Vinalhaven Sketchbook 2023
Moss-carpeted forests, spruce spires reaching the sky.
Mushrooms after rain: scarlet, orange, purple, yellow.
Granite boulders that sprout gardens of ferns and grey-green lichens.
Rocky pools brimming with life caught between the tides.
Migrating shorebirds and seabirds.
Quarry swimming. Quiet. No stop lights. No chain stores. No cell coverage.
Ferries. Fog.
These are the things that draw me to the island of Vinalhaven, Maine. I hope your summer has taken you to some of your favorite places, too.
Drawn In 
Jean …… wonderful! Your artistic skills and ability to set the scene and mood with both pictures and words is remarkable and inspirational. I can see why you enjoy Vinalhaven so much, and return over and over again. Beautiful pages to add to previous year’s sketchbooks. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks Barb! I always enjoy having a whole new place to explore and sketch.
👍
Your delicacy of line and color do justice to the beauty you have seen.
Thank you…what a nice thing to say! I appreciate it.
It’s amazing how a few daubs of paint evoke a group of plovers so realistically – your selection of colors is magical. Loved your one-week calendar with fir trees, drawing rocks with real weight and substance is very hard for me. And it looks like you had an invigorating and refreshing vacation!
Thanks Sam– I want to play around more with plovers and a few dabs of paint. I like the idea of them emerging from the paper as they do from the mudflats.
Quiet. No stop lights. No chain stores. No cell coverage. How nice all that sound! Thanks you for sharing!
Yes. That’s a big part of why we go. It’s lovely to leave those things behind.
Quiet. No stop lights. No chain stores. No cell coverage. All that sounds so nice! Thank you for sharing!
I do love nature sketching when I do it, and your’s are an inspiration to do more.
I’m glad to hear that Terry. I’m inspired by other nature journalers and by the process of getting out to explore, learn, and draw/paint, too.
One of the things I appreciate about art is how we all learn from each other, and inspire each other, regardless of our styles. I learn things about travelsketching from nature journalists like you and even abstract painters. It keeps us fresh and entertained. So thanks so much for posting.
Loved the picture of you sketching in the field. Your ‘set up’ is simple and a back pack carries your supplies. Keeping it easy
Most of my supplies fit in a ziplock bag that fits in a backpack or messenger bag. I’m happy with a sketchbook and a pen, really, as I often paint later when I have more time. Keep it simple and portable!
This is absolutely wonderful, Jean. I really enjoyed the text and the combination of text, photo, and sketches. You paint the picture with each medium. I love the little Yellowlegs sketch and can hear their calls. 🙂
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