Hi!
I’ve been busy digging out some previous works, specifically – raptor art that was used in a calendar. Had “fun” mounting them on wood panels and next will protect with wax coatings.
I plan to display these at an upcoming art event, more news on that to follow. 😉
Note: They will be added to my Etsy page, or contact me directly if interested in any.
Also thought I’d show what else is available! 
Here’s a short video of my latest completed sketchbook. This sketchbook was purchased from Art Safari, and with its nice quality paper, and a larger size, I really enjoyed filling it up!
Started in Scotland, it ended this year with some new techniques and ideas after a couple online art classes. The looser I get with ink and paint, the more fun I have!
Hello, well it’s certainly been a while! Thank you for following, even when it’s been too long between posts!
My art has been posted on FB and IG, but I haven’t been sending emails, and I apologize for that. I will make a 2025 effort to post at least once a month, so we don’t lose touch. 🥰
Here’s just a few quick sketches to show just how much I adore a good rock. These are from photos taken at Pyramid Mountain in NJ last year. It was full of HUGE boulders! You may notice a slight style difference, I’ve been working on a few new techniques (here I’ve used graphite instead of ink) to help loosen my style.
Still not sure “how much” rocks rock? 😉 
Last night’s B&B was just up the road from Eilean Donan, so that was the first stop today. This castle, situated on an island, was used by Clan Mackenzie. The original was destroyed in 1719, then rebuilt in the 1920s. We didn’t cross the bridge to go inside, but enjoyed a bit of sunshine while we sketched.
Eilean Donan castle
Next up was Portree, a colorful town on Skye. Being here on a Sunday, it was very quiet, with only a few food places open. I did attempt to draw the colorful row of buildings, but quickly realized a photograph would do. Too many lines and rooflines! Instead, I turned to the water and did a more relaxing sketch with simple lines. 🙂.
Portree, Isle of Skye
View from Portree
We then headed north to the Old Man of Storr, a sturdy ragged profile of spiked rocks. Images of this scene were what drew me to Scotland! I had thought I’d do the short but steep hike, but decided not to. A much easier choice was to sit and sketch part way up the trail.
Old Man of Storr
The final sketch site of the day was Kilt Rock. This is a stunning cliff formation that has a nice viewing platform. It was later afternoon, and I think this was on every tourist’s list for that time! A bus would arrive and unload the camera-wielding visitors. They shoot their shots, then back to the bus they go, leaving us a bit of peace until the next bus. What can I say – we were tourists too!
Kilt Rock
The final journey of the day was (I thought) a short drive across the Trotternish peninsula. I was SO wrong! It wasn’t that long, but – the entire way was a narrow, twisty, mountainous road. Here’s where I thanked my lucky stars that Cathy was driving! When a vehicle approached from the opposite direction, one vehicle needed to reverse to a place so the other could pass. I think we both were holding our breath until we got to the end. Cathy would remind me (loudly) to watch for approaching vehicles! 😂
But there were sheep! Lots of baby lambs, they were so adorable! 🐑 Still, I know whenever I return to Scotland, that road will be avoided!
Just a wee bit more of our driving tales to come, stay tuned! 🏴
So we did have a few days in Edinburgh, and later I may share our adventures there and in England, but for now here are the places we visited on our drive. (And it was a LOT of driving!)
Day 2 we left our B&B in Inverness and first headed south to Urquhart Castle. It’s abandoned, except for tourists (like us) and located on Loch Ness. (Cue Nessie jokes…) We spent quite a while there, with lots of sketching viewpoints and a cafe and gift shop.
Urquhart Castle.
at Urquhart Castle
at Urquhart Castle
Continuing south, we stopped at Invermoriston Falls, which feeds into Loch Ness. Finding a summer house allowed us to sit and sketch under a roof – excellent for the unpredictable Scotland weather!
Invermoriston Falls
From there, we turned west and found a steep and narrow road leading to stunning views from Ratagan Pass. It was a little chilly, but the sun kept trying to peek through. I wasn’t happy with my on-site sketch, so I tried it again at home. They’re nearly identical, wonder why I bothered! 😆
Ratagan Pass
Ratagan Pass 2nd try
Leaving Ratagan, we arrived at our last B&B before entering the Isle of Skye.
stay tuned for our Isle of Skye dramatic landscapes!
What do you think is in Scotland? It’s not your typical place to go to escape a northeast winter/ early spring. But I saw some photos and decided that’s where sketching inspiration is!
I ended up with an artist friend I met in New Zealand – way back in 2020. We’ve stayed in touch and when I mentioned I was planning to go, Cathy decided to join me. I am SO glad she did, as I had the absolute pleasure of first visiting her in England, and off we went to tour Scotland together.
I had found a company that rents your car, takes care of accommodations (with breakfasts) and even had our ferry ride reserved.
It seemed like a good idea – until I tried driving on the other side of the road. Cathy was kind enough to take over after I gave it a few tries. 🥴
Never mind my driving skills, we had great fun finding amazing places to sketch, and exhausting travels each day.
Our first day leaving Edinburgh we headed to Dunkeld, where we stopped at Black Lin Falls.
Black Lin Falls
Carrbridge
From there, we headed north and stopped at Carrbridge, a lovely stone arched bridge.
We passed the Cairngorms, lovely mountains, but my planning didn’t leave us enough time to appreciate them.
What we saw our first day driving helped us realize – this is where we needed to be. The people, the unique scenery, and the dramatic mountains were excellent sketch subjects.
Follow along for tomorrow’s travels!
This post is intended for my creative friends, but may be helpful for anyone who thinks they should just stop “doing” (fill in the blank).
Here are several attempts at planning a larger painting… 
I started liking only one of the last page, then decided to give it another try. And I thought, oh this one might have some promise!
Finally, even though this one has little to do with the previous tries, it’s one I’m pretty happy with. (Inner critic says it SHOULD be looser). I just tell my inner critic to be quiet, and then I relax and plan on my next ones!
So my creative friends, please don’t give up. Your imagination can inspire you and others to continue. 🫶🏼🥰
Although it’s been a while since you’ve seen a post from me, I have (really!) been busy making art. Just haven’t made the time to share it. So here’s some of my latest…
About a month ago, there was an art display in Narrowsburg, NY. The requirement was the size could not be larger than 6”x6”. There were so many entries, giving lots of inspiration! I decided some of my hike sketches might work in that size, so I ordered several wood panels, and got to work. A good way to present watercolors is to mount it to the board, then coat it with a wax resist. Now you have a piece that’s ready to hang, or just sit on a shelf.
These first two are from Shohola Falls. It was a calm sunny day, and I had most of the place to myself to sit and sketch, or just enjoy the music of the falls. The small island in the lake needed to be sketched, as it was begging to be noticed. (It seems the waterfalls get all of the attention.)
The next two are from Three Mountain Ponds hike near the Delaware Water Gap. This is the “third” pond I guess, and what a treasure it is. The first time I saw it, I fell in love with the simplicity and calm feeling of it. The other – bent tree is an example of “trees with character”. Every tree has its own personality and this one says “Get out of my way, I’m growing!” 😉
Finally, I’ve actually used up a sketchbook! Typically I give up and go on to the newest sketchbook because of my adhd (Artist Delusional Head Dreams 🙃). Happy to share this “old tree” I saw on a recent local drive-about during an artist studio tour.
Older trees (like us humans) have SO much character. They resonate in my soul, so a sketch is a way to honor the seasons they’ve endured, the bitter freezes that didn’t fell them, and the hot dry summers that didn’t do them in.
Before adding color
