The Last of the Zinnias
The leaves are mostly fallen, and November has turned cold. Still, I haven’t found time to fully put the garden to bed. I’ve left some coneflowers for the birds to pick over and the zinnias are mostly standing upright and brown. I love their curling leaves and stray petals, now dried and drooping or sticking out every which way. They gave me one last chance for a sketch before meeting the compost pile. Cold as it was, it was good to be outside, remembering summer, and savoring this last moment in the garden.
Tips and Techniques– I used a Micron 005 sepia pen for this sketch in my Handbook Journal. I managed to draw some of these outside before my hands got too cold and it started raining, so I brought a few inside to finish. I decided not to add paint—the lines seemed like enough to convey what’s left of the flowers and the chill of the day. Take another (or a final) look at the flowers in your own garden and see if some of the shapes or curling leaves might inspire you, too.
Inspired by the Moon
In just 15 words, Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, who lived in the 1600s, correctly explained a beautiful night sky phenomenon that I recently saw: the lunar halo.
“The moon glows the same:
it is only the clouds
make it seem to change.”
For those who prefer science to poetry, a bright halo around the moon is caused by light refracted through ice crystals suspended in cirrus clouds located at altitudes of 20,000 to 40,000 feet. Seeing one is more common in winter when the moon is full or nearly so. But no matter how you approach it, it’s an inspiring sight.
Tips & Techniques– Some subjects just really can’t be captured, and this may be one of them. It took me a week to figure out how to approach it and, even now, I wish it were more painterly and ethereal. Still, I wanted to record it in my sketchbook and I’m glad it’s here to remind me of that night. (Painted in a Handbook Journal with 140lb watercolor paper with Indanthrone blue and yellow ochre.)
Autumn ART IN ACTION Festival, four days of free art demos, work-alongs, and talks is coming up at Winslow Art Center, November 20-23. It’s a great way to learn and sample a variety of instructors. I’ll be offering Virtual Italy! on Saturday 11/22 at 3:15pm PT/6:15pm ET. Check it out!
Golden Hour
Last weekend I had the pleasure of teaching a four-day botanical and nature sketching retreat at The Ashokan Center in the Catskill Mountains. Hosted by Draw Botanical, it was a joy to work alongside the amazingly accomplished Wendy Hollender, Lara Call Gastinger, Giacomina Ferrillo, Vern Fannin, and nearly 70 participants. I started this page during a session I led on “Sketching on the Go.” It was late afternoon and the setting sun’s still warm light cast its last glow over fields and woods. But really, anytime I get an hour to sketch outside in the company of other artists is golden.
These types of multiday workshops offer so much: the joy of making art with people who share your passion; the opportunity to be immersed in sketching and painting; and extended time to focus and learn in a supportive atmosphere. Plus, great food and inspiring settings.
Next year, I’ll be leading just two longer in-person workshops. I invite you to join me and experience the golden gift of time doing something you love.
June 3-8, 2026: SKETCHING THE NATURE OF PLACE at Sofia in Monsaraz, Portugal
Discover Portugal with me as we delve into ways to capture landscapes, plants, and wildlife, as well as food and culture. You’ll come away with a journal that reflects this unique setting and your experiences, as well as new ideas and techniques to use at home or on your next trip. If you’d like to come along, please don’t delay signing up. We’d like to confirm the class in the coming weeks and need to have seven or eight registered to do so.
July 20-24, 2026: DRAWN TO NATURE at Madeline Island School of the Arts, Wisconsin
This workshop takes place on beautiful Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands located on Lake Superior. The workshop will focus on multiple approaches to sketching and painting nature-related subjects in your sketchbook as we explore the island’s birds and wildlife, gardens, fields, Northern forests, and waterways. Registration is open and all skill levels are welcome.
Mother Lode
After a season marked by a dearth of mushrooms I found a mother lode of amanita growing under a large spruce tree just down the road last week. They were so colorful and numerous I could hardly wait to go back home and retrieve my sketchbook. When I nestled under the branches later in the day to sketch, I was surprised by the driver of a passing car who rolled down his window and called out—“Amazing mushrooms!” This was a first. I’ve had people slow down to see what I’m doing, and once had someone come by to see why I was parked on the road by his property. But never has someone joined in my enthusiasm. How wonderful!
Tips and Techniques– I like to sketch mushrooms from life and right where they are when possible. It’s the best way to really observe all the things that will go into identifying them. It also helps you convey your sense of discovery and lots of subtle details. Take photos for reference or color notes if you’re painting inside later. (Materials: Micron 005 sepia pen, watercolor, 5.5×8.25 Handbook Journal Co 140lb watercolor sketchbook)
Coming up! Drawing the Nature of November online starts Thursday, Nov. 6. Sign up at Winslow Art Center. Learn about 2026 travel workshops here and reserve your spot.
Something Old and New
I bought a leather-bound journal with lovely cream-colored laid paper with deckled edges while in Italy. It’s not suited to watercolors, but it’s good for ink sketches, which I’ve been eager to do more of using sepia ink. Brown inks, including sepia (originally derived from cuttlefish), bistre (made from the residue found in chimney stacks), and iron gall (made from the tannins in oak galls and iron), were frequently used for drawing and light washes during the Renaissance (think Leonardo Da Vinci or Rembrandt drawings). I love the way that brown inks can give a drawing a softer effect and historical tone compared with using black.
