Marine Center--Ponce Inlet

What a better way to spend an afternoon in Florida during the August humidity than indoors! We headed over to the Marine Science Center for an afternoon of underwater creatures and injured turtles. This place is an adorable space with a lot of aquatic creatures awaiting the return to the wild. Not only were there some gigantic loggerhead turtles but there was an awesome octopus and a creepy eel! 

[LAMY Safari, medium nib, w/Rohrer & Klingner Document ink, D+S watercolors in a Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook-softcover]

conservatory creepin'

The Lamberton Conservatory in Rochester, NY is such a great retreat from the 3 degree temperatures and 10 inches of snow. This past sunday about 9 sketchers from the sketching group got warmed up in the 80 degree 80% humidity greenhouse. I always tell myself "let's sketch something besides the turtles". And then when I get there--I sketch the turtles. 

My sketching buddy Genine and I decided to work on our black and white and only sketch with black, and a gray if needed. I opted for my J. Herbin per noire ink which is water-soluble. So when water hits it, these beautiful grays appear. I also tried out a new wooden dip pen that holds 2 nibs--one at each end. I loaded up a very small nib and a super-flexy nib that gave me some bold blacks and sometimes too bold blacks. 

This was also my first time taking a Stillmand & Birn Zeta sketchbook. I am a huge fan of S&B sketchbooks, but this thing makes me a super fan. I equate it to a tank! You can throw anything at it! No bleed through, no smearing--nothing! And the smoothness!! Ohhhhhhh. 

[dip pen with J. Herbin Pearl Noire ink, water brush filled with J. Herbin Perl Noire ink and water, all in a Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook] 

Lamberton Conservatory

we had a meetup this weekend at the Lamberton Conservartory in Highland Park. it's a wonderful old building that has a ton of different plants in giant greenhouses and rooms. there are also quail running around and my favorite, the turtles. i sat in the 80 degree room for a few hours sketching my non-moving cold blooded friends. i attempted to capture the progression of my work with some snapshots along the way. while my first painting was drying, i attempted another sketch in my toned book and was very pleased with the results. 

[watercolors, watecolor pencils, pilot falcon w/noodler's black eel ink all in a stillman & born sketchbook]

[pilot falcon w/noodler's black eel ink, pitt warm gray markers in a toned strathmore sketchbook]