Travel and Sketching: Part 2

More from the trip to Ireland, once again, I am behind on posting!

This sketch was done at the Cliffs of Moher, one of the most awesome places I have ever seen. I managed to steal about 20 minutes to sit down at a nice spot and get out the paints and brushes, even the sun came out for me! This view is looking at the cliffs that go off to the left as you approach the trails from the visitors center.

I find painting on location to be a highly enjoyable activity but for some reason, doing these quick pieces in Ireland brought me great joy, more than the usual happy to be painting experience. At these times I felt so completely in the moment and felt a strong connection with place, it all heightened my experience of travel.

The small watercolor is sitting on top of my other travel sketch journal that I used for pencil sketches and notes as we traveled the country. I am so glad I kept good notes, they have proved invaluable now that we are home.

Travel And Sketching

The last two weeks of September was spent traveling around Ireland, our first trip across the pond! It was beautiful and it was a busy two weeks scheduled full of sights and food. I took along both a regular sketchbook and a small travel watercolor set and book. I had hoped to do a painting a day but didn't quite make that goal. I did do more pencil sketching than I expected as I found it important to keep a record of all we saw, a combination of sketches and journaling was the result.

This small watercolor was done at Kylemore Abbey in the Connemara region, it is the view of the lake and mountains as seen from the walkway going up the the main house. A spectacular home and gardens, I could have spent days there and not run out of subject matter. I managed to get two small watercolors done by skipping lunch, thanks to a big breakfast! I really enjoyed the moments spent painting in Ireland and will share a few more from the trip during the next few weeks.