Do you sketch/draw/paint/do art when traveling?

Oh! Pam I'm so happy you started this thread (and rescued Jean's own thread lol). I can't wait to hear what other people do, too. I'm brand new to this particular hobby (as in, my first batch of supplies is currently being shipped to me lol) and so, in addition to what Pam has generously shared (and what Jean shared on her hijacked thread lol), I'm especially interested in anyone's recommendations for any beginner's online tutorials/classes as well as simplified supplies recommendations as I get started.

I wish we could attach photos so people could share! And Pam, I'm personally challenging you to be brave and make your art out in the "open" lol! You can do it!

Hi Pam,
I have taken watercolors, paper & a couple brushes on trips with the intention of painting some quick landscapes. My supplies included a small 3x5 palette of Daniel Smith watercolors, red, blue, yellow, black & white along with 2 brushes in a cylindrical toothbrush carrier and a rather heavy 5x7 tablet of Bee watercolor paper, everything packed into a zip lock bag.

What I discovered is that I can't sit still long enough to paint when I'm out touring and I can not abide anyone looking over my shoulder. Then there is the thing about pencils. I have a brain freeze if I pick up a pencil to sketch but have no difficulty at all with sketching with a paint brush. Irrational, yep, therapy indicated. lol

Painting in the evening when back at our accommodation was tempting but honestly I was so tired after all day walking that I never got around to it. My creative process evolved to painting at home from photos while remembering the day's adventure. Absolutely love painting Scotland with its moody landscapes. I'm self taught but have been really studying You Tube videos from Javid TaTabatabaei.

This is an interesting topic. Thanks for posting it!

I will put in a plug for Kolbie Blume's watercolor tutorials and also her books -- very easy to follow and lots of fun. Love her approach and enthusiasm!
A few years ago I bought a small kit from portable painter (https://www.portablepainter.com/product-page/portable-painter-classic) and filled the pans with my favorite colors. It's great for travel, though I use it almost exclusively at a table, rather than outside in the field. It's nice and lightweight, and has the water wells if you need them. I bring a few of my own brushes, and a small watercolor sketchbook, like a 5x8 landscape size, plus several small pieces of good watercolor paper that I've cut from a pad or block.

I grew up in a family of artists and had a lot of exposure as a child to design, color, composition, various media, opinions and criticism etc. I think I made an unconscious decision at a young age not to compete with my parents or siblings in the art world. I became a crafter and have done every kind of fiber craft from spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, to needlepoint, quilting, sewing, doll making. When I started to get arthritis in my hands, I stopped almost everything. Lately, I have been wanting to try sketching so this thread was very timely for me. I had bought an sketch pad and dug out some of my dad's old pencils to take to Alaska with me in April but I didn't use them. Now I think I'll try Jean's trick of 10 minutes a day while waiting impatiently for next April's trip to the UK.

Pam, I've never attempted to sketch or paint while traveling, but I guess the idea must have intrigued me at one time, because I bookmarked a blog post about portable watercolor sheets. The concept was new to me, and I liked the idea of carrying small quantities of paint in such a lightweight form: https://www.kerriewoodhouse.com/blog/portable-watercolour-sheets

Pam, where to in France? We leave for our first visit to the Loire very soon. My wife will bring her art supplies as always. One can see a glimpse of them in that poolside portrait of her that I took, shown in our new Calabria/Rome TR (i.e. our Tropea rental villa).

There's another shot of her experimenting with watery painting at a Hong Kong museum in our old China TR. I should also find the ancient shot that I once snapped while she took lessons from Turkish-marbling star artist Barut in his Istanbul guesthouse, the one-star hotel where we stayed during our very first trip together.

My mom was both a traveler plus a pro artist. For decades, I tried to convince her to finally approach publishers with a mind toward them doing a book based upon her countless overseas sketches. Unfortunately, her stubborn nature kept her from moving beyond the talking stage.

