By Dawn Woolcott
It wasn’t all that long ago that people used to have a pen or pencil with them at all times. Am I dating myself? Now, you are much more likely to have a high quality camera with you at all times in what is charmingly called a “cell phone.” The camera on our phone has become so good, at a moment’s notice you can capture every spectacular sunrise, every group hug, or every pratfall complete with GPS information on where and when the photo was taken. This is a good thing. And yet, with the increase of modern technology, something is lost in the mix when traveling. Once upon a time, people purchased postcards to remember their vacations. Before that, you had to buy a sketch – likely from a poor starving artist selling their sketches as mementos. Many of those mementos were framed and hung on the walls. How often do you frame a photo from your trip and hang it on the wall – something that brings a smile to your face in remembrance as you happen glance at it as you pass by on your way down the hall? There is a permanence to artwork that is deserving of our efforts. The very act of creating a drawing is in itself at the core of why you should draw during your travels.
Bring a small sketchbook and a couple of art pencils with you on your next cruise. Slow down and find a place to sit for 10 minutes out of your busy day. You don’t have to be a starving artist to create a memento. If you can draw a stick figure, you can create a memento. Draw a stick figure standing in front of a building. Write “me” with an arrow pointing to the stick figure. Write “St. Mary’s Church, Natchez” at the bottom of the artwork. Voilà you just created your first masterpiece travel memento.
Now you can step it up a bit. If you can draw a box, you can draw a building. If you can draw the letter “S” you can draw a hillside. If you can draw a stick figure, you can draw a crowd. Sketches do not have to be full color illustrations and they don’t have to be perfect. Don’t let your inner feelings of inadequacy stop you from even trying. Sketch a flower you just saw in a colonial garden. Sketch a bird you saw flying past you in Alaska. Sketch a tire swing hanging down from an old oak tree. Sketch anything that will help you remember that particular day, and that particular moment. Save the grand landscapes for your camera. Sketch books are good for capturing the smaller details. Perhaps while sitting and waiting in a train station you sketch the waiting room. It isn’t particularly photogenic, but it does capture that moment in time and can transport you back to that time – sitting there, hearing the noises of the announcements, and watching the clock and people passing by.
The very act of sketching forces you to stop, slow down, and really notice the space around you. If you are planning on drawing a street scene, you suddenly begin to notice the interesting roof line, the old oak tree planted in the park, or the wobbly balcony at the top floor of an old grocery store. By putting pencil to paper you help create those memory pathways just the same as writing down a “to do” list helps you remember your list of chores. Personally, I’d rather remember being on a cruise.
Whether you are an accomplished artist or a complete novice, the very act of sketching during your trip can add another layer to the travel experience. Rather than feeling as if you have tick off box after box “saw that” and “did that,” you are creating a chance to experience a place even more. When you slow down and just look – look closely at the textures, the colors, the smells, the sounds, the feeling of a place – you are using all your senses and creating a deeper memory to take home with you.
Buy a notebook. Sketch in black pencil, black pen, or fine tip sharpie. Then if you want, go back and add touches of color. Remember, you’re not filling in a coloring book or paint-by-number. Every white place on the paper does not need to be colored in. Touches of color are generally good enough to help bring an image to life. If you only have a red pencil, then everyone in the sketch can be wearing a red shirt. That’s ok.
Travel journals should be small enough to fit into a purse, coat pocket, or a small backpack if you’re using one. Sketch books with ring binders are good as they open flat, making it easier to draw. Book bound blank page journals are harder to draw in, but look better on the shelf when you take them home. The choice is yours. If you’re using charcoals or watercolors, you should probably place the sketchpad into a plastic bag to help keep it safe and dry when not in use. These are a few examples of supplies available on Amazon or at your local art supply store.
I encourage you to take a small blank notebook along with you on your next cruise. Fill in a page or two a day with notes to help you remember where you were, what you saw, and fun stories.
“I saw an osprey today – it had built a nest on a platform near the river.”
“I saw a man riding a unicycle on the cobblestone street! How he stayed upright, I’ll never know.”
“The fragrance coming from this bakery was soooooo good!”
“The gardens were so lovely – I loved their combination of yellow daisies and white daylilies”
The river cruise itineraries are so full of experiences every day, that it is easy to forget the name of the church you saw, which city it was in, and where you were when you saw that amazing museum. I like to take that hour or two after the day’s adventures and before dinner time to fill in my journal with the day’s stories before they are lost in the mist of time. Perhaps a little sketch of an osprey’s nest, a bakery storefront, or a daylily will help you remember. You just might have a wonderful, frame-worthy piece of artwork to hang on your wall when you get home. They can be a great conversation starter, or just bring a smile to your face as you remember a wonderful vacation.
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