Hudson Valley Sketches -

  I've been excited to have a go at the Black and White on Toned Paper prompt (Process #6). When working on a toned surface, I nearly al...

I can't believe we're more than half way through this challenge, and heading into Week 4. If you're doing the challenge also, le...

  The Holidays in Ink Challenge certainly got me out of my comfort zone this week. I had some new art adventures, discovered more about what...

  How are you all doing at the start of Week 2 of the Holidays in Ink Challenge ? Please let me know in the comments! I began Day 1 on Novem...

  Yesterday, I panicked! In spite of my posts and preparation so far, it suddenly dawned on me that Holidays in Ink was starting in two days...

It's hard to believe that the Holidays in Ink Challenge will be starting in a week! I'm getting so excited about it that it's d...

During the busy holiday season, I'll be taking this Holidays in Ink Challenge, enabling me to just sketch with pen and paper when the go...

  Most of us are experiencing a greater-than-usual sense of cabin fever this year due to the pandemic. With stores having reopened, I donned...

  In preparation for my Holidays in Ink challenge, I've got my eyes open for supplies that might be interesting to work with. That'...

  Here in the northeastern United States, October is the month when we plein air painters flock outside to capture the very short burst of p...

  A friend of mine gave me a really cute tin filled with 30 cold press Hannemule watercolor postcards. ( https://amzn.to/3cceRSN .) You can ...

I've been enjoying my gouache paintbox that I converted from a makeup kit in my previous post , and have some updates for my readers....

About five years ago, my daughter abandoned a makeup kit in the bathroom closet. It opened to reveal slide out trays with metal pan...

Immature Bald Eagle, gouache on gray paper of a Stillman & Birn Nova Trio Sketchbook (Click title if full review does not appear.)

Part of my current "Inspiration Wall" in the studio Project Megasketch has influenced and improved my art and creativity in m...

Watercolor over thin white gesso layer, calligraphy marker For many years, at least a portion of my sketches have been done in old books...

Faber Castell Polychromos Pastels have been a go-to pastel for artists because they are individually rated for lightfastness, and prov...

Pentel Pocket Brush Pen filled with Platinum Carbon Black ink, 13x44" mural drawing Here's a fun challenge for you Megasketc...

A couple of my gouache (left) and watercolor (right) palettes with some little sketches. The small, airtight plastic container has tit...

Although people generally start their New Years Resolutions on January 1, that's one of the worst days for me to begin new challenges an...

As a musician, one of the things we learn early on is that practice does not make pefect; rather, perfect practice makes perfect . If yo...

Every year, I choose a quote for the year, and write it into my planner. This year, my quote is: A year from now, you'll wish you h...

Pentel Pocket Brush Pen  with Platinum Carbon Black ink If you open up the Roger Tory Peterson Field Guide to the Birds, the first th...

When I want a bright white highlight on a sketch, I often count on white gouache to do the job. All whites are created equal, right? W...

Gouache on black paper Painted from life in Trish's back yard For landscape painters, being able to capture the character of a tr...

In January, 2015, I made swatches of the 48 colors in the Charvin Water Soluble Pastel Painting Sticks set, and cut the strips down the c...

Golden High Flow in an empty Montana marker While many artists are happiest when doodling or playing around with abstract concepts, I ...

One of the challenges of Project Megasketch was finding enough subject matter to sketch from life during the winter months. One great so...

One of the most important goals in my 600-page Project Megasketch was to develop line quality, and move away from chicken-scratchy typ...

If you're an artist who doesn't like winter, maybe this post is for you! I used to hate winter. If you live in a cold climate an...

Well for one thing, you end up with a heck of a lot more time. I logged about a thousand pages of ...

Last week, I had an opportunity to spend a few days at a sketching retreat at the Holy Cross Monastery along the Hudson River. I'd lo...

Sometimes you just have to let go.

Gouache, across a two page spread in a gray-toned sketchbook. My friend Mary came over one day to sketch. We sat on the little dock in...

You know the summer season is winding down when your very last Rose of Sharon bush has nearly finished blooming. I'm trying to make...