I went to a physical rehabilitation clinic at the start of the year after my surgery, and of course I wanted to bring a bit of sketching gear with me. I didn’t expect too much from myself, mainly because I wasn’t sure how challenging the physical therapy and exercise would be, and also because I knew that I wasn’t fit enough to spend a lot of time sitting, let alone running around outside to find something to sketch (running around for longer than 30 minuted turned out to be challenging enough).
But over the weeks, I found a few items like a small blossom from a nearby park, or the trees and the deer in front of my clinic window, or just the muted late-winter colors outside.
This period of time was interesting for me as far as sketching goes because I had packed a very limited toolkit. Just a small self-made leporello sketchbook, two mechanical pencils, a fountain pen, two round brushes, and a W&N Cotman plastic palette that I customized a bit. I also packed a tiny water container and a painting rag. This is my rehab sketching kit:
As far as weight and bulk was concerned, this small toolkit was perfect. Everything except the sketchbook fit in a small case, and I think the metal water container was the heaviest item: I repurposed a double artist dipper with lid, usually used for oil painting mediums, but great as a small clip-on water container.
I didn’t use the fountain pen except for writing postcards, but the mechanical pencil came in handy for every sketch. I brought two since a was a bit concerned about misplacing one, but only used the standard 0.5 model that I use for most of my sketching these days.
The two brushes I had with me were one small round that came with the palette (probably a size 1), and a short Raphael precision travel brush, around size 4. It’s not a stellar brush as it doesn’t form a perfect tip, but it’s very lightweight.
The Cotman palette is probably the most interesting item from this kit: I had bought a small Winsor & Newton Cotman skyscape palette a few months ago, since I wanted to reevaluate the paints and found the idea of being able to add my own paints to a half-empty palette practical.
As many watercolorists, I once started with a small Cotman student grade pocket palette just like this one, but filled with the usual choice of colors (split primary palette). Generally, I find these small kits great for beginners, though after a while most people will switch to more pigmented artist grade paints. But for light sketching and starting out with an inexpensive set these are still a good choice.
I found I like the set a lot for its intended use – skies (I recorded a review of the set before my hospital visit, not sure if I should upload it? It all seems so long ago now..), and you can mix amazing cloud colors and all kinds of interesting neutrals from the included colors: lemon yellow, warm and cool red, warm and cool blue, indigo, Payne’s gray and zinc white.
To make it more useable as a generalist palette, I added a few half pans I had still lying around: yellow ochre, burnt sienna, a warm yellow, and a cobalt green.
I only found time for painting two or three times during my time in the clinic, but I liked the muted colors the palette can produce – soft violet mixed from rose madder and blue and a touch of zinc white, or the undefined brown variations that you can see in winter landscapes: mostly mixed with yellow ochre, ultramarine, rose madder and a bit of indigo.
I enjoyed having to paint with such a limited color palette – it automatically help to unify a sketch, and it’s a good training for any painter to be familiar with how to mix specific colors. One playful exercise I love is to draw a grid and then fill that will the colors I can see outside in nature. It’s a bit like swatching the season or the light situation outside, and it’s great for practicing subtle color mixing. I also do this when I don’t feel up to actual drawing or painting. I have to deal with a higher lever of fatigue and physical exhaustion these days, so simply grabbing a brush and letting colors flow is a great way to get into a creative flow without pushing myself too far. Here’s an example on the right next to some loose flower and deer studies. Yes, my grid is a bit wonky:
After I got home, I thought it would be fun to use the Cotman palette for the remainder of that little sketchbook (only 14 square pages). I introduced a few additional pens (tried out my fountain pens after cleaning them). Not all of the pages are a success, but it was nice to get back into the flow of sketching with this little sketchbook – so it more than accomplished its purpose.
In the end I was quite ready to switch to my usual sketching palette though – not even because of its more generous selection of colors (around 20), but probably because I simply enjoy its highly pigmented paints more, it’s easier to get clear mixes. Maybe it all hinged on my choice of yellows: I had used in a slightly opaque yellow (I think it’s a WN Turner’s yellow, PY216) in this small kit that muddied a lot of my green mixes, and with the emerging spring green it just didn’t perform to well.
But switching palettes also sort of symbolized the return to my desk, and to more daily sketching. All in all it was fun trying out a different set of paints for a while.
hello Julia,
I have been enjoying your very interesting, informative and inspirational blog for a while.
I’m sorry to read that you have not been well lately and I sincerely hope that you are well into full recovery.
On that note ,I can relate to your recent experience while in rehabilitation and how that has an impact on your stamina and ability to work in your creative pursuit.
I have recently suffered 2 bereavements aa my Mother and then my ex husband, father if my 2 sons both passed away within a month.
Grief is a complicated process, and I have been surprised by how much it has affected my physical body,the energy levels and motivation are very hard to sustain right now,though I am also very aware of the need for self care and pacing oneself and let the process take its course, I am also keen to maintain a minimum of creative spaceman time, as that is what brings me the most comfort and inner peace.
