I'm taking a sketchbooking workshop class this weekend at The Art League in the Old Town area of Alexandria, Virginia. It's taught by Susan Abbott, whose paintings of Vermont and India are amazingly alive with color. (And besides, what better excuse to get more art supplies? ;) Actually, I'm being good -- I'm only getting a few brushes and a roll-up case to hold everything in. I pretty much have everything else I need already. I've never participated in a workshop before, so I'm hoping this will be fun -- and that it won't rain too much when we're outdoors. The only other time I've been in Old Town was on a trip to D.C. last year when we biked from Crystal City south to Alexandria at 7 a.m. on a Sunday -- so everything looked tempting yet nothing was open. Hopefully I'll experience it more fully this time. Plus, the cherry blossoms look to be in peak bloom, so with any luck we'll be able to stop by and see them on Friday as we're driving down. And no spring trip to the area is complete without a stop at Behnke Nurseries, so that's in the plan, too, if all works out!

I've been reading back issues of The Artist's Magazine and American Artist that I bought at a garage sale a few weeks ago -- they're entertaining as much for the peek they provide into the culture of the low- to mid-range art world as for the actual how-to articles in them. The whole workshop culture is fascinating -- I guess some people go from workshop to workshop following a particular artist all over the world. It reminds me a bit of the crafters I'd encounter when I was selling my greeting cards at art fairs -- there are many who literally just drive from show to show when they're not creating their work. It practically begs for anthropological study!

After much sifting through photographs old and newer, I've selected a moody shot I took of a road in County Donegal, Ireland, as the subject for my next oil painting. The seven-year-old photo depicts an overcast sky, and the winter landscape is mostly gray-green with touches of yellowish brown, but I'd like to inject some more color into it. Here's a first take on it in watercolor.

Walked down to the beach yesterday, since it was 50 degrees. There weren't many people about -- just a few intrepid couples and families. I decided to try painting the pier, even though I only had my small set of watercolors and my waterbrush. It was chilly, so I had to hurry. I thought the first painting was too precious-looking and suffered from an attempt to put too much detail in, so I tried it again with a more abstract hand. I liked the effect, but it looks too Caribbean (perhaps I was subconsciously painting where I'd LIKE to have been).
































(Pencil and watercolors in small Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.)

Was looking for something to paint today, and decided to try a little interior subject. This brown velveteen couch was bought for a song at the Pottery Barn outlet in Riverhead, N.Y., a few years ago. I think it was meant to be part of a sectional, but it works wonderfully on its own in the space at the head of the stairs. The floral pillow covers are Marimekko; I brought one ready-made pillow case and several yards of complementary fabric back with me from Helsinki, Finland. I had originally bought them thinking they'd be great for a porch or garden room, but they add a welcome jolt of color to the upstairs.























(Pencil and Winsor & Newton artists watercolors on Arches hot press watercolor block.)

Stayed at the Land's End Inn in Provincetown, MA, during a little Cape Cod getaway. Lovely bed-and-breakfast with eclectic decor and gorgeous views. This was a clumsy attempt to capture the sunrise out of the window in our room. I don't think I've done a single painting I like in this Cotman watercolor spiral pad. (It must be the paper, not me, ha!)












And here is a stone head in the garden of the inn, also drawn while looking out the window:

Great little diner on Rte. 1 in Norwalk, with a nice long menu of breakfast items.

(Lamy Safari with Noodler's ink in Lexington Gray, with watercolor added, in Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.)

I was getting ready to post an elaborate excuse for why I haven't been sketching in a while, which included big freelance projects, nonprofits, the declining price of oil in the Middle East, and the major local-and-national distraction that is Travis ... but then, I took the early-but-full train to work today -- which meant I had to stand in the vestibule all the way. There was a woman sitting there with her dog on a leash, which made for fun -- if challenging -- sketching and watercoloring! So here it is. And please excuse the wobbliness, lack of proportion, etc. It's not easy to balance a sketchbook, pen, watercolor box and waterbrush on a swaying train.

(Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen, Pilot Varsity fountain pen and watercolors in small Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.)

Had to stand on the Metro-North this morning on my way to Harlem, so I took advantage of my vantage point in the train vestibule.

Quick iPhone sketch of another commuter. The train wasn't very full -- surprising because the roads are rather icy this morning.

Here's one from a few years ago -- drew this in June of 2007 while waiting for the M4 bus in Manhattan to go back downtown after visiting the Cloisters.

(Pentel brush pen in Moleskine watercolor sketchbook, with watercolors.)

Went on a drive to look for a snowy scene to sketch. Drove all over town before settling on Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in New York. There were lots of sledders on a big hill inside the park. It was a little hard to see from the parking lot, but it was warmer to sit in the car, so I tried my best to do what I could. It's not so easy to draw a snowy landscape in watercolor when the sky is completely overcast -- it's very hard to see any shadows at all. I even used white for what I hoped would be a gouache-y look, but no such luck. Had to pick out the details of the branches with a white colored pencil later.


(Winsor & Newton Artists watercolors in Cotman cold-pressed watercolor pad; details added in Berol Verithin white pencil.)

It was nice and warm in the office, but bitterly cold outside today in New York -- felt as if I'd gone through a wormhole and ended up in Quebec City again!

(Venus Velvet pencil, watercolors, and Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's ink in Lexington Gray, in Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.)

Went to dinner at Eos, a fairly new Greek restaurant in Stamford that we really like, last night. Sat at the bar, so I had a chance to do a quick sketch of the bartender and a few patrons.

(Pitt Artists pen, Superfine black and other colors, and Stabilo point 88 pens, in small Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.)

Met up with a group of sketchers at Grand Central Terminal in New York. Here are some of the sketches from the day:

Still getting used to drawing with my finger on a tiny screen, but it's getting easier. The nice thing is that the subject thinks you're playing a handheld electronic game or texting or something!

Here's what I'm thinking of taking along on Saturday's crawl:

• Winsor & Newton Artists watercolor metal sketching box
• Large Moleskine watercolor sketchbook
• Small Hand*Book sketchbook
• Lamy Safari pen, extra-fine nib, with Noodler's ink in Lexington Gray
  
• Black Pentel brush pen and Pentel Aquash waterbrushes
• Pitt Artists pens, superfine nib, in black, brown
• Derwent pencil box with assorted pencils
• Akashiya Sai watercolor brush pen set with carrying case, newly acquired at Kinokuniya
• Large green International Arrivals case to hold everything else
  
• camera
• folding stool, if I can

If you draw, paint, sketch, doodle, or whatever, come crawl with us! A bunch of us are meeting up at Grand Central Terminal in NYC at 11 AM at the big round information desk in the main hall. Yes, it's supposed to snow, but we won't let that stop us.

A sleeping commuter on Metro-North.

Got back yesterday from a whirlwind trip to Quebec City. It was much too cold to sketch a whole lot, but I did manage to get a few drawings in along the way. We spent a night at Dowds' Country Inn in Lyme, NH, on the way up, and had dinner in Norwich, VT, at Carpenter & Main:















Here's a sketch of one of the little pubs on Rue St-Jean in Quebec City, drawn from the cozy confines of the Mikes restaurant across the street:

















And here's a quick impression of Interstate 91, which we drove the entire length of each way -- (and through a snowstorm going up):

It's become a Christmas tradition -- when M's family goes to Christmas Eve mass at St. Patrick in Mystic, CT, I take my sketchbook along. The past two years, I did small watercolors of the stained-glass windows. This year, I tried my hand at the Madonna statue, among other subjects. Think I'll have to try again for a better likeness next year.

















































(Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's Ink in Beaver and Pitt artists pens in Moleskine sketchbook.)