Why are we sketching and what are we trying to do? It may seem like an obvious question, but maybe not, the answer will affect how we approach a sketch. All artists, of any medium, are motivated to do art for a variety of reasons – why do they want to paint? But that is…
This week in The Pearl – November 5, 2026
Thanks to the outcome of Election Day there is more hope in the world this week. The exciting part of the week was that Tricia went to the dentist and I got a haircut – sometimes the mundane is quite alright. It was a good week for just sketching some odds and ends and using…
Thoughts from theTravelsketcher – Workshops
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) was a piano virtuoso and composer, and a great humanitarian – in those days he was kind of a rockstar in the classical world. In 1919 he became the first Prime Minister of Independent Poland after WW1. He is famously quoted as saying: “If I miss one day of practice, I…
This week in The Pearl – October 29, 2026
Halloween is two days away. It seems we associate the poor pumpkin to Halloween, yet it is a fitting symbol for all of autumn, a squash as tasty as any, and a delight to paint. The Great British Bake Off (Series 17) started its new season 3 weeks ago so our Friday evenings are booked…
Thoughts from theTravelsketcher – A quick landscape
Often, as travelsketchers, we just need a quick method to capture a moment. So lets look at simpifying a landscape. Consider this sketch that took less than 5 minutes. It easily could have been done without the person, I added that on a whim at the end. Here is the basic technique: Paint sky, distant…
