I have always liked looking at artist’s sketchbooks more than their finished work. To me there is an essence of spirit that occurs when the artist first commits something to paper. Colors are fresh and pure, the line work is rough and sometimes unresolved and the image is full of energy.

That is my goal as an artist, to communicate what I see with simple raw clarity. I see the sketch as the purist form of artistic expression. It is what I want to see framed beautifully and hanging on the wall in someone’s den, loose and sloppy with notes in the margins and the pencil lines showing through. You can see into the mind of the artist and see the real show, like a live concert with all the audience noises, chord mistakes and guitar feedback between songs.

It is like a short story compared to a novel. There is no room to waste words. The author has to get to the point quickly. The ironic thing is that sometimes it takes me four of five tries to get something that looks fresh and unplanned.

I have discovered that inspiration is very illusive. Some people call it a Muse. Mine doesn’t sit around and wait for me, he hides until he sees that I am committed and ready to work, and even then he doesn’t come out until I have done a painting or two. I have taken to referring to my painting events as “practice time” so the pressure to produce something meaningful is lessened. I agree that we should strive to do our best all the time, and in some ways expect to do good work but for me, expecting and achieving are sometimes far apart. How many times, when we are learning something like the piano, or tennis, are we able to record our practice sessions and make a salable CD?

My Sketchbook

I hold a new sketchbook. It is wrapped in clear plastic that stretches tight along the spiral spine. I unwrap it and leaf through its pages. They are crisp and new and feel expectant. I write my name on the cover and stamp my address on the inside.

Outside now, down in the Arroyo looking up at the bridge. It is quiet except for the birds, the hum of cars crossing and the occasional dog bark. The first marks are the hardest. I make a large rectangle and divide it into nine parts. The pen makes a scratching sound as it moves across the page.

The big shapes are drawn in first. Eucalyptus trees behind a bright yellow bush. The arch of the bridge with faded purple mountains in the distance. Then a few small strokes to suggest a branch. It is an abstract sketch. Scribbles across a page and some notes.

I get out my paint box and brushes and pour some water into the cup. I mix up some blue and touch it to the page and sky appears. Next comes green, yellow and red as the trees come to life. The colors mix together and creep down the page causing the pen lines to bleed. Yellow laid to the foreground touches the running paint and explodes. The page is full of moving colors trying to find their place. I nudge them along but mostly try to stay out of the way.

As the warm breeze dries the paint the page flattens out again.

Materials List
Sketching and Painting On Location in Watercolor

Please note that I am indicating my personal preference for materials. Feel free to use what ever you have. You can have fun with anything.

Good habits to develop

Favorite Artists and Their Books

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