Vacation sketchbook

New sketches and other things seen while away recently

    Been back from a great ten day away from the everyday for a couple of days now. We returned to Holbox, Mexico for a second go-round. The ten day mark seems to be a good enough time to release the stress and pressures of everyday life and not feel like you still need more time. At least that's how it worked for me. Holbox is a barrier island on the Yucatán peninsula about 2 hours away from Cancún. No resorts, but small hotels, good food and lots of water to cool off in. Ten days of doing next to nothing but napping, reading, haivng a drink, swimming and doing more nothing is a great refresher. 

    Since I've noticed that I don't really do much in the way of art while away on vacation, I limited the amount of art materials to some colored pencils, graphite pencils and a sketchbook. No need to add unnecessary weight to my luggage with stuff I won't use. I let a couple of days go by before I felt like doing anything artistic, but once I started, it continued for a few days. My routine was to do some drawing before or after breakfast. That seemed to be the best time for me to get something done since the rest of the time I was in the water, napping, eating or reading. 

    I've been working on some new ideas for paintings for a few months now and that proved to be great fodder for continued low risk exploration in terms of materials and time. I took these mornings to think more deeply about what I wanted to do and how I might want to pursue this work. Just having the time to think without daily distractions was almost enough for me. The cell phone service was minimal on Holbox, so that automatically took away wasted time. I also made it a point to not be online as much as possible, which turned out pretty well. Anyway, the ability to just think and let my thoughts wander was a blessing. I've returned with a much more clear idea of what I'm attempting to bring into being now. There's considerable more work to do before I'll feel comfortable with what's to come, but there's so much room to just play with the ideas now having had this free time away from the regular routines. 

    We returned Thursday evening and yesterday, I spent some time in the afternoon at the studio working on a couple of 50" x 38" works on paper; one vertical, one horizontal. I'm trying to get a feel for how each of these configurations might work once I get to larger canvases and panels. There are going to have to be a bunch of adjustments because of the differences in supports and materials; colored pencil to paint, paper to canvas and wood. 

TM

    

     

I do no art (on vacation, that is...)

View from top level of our vacation rental

    When I was younger, one of the things that I thought I'd be doing whenever I went on vacation was making drawings or some other kind of art. It was what I noticed that a lot of artists did in the past, as well as some of my peers. I fantasized about going to different cities or other places across the world and would never be without a sketchbook and drawing tool. That idea started when I was just beginning to think that I wanted to be an artist in high school. I was also very much interested in landscape and still life painting at that time and thought artists always painted and drew various things when they traveled. Many did and still do. 

    I didn't really start traveling until I was much older, in my mid-late 30s, believe it or not. By then, my artistic interests had changed dramatically. By that time, I was well into my abstract work and still keeping sketchbooks. I still have all of them, thankfully. It's always interesting to crack open an old one to see what was on my mind and what I was making then. 

    Fast forward to 2018. Julia's family made plans for a reunion of sorts in Spain, where most of her father's family lives. I took a pile of small square paper and a few drawing implements with me. It wasn't until well into that vacation that I found myself sitting down to draw anything. I made a few loose abstract drawings, but that was it. Maybe five or six.They didn't lead to anything, but are interesting drawings. On the next couple of trips, I didn't do much art making. I did a couple of things when we were in Guadeloupe, but the rest of the time, I took photos. I don't recall making any drawings in Costa Rica the next year (2019). 

    This year, Julia and I went to Holbox (Hol-bosh), a barrier island a couple of hours away from Cancun. It lasted a week and while I took a bunch of pencils, markers and drawing paper with me, I didn't touch any of it. I had plenty of time to lay around doing nothing and that's what I did. I took full advantage of not having to do anything in particular, but have a good time being away from my responsibilities for a bit. That included making art. Even as I was packing and thinking about what to take with me, I questioned even taking anything. However, the "what if?" side of my brain took control and almost one quarter of my suitcase was drawing materials. 

    We got there and I wasn't in the least bit interested in trying to make anything at all. I realized that I even needed a break from art-making, as well as everything else. I didn't feel guilty about it at all. That was just the way it was. I didn't feel compelled to make art there. Taking photos, yes, but not sitting down and drawing anything. Once I'd made it ok with myself to not make any drawings, I felt free. I didn't feel obligated to make something "just because that's what you do as an artist". For some, sure, it might be absolutely necessary to make something even while on vacation. Me? I'm realizing that when I go away, it's fine that I don't make anything. If I were away at a residency, well, that's a different story. Even though, with most residencies, you don't *have* to make anything or anything in your normal manner. 

    I'm realizing that I like taking in information, thinking about it, storing it away in my mind and taking photos that I can reference later, if I need to. I was much more interested in absorbing the atmosphere of the place and not needing to record anything artistically. There really wasn't a need. My work doesn't rely on me recording the world around me, as with landscape or figuratively based artists. Creative people need breaks from being creative people for a while. Taking time off from doing and allowing new experiences to make themselves known to you, being present with your surroundings can do wonders for your creative energy. I know that I was affected positively when I returned last week. Not only did I not make any art while away, I took time off from social media, as well. That last part has been very refreshing, so refreshing that I've extended my social media break until mid-September, once we're back from Sardinia, Italy. 

   I was talking to Rebecca Rutstein about the topic of not making art while on vacation and she felt the same way! It was really good to get that validation of my feelings towards vacation art-making. I mean, if you feel the need to make work every waking moment of your life, even while on vacation, by all means do it! We all operated differently and I'm just confirming what I've been feeling for a while now. I'm toying with the idea of not bringing anything art-related to Sardinia. It's going to be a longer trip than when we were in Holbox, but still, I'm feeling like it won't be that difficult. I'll most likely take ton of photos, but that'll be it. I'm thinking that I may take a blank journal with me to Sardinia and use it to record thoughts about the trip there. Maybe throw in a sketch or two. Only take a few small markers and pencils. I even have a roll up carrier full of pencils and small markers all ready to go. So, if nothing else, I'll have fewer art materials, but  plenty more room for clothes.

             TM