Pre-Flight Checklist
Sketches. Maps. Curiosity. These travel essentials are just as important to me as airline tickets and a passport. These pages are part of my preparation for a workshop I’ll be teaching at Sofia in Monsaraz, Portugal, June 3–8, 2026. This region of Portugal is a landscape of wide skies, ancient olive trees, cork oaks, vineyards, white-walled towns, and birds I hope to see. I’ve never been to Portugal, so my preparation also includes brushing up on Portuguese history, reading a few poets; studying the work of Portuguese artists; and learning about the… Read More
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,… Read More
Jean Mackay
The Nature Explorer’s Sketchbook
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Drawn In 