Monterey Sketchbook, Part One
Jellyfish!
Last month I went on a weekend trip to the Monterey/Pacific Grove area with some friends, including my sketch buddy Lisa. It’s a beautiful coastal area about a two hour drive south of San Francisco. Although it rained heavily off and on, we somehow managed to get our activities in between bouts.
Lisa and I found time to do quite a bit of sketching. The first day we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a fantastic place with an amazing display of jellyfish in every shape, size, and color. As you can see, the displays are beautifully lit. But the rooms are dark, which made sketching a bit tricky!
Having spent the morning drawing our sketches, we spent a lovely and relaxing afternoon at the cozy Works Cafe in Pacific Grove with another buddy, Deborah, painting and chatting and relaxing as the rain came down outside.
See Also:
Monterey Sketchbook, Part Two
Monterey Sketchbook, Part Three
Related Topics: California, Travel Sketching
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March 10th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Such lovely delicate sketches
March 9th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Sensitively uncomplicated,
Luv it
March 9th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I love sketching at aquariums. Lovely sketches of the jellies. Looks like a most enjoyable day.
March 8th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Truly, I don’t know how you pulled this off! My favorite is the “new acquistion”. I remember you appropriately described them as Victorian dresses…they were so sheer, layered and lacy.
(get your octopus posted to everyone can enjoy that treat!)
Lisa
http://lisalou-graceart.blogspot.com/
March 6th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Hi Martha,
I just dropped by to brush up on sketchbook binding. I enjoyed looking around.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I like the way the sketch of the young moon jellyfish looks like a night sky scene. They’re all so other-worldly!
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Martha, what a great getaway! I love the M. Bay Aquar. I haven’t been in years but remember the jelly fish exhibits and was facinated by their graceful movements. you have captured that feeling here!
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
What wonderful sketches and colors, the jelly fish dance on the page! Monterey is one of our most favorite coastal cities. We use to head there at least once a month when we lived in California. We moved about 3 years ago and just went there again last September, something one never tires of.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
How fun! When we lived in Italy I did what I called my “drive by sketching” – I would sketch quickly what was outside my window as my husband drove the car, putting in little color notes, then later, back in our tiny apartment I would lay in the colors — it was like my own personal coloring book!
Lovely sketches of the jelly fish!
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 am
these are great, love the lion’s mane especially.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Your sketching and painting style are perfectly suited to show these beautiful delicate sea creatures!