Sketching From the Car: Winter

We took a trip inland yesterday, along the historic Penobscot River (known for log drives in another era), up to "the Queen city" of Bangor (largest market town in 5 rural counties). The ride showed us New England at its snow covered, ice laced, winter's best, (she said from the warmth of the automobile). 

Small mountains, farms, fields with dried grasses popping through. So many homes looking like they could be sources for those sentimental snow scened Christmas cards, wreaths still on doors. Vehicles in yards, buried in snow, a man walking on his roof clearing snow & icicles, trees sparkling like glass in late afternoon sun along valley roads.

At one point J stopped to take a call. I got the chance to snap photos & the above quick drawing was made from one of them. I'm still trying to figure out ways to represent snow. It looks like I'll be having more opportunities as another snow storm is on the way.

I highly recommend: If you are not the driver, sketch from the car (or train or plane). 

The scenes move by quickly so you don't have time to think or be self-consious.

You just scribble madly to record glimpses.

If you are the driver, find a place to pull over to sketch at a slower pace. Of course, this works better on a back road in Maine than on the New Jersey Turnpike...

Later on you can add details from memory or color, or add narration (which I have not done to the above pages). The list method, either by writing down in the moment, or the mental list for recording later also works great when traveling.

. 

Happy 2014 to you, Dear Visitors, from me, wandering in Winter Wonderland. I recently heard it called Frozen Wasteland, but I'm going with the Wonderland view.