October 30, 2024

Adventure Journaling with Genine Carvalheira

Sketching while on a hike is a great way to document an adventure, and having your favorite tools with you makes it all the better.

By The Art Toolkit Team

This is a live recording from our Adventure Journaling live demo with artist Genine Carvalheira on October 30th, 2024. Sketching while on a hike is a great way to document an adventure, and having your favorite tools on you makes it all the better. In this demo, Genine shared her hiking experience from her 21-day trek on the Nordlandsruta trail in Norway.

Genine also teaches both locally and internationally. As a longtime Urban Sketcher, she has participated in nine symposiums, volunteered in multiple roles, and currently serves as President of the global Urban Sketchers organization.

Illustrated scene featuring a hilly landscape with a serene body of water, notes about "Day Eight" with a handwritten description, and a drawing of a lunch hut with various food items and drinks.
Sketches from Nordlandsruta, Norway by Genine Carvalheira.

We covered tools she used on her trip and explained how sketching can be integrated into a hiking routine. She spoke about how combining sketches with written observations enhances the narrative of her experience and touch on her approach for sketching the subjects she chooses. During the hour, Genine also referenced a couple of books that have inspired her creative expression, including The Creative License by Danny Gregory and Ish by Peter Reynolds. You can see some sketchbook tour videos on her website here!

A person stands on a sandy shore near a calm lake, surrounded by autumn-colored trees and mountains in the background. The sky is clear and blue.
Genine sketches while visiting Te Waipounamu, New Zealand’s Southern Island, after an Urban Sketchers Symposium.
A person sits on a grassy hillside, sketching in a notebook, with a panoramic view of mountains and glaciers in the background under a cloudy sky.
Genine documents a 21 day, 377km trek in Norway, with the Bodø2024 European Union Capitals of Culture program.

About Genine

Genine Carvalheira is an artist, designer, and avid traveler from the US, with time spent living in Canada and residing in Bogotá, Colombia. With a background in industrial design, Genine’s creative approach was technical and aimed for perfection so she never really drew from the world itself. Thanks to the book, The Creative License by Danny Gregory, she learned to “sit in the feeling of the act of drawing,” leading her to be connected, grounded, and enjoy putting marks on paper regardless of how exact they were.

A sketch of an ornate gazebo in a park, surrounded by trees and people. In the background, distinctive architectural features and domes are visible, rendered in soft orange hues.
Plaza de Armas, Guadalajara.
A person with curly hair sits on a wooden bench on a boat, holding a sketchbook, with lush green mountains and water in the background.
Genine Carvalheira.

Since 2007, she has filled over 85 sketchbooks, documenting her life and travels across 30+ countries. Her sketchbooks serve as a visual journal, recording the quiet beauty of everyday moments alongside the captivating scenes from her global travels, always ready to capture life as it unfolds.

A sketched collage featuring various scenes from a town square, including a rounded pavilion, palm trees, church domes in the background, and people gathered for an event. Handwritten notes and dialogue enhance the illustrations, capturing the lively atmosphere.
Sketches from Tlaquepaque, Mexico by Genine Carvalheira.
“Finding inspiration every day, whether it be a city scene while walking through my town or traveling abroad, the simple beauty of an everyday pear or the chaotic power lines from the common telephone pole—I am never without my sketchbook, always ready to record my experiences and the world around me.”
Watercolor illustration of Castle Hill, New Zealand, featuring large boulders on grassy hills under a blue sky. The scene includes three views of the rocks, highlighting their unique shapes and textures. The text "Castle Hill New Zealand" is centered below the images.
Sketches from Castle Hill, New Zealand by Genine Carvalheira.

Genine’s Palettes

Two paint palettes displayed on a wooden surface. The left palette, labeled "Small Palette," contains 12 colors, including Burnt Umber and Yellow Ochre, with a label for each. The right palette, labeled "Big Palette," has 14 colors, featuring shades like Graphite Gray and Ultramarine Blue. Both palettes have names and descriptions written nearby, indicating the specific shades.
Genine has a Pocket and a Folio Palette for sketching on adventures.

Pocket Palette

Row 1: Cobalt Teal Blue (DS), Greenish Yellow (SWC), Quinacridone Gold (DS), Hansa Yellow Medium (DS), Alizarin Crimson (DS), Permanent Red (SWC)
Row 2: Ultramarine Blue (S), Payne’s Grey (WN), Burnt Umber (DS), Lunar Earth (DS)
Row 3: Buff Titanium

Folio Palette

Row 1: Lunar Earth (DS), Burnt Sienna (SWC), Quinacridone Gold (DS), Hansa Yellow Medium (DS), Alizarin Crimson (DS), Permanent Red (SWC)
Row 2: Greenish Yellow (SWC), Cobalt Teal Blue (DS), Cerulean Blue Hue (SWC), Ultramarine Blue (DS)
Row 3: Cascade Green (DS), Indanthrone Blue (DS), Graphite Grey (DS)
Row 4: Aussie Red Gold (DS)

DS = Daniel Smith; WN = Winsor & Newtion; S = Schmincke; SWC = SWC

Genine’s Go-To Adventure Art Supplies

We loved having Genine join us for a live demo on journaling and sketching on your adventures! Follow along with her artwork and classes on her website and social media.

Genine Carvalheira
Website | Social Media
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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