Daily Walk Sketches

I’ve been running around out here and not doing the studio work I had thought I might get done. I’m giving myself permission to have a bit of vacation, but I decided it would be a good chance to do a daily walk sketch, as a base level of art, and I would enjoy that as a vacation project. Elizabeth Alley turned me on to a great hashtag on Instagram called #walktosee. It’s largely British artists posting sketches from their regular walks. In Memphis, often I’m just out quickly with a door key, getting my walk in and getting Mr. Darcy home before it gets too hot. I’m also often already thinking about my current painting or print and focused on getting home to start work on them. Here it’s nice to think I’ll linger a little and sketch, and the weather is more temperate and encouraging for sketching.

So here are a first batch of sketches I’ve been doing this week in Concrete, Washington, and its environs. Above is at Rasar State Park, my sketching Mecca out here. It’s got everything — river, beach, stone beach, forest, and a gorgeous meadow with mountain views.

Plus a little buddy I found on my walk the other day. I tend to go for a big double spread of watercolor, but I’m hoping to also exercise some restraint, so some smaller spreads, maybe not cover everything with paint every single time. We’ll see how that goes...