I’ve always wanted to try keeping a monthly calendar filled with daily sketches. It’s something I often suggest to my students, but I had never actually done it myself…until now! Ink & watercolor in a 12″ x 9″ American Journey journaling sketchbook I started this calendar page on March 1 and finished up today, the […]
Category: Sketchbooks
France Sketchbook – Day 5 – Lavender Field at St. Paul de Mausole
Ah, the lavender fields of Provence! Ink & watercolor in a handmade 6″ x 8″ sketchbook with 140 lb. Kilimanjaro paper They really are pretty as a picture. The colors, the fragrance, and the beauty of it all are simply unforgettable! During our first sketching session in Saint Remy, my students and I spread out around […]
France Sketchbook – Day 5 – Saint Paul de Mausole Monastery
Two-page spread, ink & watercolor in a 6″ x 8″ handmade hardbound sketchbook filled with Kilimanjaro 140 lb. watercolor paper When I woke up that first morning in Provence, I didn’t know what the day would hold, but the sun was shining, the cicadas were buzzing, the lavender was blooming, and all was right with […]
France Sketchbook – Day 4 – Provence
After three days in Paris, we were finally heading for Provence! We all met our tour director, Jackie (from French Escapade) and her assistant, Marie, at the train station in Avignon. It was a relief to finally turn over all the decision-making to someone else! I knew they would have things well in hand, but […]
“Fickle February” Sketch + Step-by-Step Swirly Vine Border
Last month it seemed like the weather just couldn’t make up its mind. We experienced snow, rain, ice, fog, sleet, high winds, and warm sunshine here in western Pennsylvania. After the weeks of extended cold in January, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw crocus leaves pushing their way up through the melting […]
Super Simple Slip-On Sketchbook Cover
Have you ever heard of oilcloth? It’s a finely woven cotton fabric that has a waterproof vinyl coating applied to one side. I happened to spy some cute oilcloth on the clearance table at Hobby Lobby the other day and thought, “Wouldn’t that make a great sketchbook cover?” So, I snapped up a half yard […]
France Sketchbook – Day 2 – Paris (continued)
(Read part I of Day 2 here.) After we left the Tuileries, we hopped on the bus and began to make our way to the Eiffel Tower. I wanted to see it up close and maybe do a little sketching, but the traffic in Paris that day was even worse than usual. There were all […]
France Sketchbook – Day 1
Hello out there! It’s been so long since I’ve checked in here that you might have been wondering if I got lost in Paris and never made it home. 🙂 No such luck. (Just kidding, Fred!) I’m back home safe and sound, just catching up on things and taking some time to relax with the […]
Bon Voyage!
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 […]
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 […]
