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 […]
Category: Sketchbooks
“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 […]
Sketching on Location at Casa Romantica
The second day of my “Sketching on Location” workshop took us to Casa Romantica in San Clemente. This beautiful place was built in 1927 as the home of the founder of San Clemente, Ole Hanson. It’s now a public garden and cultural center, and we were lucky enough to spend the day there painting together. […]
Sketching on Location at the Casino – Part II
As promised, here’s the last sketch I did during our day of sketching on location at Casino San Clemente… Ink & watercolor, 10×7 Handbook Field Watercolor Journal I used a composite page layout. This is a great way to squeeze in a lot of information about a place on one page, so it’s perfect for […]
Sketching on Location at the Casino – Part 1
After I finished up my “Sketch It Now” workshop in San Clemente, I launched right into “Sketching on Location” the next day. I started out the first morning with a little pep talk in the classroom. Or maybe I should call it a “prep talk” since the idea was to give everyone some practical ways […]
