We arrived home from Norway just two weeks ago. Before we left I did a couple of small sketches for our server and a couple from Turkey that we met at Fjellskål Restaurant.
I was looking forward to being back home so I could do more acrylic painting. Acrylic paintings take a lot more time than the watercolor and ink I do when traveling, as a result I do a lot less sketching. Here is the painting I did last week. This week’s painting is not completed, and frankly I am not sure I will keep working on it as it is just not coming along well at all.
Our friends Shirley and Jim, who we recently spent time with in Provence, have more of my art hanging in their home than anybody else – I am flattered and humbled, but so appreciative of their support. They sent us a photo of a sign they saw in front of an art store in Edmonds, WA.
Shirley asked if I had ever tried painting with coffee? I assured her that painting with coffee was a real thing and I promised to do one for her the next day. I still don’t know if the art store was going to teach how to use coffee to paint, or if it was just a gathering over coffee while painting.
The color of most of the coffee we drink is too pale for painting, though Greek coffee might be different as it is boiled and really strong. So what I did was left an inch of coffee in my cup then added instant coffee to darken it up. To get the darkest colors on the painting it took multiple layers.
I did a couple of evening sketches. Some boats and the PNW.
These last few days in Orne, our part of Normandie, have been quite windy. This part of France has experienced some of the highest winds on record, almost a million homes without electricity. Thankfully our lights went off only three times, for less than a minute each time. I posted this sketch on Instagram to let folks know we were all right.
Hope you are enjoying the transition from autumn into winter, and if you are a sketcher I trust you are enjoying the different vistas. As always I would love to see what you are sketching these days.
theTravelsketcher 
Beautiful sketches. I especially like your coffee sketch. Although I wouldn’t have known that you layered it, I think that gives the sketch a lovely, subtle depth.
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One of the hard parts for me with watercolor, or coffee has always been the patience to let one layer dry before adding another- waiting has never been a strength of mine.
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I’m glad you’re back into acrylics!
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You were the one who encouraged me, thanks.
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Lovely work; I especially like how you captured the wind in your November 2 piece.
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Thanks, wind can be a challenge to capture, glad it worked out, it sure was windy here.
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My husband always leaves a little of his short black in the cup. I wasn’t game to try watercolour a few years ago, so snaffled the cup. Loved the feel of painting with the coffee and that was enough to encourage me to pick up some Winsor & Newtons.
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Love it!
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I’m still amazed at the painting with coffee–! (I thought the art store sign was just a come on to get people in there to talk and sketch and drink coffee). Just when you think you know it all, you realize you don’t know much and that we learn new things every day. I must say that my very favorite sketch in this posting is the ‘windy’ one with autumn leaves blowing all over the place. Quite beautiful and very realistic. Thanks for all the lovely sketches!
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And it has become one of the most liked posts on instagram
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And yes, we do have a lot of The Travelsketcher’s art throughout our home. And why not—-every piece is lovely and tells a story or brings back a memory. (Perhaps I should open a gift shop in the entryway…?!)
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I love the idea.
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Yeah….we could sell postcards and magnets and T-Shirts and coffee cups with paintbrush attached…..😂
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You painted with coffee! So fun, and it looks great. LOVE your first sketch in the post. It’s so cozy and happy. I want to live in one of those buildings. And Travel Sketcher, I think your acrylic painting is a keeper. Well done.
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Love your sketches Terry!
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Thanks so much
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