If our inaugural Summer’s Sketchbook last year was any indication of what’s to come this summer, I couldn’t be more excited to see the sketches that unfold over the new few months.
Introducing Summer’s Sketchbook 2014.
sketching
An illustrated love letter to Salt Spring Island
Right in the middle of perfectly ordinary moments – moments that happen by circumstance or serendipity – life is made extraordinary. And this, I’m slowly learning, is the real magic of Salt Spring.
Notes on sketching the places we call home.
I know I won’t ever lose my love for sketching faraway places – but for now, I’m grateful to be turning my sketchbook’s attention (and my own) to views a little closer to home.
Introducing the Great Affair’s newsletter.
It’s on milestones like today, when I can look back and remember how much leaving London felt like a giant leap into the unknown, that I’m filled with so much gratitude that I’ve been able to keep going.
Sketching the edge: Notes from Mile Zero.
Here on the edge of a country, you have only a crystalline sea and the sky above you. You must trust those other lands are there; that the only land is not just the one behind you. You must trust it is also a beginning.
Introducing the Great Affair’s new look…and my new outlook.
Blog makeovers end up meaning much more than we expect. As you work through the new layout, it gives you a chance to dig below the surface, and to reflect on why you started writing it in the first place.
Sketch of the month: February edition.
I found that my brief encounter with Leena had been its own source of quiet energy for me. Her questions and kind smile remained me for a long time, imbuing each stroke of my paintbrush with a renewed sense of peace and purpose.
Travel sketch of the month: January edition.
As we kick off 2014, let us leave space in our schedules to wander, to walk for the pure sake of walking, to linger over a second cup of tea. But most importantly, let us never doubt ourselves for doing so.
Sketching Christmas spirit: Poinsettias and post office revelations.
Geraldine reminded me of a valuable truth that afternoon: that no matter what the crazy retailers want us to believe, Christmas isn’t about what we’re going to get or give. It’s about celebrating what we already have.
Sketch of the month: December edition.
The hills were equally arresting. I couldn’t stop staring at them, shielding my eyes from the sun as I tried to burn their image to my memory forever. When I think about it now, they offered me a bit of their clarity on a day when I felt anything but.