Back in the studio

I'm back from a short break and a little travel time.  Heat, new sights, new places and  new inspiration accompanied me.  Unfortunately the inspiration seemed to take a nosedive when I entered the studio.  Some careful consideration of the direction I want to go in is needed again to get my sea legs under me once more.

As usual when travelling I have very little time to devote to sketching or painting unless the holiday is devoted to that task, so I squeeze it in when I can.  This time, I stole some sketching time while relaxing in a hotel and also on a ferry.  Those times, when not much else can intrude on life tend to be the best times for me to concentrate on sketches.

I sketched these hotel room views in a 6 x 12 multimedia sketchbook with a micron pen.

Being a water baby, I gravitate towards the beach and ocean wherever I go.  In PEI  I wasn't disappointed in terms of sand and warm waters.  The red sand reflecting through the water should make for some interesting paintings.  I was struck by contrasts a lot in this trip.  The bright sun helped with strong shadows, emphasizing colours.

I took a ferry to Grand Manan, a small island off New Brunswick and spent a few hours exploring the nooks and crannies there.  Its a compact community spread over the rocky land, fueled by the lobster fishery and tourism.  There I discovered an abandoned sardine smokehouse 'village'.  There must have been a dozen large smokehouses sitting on the shoreline and with the fog that day, there was an eerie, ghost town feel walking around the silent buildings.

I did a little geneology side trip in Nova Scotia to Fox Point and Hubbard's Cove where relatives on my father's side came from and many are buried there.  There is something satisfying about walking on the same ground as they did.  And I can see why the area was appealing.  This little beach in Fox Point made me want to stay too.

Now its time to get some new work underway, get a newsletter out the door by the end of the week and pay a visit to a new art supply store in town, Urchin before heading back to the day job on Tuesday.  I'd better get moving!