Laurelines

Be good. Do good. Wonder. (And travel light.)

This is what the sidewalk told me this morning, as I made an intense hour-long power walk, hoping to clear my head and calm my mind. 

  In the midst of a summer that continues in too many ways to be... trying, the exhortation to be good and do good and to keep my sense of wonder is perfect, just what I needed to be reminded of. 

 Wednesday, I'm off to Portland, Oregon, you may remember, for the Urban Sketchers Symposium and I can't wait! I know I will come back bursting with energy, inspiration, and creativity. I will certainly have many images to share here. 

Here's my newly streamlined sketching equipment---I HAD to go lighter. I had way too much stuff to lug around in Normandy in late May! Here you see my travel Schmincke paintbox, altered to hold some full pans, Kuretake brush pens filled with acrylic inks, Cretacolor oil pencils, various other brushpens, and a couple of Maruman sketchbooks, both of which Jerry's Artarama has insanely decided to drop from their inventory!!

 I have been trying, these past two weeks, to collect myself, to be tranquil and to let my artist's soul be filled again. That process continues.

See you in a few days! 

Last garden sketches and some wishes

Some things I wish for:

• rain
• a good night's sleep
• more time 

I can't do anything about the rain, but I can try to simplify the things that are in my control and that is what I'm going to do. And it'll be fun. 

I'm going to take a short break and snatch some time to play and rest and dream. 

I've got two fun trips in July, though, one next weekend to the wedding of a close family friend in Bloomington and the second during the last weekend in July to Portland, Oregon for the first Urban Sketchers' symposium! I'll be posting about both, but of course. And other stuff, too, whenever it emerges and whatever it is.

Here are the last sketches from gardens in France: Happy July, everyone! Thank you so much for your interest and your support--I'm very grateful for both.