That’s Joan in the foreground left holding the flashlight reading to the kids before bedtime.
The campsite (click to enlarge). Our tent on the left, sister-in-law’s tent in the middle, nephew George on the right. The Big Sur river was directly behind me as I drew this.
This is how Joan relaxes – by working! I shouldn’t talk, I guess I’m drawing while relaxing. She and my sister-in-law made lots of jewelry while the kids played. (Just for the heck of it – Joan’s web site.)
We had the old two-bedroom tent for about ten years and finally wore it out. Joan got a new one for this trip.
I found a French watercolor journal I’ve had for 16+ years and never used. Great paper. I tried to get the dapple-light filtered through the trees, with only moderate success.
The kids were constantly rafting down the river just behind the tent. Their swimming clothes were likewise constantly drying on a clotheline alongside the tent.
Driving by myself up highway 101 to meet Joan and the kids in Big Sur – in the middle of nowhere the power goes completely out of the car. I coast up the nearest off ramp, Los Lobos Rd (“the wolves” road). There was a gas station, but upon closer inspection it had been boarded up and abandoned for years, weeds growing around it. Luckily I still got cell reception and help arrived in a couple hours. Not a good start to the annual camping trip, but the rest of the trip would turn out fine, thankfully!
This is the first watercolor I’ve done in a while, so I felt a bit rusty, sitting there on a folding chair at the river’s edge. I think, if I were to try it again, I’d emphasize the dramatic diagonals of those big trees sweeping in from the upper left; and I’d add a kid floating in from screen right on an innertube for scale and human interest. I don’t know. Maybe it’s ok as is…
Anthony Zierhut 