Btw, on our last visit to Venice, there was a painting group doing their thing on the street of our Dorsoduro rental. One of the painters was a Jersey gal who revealed how her home had just survived the recent hurricane while the rest of her neighbors' houses were destroyed.

I am done. the squirrel-hair brush

Thanks for all the responses! Fun to know many of us are interested in creating memories while we travel.

@Hannah…yikes! Challenge accepted!

@Diane - Totally understand not having enough energy in the evenings. I tried to do a little in Scotland this summer but some days I just had enough energy to shower and fall in to bed!

@Milgreen - That is a nice looking palette. I appreciate the lead on the artist you follow. I’ll take a look tomorrow.

@Katiecem - I think the 10 minute “rule” is a good one for a variety of things, lol!! While you are doing trip research you can keep an eye put for things to sketch! And, fun to take your Dad’s pencils with you to AK even without using them. AK is so big!

@Gregg - I’ll be in Paris for a couple of weeks, then down to Carcassonne for a 2-week long small group tour to the area, then back to Paris to “rest”, haha!! I will have to go back and look at your trip reports! Very cool that your wife paints on your trips! And that you were staying in a spot scenic enough to attract an art group! When I was in Edinburgh in July I came across a group of sketchers in the Princes St gardens and another group in the National Museum of Scotland. That made me want to join them!

In a bookshop in Edinburgh I picked up a small book of doodles/designs. On the plane I pulled it out and used the watercolor pencils to shade in one of the geometric design pages. That was a good way to get away from screen time on the plane.

I expect as a beginner I will have more trouble restricting myself to a few colors than a person who is experienced!

yikes! Challenge accepted!

YAY! I'll look forward to your full accounting of your successful bravery in your trip report! ;)

I don’t think anyone else has mentioned this …

A waterbrush might be very useful for your watercolor sketching kit. This unique paint brush has a water reservoir on one end and a paint brush on the other. Sort of like an old-fashioned fountain pen. Although you would need to refill the reservoir eventually, I can paint a small sketch without an additional water source. I use my Sakura Koi round brushes with watercolor pencils and with palettes. Sold individually or in sets of graduated sizes, you can pick up Sakura Koi or Pentel or other known watercolor supply brands at art supply or craft stores. I’d be leery of cheap, no-name waterbrushes - the brushes shed (ask me how I know).

Hi Pam,

I don’t paint or sketch when traveling but the idea has crossed my mind.
A few months ago I was searching for something online and somehow found this video about Leslie Stroz, an artist who paints in tiny sketch books and the idea was fascinating to me.
You may enjoy her video(s):
This tiny sketchbook changed my life/Leslie Stroz

Wishing you wonderful trip!

Pam, when in Carcassonne maybe also consider:

-the remote but picturesque (read 'painterly') village Olargues.
-the weekly markets at Carmaux and also Caussade.
-St. Antonin Noble Val.
-Cordes (the obvious).
-the actual town of Carcassonne below the citadel.

Bonne Chance!
i am done. the palette

Thirty+ years ago, when my son was 5 years old we went to DisneyWorld. Upon our return home I found a little pencil sketch in his pack that he had done of the Magic Kingdom castle, the Studios water power, and the EPCOT Spaceship Earth. It is still one of my favorite souvenirs of the trip. Someday I'll give it back to him. . . . .

