#Sketchbookfloozy challenge week 2! Audubon Painting!

Hi friends! Yesterday, I spent 5 hours at the local Audubon Society’s “Brush with Nature” event. Before I went, I took an old scrapbooking template and traced rectangles (and a circle) across a 2-page spread in my sketchbook. I didn’t want to get bogged down with details or a large painting because I was afraid I would spend all day just trying to decide what to paint. This way, I could pick lots of things! Here is the finished spread:

I spent 5 hours on location, granted I wasn’t painting 100% of the time. There was wandering and chatting, but I painted for over 4 hours for sure. Then I spent a bit of time tidying up things at home. These are two 9″x12″ pages that I probably spent 5 hours on in total. I say this so that you realize the time that goes into the “aesthetic” sketchbook page spreads. It’s rare that I (or probably most people) have that much time to paint in a day, so don’t feel like you need to do a completed painting in your book. A sketch can be just a sketch. Here are closeups of the spreads:

I took lots of photos while I was there, but looking back at them, many were such a chaotic jumble of fallen trees and rocks that don’t make much sense unless you are there and can get close to the elements you want. I posted the best ones that I think you might like. Feel free to paint from any of them, and if you share them on Instagram or Facebook, tag me @lindsayweirich. If you are on Facebook and what a like-minded community my friend Joe manages the Lindsay’s Frugalites group, it’s a fun and encouraging space for artists of any level who enjoy my tutorials.

I started the #sketchbookfloozy challenge as a way to use my beautiful sketchbooks and to give back to the art community that I have benefited so much from. There aren’t any rules, but feel free to be inspired by the comic book-style layout I used today or by the photos. Have fun, enjoy, and create!

Here is a pick of my favorite travel palette. It is always in my car, ready for my next adventure. It is the Portable Painter, and I love that it has two water buckets that keep it off the ground or allow me to wear it over my leg while I paint. You can find this palette on Blick, Amazon, or directly from the Portable Painter website. If you order from their website, you can save 10% with the coupon code FRUGAL.

That’s all for me today! I hope you have fun with this challenge and it inspires you to use your beautiful supplies. Until next time, happy crafting!