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 […]
Tag: Sketches
World Traveler
Earlier this month, I taught a brand new workshop in Florida called “Creating Composite Sketches,” where I shared lots of great information on how to design sketches featuring multiple images on a page. I showed examples of some of my favorite composite sketches and shared helpful tips on page design, borders, lettering, and painting techniques. […]
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, […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 6: Lil’ Toot
Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were enjoyable and 2023 is off to a great start for you. My Santa Barbara travel journal project had to be put on hold for the holidays, but I’m back to working on it and I have a couple of completed pages to share today. It was Halloween […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 5
I’ve been busy getting ready for the holidays, painting Christmas cards, baking cookies, and trying to do a little decorating despite the upheaval here, with our basement construction project still in full swing. We have boxes filled with plumbing supplies, flooring, lighting, and much more piled in the front hall and spilling over into the […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 4
Okay, I know Halloween is over but I just couldn’t resist sharing this fun sketch with you. Two-page spread in a 10″ x 7″ Handbook Field Watercolor Journal. Ink & watercolor. The day my friend, Karen, and I went to the Omni Resort for a sketch outing (read about it here), there was a “Monster […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 3
Before I left for California, my friend asked what I wanted to see and do while I was visiting. I told her I just wanted to hang out, talk, relax, and paint. And that’s what we did! We sketched and chatted and laughed and inspired each other. We watched sunrises and sunsets and drank wine […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 2
I love getting together with other artists to paint on location. It gets the creative juices flowing and pushes me to look at a scene from a different viewpoint or try a new technique. I’m always inspired by the originality and creativity that flow from the most self-effacing people. I had a chance to meet […]
Santa Barbara Travel Journal – Part 1
The month of November usually conjures up images in my mind of dreary grey days, sodden brown leaves, wind, rain and sleet, but this year was different. As autumn gave way to wintry November, I found myself flying off to California for a 5-day workshop with a great group of painters. Happy painters at the […]
Road Trip Ramblings (Step-by-Step)
My mother turned 90 a few weeks ago, and we celebrated with a girls’ getaway to Smith Mountain Lake, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. My sister, daughter, and niece all joined me and my mom for four days of birthday merriment. My daughter, Sara, and mother, Saundra But we didn’t wait until we […]
