Plein Air Sketchbook

In the summers of 2007 and 2008 I thought I would try my hand at sketching outdoors. For this project I chose a 24-page watercolour sketchbook 8 1/2" x 11." I used fine tipped black ink pens and pan watercolour paints and I also tried using acrylic paint in a watercolour style with some success.

I painted my first painting outdoors in the afternoon. Not satisfied with the results, I returned to the same location the next morning and repainted the scene under different lighting conditions with vastly different results. I learned that picking the right time of day to paint outdoors is crucial.

I joined a summer evening sketch group and visited many different private gardens and public parks. We drew and painted weather and light permitting, but it was not always possible to finish a painting all in one go. I drew from life, but sometimes completed the painting later.

I painted this sketch with acrylic paint. I like the brighter colours and the glowing affect that acrylic paint has on paper.

The last two paintings were completed on a double page in acrylic paint. For this type of sketch, a book without a coil binding would be an advantage.

Alphabet Book

This sketchbook started with an idea from Nita Leland's book "The New Creative Artist" which is full of fun drawing and painting activities. One idea she suggests is to draw small rectangles in a sketchbook and go on a scavenger hunt around your home to find objects to fill them. I thought this would be a good idea for an alphabet sketchbook and I challenged myself to find 26 objects in my home each starting with a letter of the alphabet. I used a 5 1/2" x 8" watercolour sketchbook, ink and watercolour paint for the project. The opaque letters were painted in gauche.

This sketchbook is not a child's book because handling the pages would smudge the water mediums. To make this sketchbook more child friendly, it would have to be reprinted with waterproof ink on sturdy paper. Here is a sample:

Thailand Sketchbook

In February 2007 I had my first opportunity to sketch in a far-off land, Thailand. This was my first visit to the tropics and I was intrigued by the tropical plants and architecture and charmed by the people. Using a variety of coloured pens I sketched from life. Then upon returning home I completed the book with watercolour sketches based on my photographs.

The fruiting body of this palm tree looked just like oranges, but everyone knows oranges don't grow on palm trees.

Wat Poh, home of the golden reclining Buddha in the Imperial City, Bangkok.

The air was full of the sound of ringing bells powered by the breeze high up on the eaves of the temples.

Sketchbook Sep-Dec 2007

My last "home town" sketchbook was completed in the fall of 2007. I made my first attempt to document in drawings a vacation trip. Using a fine tipped black pen for the sketching, I painted in a more vivid style than in my previous sketchbooks. The sketchbooks I use are 5 1/2"x 8" in dimension, have 12 pages of 120 lb watercolour paper and a coil binding. I paint on both sides of the page.

Sep 11, 2007 Geoff, Tuppy and I drove to Tofino with stops at Little Qualicum Falls and Coombs. We arrived at Kayak Beach in downtown Tofino where Geoff first tried kayaking many years ago.

We have the "Jay" room at Gull Cottage.

The beach was fogged in only lifting momentarily at sunset.

Spent the afternoon reading and sitting on Chesterman Beach waiting for the sun to come out, but it never did.

Sep 14, 2007 Left Tofino mid-morning. Stopped in Coombs to look at the goats who live on the rooftop of the stores and had lunch at Englishman River Falls.

Oct 26, 2007 Hike to McKenzie Bight on a bright fall day. Spied a river otter sunning on a rock.

Studied a dragon fly warming on a rock too cold to fly away.

Nov 1, 2007 Hike to Witty's Lagoon. Got a good view of Mt. Olympus from the summit of the gravel pit in Metchosin.

Dec 10, 2007 A trip to White Rock included a tour of Steveston on a frosty cold morning. We walked out past the fishing boats to the point at the mouth of the Fraser River.