Sketching in the garden

...at Descanso Gardens, in La Canada...where I recently had the great pleasure of teaching a "Sketching on Location" workshop series.  One of the things I enjoy most is the preparation.  I try out ways to do things with simple means--just with line, just with values, and move on from there...as I plan, I hope everyone who comes will discover something, and have a great time!

To the desert and back...

Driving out to the desert and Joshua Tree National Park in December has become an annual tradition...here are some sketches from that trip.  Starting as always, with freeway sketching...

A visit to the lube shop, and heading out on the highway on an overcast day...

 The drive takes us on many miles of freeway, into desert terrain alternating with little desert towns along the way.









Drawing something familiar invites experimenting with new tools...here, a Japanese calligraphy brush pen and some water...

 The first day in Joshua Tree is very cloudy, gray and moody...

The next day the sun is shining brightly and all the desert color emerges 

as I draw in my favorite spot, Hidden Valley...

A quick sketch of our dear friend Richard over breakfast at a funky cafe in the town of Joshua Tree...























The time goes by so quickly, and then it's time
to head home, back to the city...I bought a child's set of water-soluble pastels with bright, saturated colors...something new to experiment with on the drive home!

At the Zoo...

Every year I take students to draw at the L.A. Zoo, so like to spend some time before hand sketching there, and plan out the route in my head.  Here are some of 2013's sketches...

The meerkats--always watching the skies...

 Watching the giraffe as he bends to nibble...

Okapi...

 Francois Langurs grooming, cassowary, echidna and koala...

And a few from years past...

Watching the watchers at Mahale Mountain...

Gita, the lovely Asian Elephant who died a few years ago...I believe she was posing for me!

The watchful world of the gorillas...

Japanese Garden Festival

...is an annual fall event at Descanso Gardens in La Canada...I went to a beautiful kimono show put on by the Los Angeles Kimono Club, and learned a few things about kimono dressing.  Sensei Fumi Akutagawa, a master of many traditional Japanese arts introduced the show by saying "kimono dressing is a learned art".  I sketched some of her students of all ages...boys and girls, Japanese and non-Japanese as they paraded across an outdoor stage under the oak trees, wishing I could capture more  of the detail!

I returned the next day to see the Kishin Daiko Japanese Drumming Group performing under the oaks...

 I was really struck by the joyous expressions of the performers, especially Paige, the leader at left...

Kids were invited out of the audience to get a quick lesson in drumming...