“Let us behold the beautiful and be beheld by the beautiful.” ~ St. Augustine
Words and pictures cannot come close to how my heart feels after spending 17 days abroad in Paris and Tuscany.
Every day, I felt so blessed.
Every day, I was surrounded by beauty.
Every day, I dreamt up new ideas.
Every day, I created art.
Every day, I felt nourished to my core.
Every day was my favorite.
I am still processing it all. There are so many memories and photos to sift through while I reflect in the slow, Italian way. I am making it last.
As you probably know, I love bringing sketchbooks on my trips, and I thought you may like a little peek into them. Links to the supplies I used are down below.
Part 1:
Strathmore mixed media sketchbook. I brought this on the plane, filling the first few pages with excited, abstract marks counting the hours until I touched down in Paris.
I’d pull out my travel watercolors on early mornings or quiet afternoons and get lost in painting little scenes that inspired me.
Part 2:
Pocket-sized journals – Moleskine and Handbound Journal Co. are my favorites.
They are the perfect size to tuck in your bag. Always pack a couple of pens if you need to share with friends. Sketching is contagious! In Italy, we always hung out at cafes, sipping cappuccinos or vino and drawing what was in front of us.
I love flipping through these journals so much! Just the feel of the paper covered with marks and filled with memories.
I hope watching these videos will inspire you to grab your sketchbook next time you are on a holiday or even a staycation and just start drawing! You’ll be filling your books in no time!
If sketching is something you are interested in, you may want to check out my sketchbook class: https://courses.andreagarvey.com/courses/the-traveling-sketchbook
Do you have a sketchbook practice now, or are you thinking about starting one? Let me know below in the comments!
xo
Andrea
Links:
The Tuscany Retreat through Cottage Table Experience with Daune Pittman.
I highly recommend any of her retreats - they are the perfect balance of culture, beauty, art, peace, community, and wonder. This is my second trip with Cottage Table - last year Renee and I traveled to Lake Como, which filled me up with that I didn’t think anything could match. I was wrong. Both trips were equally beautiful and perfect.
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