My husband Fred and I were in Canada last week for a real honest-to-goodness vacation. No teaching for me or work for him, just a chance to relax and enjoy some time together in a place that neither of us had visited before. I debated about taking a sketch kit along. I’m feeling burdened lately […]
Category: Sketching
Sketchbook Journeys: Spain
Spain was wonderful! I loved every moment and came home with a journal filled with memories. Travel changes me. Living in a different country, eating the food, walking the streets, meeting the people, learning about the history of that place – it alters my perception of the world and makes me realize how rich and […]
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 […]
Guest Post: Cathy McCort & Her Yearlong Calendar Project
We have a guest blogger today, my good friend Cathy McCort from Washington, PA. Cathy was one of six students in the very first sketchbook journaling class I taught back in 2014. She had never picked up a watercolor brush before that class, but wait till you see how far she’s come in five short […]
February Calendar Sketch
Life can become a bit of a blur sometimes, can’t it? One day merges into the next and before you know it, another month has gone by. I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday, not to mention last week! But I’ve found that keeping a daily sketched calendar is a great way to capture […]
January Calendar – Part III
My January 2019 daily calendar is finally finished! I chose cool blues and purples for the borders and the spaces between the blocks. It seemed the perfect choice for a month filled with every kind of cold, dreary weather you can imagine. 12″ x 9″, ink & watercolor in an American Journey watercolor journal It […]
Taking a Chance
As I painted this sketch yesterday, I thought about all the chances I’ve been offered in my life, the ones I took and the ones I didn’t. Watercolor sketch in a 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ Stillman & Birn Delta series sketchbook And as my thoughts meandered back to younger days and decisions I’d made that impacted […]
January Calendar – Part II
My January calendar still needs a few finishing touches, like a border on the outside edge and some color between the boxes, but while I’m working on those, here’s a step-by-step explanation of how I drew the elliptical layout for the 12″ x 9″ calendar page. 31-day elliptical calendar layout 1 – Use a pencil […]
January Calendar – Part I
Occasionally I get the urge to keep a sketched daily calendar for a full month. Last spring I did three months in a row in March, April, and May, and that was enough to last me for awhile. I figured I would do another month whenever the mood struck, and eventually I would have a whole year’s […]
Hotel del Coronado Sketch – Finished!
In my previous post, I showed you several color options for the title lettering on my unfinished sketch of Hotel del Coronado and asked which you thought worked best. I received lots of comments both here on my blog and on a Facebook group that I participate in and could tell you all put a […]
