Plein Air Watercolor Sketching

These days, when so very much is so obviously at stake more even than usual, it is sometimes a great solace to lose oneself in sketching a complex scene, without too much regard for the outcome.  The weather has turned marvelous, helping this bit of escapism to flourish.  Moreover, a new set of field watercolors has arrived, making experimentation–as well as getting outside–absolutely the order of the day.

Illustration:  Photo of newly arrived Yarka St. Petersburg paints set up with a bit of Uhu Tac under each pan and marked for “lightfastness” according to the manufacturer’s claims

So, when early this week I found myself enjoying a park-like setting together with  some of those closest to me, it was quite natural to sketch some architectural scenes around me.

There is always so much detail that one can’t capture particularly in a short time, but perhaps the impression of these majestic buildings, part of a national historic landmark-registered site in Towson, Maryland, comes through in the watercolor sketch.  If the news at large gets still more difficult to absorb, it appears that one remedy will be to focus on some really ornate rococo architectural details!!  (And, while it is too early to evaluate the Yarka paints, it already has been fun to try them out.)

 

Illustration: Watercolor sketch in a Stillman & Birn Beta journal, “Towson, Maryland”, by Black Elephant Blog author