TheTravelsketcher’s Tuesday Tip


“Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse Creativity by its very nature means you are trying something different, and since we all suffer to some degree a fear of being criticized too often we choose what is safe. This is what stops people from trying to sketch, and keeps us from expanding. So be brave this…

This week in Oregon


We are enjoying the rhythm of living in The Pearl. When we were still in La Thebauderie we often talked about baking bread, cooking new things, and cooking old favorites when we returned to the US. I am baking bread, the only bread we buy is a baguette; Safeway actually has a pretty good rustic…

TheTravelsketcher’s Tuesday Tip


Try painting the darks first. Traditional watercolor practice is to work from light to dark, which makes sense since watercolor is transparent so the dark colors cover light colors. Oil, gouache, and acrylic painters often, usually, start with the darkest areas first, then they lighten as needed. Try breaking the watercolor rule and painting the…

TheTravelsketchers Tuesday Tip


Today’s tip comes from the blog of Mark Alan Anderson, Just Sketching. His blogs and posts on Instagram are always motivating and instructive, which makes sense as he is a teacher. Just follow this link. Finding the Unexpected in a Sketch Here is one of his sketches from the blog post. I hope you find…

This week back home, mostly


We got off the ship last Thursday, then headed for San Diego to visit family and meet a new addition, our three month old grand-nephew. While we were there we visited Presidio Park. It is the location of the first permanent settlement in California, a fortified city, built in 1769. The park also has the…