Summer Time Sketches

This summer I have made it a goal to take my sketchbook with me on all my outdoor adventures in an effort to improve my sketching skills. Its much more challenging to draw and paint in Plein air (working on location) than it is from a photograph you must work quickly and deal with the elements and since I use a pen there is no erasing. The following are a few of my sketches done on location this summer and later watercolored at home.

Clackamas River from Lazy Bend Campground

Unfortunately this was the location of a large forest fire that has been burning for the last 2 weeks so much of the forest in this scene is burned to a crisp.

Ocean Side Beach, OR

this was a challenging sketch because it was crazy windy that day at the beach hence all the kites and windsurfers

Backpacking Trip to Jefferson Park, OR

Fly fishing Scout lake

Mt. Jefferson from campsite

Russell Lake from campsite

Bays lake

Here is a picture of me in on top of Park Ridge action!

Now that it Fall and the weather is starting to turn,  I hopefully will be doing more painting at home. My plan is to use some of these sketches as a basis for a new series of landscape paintings. 

thanks for looking