I am trying to copy/paste what I wrote in the other thread, but it’s choking here. Hopefully, I can format it better later…. My supplies:
1. Talens sketchbook. I have the small black square one that has quite a few pages, a ribbon self bookmark and a black elastic band to keep it closed. I wish it was half the pages but only because I pack very light. Otherwise, the size is great to not be intimidating.
2. Pencils. I have a metal tin with a set of 6. For this trip, I only brought my Faber Castell “HB”.
3. Pens. Pared way back and only brought my black Pilot Precise Rolling Ball, extra fine.
4. Eraser. I cut the typical school pink eraser into 1/3’s and brought one piece.
5. Tiny pencil sharpener.
6.For travel, I switched to watercolor pens. They are less messy but not as versatile. Right now, I don’t need a professional pan set. I bought the set of Derwent Inktense watercolor pens which are nice and choose 6 of them for each trip. For instance, “Teal” comes along when I’m traveling to Puglia. I made the color swatch page as my first page on this sketchbook - very helpful. For the water color pens, you can use them as a regular colored pencil, then wet it slightly, or wet the tip of the pencil and use it as a smuggie paintbrush, or draw heavy lines in a spot on scratch paper, wet it, and dip the paintbrush into it as if it’s paints.
6. I include a thin & thicker paintbrush, but this time I just brought my smallest one.
7. Recently I was at the Tom Bihn store near Seattle, and I wanted to buy something…which turned out as the perfect carrier for my sketching supplies. Pencils, pens, brush in the clear section; everything else in the second zipper.

https://www.tombihn.com/collections/all-organizational-bags/products/double-organizer-pouch?variant=43438737555645

And the hints:

1. Join a Sketchfest! My daughter & I have attended two of the three in Edmonds, Washington, and they are fantastic! There’s also Facebook groups of local ones globally. (I saw one for Bologna today!).

2. Watch a few videos on-line of a style you like. Stephanie Bower’s few videos have been inspiring for the style I like, plus she’s showing places in Europe, i.e. Paris, Sevilla. But also don’t overload. Just a few to get started and then “go” with your pencil.

3. I’m a perfectionist. I had to quickly get over it with sketching! Also, the teacher I had in Bergamo, Italy told me to not include so much - even lines. People’s minds will fill in the missing parts which is interestingly true.

4. Along that line, I used to just sit down and immediately start sketching as if I was completing a photograph. This isn’t a photograph! If I can only draw for 30 seconds, what will be my focus? The rest of the filler is just to highlight or hint at the scene with some foundation & setting.

5. My daughter’s instructor told them to make a sketch each single day and throw it away. What? Yes! It gives you permission & a kick start without intimidation because it’s truly just practice.

6. With my major life change last year, the artist type passions - an hour of playing piano, etc. completely changed into something I couldn’t enjoy. But now those are returning. So, as someone who feels like it’s back to Sketching 101, seriously just tell yourself, “10 minutes & I stop!” I’ve even done a few here in Italy intentionally standing up instead of sitting to reinforce that “short time & stop” feeling. Hopefully that helps others feel less like you’re assigned to create a work of art & more like this could be a sweet memory of that one moment during a trip. : ). I’ve been signing this trips’ sketches with the name my husband gave me during our first trip to Italy, so even if the sketch isn’t perfect, signing that name makes me very happy! ; )

Jean & Pam, thanks for all these great ideas.... OK, I just re-started sketching this week after a few years hiatus and I was literally heading out the door today to do my first live sketch outside, when I saw this thread. Wow. I sat outside at a cafe, wanting to sketch a nearby science building, and quickly figured out I would MUCH rather enjoy my cappuccino while it was warm than sketch! Clearly I may need some more practice time at home. A few thoughts -

1. Someone told me the best photos you take are the ones you take with whatever camera (phone) you have along. I think this goes for sketching too, if you think you might sketch, at least take some paper with backing and a pencil.
2. Practice - I'm trying to make one quick, even 5 minute sketch of something simple, like my fist sitting next to the page each morning. (Fools the eye away from brain's image of what a hand looks like, to just draw contours.) Jean, I liked the idea of throwing away a sketch a day, good one!
3. Clearly this thread is a sign to accept the challenge an art friend just made to send each other one sketch a week! (So I just sent her a rough sketch of my feet crossed, all wrinkly around the edges. HA)
4. Years ago I worked through 'Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain', which is amazing but its a thick book. If you wanted to try it, totally worthwhile but don't think I will do it again.
5. This week I started 'Keys to Drawing', by Bert Dodson, very liberating from perfection syndrome that I have grumbling about all the skills I've lost, rather than enjoying making a sketch.
6. I had forgotten how much more intensely I LOOK at things, lights and shadows, leaves on trees, let alone art in museums. What a gift! PS, I just wanted to add what a relief it was to read this thread, it's good to know we can experiment, just do something for 5 minutes, throw away our practice sketches, learn something again, and again....