I sketched the bitternut leaves and hummingbird nests with a dip pen and Winsor & Newton drawing ink and did the olive leaves with a Micron 005 sepia pen. As you can see, I’ve also tested the ink using a brush and was pleased that the paper didn’t buckle at all. I’m eager to keep going and try some lighter washes and more complex subjects.
Sketching the Nature of Umbria
I had an exceptional week teaching in the Italian countryside in Umbria with Winslow Art Center, and I couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic group of participants. There is a quote that I shared with them from Italian painter Cennino Cennini (c.1360 to 1427), “Now then, you of noble mind, who love this profession, come at once to art and accept these precepts: enthusiasm, reverence, obedience, and perseverance.” Obedience aside, it exemplified the way in which they approached the lessons and techniques I shared throughout the week. As you can see, we tackled a number of subjects and came away with sketchbooks filled with an extraordinary experience.
Join me next time! If this type of sketching looks enticing to you, consider joining me for Sketching the Nature of Place at Sofia in Monseraz in Portugal next June or Drawn to Nature at Madeline Island School of the Arts in Wisconsin in July 2026. Both venues offer an exceptional setting to immerse yourself in a week of learning and sketching.
An Auspicious Beginning
I’m heading to the foothills of the Italy’s Apennine mountains this week to teach a watercolor workshop with Winslow Art Center. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to be back at Castello di Petroia. This authentic medieval fortress turned boutique hotel is perched on a hilltop between the towns of Perugia and Gubbio, with inspiring views of the surrounding landscape. The castle, birthplace of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino (b.1422), is surrounded by a 600-acre traditional Umbrian farm with beautiful olive groves, hiking and horse-riding trails, meadows, woods and abundant wildlife. Because I’ll be staying in a place that was most prominent in the 1400s, I wanted to try my hand at Renaissance White Vine illuminated letters, which mark many texts of this period. It makes for an auspicious beginning, don’t you think?
Tips and Techniques– When setting out for new places, take some time to get oriented beforehand. I like to read up on the history, culture, plants and wildlife of where I’m headed. This type of research not only prepares me for the trip, but also informs what I want to sketch beforehand or when I arrive. This illuminated text is in my sketchbook and marks the start of the sketches I’ll do while in Italy.
The Bible of Illuminated Letters by Margaret Morgan was my go-to source for learning about this lettering style. The elaborate vine scrolling is not easy to do and it took me a few tries to get the hang of it. Traditionally, the capital letter would be gilded, but I used Winsor & Newton gold ink, paired with gouache to achieve the flat opaque color that is characteristic of this style. See you in a few weeks– Ciao!
Past Perfect
Had the zinnias looked any more enticing before they began to fade?
I think not. The tufts of petals and ragged edges add so much character. And while there’s plenty of praise for summer blooms, even these hangers-on continue to add cheer and attract a hummingbird or two to the garden.
Tips & Techniques– This sketch was tricky because I was working outside and biting gnats were keeping me company the entire time. It was a warm afternoon and the sun was lovely so I didn’t want to give up. I made it through sketching all but the purple bloom on the right and then painted the entire page inside. When I was thinking of “Past Perfect” for my title, I looked up the grammatical rule for using this tense and had a bit of fun coming up with a sentence to illustrate it. (Materials: watercolor and Micron 005 pen in Handbook Journal with 140lb watercolor paper)
Heads up! Check out the WORKSHOPS page– I’ve just added a new online class, Drawing the Nature of November, starting 11/6. Bigger still is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of Portugal during Sketching the Nature of Place next June 3-8 at Sofia in Monsaraz.
Once in a Lifetime Sighting
Have you ever had a wildlife sighting that is likely to be the only one you’ll ever have of that species? For me, these have typically been extraordinary moments: a California condor soaring below me while hiking the steep cliffs to Angels Landing at Arches National Park; walking past a field of Tule elk in the dark at a campground in the Redwoods in California; coming upon bobcat kittens playing in the road by our house. And last week, I discovered a wood turtle larger than my hand eating a mushroom in our yard. That may not seem extraordinary, but I’ve never seen one—and for good reason. They are declining across their range—by as much as 50 percent over the last 100 years– and are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN). These encounters are always memorable, whether or not you sketch them, but I’m so glad I did.
Tips and Techniques– Keep your eyes open! I spied this turtle while in the car heading out our driveway for the store. I wasn’t sure I’d have time to get my sketchbook, so I snapped a few photos. Good thing: it soon made its way back across the driveway for the wooded stream that borders our property. Painting this took lots of patience and was one of the most complicated things I’ve ever drawn. While the drawing is largely covered in the end, it served as a valuable roadmap. Click on the image below to see my process from drawing to adding layers of paint. (Materials: Micron 005 pen and watercolor in Handbook Co. 140lb Watercolor Journal)
Farmers Market Bouquets
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my Farmers Market quest, and these two bouquets are some of my more recent discoveries. I used them as subjects for the final session of my Fun Farmers Market class, which wrapped up last week. There are many ways to paint a bouquet, but because I wanted to convey a bit of fun, we worked loosely for the ink sketch and then tried to keep the watercolor flowing, especially in the early stages of painting. The white on black label added a casual farmers market element to finish the piece.
(Materials: Top: Micron 005 pen and watercolor in Handbook Co. 140lb Watercolor Journal; bottom done on New York Central Art Supply 100% cotton, 140lb HP watercolor paper)
Drawn In 