Travels Without a Sketchbook

When I was out at an event on Saturday, I watched somebody sketching and wondered, rather enviously, why on earth I hadn't brought my own sketchbook. I guess while the children were small, I got out of the habit, as usually you are too busy running after a toddler and providing for their needs to have the time and space needed to draw. Being habitually disorganized might have something to do with it, too - I'm forever running out the door and then running back for things I've forgotten! However by the time I'd stuffed hand wipes, electronic game, snacks and drink in my bag, there's no way even an A5 book was going to fit, even if I had remembered. Maybe the baby tote wasn't such a bad idea - it may have been ugly, but at least it held loads of stuff.

Well, at least I had remembered the camera. I took a range of shots - most with the flash turned off, I might add - taking a breath and ever-so-gently squeezing the button so that there was minimal camera movement. I'll try and do some sketching from them while the event is still fresh in my mind, so that I can make them as three-dimensional as possible. We also collected some flyers and bought some merchandise. I like to make compositions that include pattern and text, so items like this often become part of a picture. I usually collect a few spares so that I can collage them. If I'm being pedantic about archival qualities, I scan and print them on better paper. I also like to do drawings of small objects, such as a pinecone or shell - these small details can be as important as grand views. If you're stuck without sketchbook, sometimes it can be useful to just put your mind in 'sketching mode' and look around for a suitable subject: often it isn't the main action that will catch your eye, but something in the periphery: a child watching, mesmerized, or the shoes of the person next to you. Take some photos of those mundane things, too. It isn't 'quite the same', of course, but better than nothing!

My other task for this week (when I'm not updating the gallery, which is so long overdue!) is putting together a very small sketching kit in a spare tote. With a bit of luck, I'll actually remember to grab it next time I'm charging out the door.

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Pictured: Winsor and Newton Watercolor Travel Set.