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June 4, 2017; Sunday; Harriet Lake, Superior National
Forest, Minnesota.
Sketchbook Drawing,
pp 74-75,
Harriet Lake, Superior
National Forest, Minnesota
Graphite on Fabriano
Ingres Paper, 160 gsm,
Heightened with Chinese
White and Naples Yellow Watercolour
5” x 14”
Details
of the Drawing
I awoke at 06:05 to a cloudless sky, and decided to
stay put for the day and get something done today ... an Oil Sketch perhaps, or
a drawing, and move on tomorrow to recon waterfalls along the Lake Superior
North Shore. Familiarizing yourself with
an area, even for only a second day always is a good thing when it comes to the
work. Besides, the weather says
thunderstorms this afternoon in the Minnesota Arrowhead. After pulling myself together, and a bit more
organizing of the art supplies, I decided upon a drawing of the Lake from my
campsite, as the cloud had come over, although there were some sun breaks,
enough for me to get my suitcase solar array out, and attempt to top up my AGM
Battery, even with the cloud cover ... I did manage to do so as the sun breaks
were frequent enough.
Halfway from my
campsite to the loo at the boat-landing.
Violets
along the way.
After
the first storm has passed.
By the time I got set up for drawing in my medium
sized, Blue Fabriano Ingres Paper Sketchbook, it was 12:20 and I even had to
get my sketching umbrella out to keep the Sun off me when it broke through the
broken cloud ... I don't like to use Sunscreen when I'm drawing, for fear of
greasing up the paper. I have had my
Sketchbooks hand bound with paper of my own choosing ... two blue grey papers:
Fabriano Ingres paper, 160gsm, and the other Turners Blue, 90 lb., by Ruscombe
Mill, out of France. A third buff or
off-white Fabriano Ingres paper has also been bound as well ... each paper into
its own sketchbook. The Fabriano papers
are laid papers, which I love for the pleasing (to my eye) textures
given by the chain & laid lines of the paper. They are sold as Pastel or Drawing
papers. The Turners Blue is a heavier
(than the Fabriano) Watercolour paper, and has a woven, Not surface
(meaning cold pressed, to the Yanks).
Campsite between storms, further storm building … the Lake is behind us.
Beaver
on his way home; hand-held telephoto shot.
Male
Ring-necked Ducks; hand-held extreme telephoto … I am quite astonished at the
possibilities with this camera, and even though this is not a pristine shot,
being hand-held, I look forward to tripod-steadied
telephoto shots.
I have digressed. The pencil drawing was completed, in
1h 20', with thunder rumbling closer for the last half hour ... I
dared not turn around in case fear cut short my drawing. As it was, when I deemed the pencil was more
or less completed, I got my drawing, and drawing implements, sketching umbrella,
and camera into the SUV; next my camp chair, and lastly my Solar array. I then began to properly stow my sketching
brolly into its case, when the first heavy rain drops aborted that. I quickly rolled up my still open windows,
and sat back and watched the rain; saw no lightning, but heard plenty of
thunder. It was a tropical downpour for
15 minutes, and then light rain for about another 45, even with a few sun
breaks. I had a snack, and dozed all the
while. When the rain ceased, I completed
the stowing of my brolly, took some photos, and was about to begin the
heightening with Chinese White & Naples Yellow, when another downpour began
almost without warning ... this time complete with hail up to 3/8 inches. This soon passed as well, and I was able to
add the colour heightening to the drawing in 1h 25'. Then after more photos, I dug out my fixitive
and was about to apply it, I was forced to retreat for another, but lighter
passing shower. The fixitive finally
applied, I got all my supper preparations out and ready to go, when yet again I
was hounded into the truck. That was the
last of the rain save for a few worrying, but ineffectual drops, and as I
finally prepared supper, I watched the cloud move off to the East ... more
photos taken periodically. Thus endeth
my second day on Harriet Lake, not far from the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness), sipping my after dinner camp coffee, and writing this blog
post ... tomorrow, some Waterfalls!
And
the shadows lengthen …
… and
the afternoon’s storms are now but a memory …
…as
the Sun sets …
… and the evening mists …
… begin to rise.
