Summer Wrap Up
As fall is quickly approaching I felt this would be a great time to do a summer wrap-up. I’m the kind of person who follows their energy. I don’t usually have any expectations that I must meet to feel satisfied. When I’m passionate about something I’m all in! If I’m not in the mood that’s fine too. This summer I just went along for the ride as I usually do.
Finished Works
I produced three finished works this summer; a beautiful sunset, a self-portrait, and a watercolor inspired by my brother’s travels.
“Another Beautiful Ending”
At the beginning of the summer I still felt more focused on creating “finished” (Is a piece ever really finished?) pieces of work. As summer progressed I felt less interested in this. If I’m honest, this may have to do with the weather. I prefer to create this type of work in my studio. I’ll usually leave it on my easel for days and return to it repeatedly. While working on “Another Beautiful Ending” I began to carry my easel onto the patio outside my studio every day.
“Another Beautiful Ending” in progress.
I quickly grew tired of this and went stir-crazy. Before I knew it all my energy got diverted into sketchbooks. I need to get outside and experience all the beauty that the world has to offer. This is how I refill my creative well. Sketchbooks are more informal and mobile. I have less expectations about how the art turns out and more attention to spare. When I’m working on a studio piece there are days that I’m so focused that hours just fly by. It’s as if I’m being abducted by aliens and experiencing unexplained losses of time.
Sketchbooks
I had so much fun playing in sketchbooks this summer! They came with me wherever I went. The beach, the park, rock climbing, camping, hiking, into town, car rides, and right into my own garden.
For scenes I don’t have time to sketch I continue to capture reference photos. Looking back on these pictures instantly reminds me how I felt in those moments.
In particular, when I’m rock climbing I tend to be rather busy. The scenery is always stunning and I look forward to revisiting it in my work as winter comes along.
Some climbing shots from this summer.
More beautiful scenery earned in the pursuit of adventure:
The journey continues…
In the next few weeks, I will be going on a multi-day backpacking trip in the Adirondacks. I plan to make a serious effort to get some travel sketching in while on this journey. All the time spent in my sketchbooks this summer has definitely warmed me up for this!
On the other hand, I think these guys are ready to hibernate for the winter.
Tired pups from a day at the crag.
