In the last three weeks I've been in two countries and five states (seven, if you count airport layovers). My sketchbook came along for the ride, but it wasn't always easy to find time for drawing. And sometimes the weather was just plain uncooperative (NoLa, I'm lookin' at you).

My first jaunt was to Cleveland. Naturally I timed my arrival to coincide with that of the midges. They were everywhere -- swarming cars, storefronts and all. Still, I did manage to step outside and fend them off long enough to do a quick sketch of the skyline from the plaza outside the Marriott Key Center.



A week later, I was in London. No sketches this time -- was wandering a new neighborhood between back-to-back meetings and dinners.

The end of the week found me in New Orleans -- where it was hot, sticky, and uncomfortable. I mostly sketched from the coolness of the hotel room, 10 floors above the Mississippi River.





Oh, and I did manage to draw between courses during Sunday jazz brunch at Commander's Palace:



Hoping my next two trips -- back to London, and then to Lisbon -- will offer better weather...

I promised a post on the stuff I bought a few weeks ago in the UK -- and here it is! When I wasn't sketching London, I was busy touring its art supply stores. This time I went to some modern ones,  though I do love the older classic stores like Green & Stone or L. Cornelissen & Son. There's a list of shops online here.

First, a visit to a familiar chain: Cass Art. I LOVE their tagline.

They even had a watercolor promotion going on to coincide with the "Watercolour" exhibition at the Tate Britain.

Then, I proceeded to London Graphic Centre where I just had to take a picture of their colorful doorway installation, made of pens:

















And finally, a helpful person at the Royal Watercolour Society/Bankside Gallery told me about the veritable warehouse known as Atlantis Art Materials, on Hanbury Street near Brick Lane and Shoreditch High Street, with tons and tons of different kinds of paper, among other supplies:


















 So what did I purchase? Mostly, things that are either less expensive there or can't easily be found in U.S. stores near me.

• A spiral bound Saunders Waterford artists' watercolor paper field book
• A spiral bound brown paper sketchbook -- thinking it might work with gouache-y techniques
• A watercolor travel brush with flat (instead of round) bristles -- loving this!
• A small Winsor & Newton pocket set (which came with a watercolor postcard book)
• A Daler-Rowney acrylic paper pad, to try with watercolors

(Yes, that's one tiny and rather useless travel brush that's included with the set; luckily I have others!)
I also bought some UK art magazines at the Bankside Gallery's little shop -- great for finding out about workshops, classes, etc.

Now I just need to get sketching!