Stairs by Donna Pidlubny First Published
Jun 12, 2013 1:54 PM
When travelling I always take my sketchbook, graphite, watercolor and ink pencils and a stick of ink. They work best for travelling light. I also take a synthetic brush or two, the kind that has the water in the handle and a pen nib.
I have never sketched well in crowds, so I look for places that are off the beaten path. One such sojourn led me to an old ruin on the waters edge. I'm not sure what it was when it was in its full glory but I like to think of it as an old monastery.
The first sketches were rough, but helped me get a feel for the shapes and perspective. Then to color to draw out the textures. The interior was easy to see with the bright southern sun burning in from both ends, but lacked color. It wasn't until the suns light reflecting up from the waters below, that the colors sprang to life. The dull stone started bouncing and dancing with color. It only lasted a few minutes so I had to work quickly to capture the dazzling colors.
I'm so glad I had my sketchbook with me while hiking around the waters edge. There are gifts everywhere, we just need to be open to them and be prepared to act. Oddly enough, when I took a photo, the colors didn't show up in the image. A misfire by the camera, or did I connect to something that was only in my minds eye? I'll let you be the judge.
Technology has come a long way, and now we travel with a connectivity we take for granted. This can work to the advantage of an artist. Membership has it benefits with Fine Artists World Gallery. If you can take a good quality photo of your sketch or painting while travelling, you can send it directly to your folder to be added to your online gallery as soon as it's complete. Just think, you could be selling prints of your work as you go. You can write about it in your travel blog, send fans to your gallery and they can purchase a print of the work you created earlier in the day. You could also let me know if you would like to have a solo exhibition of the work you send this way. Mounting a show without ever needing to do any of the work your self.
Travelling for an artist is an endless source of inspiration. The places we go and the people we meet all contribute to our creative development. We need to be in the location to soak up the culture and the color, to get a feel for the place. And now, like never before we can share it as it happens.
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