Today’s the day! It’s finally here. This afternoon I’m flying to Paris! I’ve been dreaming of this for years. I remember buying a Paris guidebook almost twenty years ago in the hopes that I would somehow find a way to visit that magical, mythical place one day. It all seems unreal, the fact that I’m […]
Category: Sketchbook Journaling
Going Back to My Roots with a Simple Little Travel Journal
Fred and I celebrated forty happy years of marriage this past winter, and we decided it would be fun to take a little trip down memory lane and go back to where we met, married, and lived as newlyweds. Our celebratory getaway was delayed a few weeks due to our schedules, but the stars finally […]
3 Easy Ways to Transfer Lettering to a Sketchbook Page
Have you ever wondered if there’s a better way to add lettering to a sketchbook page than simply drawing it directly on the paper? Sometimes we aren’t sure exactly what style we want to use or what size we need to fit in a particular spot. So we sketch a title or a phrase, then […]
Painting Lavender at Summerhill
It was a cold, dreary day with occasional rain showers and blustery wind here in western Pennsylvania on Thursday, but that didn’t stop my Summerhill Sketchers from gathering for a class on painting lavender fields. I’ve been working on the lessons for my workshop in Provence in June, and I thought I’d try this one […]
Casa Romantica Step-by-Step
One of the assignments I gave the students during my “Sketching on Location” workshop in San Clemente last month was to look for a view that was framed by something, like an arch, columns, or trees. Dutiful teacher that I am, I decided to set an example by sketching the view through the arches on […]
Sketching on Location at Casa Romantica
The second day of my “Sketching on Location” workshop took us to Casa Romantica in San Clemente. This beautiful place was built in 1927 as the home of the founder of San Clemente, Ole Hanson. It’s now a public garden and cultural center, and we were lucky enough to spend the day there painting together. […]
Sketching on Location at the Casino – Part II
As promised, here’s the last sketch I did during our day of sketching on location at Casino San Clemente… Ink & watercolor, 10×7 Handbook Field Watercolor Journal I used a composite page layout. This is a great way to squeeze in a lot of information about a place on one page, so it’s perfect for […]
Sketching on Location at the Casino – Part 1
After I finished up my “Sketch It Now” workshop in San Clemente, I launched right into “Sketching on Location” the next day. I started out the first morning with a little pep talk in the classroom. Or maybe I should call it a “prep talk” since the idea was to give everyone some practical ways […]
New Sketching Workshops for Spring and Summer
Since my new “Sketch It Now” workshop was so well-received last month in San Clemente, I’ve decided to offer it here on the east coast this summer. I’ll be hosting Sketch It Now: Capturing the moment in your sketchbook journal here at my home, Summerhill, near Ruff Creek, Pennsylvania, August 12- 13, 2017. (We’re just an hour […]
San Clemente Highlights
I got home from San Clemente about a week ago, and ever since then I’ve been feverishly working to finish up a commission that was a bit overdue. I can’t wait to share it with you! I think it might be the most unique piece of artwork I’ve ever done. But first, I want to […]
