishing a Nature Sketch in the Studio
In yesterday’s post, (find it here), I shared how this page began with a walk in the woods and a “5-5-5 Sketch Challenge”, where I walked, drew, and painted one image at a time to create a composite sketch. The plein air sketching session gave me a good start on this page, but it needed […]
A Walk with the Boys
One Sunday in early spring, I decided to do a 5-5-5 Sketch Challenge: I would walk for 5 minutes, draw for 5 minutes, and paint for 5 minutes until I had filled a page (or two) in my sketchbook.
Come along with me and the boys, and see how a blank sketchbook page develops, step-by-step, into a complete sketch!
California Road Trip – Part 3: 17-Mile Drive
One of the prettiest stretches of coastline that I saw during my recent trip to California was 17-Mile Drive in Monterey. This scenic road meanders around the Monterey peninsula, offering spectacular views of rocky beaches, crashing waves, and abundant wildlife. Ink & watercolor in a 5″ x 6-1/2″ Khadi hardbound sketchbook with rough textured 140 […]
California Road Trip – Part 2
In my last post (California Road Trip – Part I), I gave some insights into how I create a “flow sketch”, a page design loosely based on a flowchart. What’s a flowchart? It’s defined as “a diagram of the sequence of movements or actions of people or things involved in a complex system or activity.” […]
California Road Trip – Part 1 + Creating a Flow Sketch
My workshop in Santa Barbara last month was a huge success, and the road trip that followed, although not quite what I had expected, was a lot of fun, too, and showed me a part of California that I had always wanted to see. I took hundreds of pictures along the way, so I have […]
Accordion-Fold Flower and Quote Journal
I have a LOT of unfinished sketchbooks, some of which I’ve been adding to since 2012! These UFOs (UnFinished Objects) don’t bother me – I like filling them gradually over time – but I have to admit that there’s something very satisfying about finally completing one. Accordion-fold sketchbook made with 140 lb. Kilimanjaro watercolor paper […]
Tropical harvest
When I stayed with my friend Karen in southern California for a few days earlier this month, I was amazed that we could go out into her yard and pick all sorts of tropical fruit right off the trees that grew on the slope below her house. Every morning I had fresh grapefruit for breakfast […]
Casa Romantica Gridded Sketch
Earlier this month I taught a two-day plein air sketching class called “Sketch Your World” in San Clemente, CA, and on the second day we visited Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. The Casa was closed for the day, but they allowed our group to come and paint, so we had the place all to […]
Sketches from Maine!
Maine was WONDERFUL! The lupines were in bloom, the weather was close to perfect, Primrose Cottage was as cute as ever, and the students who joined me for the painting retreats were an absolute joy to be with. Getting to spend two weeks there this year was the icing on the cake. I fell in […]
