It was time to put the long weeks behind me. The heat and humidity hit me when I came out of the airport. I'd forgotten what August in Barbados was like! No worries, however: beach, sun, relaxation... Yes, I could take advantage of all of these things to create mental space from work and renew myself.
The first day (Saturday) at the beach house was great, but I hadn't yet calmed down enough to paint or even reflect. Everyone went out on Sunday morning, leaving me with my thoughts and my art tools. The view was just stunning -- turquoise-azure-deep blue-aquamarine colors in the sea; sand a beige-yellow ochre color. Lots of photos, just one sketch to capture the colors I saw. Amazing how a sky that's ultramarine blue can provide such cool and transparent colors in the water.
Faber-Castell colored pencils.
I love crotons, their range of colors, vibrancy, and almost whiteness where the sun hits a glistening leaf. Created the background of oranges, reds, and a bit of green with pastel pencils (Derwent); used my colored pencils on top. Interesting technique, but I'm clearly still out of practice! Still, this is a
journal where I record my impressions. I have enough memories and photos to develop a painting if I want to do so.
When the others returned and were sitting on the verandah, I took the opportunity to sketch my nephew (no resemblance at all -- the eyebrows make him look much older than he is) and my cousin's husband's hat, which fascinated me with its texture and shadows. Then I tried to sketch him under it, deliberately not trying to attempt his features. Is the hat too small? You bet! It needs to be wider than it is. Next time, I must LOOK at what I'm drawing.
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