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| It wasn't FULL Spring Everywhere!! |
I
figured by May it should be warm and sunny in the Interior of BC. After all it
is nearly desert conditions there in mid summer.
I decided to head for the Hedley/Keremeos area in the Similkameen Valley. It has a rich history of gold mining, lovely landscape views with the mountains and the river and lots of neat old things. There is also the possibility of wildlife sightings of Mountain Goats and Bighorn Mountain Sheep.
May came quickly
Suddenly it was time to get ready. As all of western Canada knows our summer is late this year. The trip was not going to be about sunscreen, sandals and mosquitoes.🙄
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| I enjoy looking at "Old Things" and drawing them |
Packing
for a Sketching Trip
Of course you know to pack clothing and food. My focus is on what to pack for your Outdoor Sketching Adventures.
I pack two things:
My Plein Air Kit:
Whether working in my sketchbook or completing a finished Fine Arts piece, I have a basic kit ready to go. It contains my paints, two brushes, pens (Microns 08, 05, 03, 01) 2B & 5B pencils, kneaded eraser, vinyl eraser, few paper towels, pencil sharpener. Everything is packed in a small handy container. When I have room, I also bring a board with some clips to attach paints & paper (sketchbook) to.
More Info on travel kits here:
Blog Post: YIPEE! I am no longer a Pack Animal
YouTube: Getting Ready for Outdoor Sketching
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| Of Course I had to have my picture taken with the miner's hat. Imagine wearing this all day. They are heavy and mine didn't even have any fuel in it! |
Rainy Day Material:
I know, we don't like to think about that but sometimes it happens. Also, if you are traveling with other people that do not want to paint then you need something to work on when at rest. I usually take along my creative journal, some watercolour pencils, coloured pencils, glue and small scissors. I like to journal, collage, or draw during quiet times. I always have an array of my own reference material on my ipad to use as reference.
What really happens on a Sketching Trip:
My plan was to head up to Hedley/Keremeos area for 5 days. My vision - sketching every day and filling pages and pages of my journal.
Surprise!!!
Things don't work that way. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and did do lots of sketching but not as much as I thought.
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| Can't beat an Old Car - Love to Draw these 😁 |
What went wrong??
When you head off to a new place you don't really know what is there. I thought I knew. I had maps, I had looked on the internet. I had even driven through that area before. But now things are different. You are looking for places to set up. It takes time to 'wonder around' and see things. I found I took lots of reference pictures. I went to the museum to learn more about the area. I hiked up a few trails. I talked with locals. These are all important things to do. You need to immerse yourself into an area. Feel your way. Find your muse. Then you are ready to create.
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| Didn't see great views of the mountains but this splash of colour grabbed my eye while walking along the river. |
I quickly learned if you wanted photos of something, TAKE THEM NOW. Don't wait till the light is better, you have more time, you are heading back, . . . Lots of reason to not do it now. But life changes, you get caught up with other things, it gets dark, your forget or its raining. (This last one is definitely true this year)
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| A few of the 'old things' I saw - Graveyard dated back to 1888 |
The biggest thing I learned is you never have enough TIME. A five day trip sounded like lots but there is never enough time. The more you learn about an area the more things you want to see and paint. The good news is, you can always plan another trip and next time you will know where you want to start.
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| The Grist Mill build in 1877 - yes the wheel still turns!! See my YouTube video of my outing, HERE |
You can join me on my sketching trip with my YouTube Video: Outdoor Sketching at the Grist Mill, Keremeos, BC. Max and I had a great time wondering the grounds and of this flour mill, built in 1877. There was several historical buildings, full of information of the Mills hayday and life in Keremeos.
I found it very interesting reading about Julia Bullock-Webster , a watercolourist, who came to the area in 1894-1895 to visit her sons. She spent her time plein air painting landscapes, both winter and summer and creating lovely botanical paintings of the plants she saw. When I saw her bundled up setting on a chair in the snow working on a landscape I was impressed: Plein Air painting, in the winter, 1894, on snowy cold day. I felt like a wimp for quitting when it rained!
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| A Fall Flower Study by Julia Bullock Webster |
Was it a good trip? Yes. Should I have planned longer? Definitely. But at the same time I left inspired, with lots of reference material and of course the desire to go back another day.
Want to try Outdoor Sketching? My classes are starting Next Week.
Outdoor Sketching Classes - Starting May 27!!!
Outdoor Sketching Classes are 2.5 hr sessions and located in parks in North Surrey and North Langley. Beginners to Advanced are Welcome. Mediums supported: watercolour, pen, pencil, watercolour pencils and coloured pencils. You can sign up to as many sessions as you like. Class Size: Max 3. $50 per session.
Class Dates:
May 27: 10-12:30pm
June 9 & 16: 10-12:30pm
July 7 & 28: 10-12:30pm
Aug 4 & 25: 10-12:30pm
Sept 1: 10-12:30pm
You are welcome to contact me for help in organizing your supplies for an Outing.
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