Trip to Bonaire - Mini Gouache Paintings.

Bonaire has beautiful salt pans and pyramids. Crazy colors and huge mounds of crystals can be seen from the road. I drew from the pickup to have a better view of the waves. 

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Trip to Bonaire - Underwater Adventures - Part 5

One of these sketches is very memorable for me as I managed to catch parrot fish in the actual action of biting a piece of coral reef off!

Other pages here are an example of little things that I keep track of under water and little things I see there. How a half-eaten carcass of Lion Fish attracted several scrawled filefish.
I tried filling grid with all kinds of coral patterns. Saw several nudibranchs.
Made notes about a Secretary Blenny that attempted to fight my finger.
I ranted about new tools (pen and pencil) I took with me that did not work.

I remember that while working on these pages I thought that I should bring an underwater magnifying glass with me next time to see more details, more little creatures and hopefully make a little bit more detailed studies.
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Sketchbook #102: Treasures

Sketchbook #102: TreasuresSketchbook #102: TreasuresSketchbook #102: Treasures

Trip to Bonaire - Underwater Adventures - Part 4

On a second attempt I brought color pencils with me and enjoyed being able to add think and unruly lines of color. I started adding my diving companions to my sketches more often and tried to make more notes about movement of things.

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Sketchbook #102: From a Trip Around Christmas Time

There was a lot of fresh snow and snowshoeing (which I tried for the first time) was amazing! Not to mention a park almost devoid of people and filled with colors of snow and trees. And at home a cozy fire to dry and play by.

Sketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas TimeSketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas TimeSketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas Time

Trip to Bonaire - Mini Gouache Paintings.

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Trip to Bonaire - Kayaking in Mangrove Forest

I got a captain's sit in a double kayak this time and had an apprentice to do the rowing for a while to draw. And then just stopped to do several views from the same shady spot in the middle of mangrove maze.
That PowerTank ballpoint pen from uni was amazing! (see photo of the process below). It worked on my completely wet, salty paper like a brush! I loved it so much that I even tried to take it with me scuba diving - but at 70 feet it refused to pump ink :( too bad - it would have been a great tool! But it survived the submersion and depth and my vigorous attempts to use it and still works fine on the surface.
Trip to Bonaire - Kayaking in Mangrove ForestTrip to Bonaire - Kayaking in Mangrove ForestTrip to Bonaire - Kayaking in Mangrove Forest sk17_process_02sk17_process_01

Sketchbook #102: From a Trip Around Christmas Time

We spent a lot of time inside - reading, playing games and enjoying cozy fire. But also got a lot of snow to play with - and sketch too :) Bottom page with two sketches taped in were drawn under a snow in the forest. Great time!
Sketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas TimeSketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas TimeSketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas TimeSketchbook #102: Trip Around Christmas Time

Trip to Bonaire - Underwater Adventures - Part 3

I wanted to have color and tried taking some color pencils with me. On the first attempt only yellow made it with me to the bottom of the sea :) And it proved to be not enough - but still interesting.
I taped underwater sketches in my main album and drew some treasures on the surface to cap the day.
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Sketchbook #102: Reading Time

Some days I get a few lines and this is it. Some days I get to make a portrait. Sometimes I notice mistakes and some I don't. Sometimes it looks like him and sometimes I wonder where I saw that.
And some days there are pieces of duck tape everywhere - including on my sketchbook page :)
Sketchbook #102: Reading TimeSketchbook #102: Reading TimeSketchbook #102: Reading TimeSketchbook #102: Reading Time

Trip to Bonaire - Mini Gouache Paintings.

Trip to Bonaire - Mini Gouache Paintings