Sketchbook Crawl

I just finished two sketchbooks, so I thought I would do a quick video tour of one I had started early this year. Enjoy.

Pacifica Sketches

Previously I've documented the oceanside town I live with a series of morning walk photos. After coming back from Barcelona* I have been inspired to treat this wonderful town like it was a travel destination and sketch the heck out of it. 

I started with the pier - sort of the center of town as far as I am concerned (and the second largest fishing pier on the West Coast) - and worked my way out from there,

The second drawing is of the Stucky's fishmarket and Perfect Pour Coffee. Two excellent shops that share the building with a local barbershop (from which I have never been).

The third is from a cozy cottage just across from the pier (I always fantasize about living there). 

Finally is the ole' rusty anchor that has a place of honor along the promenade.

Sketching at SF Zoo

If you follow my instagram of late (or saw one of these two Big Bend posts) you may have noticed I have been really enjoying sketching with the ipad. It is a super-new tool for me as I am usually a traditional sketchbook and watercolor girl.

I thought I would try my hand at ipad sketching some animals at our recent trip to the excellent San Francisco Zoo. Here are the mixed results. 

I like that the ipad forces me to simplify my line work quite a bit. Well that and the forced timer I have which is the attention span of the four year-old I am accompanying.

Big Bend Sketchbook 3 - Kitchen

Julie cooking breakfast in cabin kitchen

I've always wanted to draw one of the cabin kitchens and had never gotten to it until this illustration. I spent more time on this then the usually ipad sketch (which I try to set a 20 min timer for.)

Big Bend Sketchbook

It is summer tradition in our family to head up north and spend a few days to a week in a small cluster of cabin located within walking distance to a bend in the Eel river. It It has been a tradition in our family since it started, and in my wife's family since her father was young.

Last night we returned from our yearly sojurn. Still feeling relaxed and a bit dreamy from afternoons on the river, and sharing evening drinks around the campfire I am going to honor the trip by posting a few illustrations and photos each day for the rest of the week. Enjoy.

I needed to start with this piece. I drew it sitting on the small sand beach bordering the river. It is of Julie. It is the day we went from BFF to TLF. While drawing this I had no idea that hours away our lives would start to twist together and remain that way from then on. Though looking at this art, I can tell I was sweet on her - even if I didn't know it yet.

I did this painting over the weekend sitting in pretty much the same spot, but if I had turned completely around to face the main swimming hole. Of course to show the passing of time quite directly- that's my son as well as my mother-in-law wading in to the river trying to net passing fish.

I had the "great" idea to bring my sketchbook into the water with me and do some sketching while floating on an inner tube. It only sort of worked as splashes kept making the ink bleed (like Luke's eye and the splotch on Julie's hair). Still, I like the unfussy way the line work turned out.

Some river photos from this weekend.

Julie & Byron walking towards the river.

Luke and I playing in the river.