Wednesday, August 8, 2007

A holiday in France






Here are some pages from my journal I kept on a wonderful painting holiday in France a year ago - the writing's mainly about the food, but the drawing 'notes' helped me to really be there with the details. My book is quite messy, with bits of paper stuck in it, and watercolour swatches sploshed around, but it brings back the whole experience. I drew with a Pilot fineliner, and a damp brush over it to make grey/blue washes. I couldn't really add more colour without washing all the line drawing away, but I like the looseness of the water-soluble pen. It is easy and inspiring to keep a journal on a great holiday, but very hard at home with the mundane day-to-day stuff. When you look back, though, at 'mundane' drawings of years gone by, they are the stuff of which memories are made and just as valuable, even more so, when it's your family, pets, homes you have preserved.

3 comments:

Making A Mark said...

Cathy - that is such a good summary of why it is so rewarding to keep a sketch journal while on holiday.

I'd like to add this post into my blogroll on Travels with a Sketchbook where I have the sketch journals of other people who travel with a sketchbook.

Adam Cope said...

Bonjour Cathy

Oh that's fun to see your sketchbook. IMO, I don't think it's at all messy but charmingly laid out with lots of 'white space'. Lovely drawings. I didn't realise that you were so interested in the food!

Glad about the happy memories. Please may I link to here from my 'Chateaux Painting Holidays' at http://www.artists-atelier.com?

Cathy Gatland said...

Katherine, I'm sorry I somehow missed this comment you made in November - still a blogging novice. I would be honoured to have you add this to your blogroll - thanks! I hope to do more travelling/sketching soon.

Adam, likewise, it would be an honour - and how could I not have been interested in that food!! I have discovered now how to do the link thing, so if you don't mind, I'll add a link to your painting holiday site too...