Years ago, long before I dared to dream of the life I’m now living, I looked at pictures of Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny with a sense of wonder and admiration. The iconic view of the lily pond with its arched Japanese bridge was so perfect it almost seemed unreal. But one day last September, […]
Category: Tutorials
France 2025: Giverny
After two fun-filled days in Paris, it was time to pack my bags and go to work, teaching a week-long workshop with French Escapade in Giverny. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and was so excited to finally see Monet’s garden and walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh. […]
Stitch a Slip-on Cover for Your Sketchbook
I always agonize over which sketchbook to take when I go on an important trip, don’t you? For my recent trip to France, I went through my stash of blank sketchbooks, waffling between this one and that, and ultimately decided to use a beautiful hardcover journal that I made several years ago. It’s been “resting” […]
How to Add Title Lettering to a Curved Banner
I happened to come across this sketch the other day and saw that it was finished except for the title lettering. I had drawn and painted the two-page spread on location at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens last winter during my annual teaching trip to Florida but never got around to adding the title. I’ve since […]
Sketchbook Play with Stencils – Creating a Complementary Page
I posted a sketch from my Provence travel journal a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share with you what I’ve added to the page since then. Here’s the original sketch – you can read all about it here. 8″ x 8″, ink & watercolor in a HandBook Travelogue Watercolor Journal – by Leslie […]
England Sketchbook: Victoria & Albert Museum
When I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London earlier this summer, I really enjoyed the display of women’s fashion through the centuries. I especially enjoyed looking at all the detailing and hand work on the Victorian dresses. I snapped some photos that day in the museum and later sketched some of the dresses, […]
(Almost) Every Day in May: Days 21-22
It was bound to happen. I made a valiant effort to sketch every day in May, but last week I finally had to call it quits. You see, I’m leaving next week to teach two workshops in the Cotswolds, and I’ve been swamped with all the busywork that entails. In addition to the dreaded task […]
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 14
I’ve enjoyed trying new tools and techniques this month during my “Every Day in May” challenge. It’s been fun dreaming up new projects each day, but for May 14th, instead of experimenting with different materials, I tried a new approach to a page border. Watercolor and collage, 9″ x 9″ Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketchbook The […]
Bonus Travel Palette How-To
All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…. to Italy…tomorrow! But I wanted to take a few minutes to catch up before I head off on another adventure. As I was packing my art supplies, I came across this empty metal palette (below) that I bought a few years ago, thinking I would fill […]
