I was on my way. I'd left my home airport and was at JFK, waiting to board my flight for Iceland. But wait, my passport.... it was gone. GONE. VERY gone.
I, a most meticulous and frequent traveler, obsessive about my passport, had lost it... and then someone must have picked it up and kept it. I, along with my husband, airline, airport, and TSA employees at JFK AND my home airport looked everywhere. Gone.
SO. My husband and I drive to DC Monday for an appointment with the US Passport Agency where, I HOPE, they will give me a replacement one. Then we drive home.
Then, the very next day, we begin again our journey to Iceland. I have rebooked all hotels, flights, etc. exactly the way they were... just seven days later.
Cross your fingers all goes well this time!
This forced hiatus has allowed me to test drive some of the supplies I'd packed to take. I was very eager to try a Strathmore sketchbook with toned gray paper, my new Stillman & Birns Delta sketchbook with heavy-duty cold pressed paper.. and to use again my old trusty favorite drawing tools from art school, Caran d'Ache watercolor crayons. I figure I'll be sketching fast and loose (even more than I usually do) and in inclement weather... so the crayons will be perfect for getting down tones, gestures, textures FAST. I'll use them with other drawing materials, too.
I made sketches from photographs and sketches from my last Iceland trip and from references I found on the internet...just to get the feel of Iceland again. Some of these remind me of my sketches of Norway, which makes complete sense.
Here are some I've done. It will be so interesting, don't you think, to see how the ones done on site will differ from these? These do have, of necessity, a slightly generic feel about them.

I am SO sorry you hit this snag...but then, it looks as if you turned the time to really good use...
Posted by: Cathy Johnson (Kate) | September 28, 2012 at 06:17 PM
I don't know whether to find it reassuring or worrying to know that these kind of calamities can happen even to you! However I am pleased to know you still use and love Caran D'Ache watercolour pencils! I still have my earliest set, though some - the dark blue, notably - are quite stumpy, and they were later superseded by Derwent ones.
Hope the journey goes well next week, and you return with even more wondrous things to show for it!
Posted by: Lucy | September 28, 2012 at 04:14 PM