The Traveling Artist

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons

For some reason I simply can't toss a few things into my suitcase and be confident that I'll have all I need when I get to my destination. I have to make lists upon lists to be sure I haven't forgotten something important... and this from a woman who used to teach workshops about planning and packing a travel wardrobe. But to make packing easier I keep a packed sketching kit ready for the road.

Jo Reimer's traveling sketch kit

The case is a tri-fold cosmetic case, found at AAA a few years ago. I've seen similar ones at the drugstore. Here's what's in it...

• my small Moleskine journal, a tiny watercolor paintbox made from a mint tin, and a waterbrush. These live in my handbag at home, every day.
• Winsor Newton travel palette with 12 basic colors.
• a second waterbrush
• 4 other rather small brushes with shortened handles,
• a tiny spray bottle for water,
• a tiny bottle of Indian Red ink and a dip pen for drawing, 
• several half-sticks of Caran d'Ache crayons in a little plastic bag,
• my collage/watercolor journal and a few extra bits of watercolor paper,
• 2 UHU gluesticks and a small jar of acrylic medium with a spreader,
• small children's scissors,
• pens and pencils,including a couple of colored pencils
• eraser and tiny pencil sharpener,
• a tiny sea sponge,
• several paper and plastic alphabet stencils,
• a film container for paper clips and brads with masking tape wrapped around the outside,
• a roll of clear packing tape that tears easily to use for magazine transfers.
• small pad of watercolor postcards
• a 2" S-hook, a carabiner and a large safety pen 

This all fits into the folding cosmetic bag. 
 

Tri-fold kit with left compartment folded inward

 

Kit opened all the way

On the airplane I position the S-hook or the safety pin somewhere in front of me on the airplane, hook the carbineer to the handle of my travel kit, and hang from the S-hook so my equipment is handy as I work.


Between trips this kit lives in my car where I also keep a spare, larger sketchbook.

What do you pack? What sort of packing case do you use? 
 

Fiesta San Antonio Travel Journal

I created my travel journal about our April trip to visit friends in San Antonio quite some time ago but only today had the time to scan and photograph the book and its pages. 

This journal is an accordion book in a box, a re-purposed cigar box that's slightly larger than the 7 1/2 inch square book..

 Pieces of ephemera, postcards, maps, and brochures, that didn't make it into the journal are stored in the box along with the book itself.

I used a full sheet of watercolor paper which was painted randomly with bright colors to represent the excitement of Fiesta, and I brushed some thinned down gesso over areas of the paint to bring light into the colors. The reverse side is also painted but not in the same colorway, and will probably be treated as another trip journal someday.
The paper was folded into 7.5" sections to form the book and I strengthened the folds with bookbinders tape on the back.

While we were traveling I kept a journal of observations and sketches in my little Moleskine notebook that I carry with me all the time and didn't work on this until I returned home. I took care to collect ephemera of all kinds that could be used later in this travel journal.

What I look for includes postcards, maps, brochures, coasters, pins, name tags, and tickets.