Sketching in the Mist

It was pouring rain as we got our supplies together to head out to the water to the beach to do a little sketching. We’d debated canceling our plans due to the weather, but decided to persist and see what inspired us.

We went to Fort Worden and found shelter under the pier as the rain continued to fall. It was a quintessential Pacific Northwest day, calm and relatively warm, with a steady light mist. I sat down on a beach towel on the sand under the pier, dodging the raindrops from the cracks above me.

I felt calm as I listened to the waves lap and took in the subtle hues of the surroundings. With a Midori MD Notebook, I quickly sketched in the contours of the scene around me, from seagulls on the pier to buoys in the water. I added in monochrome tones with a deep blue-grey mix to echo the atmosphere around me. I love mixing subtle blues and greys by mixing blue and brown: in this case, Ultramarine or Indanthrone Blue and Burnt Umber.

Next, I pulled out my favorite Hahnemühle A5 Landscape 100% Cotton Watercolor Book and laid down some backgrounds with direct watercolor painting. I love painting in two layers, and working on multiple pieces at once gives the backgrounds time to dry so I can add another layer. I was interested in painting the same scene twice, but with different base approaches. For my first sketch, I painted an initial warm tone of Yellow Ochre, then, while the yellow was still wet, added some blue greys to create the impression of soft clouds.

On my second page, my initial wash was a cooler blue grey, with additional blue clouds added on top. While I painted both pages, the rain continued to fall, with occasional drops splattering onto my pages. I like the effect of the random splashes on my page, reminding me of the weather.

Once dry, I quickly added the suggestion of Point Wilson and the lighthouse, focusing on simple shapes and colors for the buildings and windows. I squinted to see the darkest areas and added them in the deep values and final calligraphic marks to pull the scene together. All around us, the colors from the mist and rain were delightfully saturated. The greens, yellows, and oranges of the grasses and ground cover practically glowed in the soft light. It was so peaceful.

Our little crew of three, myself, Operations Director Darin, and Marketing Manager Nakaia, took a little break halfway through at the little nearby canteen for hot drinks, French fries, and grilled cheese.

We saw lots of critters! A pair of bald eagles perched on the pier; the resident kingfishers were chattering and swooping around; a little seal swam by and surfaced multiple times, regarding us curiously; and a river otter rolled in the sand before sauntering into the water and swimming off. That’s something I love about sketching outdoors: if you’re quietly in a spot for a period, often interesting wildlife comes to you!

By the end of our day, I couldn’t resist a dunk in the sea. We were all pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had in the light rain. It was more beautiful than we anticipated, and it felt like a lesson in following through with plans and in discovering what you can create even when it’s inclement weather.

—Maria

The limited-edition Salish Waves Folio Palette is inspired by Art Toolkit Founder and Expeditionary Artist Maria Coryell-Martin’s time on and in the Salish Sea, and by the shifting patterns of sunlight, waves, and shoreline.

Available while supplies last online and in our Retail Shop in Port Townsend, Washington.