I've met many people everywhere - but my main contacts were my trip companions: Frank, Darrin and Kaylyn. We were preparing for the trip, discussing maps, gear and food and how this all might fit in small kayaks.
And all this time beautiful mountains and water were everywhere around me.
One of the tactics for me to survive such an avalanche of imagery was to draw with very few colors: I had two waterbrushes - one with diluted Noodler's Lexington Gray, another with diluted Noodler's Blue-Black (I tried to check the name of the color and bottle is too dirty to see - I will double-check and correct if it's not blue-black :)
Another tactic which helped A LOT was to make many small drawings.
And of course sometimes I had to stop and invest my time in one view and start using many "extra" colors I brought in my palette (I added second indigo (one from Schminke - warmer one, one from Miameri - colder one), two greens for mixing (I don not use them straight but they add to mixtures a lot) and two blues from Schmincke: Helio cerulean and Helio turquoise).
My last reserve was to visit museums and nature centers and draw there as things were already chosen and framed for me :)
But every day I would stop by this little rocky beach by my housing and play a game of turning one way to smell mountains and snow and then turning another way to smell ocean.
Until one day we were ready to go :)
Lovely sketches all.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving reading about your Alaskan experiences...I look forward to further installments!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Wise tactics! This is all so yummy, Nina!
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting, Nina!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work Nina! Love how you worked the clouds in the top image too.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely series! I have not been to Sitka, but my visit to Ketchikan one year was very like these pieces. I live in Anchorage, and my husband and I have a boat in Whittier, so next year when we go out into Prince William Sound I plan on bringing some art materials..... I did this year, but never got them out (our other adventures included me holding on to the dog while she scared a bear away, trying to build a fire on the beach with wet wood, and beach-combing).....Thanks so much for sharing!!!!
ReplyDeleteDear all; thank you very much - I am very glad to share this adventure with you!
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely series! I have not been to Sitka, but my visit to Ketchikan one year was very like these pieces. I live in Anchorage, and my husband and I have a boat in Whittier, so next year when we go out into Prince William Sound I plan on bringing some art materials..... I did this year, but never got them out (our other adventures included me holding on to the dog while she scared a bear away, trying to build a fire on the beach with wet wood, and beach-combing).....Thanks so much for sharing!!!!
ReplyDeletethanks for your comment, Alison - my plane stopped in Ketchikan - I will try to find my sketch of the airport area. I know what you mean by not having opportunity to get art materials out - it's definitely a challenge with so many things being on the way!
ReplyDeleteCascade creek is my favourite so far! Love the boat with touches of blue. Great sketches, thanks for sharing, excited to hear that this is just the beginning! :)
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