Welcome to my Blog

Welcome to my blog. I am intrigued by travellers who sketch in far off exotic places and bring home their impressions in ink and watercolour sketchbooks.

In 2007 I decided to give this interesting art medium a try. For practice I created a "travel sketchbook" in my home town. Using a digital camera I captured scenes from my everyday activities and each night I painted the daily sketch from downloaded images on my computer. This isn't as spontaneous as sketching and painting from life, but hey, who has time to do that? While I didn't quite learn what it might be like to sketch and paint while traveling in another country, I nevertheless found the exercise fun and satisfying in itself.

I eventually did get to travel to some pretty exotic places. In future posts I will include sketchbook entries from Thailand, Hawaii, Spain, Canada and Cuba. The following is a sample of sketches from my second sketchbook journal. May and June 2007.

May 11, 2007 Norv and Diane gave me this apple, too nice to use in the garden but it makes a nice art subject.

May 14, 2007 Sign nestled among the bachelor buttons a Taunton St.

May 15, 2007 overlooking Willows Beach from the headland at Cattle point. The beach looks deserted - no dogs allowed!

Time for that all important but forbidden dip in the ocean. Hope nobody's looking.

May 21, 2007 Morning walk for Tuppy past the "duck pond."

A misty morning with watery sunshine and the tide out as far as it can go.

May 22, 2007 Cheeky sparrows looking for crumbs at Starbuck's while I had a coffee with Wendy.

May 26, 2007 Up close and personal with a mallard on the Songhees Waterway.

May 27, 2007 First hike to Witty's Lagoon on a cool windy day.

May 29, 2007 A wander through Adrienne's garden.

June 3, 2007 Watched the arrival of the Pacific Grace a 138 foot schooner.

June 1 & 3, 2007 Two trips to Saxe Point Park to paint plein air with Wendy...and to admire the flowers.

June 6, 2007 Early morning walk at Clover Point.