Issue No. 6: A Road Trip in Europe
Visiting new countries, a ski trip for a non-skier, and a still-life challenge
Make sure to you see the still-life painting challenge at the end of this email! It is going to be a fun week!
Last week I flew to Zurich, Switzerland, with my husband and younger son for a road trip, some skiing (they ski, I do not), and to visit two old friends from Philadelphia who happen to live in Zurich. My husband, Malcolm, is the vacation planner, especially when it comes to skiing. I tried to ski when our boys were little, but as soon as they were better than me, and left me alone on the bunny slopes, I gave up. They were about five and eight when this happened. Skiing just isn’t for me, and accepting this was very hard for Malcolm, as he tried and tried to get me to like the sport. Each time he tried, I complained about being uncomfortable and scared, and just hated the idea that we had paid money for me to be frustrated. Eventually we came to an understanding: I go along for the trips, we all wake up together and have breakfast, and then they go off to ski and I wander through the towns, sit by the fire, and draw and paint. We are all happy this way.
“I believe you travel to confirm your ideas, and whatever you can’t confirm you discard… In a certain sense, you redesign yourself when you’re traveling.” —Ettore Sottsass
While the trip was organized around skiing in Switzerland and Austria, we were able to visit two other countries as well: Liechtenstein, for a quick lunch, and Germany, for one hour in downtown Munich. Four countries in seven days! My fifteen-year-old is very keen on adding to his countries list, so we made the stop in Germany for him. Munich is beautiful, from the little we saw, and I hope to spend more time there in the future.
When I began the trip, I intended on starting a new, larger-sized sketchbook. I recently made a new one and brought it along, thinking I would have so much to record. (I make my own sketchbooks and have a tutorial here on Substack under the paid portion if you are interested.) But instead of opening the new book, I decided to finish a smaller one that I’ve had in my bag for a few months now. It’s about 4.25 by 5.25 inches, so all the pages I’m sharing from the trip are very small.
Filling these pages took more effort than they would have in the past, as I’m a little out of practice from my daily sketch journaling; I’ve been focused on creating pieces outside of a sketchbook. But going through the process and finishing this little book gave me a new appreciation for my former self, who was able to get so many drawings and memories onto a single travel journal page. I’m impressed by how much I recorded on previous trips. It is an interesting thing to be grateful for and to praise something you yourself were able to do at a different time in life. What I perhaps now lack in quantity, I’m making up for in a pleasing shift in my process. These days, I’m working on being quicker and less fussy with the outcome. There’s a looseness to my work that I am so happy with. The illustrations below, of my son skiing and of the ski lift, each took about thirty minutes. Just a few marks can express so much.
This weekend I am teaching a workshop in Brooklyn with my friend
about sketching on location, so when I was in Munich, I approached the last drawing in the same style and approach that I will demonstrate on Sunday. As you can see on the left side, the lines and marks are merely suggestive of the activity happening on the adjacent street. The focus is on the bicycle and the signage, so the rest could be very loose.
If you would like to learn more about my approach to keeping a sketch journal during your travels, I share prompts and challenges in my book Draw Your World. The pages reproduced in the book are some of my most treasured travel pages. I absolutely loved creating and writing this chapter. In fact, I’ve often thought about writing a whole book on the subject: Draw Your Travel or Draw Your Adventures. What do you think?
A Still Life Challenge with Ohn Mar Win
Get ready to unleash your creativity and take part in a fun 7-day Still Life Painting Challenge alongside me and Ohn Mar Win!
Mark your calendars for March 13th through March 19th and get ready to embark on a week-long artistic adventure!!
Each day, we'll provide you with stimulating prompts and inspiration to help you produce stunning still life paintings. You're welcome to use any range of mediums and techniques, so feel free to explore and experiment to your heart's content.
This challenge is the ideal opportunity to challenge yourself artistically and broaden your horizons by trying new things. Join us and connect with other talented artists as we embark on this exciting journey together.
To participate, simply submit your entries on Instagram using the same hashtag we used for our previous challenge, #samanthaandohnmar7day. We'll be sharing your amazing creations in our stories throughout the challenge, so make sure to follow along and see what other artists come up with!
Please keep in mind that if you have a private account, you can still participate by sending us images through direct message or email.
We have super prompts lined up for each day - make sure to incorporate at least ONE of these into your still life composition on the day to make it truly remarkable!
March 13th- Round Fruits
March 14th- Flowers
March 15th- Vases & Bowls
March 16th- Bottles & Glasses
March 17th- Books & Writing Implements
March 18th- Candles
March 19th- Kitchen Utensils
Feel free to set up your still lives with only the subjects we have listed or you can mix it up - the choice is yours.
We're eagerly anticipating the mini masterpieces you'll be producing! Follow Ohn Mar and myself on Instagram stories, as we’ll be sharing your marvelous works all week long.
Here are a few tips for your still life studies:
• Choose your objects: Select a few objects that have contrasting shapes and sizes (small, medium and large) Consider how they might interact with each other, and choose items that will create visual interest when placed together.
• Choose your background: Use a simple, plain background that won't compete with your objects.
• Lighting: Set up your still life in a well-lit area, preferably near a window with natural light. You can also use artificial light to enhance or manipulate the lighting.
• Composition: Experiment with different arrangements until you find a composition that you're happy with.
• Experiment with angles: Try setting up your still life at different angles, and don't be afraid to move around and try new perspectives.
• Keep it simple: Start with just a few objects, and avoid cluttering your scene with too many elements. A simple still life can be just as impactful as a complex one.
I like both ideas, but especially Draw Your Adventures because they can happen in the every day. I think road or day trips are perfect for recording in a sketchbook.
Yes please - new book. Draw your Adventures would probably be more useful for me because I don't have the money to travel, and am alone. I need to be able to see adventure in the typical.