Sketches from Maine – Part 2

Picture yourself sitting in an Adirondack chair somewhere along the coast of Maine, water gently lapping at the shore in front of you and seagulls soaring lazily overhead. The sun is sinking low in the sky and there’s a stillness in the air, as if the earth is holding its breath, waiting for darkness to come.

All sketches were done in a 9″ x 6″, Stillman and Birn Alpha series hardbound sketchbook

That was the scene at Primrose Cottage when I painted “All is well”. The peace and serenity I felt that evening flowed through my paintbrush and onto the page. I painted directly, with no preliminary drawing, a first for me, and it felt very freeing, just letting the color flow without worrying about accuracy or page layouts or trying to be perfect. It’s just a simple little sketch, nothing special really, but the memory it holds will be with me for a long time.

Another way to pack a lot of memories into a sketchbook page is to include photos. I often make a page of photos in my travel sketchbooks. I use Microsoft Publisher to lay out selected photos on a page, then print the page on matte photo paper and glue it into my sketchbook. On this particular page, I left an empty white border around the photos, then drew a black and white border design with a Pitt Artist’s Pen after it was in the sketchbook.

Everyone really enjoyed the quirkiness of Primrose Cottage, and I think most of us did at least one sketch of the interior. Mine is of a corner of the original kitchen, with it’s pretty antique china, enamel table, pink chairs, and white curtains with pom-pom fringe. I drew it directly with a Pitt pen, not worrying at all about perspective or straight lines. I wanted the style of the sketch to feel kind of funky and fun, like the room itself.

Pitt pen and watercolor

Later in the week, we made a second excursion to Birch Point State Park. It was a warm, sunny day, and the water was sparkling and beautiful. I enjoyed watching all the happy children busily digging, pouring, running and splashing. What a contrast to earlier in the week when we all sat huddled over our sketchbooks, bundled up with jackets and hats on, wishing we had brought gloves!

Watch for lots more sketches coming in a few days!

3 Comments

  • These are SO wonderful to see – brings it all back so vividly! I'm right back in Primrose Cottage, happily sketching away… ah bliss! ( so glad you went with the pink border on your kitchen sketch, too – perfection. Can't wait to see more; thanks so much for sharing these! xoxo, gretchen

    Reply
  • I always love seeing your charming sketches from Maine since it is such a familiar place to me having family up in Damariscotta. I love the one of the interior of the cottage kitchen with the pink chairs and the enamel table…what a Maine cottage should look like. Great series of posts!

    Reply
    • I love Damariscotta! We stayed in New Harbor in a big old summer cottage and I grew to love that area. Pemaquid Point light is gorgeous, and the old fort was a neat place to sketch, too. And the shops in Damariscotta are so much fun to browse in. We often stop there on our way to Owls Head. Lucky you, having family there!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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.

Enter your email address to follow the Everyday Artist blog, and never miss a post!

Subscribe to my email newsletter, and receive a free watercolor tutorial

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Categories

Sketchbook Page Layout Ideas on Pinterest

Sketchbook Page Borders on Pinterest

Sketchbook Journaling Ideas on Pinterest

Hand-Lettered Quotes on Pinterest

Painted Calendars on Pinterest

Travel Sketching Supplies

Visit my online shop & take home a page from my sketchbooks!

Scroll to Top

Hi, and welcome to Leslie Fehling's Everyday Artist website and blog.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get all the latest news about upcoming workshops plus helpful tips to make sketchbook journaling
easier and more fun.

As a thank you, you’ll receive a copy of “How to Paint Daylilies with Watercolor.” It’s downloadable and absolutely FREE. Thanks for stopping by!

* indicates required