Hi! Sorry I’ve been quiet for so long, my favorite pastimes of hiking and sketching somehow went lower on my priority list lately. It’s a process, making a home fit just “so”.
But I did get out for a couple of easier local hikes, and even got some sketching done!
A month ago, I was SO determined to get a sketch in, that I didn’t let a little (downpour!) rain stop me! Hah! Needless to say, any sketches ended up being indecipherable scribbles. 😂
Recently I was able to return to Dingmans Falls when it wasn’t raining and found this lovely tree next to a stream with velvety moss on its roots. 
And yesterday, returned to a trail first tried last year. Named Tumbling Waters, it’s on PEEC property, about 3 to 4 miles long, depending if you take the side trail/ steps to the gorgeous falls. (Which we did, of course!)
Hiking with a friend who happens to be a neighbor, who also likes to stop and sketch really enriches the entire experience.
For these, I used a dark wash Derwent pencil, and a small waterbrush to create shadows. This allowed me to get simple with shapes and values. 
And that’s it for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed your summer, in spite of rain or heat or mosquitoes! Fall is just around the corner with crisp cool (bug free) days. 🍁 🍂
Appalachian trail (AT) shelter
On a recent sunny day, a neighbor joined me for a nearly 7 mile hike that went from Raymondskill Falls to Milford Knob. We sat and sketched the view, but decided next time we’d return with small seats to avoid snakes. While we’re not afraid of them, we did see 2 black rat snakes on the trail, one was 3’ long. It’s possible this one that looked curly was in fact full of eggs! 
