In the Studio: Drawing Sketchbook
Summer 2024
While I have been struggling with my watercolor sketchbook, my drawing sketchbook, while not a focus this summer, has been much more enjoyable. I have not sat down to draw a lot, but when I have, it has felt so relaxing, which probably means I should be doing it more. I recently listened to Sarah Cray talk about her sketchbook practice and she said that one of the most important things is to not spend too much time thinking about what you want to draw or paint. She says to make the decision quickly and use resources that are close by, such as photos from your phone or objects around you. So when I have had the thought, I should draw this, it’s the next thing I do when I am sitting at my art desk. Here’s a peek inside my sketchbook from the summer.
Spring and Chomp, Abyss Lake, Georgetown Colorado
My husband and I drove out to Georgetown in search of Aspens just starting to pop in early June and while they may have been out in all their bright green glory around the base of Guanella pass (8,530 feet), at the trailhead, just a thousand feet higher (9,632 feet), you would think it was still winter in the alpine. We decided to hike a bit anyway and saw spring starting to show up resulting in these two drawings.
Spring
While I am not the biggest fan of painting flowers, I do really like to draw them in pen. I like the simplicity of this drawing.
Chomp
The beavers were hard at work along the trail, which inspired this drawing. My favorite part of this drawing is the stack of wood chips surrounding the base. Did you know that beavers listen to the trees to determine when they are ready to fall?
Sailing into Summer
The inspiration for this drawing came from a reference photo in the monthly newsletter I get from Sarah Watts. I do not think I could leave the mountains at this point, but this drawing made me miss the ocean.
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Eccles Pass, Silverthorne
This summer, one of our goals was to spend more time hiking and to find some new trails. One new hike we found was the Buffalo Mountain Loop, a 13 mile loop that goes (surprise) around Buffalo Mountain and over Eccles Pass. The trailhead was in Silverthorne only an hour away (closer than many of our go-to hikes) and it wasn’t very busy despite the easy access from Denver. The reference photo was taken at the top of Eccles Pass, and it is probably one of the prettiest places I have ever been in Colorado.
King Lake, Nederland
This is the only recent sketch that is in pencil. And there is a reason for that! I went on a solo hike while Vasya was out of town to a hike I know well, King Lake, and I decided to bring my sketchbook along with me and to sketch on-site at the lake. I rarely sketch or paint outside, usually because I enjoy people watching or nature watching too much. But since I was on my own, I thought I would give it a go. This is the product of about 20 minutes sitting at the lake and I’m proud that I did it.
Denali’s Banff
This is one of three pieces I made using a reference photo a friend said I could paint from her summer trip to Banff. Banff is on my bucket list and as soon as I saw her post this photo in her Instagram stories, I knew that I wanted to both paint it and to draw it in my sketchbook.
Which is your favorite? Let me know below!