One of my young relatives was working at his computer during a busy family reunion. I noticed the emotional resonance between him and his laptop and saw that his work captivated him. I wanted to capture this in a quick sketch. I kept this simple by using a 1.5-inch flat brush with three primary colors and painting directly on the paper without drawing first.
There is something about seeing people in nature that makes me want to show it in a painting. This is especially true when the beauty of the place seems to cast a spell so that the people especially enjoy and appreciate each other. When I saw these two walking on the beach, I knew I had to try to capture their relationship and the timeless beauty of a summer beach walk under a grand sky.
This was painted at Dana Point along San Diego‘s Mission Bay.
We were walking back to our campsite from game night with my brother’s family. I looked up at the quarter moon and paused to take a photo. A moment later my husband turned to see where I was, and as he did, I snapped the photo that I used for this gouache painting. I liked the way his flashlight, the splash of light on the ground, and the moon connected with each other.
The towels were so bright against the forest background that I had to sketch them.
Looking up at the Sneffels Range while catching your breath makes a Colorado hike perfect.
This is a closeup sketch of a path along a meadow edge in Colorado at my brother’s place. I like the shapes of the junipers and want to capture these each time I visit.
Deliberate Sketching 