From the time I was a kid, I’ve had a secret longing to spend a week at a dude ranch, and next January I’ll finally have a chance to don my cowboy hat and give it a try. And what’s even better is that I can bring fifteen of my art pals along, so you’re […]
Category: Nature Journaling
Ruthie’s Garden
I spent a few days last week at my friend Ruthie’s house in the Pisgah Mountains near Brevard, NC, and had a chance to sketch part of her beautiful and expansive garden. Our pal Judy had flown in from Florida to join us, and we enjoyed four days of girlfriend time – laughing, talking, eating, […]
Giverny Concertina Sketchbook
It’s always good to mix things up and try something new, so, in the middle of finishing up the travel journal from my recent trip to France, I decided to take a detour and play around with a concertina sketchbook I’ve had in my stash for awhile. While working on the travel journal, I’d been […]
Every Day in May: Days 15-20
Our first camping trip of the year took place at Prince Gallitzin State Park in northwestern PA last week, and it was a great way to start the summer season. We have a 34′ camper trailer, so we’re definitely not roughing it when we camp. It sleeps all 8 of us when my daughter and […]
Every Day in May: Day 11
Day 11 of Every Day in May…I bought a set of Jacquard squeeze bottles when I was at Cheap Joe’s last month. On Day 11 of my May challenge, I had a chance to give them a try. I filled one with SketchInk (color: Lilly) and tried sketching some chives using the finest tip on […]
Canaan Valley Sketches
I’m flying off to California tomorrow to teach my “Sketch Your Life” workshop at the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society, but before I go, I wanted to share a few of the sketches/paintings I did last week at Canaan Valley, West Virginia. My friend Jane has a house that’s just a few miles from Canaan […]
Coquina Beach Sketch
While I was in Florida last month, I only had a chance to get to the beach once, but what a perfect beach day it was! The day we were there, Coquina Beach definitely lived up to its name. As if the bright sunshine, sparkling water, and gentle waves weren’t enough, we also found millions […]
Sketching at the Gamble Plantation
When I was in Florida earlier this month, I stayed with my friend Judy, and in between workshops we managed to fit in a couple of plein air outings. We love sketching together – some things are just more fun when they’re shared. Our first field trip was to the Gamble Plantation Historic State Park […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 7: Sea Stars
The Sea Center, part of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, is located right on Stearns Wharf, and it was a great place to visit for some onsite sketching during my recent trip to Santa Barbara. The displays are outstanding and feature a rich variety of wildlife from the Santa Barbara channel. Jelly fish, […]
Rocky Maine Beaches
The Schoodic Peninsula is the only part of Acadia National Park that’s on the mainland. It’s famous for rocky cliffs and crashing waves, but on the day we visited in June, the tide was on its way out and things were fairly calm. It was still beautiful. I mean, how can you complain about a […]







