Holiday sketch book, February 2012.

We have just enjoyed a cruise to the Caribbean. Whenever I go on holiday

I take a sketch book and a few pens, watercolour pencils and my small

travellers’ watercolour box. They make a light, easily packed painting gear

and for every drawing I usually write the day’s journal. It helps my memory. I

tend to use a pen, which is not permanent, one which will bleed when water

is added. This helps with tones. I usually only get at the most 15 minutes to

get down an impression and then paint later that day whilst it is fresh in my

memory, aided by a photograph of the location.  I suppose I should try 
to use some of these sketches to make a larger completed painting

later when at home.

 

I have attached a look at my recent trip’s sketchbook,

when we were on the island of Antigua. It’s a view of Nelson’s dockyard from Shirley battery point. The bus driver had given us 15 minutes to look around. Nelson commanded the Windward Islands from this base protected by artillery batteries at this point, and others, all able to communicate about French ships approaching, using signal flags. 




                                        
The Naval dockyard is now an interesting museum and docking for some very expensive yachts. 
I use a Daler Rowney 150g/m2 acid free cartridge paper, A5 landscape sketch book, fully bound. It allows me to paint over two pages .I won’t buy one with a ring binding.

The painting on the left here is a watercolour painting on ‘proper’ paper that I did on the previous cruise to St Petersburg. June 2011. That was a different experience but a great one. At least the paint didn't dry so quickly as in the Caribbean where it was a glorious 80 degrees every day we were there, away from the winter blues at home!

Catherine the Great's Palace,St Petersburg