Art on the Road

I enjoy summer, especially in the Pacific Northwest. We have beautiful weather and longer days, which means more time to find rocks at the beach! But the challenging thing for me is that once summer break starts, it is difficult to maintain or even find a consistent rhythm without school.

When you add in summer travels, this feels especially true. Last week, my family and I took a trip to Southern California. It was the first time all four of us had flown together, and my 5-year-old's first flight ever.

My children are 8 years apart, so it was a challenge to plan the right mix of activities and sightseeing to keep everyone engaged and happy. (I included a few photos below.)

We also didn't want to check any baggage, so it was a (good) challenge for everyone to pack very light. I wanted a few art supplies available during possible quiet times, but decided the sketchbook was too big for this trip, so I limited my materials to a small pouch. (I'm a fan of these zipper top pouches by Maika.)

Here's what I took...

A few crayons
A pencil and a few fine-point pens (Lesson learned on opening a Posca marker during flight...as soon as I pressed down, I got a huge puddle of black ink/paint, which I frantically had to mop up.)
2 types of glue sticks
A small pair of scissors (I brought an old pair of medical scissors, since I worried about losing my nice, fine-tip snippers.)
A stack of blank library catalog cards (~3 x 5 inches) from a large stack recently gifted by friend and fellow artist Amy Duncan (@studiofourcorners)
An envelope of gel-printed scraps in a variety of sizes, many small odds and ends, but a few larger chunks as well.

Between the plane rides and a few quieter evenings, I managed to make 15 of these little collages.

We're back home and have been enjoying time with extended family this week. Maybe next week we'll find our summer routine? Or maybe I'll just have to count the days till school starts again.

Below are a few photos of artwork and places visited in California during our trip. If you're traveling this summer, I wish you a safe and inspiring journey.