Two posts in one day–it’s a miracle!

I love sketching from nature in pen and ink and watercolor. There are a million blank sketchbooks of all shapes, sizes, and types in a studio cabinet waiting to be filled. (Okay, maybe not a million, but a lot–I will admit to a *small* hoarding problem when it comes to sketchbooks.) I have spent many enjoyable hours putting together small, robust sketch kits that take up the least possible amount of space in a bag or small pack. And yet…I rarely take the time to go sketch outside.

There’s nothing stopping me–I just forget, or get lazy, or get distracted. But today, I actually had the presence of mind to take some “me” time after lunch. I sat in the sun on the deck with my sketchbook, next to an overwintered flower pot with a pretty volunteer pansy in it. That caught my eye and I spent an enjoyable half hour sketching. It was nice to draw for fun. And, come next winter when I leaf through this sketchbook, I’ll be reminded of warm Spring days and brave, beautiful little flowers.

I need to do this more often! It’s not like there’s a shortage of potential subjects on our 24 acres. A short walk from my studio door, there are gardens, woods, fields, a creek, mules and donkeys, dogs, and all kinds of stuff to fill a sketchbook with. I just need to get my butt outside a few days a week with a sketchbook in hand. So, yeah…that’s the plan, and hopefully I’ll be sharing lots of sketches from my little excursions over the coming weeks and months.

What about you? Is sketching part of your routine? If not, do you wish it was? Are you motivated to sketch by a particular subject? I get a lot of inspiration to sketch by looking at the sketches of others. One of my favorite sites is the Sketching in Nature blog curated by Cathy (Kate) Johnson. She and several other artists share their sketches from nature and write lovely posts about them. Definitely worth a visit, might even provide some inspiration, too!