I just remembered I had fun watching Karen Rice You Tube videos when I first picked up a paint brush. She does some interesting things with sea sponges ( tree leaves & texture), Brusho ( powdered blended paint pigment that is a hoot to use), plastic wrap ( another texture thing)just to name a couple of her tricks. She is easy to watch, definitely more lighthearted than the current tutorials I'm watching.

Karen's videos https://www.youtube.com/@KarenRiceArt/videos
Brusho https://www.jerrysartarama.com/brusho-crystal-watercolours-olive-green-15-grams-v20434?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22795743750&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0v_jtpfMjwMVmS5ECB1CSyjgEAQYASABEgJa9PD_BwE

She also does watercolor retreats. Next year she's in Tuscany.
https://uptrek.com/retreat/tuscan-watercolor-explorations-retreat-artist-karen-rice-tuscany

@JenS! - THANK you for the reminder about water brushes. And laughing at your suggestion for name brands due to shedding, hahaha. And yes, we want to know how you know! I see a trip to Michaels in my future as I think I have seen some there. adding - Looks like the Pentel ones are available online only so maybe I will just go with another Amazon order, haha.

@Priscilla - I was not familiar with that artist but I loved that YouTube video! Thanks so much for the link. I'd forgotten until she started that many use an athletic wristband when they are painting outside. I'll go thru some of her other videos later today! I've seen those tiny palettes a lot lately and of course once I've looked at them on Amazon I start getting tons of ads on FB and YT for them, lol.

@Gregg - Thanks for the suggestions! I'll be in Carcassonne for most of 2 days on my own before my tour starts and will see the Cite as well as the Bastide.

@MusicMoll - Oh, that just makes my heart sing! What a neat thing to find. Does he still sketch?

@Jean - Thanks for adding your remarks here. I just didn't want your thread to go totally off the rails, lol. I am also laughing because you cut your eraser into 3 pieces. We somehow had an art supplies accident this summer with an eraser somehow getting torn in 3rds - not sure how the kiddo did that! - so I'm grabbing the small piece for my kit. When I was in Orkney the water there was SO gorgeous...really tropical colors....that when I saw the art supply store I popped in and got a few of the Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencils in the colors that would make good water, lol. I succumbed a few days later to the big tin of pencils but the 3 blues I picked to begin with worked for the water. Interesting about throwing away a sketch a day! I also am truly glad your passionate hobbies are feeling good again. (big heart emoji!).

@Sandancisco - You make me laugh because sometimes I think we share a brain. How very cool that you were headed out to sketch when you saw this thread. I was thinking maybe sketching would slow down my coffee drinking in a cafe otherwise, I'm downing that little cup of mud and ready to roll in about 5 minutes! I did Drawing on the Right Side of your brain about 30 years ago and did the whole 30 days or whatever. I have picked it up a couple of times in bookstores recently (yesterday in fact) and decided it was not for me (I am not going to write 3 pages of stream of consciousness stuff each morning, lol) at this point in my life. I'll take a look at the Bert Dodson book!

editing to add: @Diane - That is another new artist to me! I can see what I'll be doing this afternoon, lol. Thank you for remembering!

I am trying to let go of perfectionism along with, it seems, others here, lol! I'm sure that is why I'm focused on "buying" supplies rather than using them!

Oh my gosh Pam, I'm laughing aloud! This is so me LOL

I am trying to let go of perfectionism along with, it seems, others here, lol! I'm sure that is why I'm focused on "buying" supplies rather than using them!

Do I really need 16 tubes of paints. No, but the little tubes are irresistible and there are SO many more lovely colors available. Every time Karen Rice mentioned a new paint color or different brush I purchased one. I'm happy with my selection of brushes. Now if I could only resist the tubes of Colbolt Turquoise & others calling out to me.

