Most of the time my watercolor sketchbook is a visual journal and I try to incorporate part of my life in my sketch of the day. But I don't always think that I have enough time, or the perfect location, and I skip a wonderful opportunity.
Catherine Carey of In and Out of the Studio wrote about this recently and I remembered it while we were eating a quick lunch with our 7 year old grandson after we took him to MoMA.
Catherine said,
"In this week's sketchbook journal workshop we have been talking a lot about painting very simply and quickly. It is not about laboring over a masterpiece. It is about getting the impression of "here and now" on the journal page.
I understand that it is difficult to take a chance on a page being less than perfect, or even less than good, because someone might look at it, and of course, we will look at it ourselves and feel as if we have failed if it isn't great (or good).
I think that I have made a dicision somewhere along the line that has made it easier to "let go" and just get it on the page quickly and simply. There are a lot of things in this world, and if I labor too long over each page, I'm just not going to be able to get to all those things. If I just do snippets here and there, I'm going to be able to cover a lot more ground.
Decide what it is that made you stop to paint - and paint THAT. Then move on!"
So I sketched during our special lunch, just the scene of the area where waiters were placing orders, and picking up bills, menus, etc. And Henry watched the drawing and then the painting, with great interest, making lunch and my journal page more special. I sketched what was in front of me quickly and painted it, and then was ready to move on! Now - to remember this!
