Draw A Bird, September 2022

We just returned from an adventurous trip to Alaska and are blessed to have visited there twice. This trip was planned for August 2020, but “you-know-what” happened and the trip was cancelled. Things seemed pretty much back to normal, but some restaurants had closed and some places were short-staffed, but that seems to be the current situation all over the U.S.

Previously I made scrapbooks of our travel adventures but stopped doing so a few years ago. When we moved last year, I realized just how many trip scrapbooks I’ve made, how much work I put into them, and how little we look at them. However, after each trip that I did not scrap, there was a feeling of disappointment and let-down because nothing was documented and because we had just a smattering of photos on our cell phones. However, I think I’ve found a happy medium.

On a YouTube video, Lindsay Weirich (The Frugal Crafter) featured handmade watercolor sketchbooks gifted by an Etsy shopkeeper, ArtsiRosi. I purchased a small book made with Arches cold press watercolor paper (the best), packed up a Portable Painter Watercolor Palette, a Derwent push-button water brush, and a few other essentials. Sketching our way through Alaska and detailing some of the highlights was so satisfying and fun. I drew and painted in the car while traveling from city to city, in the evenings, and on the plane.

View from the Plane

Because it is Draw A Bird day (unofficially), here are two of the many species of birds we saw. I have always wanted to see a Puffin in its own environment, and boy were there puffins (horned and tufted)! The ravens are bold and huge and likely could feed a family of four, but that’s probably not recommended 😉

Tufted Puffin

Nevermore, A Common Raven

It’s joyful to remember where these quick-ish sketches (definitely not masterpieces) were created, and the plan is to feature some favorites over the next couple of weeks. Do you document your trips? What methods do you use? Take care ❤

Portland Head Light

While visiting Maine in 2014, I was fascinated by the Portland Head Light at Cape Elizabeth because it stood so majestically at the cliff’s edge and somehow seemed to command respect of its visitors and the surrounding environment. As the oldest lighthouse in the state of Maine, the Portland Head Light has protected the cape and the adjacent areas since 1791 when it was first lit with 16 whale oil lanterns. It is still in use today with the U.S. Coast Guard maintaining the actual light and the fog signal, but the remainder of the property is managed by the Town of Cape Elizabeth.

Portland Head Lighthouse, Portland, Maine

I’ve painted this scene many times over the years in watercolor and colored pencil but recently found a tutorial by Paul Clark. With his lead, I was able to get the foreground and middle ground to look as they should and am finally pleased with the outcome. There is always more to learn!

Recent Travels, Dana Point, CA

Last month we spent a beautiful week in Dana Point, California, at a Four Sisters Inn called The Blue Lantern Inn.  The Blue Lantern is on the coast and offers an awesome view of a harbor and the ocean.  With my trusty watercolor sketchbook, Derwent Inktense pencils, and travel watercolor kit in tow, I tried to create a little something each day, kind of like a visual diary of the trip; I think I ended up with about eight paintings in all.  Here are some of the highlights.

Man at the Airport

This is a dapper gentleman I saw at the airport.  I know artists do this all the time, but I still feel a little creepy drawing strangers.  Hopefully he would be pleased.

Bird of Paradise

Flowers and trees of almost every variety grow easily in California, and it was not unusual to see these beauties growing in gardens, fields, or even along the road.  My favorite place was beautiful Catalina Island where we explored the island in a rented golf cart and ate lunch at Mt. Ada while overlooking the harbor.

Doffo Winery Temecula Valley, CA

We toured a few of the wineries of the Temecula Valley region on a beautiful, sunny day.  Doffo was decked out for autumn and their wines were wonderfully full bodied.  We also visited Hart Winery and Vindemia, a quiet boutique winery tucked on the side of a hill.  Vindemia was our favorite because the wines were good, and there was a cozy sitting area where we enjoyed a leisure picnic lunch and a bottle of red called “More Cowbell.”

The Mission at San Juan Capistrano, California

A stop at the Mission at San Juan Capistrano revealed beautiful gardens, chapels, fountains, and other structures built in the late 1700s.  The legendary swallows were gone but some of their mud nests were still there under the eaves.

Overlook at Point Loma, California

Tours By Locals drove us throughout LA to all the usual highlights of the Hollywood sign, stars’ homes, the TCL Chinese Theater, Walk of Fame, etc.  We also spent a few days in San Diego which offers second-to-none scenery along the coast, gorgeous weather, and fun eateries.

Needless to say, the week flew by and I am now back in my usual routine, but leafing through my sketchbook reminds me how grateful I am to have taken such an awesome trip.

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