June 24, 2024

Capturing Springtime Adventures: Sketching and Sipping in Napa with My Art Toolkit

Ambassador Sophia Trinh and her fiancé enjoy a long weekend together in California.

By Sophia Trinh

A watercolor of lavender propped up among lavender plants.

Spring is officially here; flowers are in bloom, and honeybees are hard at work pollinating. For the long Memorial Day weekend, my fiancé and I flew from Seattle to Napa, California, to enjoy the sunshine, wine tasting, and a few days of relaxation. I brought my Folio Palette in my Pocket Art Toolkit for the adventure.

An open toolkit and palette on a wooden picnic table with fields in the background.

We rented bikes and rode alongside vineyards, eventually arriving at Joseph Phelps in Saint Helena.

A landscape of vineyards and shrubby trees with low hills in the distance.

Usually, Benjamin doesn’t join me for drawing or sketching, but this time, he decided to join in on the fun. We sketched and painted together, learning how different oak barrels and soil types affect the taste of wine. It was a unique and enjoyable experience!

Two hands hold up sketches of vineyards and trees that match the background scenery.

Benjamin’s detailed sketch is on the left, and my sketch with added color is on the right. I love how, even though Benjamin doesn’t sketch or paint often, he occasionally joins me, making these moments feel special. In times like these, I feel like we are two kids playing together.

A close-up of a white rose bush with vines and blue skies in the background.
The grapes were intertwined with roses, creating a beautiful scene.
A perso in white pants and a yellow shirt stands between rows of grape vines holding an art toolkit and palette.
Here I am, standing among the grapes with my black Pocket Art Toolkit and Folio Palette.

I made a drawing of the sun and Spanish lavender as part of my observations.

A sketch of lavender and a red dot in the center, nestled among the flowers of a lavender plant.

Like wine, oysters have their own unique taste.

A hand holds up a colorful, sparkly sketch of an oyster with an open folio palette and a rose bush in the background.
A bed of oysters on ice wtith sliced lemons and dipping sauce.

We also visited The Oxbow School, an interdisciplinary arts school where I studied for a semester in high school. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I would encourage any high school student to apply!

A person in striped pants and a yellow shirt and cap smiles while pointing up at a sign on a fenced area reading Oxbow School.
Sophia Trinh at the Oxbow School.
A sketchbook page with brain diagrams and notes.
A sketch from one of my journals in 2009 when I was studying how our thoughts influence our body.
A hand holds open a sketchbook showing spiraling purple sketches with annotations.
Sketches of my final project from Oxbow exploring the body and mind connection represented by the Golden Ratio. You can read more about the final project and see photos here.
A close-up of fluffy purple Spanish lavender flowers.

As flowers blossom and summer arrives, I encourage you to find and pursue creative adventures with loved ones. Go for a walk, a bike ride, or a weekend vacation, and carry your Art Toolkit with you to capture the moment.

See more of Sophia’s art and browse other blogs she has written here.
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

Art Toolkit Newsletter

Sign up to hear about our latest supplies, tips and techniques for field art, and special offers.

Join now and we’ll send you our free Tools for Observation mini-series. Follow along with Maria as she shares supplies, tips on contour and gesture sketching, and inspiration for composition!