FYI Karen Rice has a couple tutorials for the Derwent paint sticks
EDIT sorry this video is about Derwent palette set https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALYS0QKkXZY
EDIT paint sticks about 5 min into video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kHELFK2Rw8

True confession time, although I love seeing, immersing myself in art, I have zero artistic ability. I’ve always wanted to be able to do a small sketch in my travel journal and after reading all this I’ve decided to get Drawing from the Right Side of Your Brain and see if it still might be possible at my (very) advanced age. I’ll not even consider watercolor, just a pencil will suffice. Heading to France next month, so we’ll see.

I still remember reading about Jean going to a sketching class in Italy some years ago and being so impressed. Thanks for bringing this up, Pam, very helpful.

True confession time, although I love seeing, immersing myself in art,
I have zero artistic ability.

Ditto to this. But this thread makes me really wish I did!

@Diane - I think you might live on the West Side? If you are coming thru Coeur d'Alene I'll meet you for coffee and give you a squeeze of the Daniel Smith Cobalt Teal Blue which is gorgeous! hahahaha!!!! It's a perfect aqua for ocean colors.

And thanks for the additional YouTube videos! I've got so many tabs open on my laptop that I'm surprised it hasn't crashed, lol.

@Lynda - Well since I HAVE met you in person and know I am probably older than you are I'll say I'm not even thinking about my age in relation to learning to sketch. BTW, was it you who pointed me to the Tomb of Philippe Pot? I've got the wing/floor/room penciled in for when I visit in a couple of weeks!

@CL - Oh, I have NO innate artistic ability. I do believe that one can develop skill with paint/pencils/any medium even if I can't develop the artistic eye that makes things jump out at you! I just want to record memories - of looking at buildings, bridges, battlements, flowers, landscapes...anything really that will bring me back to the time.

I echo Lyndash and CL. I consider it a triumph if I can draw a stick figure that vaguely resembles a person, but this thread is really inspiring...

Pam, as far as I know he hasn't drawn anything since his Disney pic. My daughter is very artistic, but doesn't record her travels in her art. I have tried to capture some memories, but my products are just shadows of what we've seen.

True confession time, although I love seeing, immersing myself in art, I have zero artistic ability. I’ve always wanted to be able to do a small sketch in my travel journal and after reading all this I’ve decided to get Drawing from the Right Side of Your Brain and see if it still might be possible at my (very) advanced age. I’ll not even consider watercolor, just a pencil will suffice.

Lyndash, please report back here after you've given it a go! I, too, have no intrinsic talent but in high school and Girl Scouts growing up I always enjoyed art projects. Last week I ordered Andrea Nelson's "everything bundle" of watercolor supplies after Pam recommended her to me. It's time for some new hobbies in my life and I want to enjoy even if I'm not good lol. (Btw, I'm actually way more intimidated by pencil than I am watercolor!)

I consider it a triumph if I can draw a stick figure that vaguely resembles a person

Mary, I know for a fact you are underselling yourself here! Don't be fooled, everyone!

Yes, I have sketched while traveling for 25 years. Great memories are inside all the drawings. My travel kit includes. 6-8 9x12” quality sketch paper with two cardboard protectors clipped together to protect the paper and use as a board to support while sketching, 20-30 prismacolor pencils (colors chosen by location traveling in), set of pens from 00 to 8 ml? Width to sketch with, #2 pencil, eraser all fitting in a 2gallon ziplock bag. It all fits in a daypack. Plain air sketches or iPhone photos are the base. Evenings are the time to do actual coloring. This part takes a lot of time. I started with cheap pencils and flair tip pens then invested in high quality materials later. My first years sketches were in small sketch books and much simpler and quickly made. The larger paper lets me frame them and change out newer drawings. I found watercolor was too messy and sets of paint and brushes too small, chalk and pencil smudged and watercolor pencils got too soft in the heat. So these mediums stay at home. It is fun to see the drawing style of others. I encourage anyone interested in drawing to start today..at home…on trips…in a class. Keep on Drawing!

