The First Step

 “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
Lao Tzu

I’m off to a fresh start for the new year! I’m going to focus my creative efforts this year on completing lots and lots of sketches of Greene County, PA, where I live. My ultimate goal is to one day publish a book of my sketches. Wow! That’s a big goal and something that will take considerable time and effort, but I’m taking the first small step toward it by starting with PAGE 1 of my new sketchbook.

I live in a beautiful rural area of southwestern Pennsylvania, and idyllic scenes worthy of brush or pen lie waiting around every bend in the road. I didn’t travel far to find these two views – they’re just down the road from my home.

It was an overcast day when I headed out to paint on January 1st, but New Year’s Eve rains had brought the valley to life, and I could see a cast of green over all the fields, a welcome sight in the dead of winter.

The next day was clear and sunny, with a bright blue sky and puffy white clouds. What a relief after the weeks of grey, snowy days we had experienced in December!  I enjoyed watching the two horses sunning themselves and napping in the sunshine in front of the barn. This is a scene I’ve been itching to paint for years, every time I drive by it – and I finally did!

That evening, I took Buckley for a walk in our woods and picked up these acorns along the way. It’s nice to have something to paint back in the studio where I can stay nice and warm, instead of being parked in a chilly van on the roadside.

So, wish me luck on my journey! I’ll be sharing plenty of sketches this year of our little corner of the world.

3 Comments

  • I'm glad you like the picture. You're welcome to print it, but the online resolution is so low that it might not turn out as well as you would like.

    Reply

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I’m Leslie. A painter, teacher, and lover of all things creative. A sketchbook artist who captures everyday life on the pages of my illustrated journals. I love sharing, connecting, and encouraging people to find their creative voice through sketchbook journaling. Read more about me, my art, and my life HERE.

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