Summer is over and with it my scheduled hiatus. I have not yet determined what my blog posting schedule will be, but I am here for now and I am glad you are too!
Over the summer I was lucky enough to take two vacations with my family.
Whenever we go on vacation, I try to keep a journal of our adventures. It is so much fun to go back and read about the trip, and it is easier to remember the details when you have a framework to start in.
The first time I kept a journal was on a trip to Disney World that we took when my kids were very young. I knew that they were young enough that they probably wouldn't remember the trip on their own, so I wrote a brief summary about each day to capture and preserve the memories.
palm tree sketch from Hawaii
©2010 Stacy L. Rowan
Now that the kids are older, in addition to words, I try and sprinkle in a few sketches. The act of sketching more firmly cements the details in my mind and helps me soak up the vacation mood.
Someday I hope to create enough sketches on trips to be able to accurately refer to my travel journals as travel sketchbooks.
banyan tree sketch from Hawaii
©2010 Stacy L. Rowan
There are many artists in the world who keep wonderful travel sketchbooks. I love looking at the sketches and feeling the essence of a place - especially if it is a location that I may not visit in my lifetime.
If you are interested in learning about travel sketching or in viewing other artists' travel sketchbooks, the best place to start is with Katherine Tyrrell's Travel Sketching Squidoo lens.
As always, Katherine has compiled a wealth of information on the subject and neatly organized it for our benefit. She has included information on how to sketch and sketching tools, as well as links to artists who share their travel sketches in books or online.
My only warning about this site is not to pop in for a "quick" look. There is so much good and interesting information there, you won't be able to be quick.
shark & barracuda sketches from Florida
©2012 Stacy L. Rowan
If you are more interested in viewing images then learning about the craft, here are links to some artists whose travel sketches I enjoy.
Nina Johansson - look for the "Categories" drop down menu in the right hand sidebar of her blog and select "travel" to view her travel sketches. Or click this link.
Lynn Chapman - In December of 2011, Lynn took a trip to Kerala in Southern India. Her descriptions and sketches from that trip are wonderful. Try typing "Kerala" in the search bar at the top left hand side of her blog or click here.
Laura Murphy Frankstone is a prolific traveler and sketcher. You can see a collection of her travel sketches here.
Liz Steel is another prolific sketcher who is also well traveled. To see sketches from some of the places she and her friend Borromini have been, click the location tabs at the top of her blog.
I would love to hear from you if you have a favorite artist who shares sketches from their travels - leave a comment below. Viewing travel journals is a wonderful way to see the world without ever leaving your couch!
4 comments:
welcome back :)
i had a sketchbook with my in new zealand, had every intention of using it, but forgot :p next time i am determined to use one tho
Hi Jennifer! Were you in New Zealand this summer? I always think I am going to do more sketching when I am traveling than I actually do. It is just too easy to snap photos. :) But I am getting better at squeezing the sketches in and I am always happy when I do.
i wish i had of been in NZ in the summer, was there over 7 years ago, really want to go back :)
Good to know your back. You have really great post! They are really interesting.
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