Journal pages from the Big Island, Hawaii including a few process shots. The kids and I spent 4 days there in early April.
When you’re jetlagged, an early breakfast is a lovely idea. And a kid that wakes up early and helps plan the day is a big bonus.
Volcanoes National Park is my favorite part of the island. After a huge lava flow last year, there’s no more visible lava anywhere on the island. And, so many parts of the park have changed. There are brand new landscapes, lava flows across roads and even the crater is bigger than before.
The scene above was sketched from a large glass window at Volcano Inn. The Inn has a sitting room with very tall windows to sketch from and even if you don’t stay there, you can wander in and sketch this incredible view.
Since I travelled the week of #OneWeekOneHundredPeople2019, I drew lots of people everywhere I went. Quick drawings over lunch here…
Rain is never far away in Hawaii, and when a thunder storm suddenly hit my sketch, (left) I had to run to the car, wait for a break in the clouds and then step out and call the sketch done before the next downpour. I have more than one half-finished, rain-washed sketch, and those hold so many memories.
Here’s another time I remembered to photograph my sketch as I did it. It’s hard to know when to stop, there were so many layers of vegetation!
Sketch Away: Travels with my sketchbook 
Thank you for sharing the progression of your vegetation study. It helps see what came first and so on. Love your colors and your work.
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‘Love the Rainbow Falls image–as a beginner, I have a real tough time, though, with waterfalls…how did you keep it white? It doesn’t look as if you used gesso…but it’s really white! Tell me how! P.S. We stay off the grid on the Big Island every year in the Opihikao area, 1/10 of a mile from last year’s active lava flow. Any tips for creating that sense of various textures of the black lava using watercolor–or pens?
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I just leave out the shape of the gushing water. if that’s hard for you to do directly in paint, draw it in lightly first: then paint around it and voila, you have a waterfall!
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Nice sketches, I really like your volcano creator, and the lush tropical trees.
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