What I Packed for a Trip (An Interesting New Brush)

For a vacation to a warm sea, I packed two separate drawing bags: one for an underwater sketching kit (I will make a separate post about it and link it here) and a surface sketching kit. This is a quick overview of what went into my surface sketching kit. Not pictured here are my water container, little water spraying bottle, towel, and a backup watercolor set, which I basically did not unpack. I made separate photos of what I thought I would actually use and what not, and got it pretty accurately. A new brush is a R24 Eradicator which I borrowed from Suhita Shirodkar for testing and ended up taking with me - it is a brush that is supposed to "lift out brights or soften hard edges in your watercolor painting" - basically for lifting. But because it holds very little water, it was an interesting tool to use with gouache, as water control is one of the things that is especially tricky when using a dry palette. Basically, it allows me to get more pigment because I can scrub on the dry well very well with it, and the only water I use in this case is some spraying of the palette. Having several pads of paper to take on location was very useful.  Though now I need to combine this all into my main sketchbook :)

Magnolia Trees Give Me Gifts Twice a Year

Magnolia Trees gift me two seasonal pleasures every year. There us time to draw their Flowers and then there is time to draw their Seed Pods. 

Magnolia Seed Pods are gorgeous and complicated, they can be a reason for a walk (and walking at unusual times means I might need a reason, and my reason this season is to find "my new magnolia seedpod tree). They are familiar, yet never the same, hence can work both as a comfort sketch (when I have very limited time and/or attention or ability to draw) or a reason to experiment (when I have some time and capacity to try materials and ideas). So here are some of the pods that I drew and decided to save in my sketchbook:

A Perfect Day in The Forest

I took my pocket gouache palette and small sketchbook on a hike. It was a perfect forest hike in the mountains with temperatures changing quickly. I saw lots of banana slugs, all sorts of mushrooms and many signs that this forest is shared by many creatures. 

Experiment Result: Changing my Schedule to Get More Walks During Daytime Results in More Sketches! (and a happier me)

I actually like when time changes twice a year, but not in a rational way. 

I like lights everywhere and special baking projects that I start when this time arrives. I like that mornings are lighter (at least for a bit), and I like that later I can track changes in the light as the day begins. 

Rationally, I know that this sudden change is a cause for a lot of stress to a lot of people, including me! In reality, I am unhappy that it gets dark so early, and my evening walks are a struggle, a fight with myself that I start to lose. So this year, to get a cure for my struggles, I decided to embrace morning or lunch walks - and this brought some sketching opportunities!

 

Fall in the Garden

The fall in our little garden was abundant! First of all, an ipomoea (aka Morning Glory), which I've been trying to get to bloom for quite some time, suddenly decided that perfect timing is in... November!

Chrysanthemums got super leggy, and I even cut some to put in a handmade vase.

And our eggplant-in-a-pot pushed out two more fruits! (They were tiny but very pretty and tasty).