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| What one's travel journal may look like |
A very interested and lively crowd attended. Most described themselves as being “artists”, who worked in media ranging from watercolor, oil and pastel, to mixed media and digital graphics. There were many SAA members, and most of the non-members requested SAA membership applications.
Gina Thorne opened the workshop, with an overview and showing of a vast array of materials available to travel journal artists. Thorne described why she tried different materials, and why she finally decided on a small watercolor kit that she currently uses while traveling.
Phil Wallace, a watercolorist and cartoonist, showed his traveling bag of simple art materials; unobtrusive, and easy to pack and carry. Wallace described his approach to travel journaling; after
contemplating various aspects of an interesting site, he captures a scene or people by recording
impressions, rather than exact details. His sketches, touched with dabs of watercolor, reveal a deft, less-is-more quality, demonstrating that an artist needs only a few materials to produce good art. Wallace then passed around his sketchbooks filled with interesting images, and some signature cartoon-like figures.
Barbara Shay MacDonald then gave humorous accounts of experiences in exotic countries, and
described, in vivid detail the often poignant circumstances surrounding each of her sketches, and the people in them. The “sketches” were beautiful, showing fountains, classic buildings, and people sitting outside or in cafes. She was later joined by Janet Paterson, (coming in later from her double-win at the Dobbs Ferry Beaux Arts Exhibit) who showed exquisite watercolor paintings of their trip to the Provence region of France. Both artists then circulated their sketches and paintings, and judging by the ooos and ahhhs of the crowd, they were quite well-received.
The audience asked many questions of the presenters, and gathered to get closer looks at the art materials and images. Everyone seemed to be inspired by what they saw and heard and apparently enjoyed the presentation immensely.
At the end, Thorne challenged the group to begin their own travel journals over the summer, which she insisted, could contain sketches made in backyards, sitting in the local park, as well as in foreign lands. She promised that if they kept the journals, and presented them to the presenters, that SAA would have an exhibit of their journaling work in the Fall. Most attendees agreed to this, others agreed to at least try journaling.
The workshop ended on a high note, with most providing their contact information, gathering around to see more artwork, ask more questions, and visiting the cookie-table once more before departing.
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