So,like you, these days I find myself carving out little “pockets” of time during the day or week,that help me feel still connected to my inner creative self.
I loved your approach of a small sketch book and limited palettes ,it’s a great reminder that it’s ok to pare down and simplify your creative process,the important thing is to “do”,even if it’s just a doodle here and there or a few brushtrokes on the blank page.
Thankyou for sharing your insights,and wishing you good health,
PD: Right now I’m collecting the dry yellow,orange and brown leaves on my front garden,as we enter our Autumn season,one of my favourite, as I love the warm colours in nature,before it surrenders to Winter.
With warmest Regards,
Maritza Burgos
Melbourne, Australia
Thank you for sharing this, Maritza. I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. I can relate how this can affect the body on a very physical level. I think it’s great that you still try to make time for your creativity, and very sure this will help with the grieving process. As you say, it brings comfort and inner peace. It felt the same for me during the rehab.
All the best to you and lots of enjoyable sketching sessions – how lovely you’re entering fall now. 🙂
Julia,
So happy you are doing well and I enjoyed the post. I’m trying to simplify my kit to make it more useful and the post was helpful and inspiring.
Jane
Thank you Jane! Yes a smaller kit can be a good impulse for a simpler sketching practice. 🙂
Julia, hope you are well on your way to recovery. Thank you so much for some of the sketching hints you’ve given when one has to deal with a minimum amount of art supplies.
I was also in the hospital for two weeks in November, and because it was an emergency I didn’t pack much of anything, but a kind friend brought me a small sketchbook and a basic colored pencil set as I was recovering. Since it was still autumn other friends brought lovely colored leaves for me to draw and even the nurses and a doctor got into the act of bringing things for me to sketch. There was a gorgeous maple tree right outside my window, and everyone came to see as it was translated onto paper with those that very basic colored pencils. One of the doctors came every day to see how it was progressing and we talked about nature journaling since he was interested in trying to teach his children to be more observant of the world around them. I met several nurses, a physical therapist and a housekeeper who were closet artists in their spare time.
After I came back home I sent all the leaf sketches to the hospital staff and I sent a packet of nature journaling information to the doctor since everyone had been so kind and efficient in taking care of me.
The funny thing is that usually I’m a sort of hermit, but while in the hospital the coming and going was very busy because everyone was fascinated as that maple tree and the leaves progressed on the pages. I am still recuperating with my son in Central California, and back to hermitizing, but that hospital adventure was very interesting and I made a number of new friends.
I hope you are getting well again and that you will keep on sketching for a long adventurous life. I look forward to all your blogs and always learn something new. Thank you so much for all the effort you have put into it despite life’s various challenges.
That is a heartwarming story, RoseMarie, thank you for sharing it. Wonderful you were able to connect with the doctor and hospital staff over nature journaling and art. I wish you a speedy recovery, and more beautiful connections like this. My best wishes from one hermit to another. 🙂
Lovely easy sketches in that little sketchbook. Recovering from something major as you are doing often surprises in the small things that sap our strength. That you did anything is testament to your creative spirit, and your observation about when and why you moved from “rehab” palette to your more familiar one is an encouraging sign of your progress. Carry on as you can!
Thank you Sheila! Yes it was interesting to see at what point I was motivated to create something again, a new way to monitor my progress.
Lovely to hear from you Julia. Thank you for this inspirational blog. Oh yes, just putting colour down on the page is emotionally reviving and great practice when energy levels are low. I have been in a rehab situation and one thing the physiotherapist said to me was that a positive outlook is most important for recovery. Your blog post here demonstrates a very positive outlook. And there is plenty of inspiration for all who read it.
At the moment I am mixing greens from warm and cool colours; so enjoyable. And my colour charts are always wonky : – )
All the very best,
Sandra
Melbourne, Australia
Thank you so much Sandra! Yes, I’ve heard that too from the therapists and doctors. And if I’ve learnt one thing it’s too really hold on to those positive feelings whenever I can. I’m so happy to hear my posts inspire you (and others). That’s all I could wish for. On to more wonky color charts!
Encantada de ver que vuelves a tu pintura. eso quiere decir que cada vez te vas sintiendo mejor. un abrazo muy fuerte Julia.
Welcome back! It’s a positive sign that you feel up to sketching. I always enjoy your posts and look forward to them. You are such an inspiration. I hope your recovery is smooth and steady. Be gentle with yourself and take good care.
Hi Julia, lovely to be reading another of your interesting blog posts. Very best wishes for your continued recovery.
Dear Julia,
You are a generous person. Thank you so much for sharing your love for painting and drawing.
The sketches and watercolors, notes concerning implements and supplies, are inspiring.
An expression of our times is “Go for it!”
Many blessings.
Barbara Frickel, Sarasota, Florida