A million years ago, when I was a student in Italy, I sketched in my free time. I bought a sketch pad and set of oil pastels at Upim in Rome; I still have some of the colors that didn't get used. Today I'm more likely to sketch from photos when I get home.

With our current emphasis on traveling light every little bit of weight becomes a point of consideration. I'm starting to wonder what the goal of traveling with less than 7kg is really important compared to a personal record created in real time.

Ok, I’m not SO ancient, only 75. But I do wonder how plastic the brain still is with eye, hand, brain coordination. I’m going to try however and I will report back.

Pam, the Tomb de Phillipe Pot is in room 210 in the Richelieu wing floor 0. It’s almost overlooking the lovely cour Marly with the glass ceiling and all the sculptures on different levels with the big open area. I love the light there, especially during dusk when they are open in the evenings. I love the Louvre, heart emoji.

”i’m starting to wonder what the goal of traveling with less than 7kg is really important compared to a personal record created in real time.”

@musicmoll1, I am one of the light packers, bringing less than 6kg on my back. But, that still includes my sketching supplies listed above on a reply. My main reason to pack very light is to ensure that I am not hurting my back, plus it’s just less stuff to deal with during the trip. Each person gets to decide what they’re bringing & how much weight. This is just what works well for me, and I’m still able to enjoy sketching. Just hearing some church bells now! A signal to get out & complete one in Modena. : )

Pam, This is so funny. My 5 year old grandson, too, showed an interest in drawing. So, he and I started drawing field journals in the spring. So on our nature walks we draw bugs, leaves, plants (he's quite a gardener), snakes, birds, etc. Summer lead to summer activities here and he was too busy at the beach to draw the beach. LOL. I'm hoping autumn calm will resurrect his field journal.

I was an art history major because I love art, but also because I had no faith in any artistic talent of mine, but apparently my drawing was OK. I spent years drawing in thread with my sewing and long arm machines. So, I am intentional now like you are...teaching myself to draw and draw better. I watch and love The Mindful Narrowboat and Vanessa combines all my interests with her art: Journaling, poetry and drawing in her journals, which look beautiful. Every episode of Vanessa's at the end shows her book and her actively drawing from the week. I bring this up because she uses varied depths of pencils and colored pencils only. I'm trying that as, for me at this time, watercolor just seems too much messiness for me. I'm messy in art.

I live in Gloucester, MA so it is hard not wanting to catch the unusual light here. I have used my camera, but will see what else surfaces. However, with all the famed artists who have spent time here (Winslow Homer, Fitz Henry Lane, Edward Hopper and so, so many more then and now) I will attempt my small drawings of tiny snippets of life as best I can for my own happiness.

Just popping in quickly to say how much I continue to enjoy reading everyone's replies and to request any recommended online resources (for beginners!) for drawing/colored pencils!

I will add a link that is out of date, but it can give an idea of possibilities for combining travel & sketching. I was signed up for Lorraine’s Sept. 2024 class that ended up being a couple of months after my husband died. Lorraine, being a young widow, kindly refunded my class stay in Orvieto. I like the idea of doing something like this in the future. I know some of the global guest artists who were session speakers & half-day class instructors at the July Edmonds, Washington Sketchfest also do some travel destination classes. Maybe we need a group of us meeting someplace in Europe! Wouldn’t that be fun!

https://lorrainebell.com/live-workshops/orvieto-italy-september-2021/

Lots of excellent ideas here! And I really appreciate this after making an (almost) completely failed rendition of the side of Gustavianum, a 1600's science building in Uppsala. Here's a picture, (coffee is served off to the right, LOL) https://www.uu.se/en/gustavianum/visit-us. I learned something - take more pictures of what you'd like to sketch than you think you need! I still don't think drawing on location competes with Fika... (high tea).

Jean, combining sketching with travel is a wonderful idea. Lorraine's workshop looks lovely!

