Summer Sketchbook

Many of us who have gone to public school in New England are forever stuck with the idea that summer is supposed to be a time of freedom and fun. In an effort to add some fun and freedom to my summer despite long ago leaving school, I decided to fill a small sketchbook this summer. The rules are simple. I have to not care about how it comes out. All paper is cheap, considering that it is grown in trees and shipped across oceans, but sketchbook paper is considerably cheaper than good watercolor paper, and this contributes to my sense of freedom. Sitting on the ground in the hot pineneedles or on the warm planks of a dock with my feet in the water also helps. Summertime. The fun part comes when I discover that despite not trying to hard (or more probably BECAUSE I am not trying too hard), I wind up with something that I like or that teaches me something or at least is interesting. Things come out unexpectedly realistic despite my thinking I was just messing about and indicating things like bark texture and pine needles.

Or my dog turns into a sheep.

He doesn't look like a sheep. He looks like a wolf. But I guess anything can happen when you don't care what does : )

I hope your own summer is equally free!

-Nancy Gorman