This week I went on an artists trip with a group of artists. I was part of the group that traveled together in one large vehicle. It was a very pleasant drive. I really enjoy the company of artists. I learned a lot about art classes in the area, shows, and how others approach the business of art. We also talked about art in general, and there was a buzz of anticipation in the vehicle as we were headed for the resort.

The first night there I had to teach on-line, so I could not join the others for dinner, and could not explore the area. What I did, since it was late after I ate dinner, was some contour drawings. I didn't want to stress myself, and contour drawing is an important exercise that I have to admit I don't do often enough.

I was worried because it rained the whole way to the resort, and it was raining that night with a 60% chance of rain in the morning. I had been really excited about this trip, because there was a lighthouse within a short hike from the resort. I love lighthouses, and this was my primary target for the trip.

As it turned out, there was about a three and half hour break in the rain, and I used that time to draw the lighthouse. I never seem to understand the limits of my time. I packed way too many supplies. Watercolours, pen and ink, brushes for ink, charcoal, and graphite. I actually only had time for one graphite drawing of the lighthouse that morning. In the afternoon it rained and I toured a local museum with a number of our group. At night we saw an art movie about the life of an artist. The movie was very good. I was just surprised about how little time there was to draw. Before breakfast that day, I did try a quick watercolour of the resort, but the moisture in the air made it impossible to dry, and the watercolours stayed so wet they ran into each other. Not a great experience, but the result was better than I thought they would be with the moisture conditions.

Some of the attendees only took photos. I wondered why, but I guess that some prefer to work from photos, and they only took references. I also wondered if they were afraid to work from life. I know I was a bit intimated, in case others wanted to see my work. As it worked out I used some of my photos of the lighthouse to add details I didn't get when I was sitting outside drawing the lighthouse. I got cold and was late for lunch, so I did not quite finish. Reference photos can be invaluable for finishing off a direct drawing if weather and time cause you to quit early.

I was proud of my experience with working directly outside. I set myself up by the edge of a woods, so if it rained, I could stomp down some of the underbrush and get protection from the rain in the trees. Luckily, I didn't need to do that.

One hazard I encountered that I did not expect, was the lighthouse keepers dog. The dog was really friendly, and layed down by me, like he was mine. What I didn't realize was that the dog had snuck into my pack, and stealthily removed my bottle of brown ink. Lucky for me the lighthouse keeper caught the dog with my ink, and luckily for me the ink bottle, though plastic, only had tooth marks, but the dog hadn't punctured the bottle.

The joys of working outdoors.

I was really surprised when I came back and went sketching with my sketch club. I did a sketch of a little harbor and I was really disappointed with the results. I realized some of it was due to an experiment with brown paper and graphite (they didn't go together) and more importantly, I just didn't get excited about the subject. I spent alot of time chatting with a woman who was on the beach with her dog. I understand now what a difference real interest in the topic can make to the success of a drawing.

I can not post the drawing with this post, because I left my camera behind at lunch with the sketching club, and I have to pick it up to photo my sketch. I am including another sketch from the work I do with my sketching club.