The Art of a Sketchbook

Spring is in the air

I didn't realize how many flowers I've sketched through-out the years until I started looking through my sketchbook for something to share with you all.

Sketchbook, Flowers in Basket and Rhody, © Nancy Van Blaricom

Both of the above sketches are from the same sketchbook.  I started this sketchbook looking pretty clean and neat.  A little more "proper" if you will ... it didn't end up like that though.  This sketchbook wasn't suppose to be used with watercolor, the pages wrinkled but I found if I didn't over saturate the paper it was acceptable.  This one was dated: March 20th, 1996.

Sketchbook, Graphite drawing & Contour Daffy's, © Nancy Van Blaricom

These two sketches came out of one of my spiral sketchbooks.  The first one was a vase of flowers I had seen in a magazine.  I didn't note that, but I remember the scene and how pretty the vase was.  The next was a contour drawing of a daffodil. 

Sketchbook, Red Tulips & Still Life Watercolor © Nancy Van Blaricom

Flowers must have been on my mind a lot more than I realized.  I don't see a date on these, but it was from one of my earlier sketchbooks.  I think I was trying out different 'loose' styles with watercolor.

Sketchbook, Splashy Mums & Hydranga © Nancy Van Blaricom

The sketches with watercolor are not always neat and tidy as you can see here. These look much better on  my monitor than in my sketchbook.   Date on the Hydranga is 7/25/00

      Sketchbook, Iris Splashy 1 & Iris Splashy 2 © Nancy Van Blaricom

There are times when I pick a subject like an iris from the yard and attempt to sketch it on different days. Both of these were painted / sketched in a very loose manor.  Very whimsical and fun looking I think.  Dated 4/06/01 on the left & 4/07/01 on the right.

There are plenty more flower in my sketchbooks but this is enough for now.

Until next time ... Keep on sketching.