A Watercolor Sketch Expedition on Independence Day Weekend

Saturday morning over the holiday weekend, I stuffed a knapsack full of watercolor supplies, and trekked down a favorite path.

I found a cluster of Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) blooming along the trail, and set up my folding chair & opened my watercolor notebook to start a watercolor sketch.  

Realizing that I had forgotten to bring a cup to wash my brushes out in, I picked up a fallen leaf from a Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata), and used that instead. 

It worked!  I set to work simply sketching the gorgeous crimson blooms and plants, & playing with the variations of color I noticed on the sun-splashed leaves.

It felt so relaxing to sit & paint, immersed in the sounds of nature. Chipmunks chirped & skittered across the path nearby. Wood Thrushes and Black-Capped Chickadees sang from deep in the woods. And the breeze tousled the treetops.  

I was surprised when suddenly I heard a whirring sound and looked up to see a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird dodging rapidly among the Bee Balm blossoms.  

I watched, knowing that the view would last only a moment & tried to absorb as many details about the little bird that I could.  I painted her quickly.

I hiked back to my truck and returned home for lunch.  

Later that day, I took my art backpack out to the fence along my neighbor's cow pasture to paint.

And I created the watercolor sketch below.  I used a white Prismacolor colored pencil to add highlights to the trees along the horizon, and used Inktense watercolor pencils to create the details of the fence and grasses.

And I finished up my Watercolor Sketch Expedition with the view below of a hilltop field below our home.

I hope this summer affords you the freedom to get outdoors with your art supplies and create in nature!