sketchbook :: Edisto Island, SC, part I

We had four artists, two dogs, and ten days in a rental cottage at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. The cottage we chose for this trip is nestled among palm trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. And only a short walk to the beach.

The huge screened front porch served well as our "studio". This is where we spent most of our time when we weren't out at the beach or seeing local attractions.

It was such a pleasant spot for listening to the variety of shore birds and the rustle of the palms in the breeze.

The large picnic table on the porch was a great place to sit with my sketchbook. Something always turned up to capture in paint.

Of course we found more than our share of sea shells on the beach. 

And while there, I delivered fifteen new art works to With These Hands Gallery. 

Although I haven't scanned every sketch from this trip, I do have more sketches from Edisto to share, that I am saving for another post.  After such a wonderful trip, it is good to be home and inspired to get busy!

sketchbook :: tulips again

The last three out of four paintings I have completed have gone into the bin. I am still thinking about the fourth painting. So while we wait, here is another page from my sketchbook, tulips again, painted with watercolor only.

sketchbook :: it's magic

Here are some sketches I intended to post much earlier than now, but life, you know, sometimes gets in the way.

Back in March I saw Laura Frankstone's wonderful sketches with Koh-i-noor's Magic Pencils. I was so intrigued that I ordered a few for myself, and they are fun! Not being able to resist adding splashes of paint to my sketches, I discovered that the Magic Pencils are waxy enough to act as a resist to watercolor paint.

I suppose one could be careful to control the color when drawing with the marbled multi-colored lead of these pencils. However, I enjoy the delightful surprise of a new color that changes - like magic- every time you draw a line.