Echo Trail and Widji

Last week over a long weekend I went up to Camp Widjiwagen off the Echo Trail (outside of Ely) for a service trip (trail clearing). I did well in bringing a small art bag. I'm really trying to travel light with art materials. I didn't have much time to myself but managed to squeeze in 90 minutes of alone time to sit and look and paint. I came back from the work part and knew I wanted to swim. I swam in the 64 degree F water and it felt so good. I stayed in about 25 min, then dashed out, got dressed, grabbed the art bag and went down to a point by some rocks. I really only had time for watching and thinking and then a few quick mini paintings. This one I've already chopped up and sent away. 

New favorite watercolors are the natural pigment colors from Daniel Smith, the hematite violet genuine and Mayan blue genuine. Yes, I know. I should be using my just my split primary palette and being even more efficient with my art bag space, but some of those PrimaTek colors are irresistible and unreproduceable by me.  (And then there is hematite burnt scarlet genuine! On my wish list. . . )

What I wished I had brought: 1. Artgraf squares. I realize they help me be more gestural so that I can make some quick sketches to help get me out of my brain, and 2. my carbon ink pens. I had them in my car cup holder but they kept flipping out and I think I put them back in the house. I had fountain pens and fine point sharpies but they have a different feel. 

All of these are mostly me seeing how the paints interact with each other and can I capture the idea of where I am. Obviously I am not capturing a realistic version of where I am, that would be with a camera.  Lower left is closest to what it felt like -- windy, wavy, and a bit cold. I also like the lower right. These were maybe 2"x2" in one of the books I made with Nideggen paper color sand. I like the paper. It's not watercolor paper but it is printing paper so it does okay with water. And I love the book because it's either the first or second round spine book that I made. 

I am trying to work bigger but I feel like I need more brain space and more time to work bigger. Retirement should have given me both but so far hasn't.