Sketching & Walking

W&N Sepia Calligraphy Ink, Montblanc pen & waterbrush

As daylight saving ended today I managed to get out of bed early enough to go for a walk. I made this sketch in a cheap book (not confident about what I would achieve) as I returned to town through the olive groves.

Drypoint etching of Dermott

I've reworked the zinc plate for the above print with a diamond tipped drypoint tool. Zinc is not as pleasing to work as copper so I don't think I will be economising in future. Anyway, as HWEM points out, there's probably a limited demand for prints of our dog with his begging bowl.

Art Map

Map! is a four letter word. I'm not good with maps - well that's what HWEM* says. He says I can't read a map. He usually says this when he is sitting behind the steering wheel - going too fast - missing our turn-off!

The Christmas before last there were two identical presents under our Christmas tree. We had each bought the other a TomTom portable GPS Car Navigation System. Since we now only have one car it was obviously a last ditch attempt, on both our parts, to save our marriage.

The story has a happy ending because, even though I had warned him: 'Don't buy me anything you want yourself!', I got to take the one he bought me back to the store, where I gave the nice young Italian a bit more money, and got myself the Nikon D40x digital camera I'd really wanted.

Where is this ramble going? It's going on a ramble! Some of you will recall I joined the Sketchercise Ning a while back as one of a group of artists who like to walk for pleasure and exercise and sketch along the way. Sketchercise was created by Katherine Tyrrell of Making a Mark. Joining gave me a tremendous boost because I actually started painting little watercolours en plein air.

Recently some of the clever people at Sketchercise started posting links to Google Maps that outlined the routes they took on their walks. Ignoring the fact that map! is a four letter word, I wanted to get with the technology and make my own Google Map which would not only include the route but photos of my paintings where I painted them. Easy! Well, not exactly. It may be a problem with my Mac not having an Intel processor but I still can't post a photograph on a Google Map, so I've come up with two alternative versions.

1. A map marking the routes of my regular walks.


2. A map showing my paintings on location.


I have lost a couple of days trying to sort this out but I thought some of you with smarter computers; more technological nous; time on your hands, might like to map where you paint and sketch and share it with the world.

* HWEM - He Who Encourages Me

Montecchio watercolour

Montecchio with Vine 3" x 3" watercolour

Here is the fruit of this morning's Sketchercise. The grapes are already growing fat and in the distance is the castle of Montecchio, gifted to the English mercenary, Sir John Hawkwood (1320 - 1394) by the grateful rulers of Florence. I suspect Sir John was a bit of a thug who would change sides between the city states for a few dollars more. He's well worth reading about.

The wonderful thing about Sketchercise is that I'm home again each morning by 9am with a sketch or painting under my belt. Prior to Sketchercise I would still be in bed with my laptop looking at other people's paintings.

Tree in Morning Light watercolour

3"x3" (15cm) on Cartiera Magnani 6"x6" rough watercolour block

Tree in Morning Light

Working in this new small format I'm hoping to paint a watercolour every morning while I'm out doing my Sketchercise walk.

The sun was brutally bright behind this group of trees and it wasn't long before it burst out from behind and blinded me. I hope I've managed to capture the light on the little olive tree.

Chiesa di Mammi - Watercolour Tuscany

Watercolour W&N Cotman 10" x 7" sketchbook

I took the high road for the first time today - a return trip of 5.4 Km, half of which was directly up hill! I've been walking every morning this week as usual but not sketching, so I felt I owed a sketch to our Sketchercise Ning.

The little church of Mammi (above) is high in the hills above our town. It was a demanding hike for what should have been my day of rest!

The view was certainly worth the effort though.

Castiglion Fiorentino and surrounding olive groves

Closer to home.

Apricot Tree in Watercolour

Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

After yesterday's morning walk I headed out to the farm to pick some apricots. Apricot picking is accomplished by vigorous shaking of the tree and then scrabbling around on the ground trying to gather up the fruit before the ponies steal it all. In my next life, I think I'll come back as one of Jean's ponies - living in the orchard, making an endless feast of cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, and plums.

Ponies in the orchard

Me in my next life.

Anyway before we shook the tree I made a little watercolour sketch as my 4th contribution to Vivien's Tree Challenge.

Sketching Trees

Pencil in cheap sketch book ( that's why you can see the ghost of Raspberries).

Expect to see a few trees here in the coming weeks. I've joined Vivien Blackburn's Tree Challenge on her blog, Painting, Prints & Stuff.

The Tree Challenge fits in rather nicely with my other current obsession, Sketchercise. I'm walking six mornings per week - about 4km. Still haven't worked out how to post the Sketchercise badge on my blog though - so I'm fit but stupid!

The quick sketch of the tree above (must ask Jean what it's called) is beside the pool where I did my first laps of the season (after walking 4km, so I'm extremely stupid!). Too exhausted to move I turned around and sketched another tree (must ask Jean what that's called too).

Lamy pen in cheap sketchbook

Lime trees - painted on my walk a couple of days ago.

I'm using a beautiful sketchbook made for me by Marta for these little watercolour sketches. Gorgeous HP watercolour paper. Thanks Marta!

Watercolour Sketch - Val di Chio

Watercolour Val di Chio, Tuscany - 8am

A quick watercolour sketch made on my morning walk. It was Walk 29 this morning but my unpaid personal trainer, Cath has taken off to the seaside so I took my sketching stool, waterbrush and a small tin of paints along instead.

I've joined Sketchercise - an inspiring group of people who like to walk and sketch, started by Katherine Tyrrell of Making a Mark. I suggest you read Katherine's blog about it here. Quite a lot of friends have joined up already.

Oh, and I've also joined Twitter - is there no end to my foolish enthusiasm?!