Everyday Matters Sketchbook

 In the summer of 2011, I started a sketchbook of things found in my daily life. This book has no theme except the inclusion of things that give me joy. I grew sunflowers and sketched them many times. In the fall I discovered the beauty of persimmons, gourds and Chinese lanterns harvested from my garden. This sketchbook will only accept dry medium, so I used pen and ink or dry colored pencil.

Travel Journals

When I travel I keep a written account of my trip. Along with my photographs, I consider a journal to be an important component of any holiday. Rather than using a lined notebook, I write in a blank artist's sketchbook so that I can include sketches with my text. I use a hard cover coil bound book with pages large enough to make sketching easy on my lap and that fits well into my carry-on luggage. I sketch in airports, on the plane, looking outside my hotel window, on the beach, at sidewalk cafes and anywhere my travels take me. I may use ballpoint pen, coloured pens, felt pens or water soluable pencil crayons. Here is a sample of sketches of Thailand, Hawaii and Cuba from my most recent travel journal.

Road Trip

In July 2009 my husband and I went on a 12-day road trip around our home province of British Columbia in Canada. We drove 4300 kilometers in a large circle route and briefly visited 33 small villages and towns along the way.

I thought it would be interesting to record this trip in sketches to compliment the holiday snaps that I usually take. For this project I chose my largest 24-page 11" x 14" watercolour sketchbook and painted on one side of each page only. The format of each sketch varies, many of them long panoramic views best seen through the windshield of a car. Unfortunately there was little time to stop and sketch because we were always on the move, so most of my sketches were completed once I returned home.

Gulf Islands, Fraser Valley and highway tunnel and Hell's Gate.

The wild animals sited on the trip and some of the road crossing signs.

Fraser Canyon, Ashcroft on the Thompson River and railway yard.

Chasm, Horsefly River and a street in the historic town of Barkerville.

More scenes of Barkerville.

Wells, Jack o'Clubs Lake near Wells, and the Peace River.

Aspen poplar trees in northern B.C., view through a screen door at Swan Lake and a pile of elk and moose antlers.

Canola fields in bloom at Grand Prairie, lake at Hinton Alberta, Icefields Parkway, Jasper

Athabaska Falls, Columbia River, Fort Steele barracks and street scene.

Nelson bicycle shop, Willow Point Lodge, Kaslo street scene.

Silver mining ghost town of Sandon, old house in Grand Forks and Manning Park.

House Sketchbook

From a very early age, I have had a fascination with old houses. I even dream about them sometimes. As a drawing exercise I decided to draw each of 11 houses in one city block of my neighbourhood. Not all houses on the block were the same age or style, so each one was a unique drawing challenge. On the last page, I included my own house which is located just around the corner from my subject street. I used a 24-page 8 1/2" x 12" watercolour sketchbook painting on one side of the page only. Here is a sample: