My most cooperative model

This sketch is done in the journal I use most now which is a reloaded Moleskine. I used Martha’s instructions from the Trumpetvine Travels site and even sought out the same paper she used in hers (Fabriano Artistico 90 lb watercolor paper), but mine is the 8×5 size. I believe she uses smaller sketchbooks.

I found some material similar to what’s on the Moleskine covers so, next time, I’ll make my own cover and save myself the expense of sacrificing a real Moleskine notebook. I’ve also been noting on Roz Stendahl’s blog the kinds of papers she likes and have been trying to get up the courage to spend the money on some Twinrocker watercolor paper of the Simon’s Green color. Maybe my next journal will contain Twinrocker paper.

Sketching at Dinner

I have a small landscape format Moleskine notebook that I always carry in my coat pocket and I often do sketches when we go out to eat or to a movie or play. Here are a few from recent dinners out.

Above is from a local Brew Pub where I had a burger and pint of handbrewed beer.

This one was the view from the window of Autentica on NE Killingsworth. I don’t remember what I ate but it was really good.

Here is a piece of bread at Wildwood on NW 21st. Lots of really good organic food here. If you can read my bad handwriting you can see what I had for dinner.

This is from the window of our favorite Sunday morning breakfast place, the Bijou Cafe on SW 3rd and Pine. I had a wild mushroom and cheddar omelette with orange juice and Jasmine Pearls Green tea.

My oldest daughter and I had dinner together at Mingo, the only decent restaurant near our home in the culture free zone of the western suburbs. I had vegetable soup and ravioli with Walla Walla sweet onions, hazelnuts and goat cheese.

April Flowers

I plucked these two out of my garden today. It seems that all my favorite’s are early bloomers and, in Oregon, by the time the weather is nice enough to want to be out in the garden, all the best flowers have come and gone.

Pages from my Costa Rica sketch journal

Here are a couple more pages from my Costa Rica sketch journal. Sometimes I went back and did a sketch over top of a text entry I’d made. This being my first sketch journal, I got more free with it and had more fun as I went.

View My entire Costa Rica Sketch Journal

Costa Rica vacation

My daughter and I just returned from a week of cycling, rafting and hiking in Costa Rica. I had hoped to have more time for sketching but was only able to do a few in my journal.

 

Arenal Volcano

The night we arrived lava was flowing down the side of the mountain and throughout our stay, it rumbled intermittently and threw huge boulders down it’s sides.

 

View from veranda of Casa Turire

We stayed in a beautiful hotel, Casa Turire, near Turialba on our cycling days.