"Keys to Drawing" by Burt Dawson seems to be working well for me (whew). It is less daunting than "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". (I suspect he used some of the DORSB ideas but made them one page each, bigger drawings, less blah blah, 15 minute easy exercises, check your work at end of each chapter.) It's keeping me engaged. To be honest, I've been carrying this book back and forth to Sweden multiple times without a single sketch, feels great just DOING it, regardless of 'talent'.

Lyndash - my first art teacher told me anyone can learn to SEE and to draw adequately, then hopefully talent kicks in, haha. (I'm just happy to sketch and have it be recognizable.) And apparently, sketching / painting/ whatever are right brain activities, improves neuroplasticity and I know it's single focused, I become totally absorbed, so it's meditative right?

Thanks everyone for the continued motivation! PS, for those visual learners, I liked this guy's relaxed style and I'm trying to follow along & do his exercises. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVZQLyCDfo

Now that emojis are (temporarily?) back... 👩‍🎨 🎨🖌️ 🖼️ ✍🏻 🖍️

Dunno, personally I find all of the above posts pretty sketchy.
I am done. the easel

Wow, love the continued engagement!

@Mary - oh gosh, I'm not going to try out figures! There are some YouTube videos on doing quick sketches of figures in scenes so that might be helpful if you are so inspired!

@MusicMoll...my sketches will never be as vibrant as what I see on my travels but somehow I think looking at something with an "eye" makes me see it differently. And yes, good point about traveling light. Jean is absolutely amazing with her luggage weight. I had to go fairly heavy for me last trip as I needed a lot of outdoor clothing. I had 1# of art supplies going out, more coming back because of the big tin of Derwent Inktense pencils I bought. I wound up checking my bag on the way home as I had a fair layover in Amsterdam and just decided not to bother. I'll decide on what I want to take this time and weigh it out then subtract from there. And What a wonderful time you must have had student sketching in Italy!

@Hannah....So yes, I agree that maybe Linda can give us a "book report", hahaha!

@JojoBiker - That sounds wonderful! You don't have to answer because I don't want to cause anyone discomfort but are you a professional artist as well? That is interesting about he watercolor pencils. Had not thought about them not standing up to heat. I'd been using them in chilly Northern Scotland, lol!

@Lynda - I am hoping this activity increases my neuroplasticity, lol!! And see?? I knew I was older than you by a year!

@Jean - I hope your sketch of Modena made you happy! And listening to church bells while doing it lifted your soul! Oh yes...to a group sketching adventure in Europe!

@ Wray - that sounds like such fun with the kiddo! We had a couple of projects we were going to do that involved some nature but we didn't have him sketching outside. We'll add that to the list possibly for next summer! I had fun making Andrea Nelson's "bugs" but he wasn't into it that day but did work on it later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxiaosR4Bns

That Mindful Narrowboat site looks lovely!

Did you see there is going to be a big Winslow Homer exhibition somewhere in the NE this winter? Maybe Boston? His work is just amazing. I have a print of one of his Florida (?) scenes hanging in the living room.

@Sandancisco - That is a pretty enormous building with lots of windows! And from this view the grounds slopes to the right which might be troublesome for me, lol. I like the Youtube video...I've got SketchbookSkool saved to watch later! Thanks!

@Mary! hahahah!!!!!

@Gregg - double hahahaha!! Yes, I am pretty sketchy anyway!

Very encouraging posts, gosh listening to church bells while sketching sounds ideal!!

Pam, I'm not ready to tackle so many windows either. From chairs outside the Cathedral cafe to far right, most windows are hidden, thank goodness.

Somehow I think looking at something with an "eye" makes me see it
differently.

So true!! That's really at the heart of sketching for me now, seeing deeply. Ahhhhh, what a gift.

Pam, I am not a professional artist but have done over a hundred sketches in my travels. My daughter commented on 2002 that I should draw more and write less. I took her recommendation. Years of Practice and one adult ed class specifically for colored pencils definitely improved my art. Also, I was a professional landscape architect before retiring…so creativity was a big part of my life.