Sketchbook Date: Painting a BIG Happy Tree in the Park 🌳🎨

They say doctors in Japan prescribe nature. It's called a shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. Spending time in nature is shown to improve mental and physical health by reducing stress and boosting your immune system. And well, after being called back into this beautiful space many many times, I can confirm it's true. Today is one of the coldest days in South Florida, so you best believe we are going on a sketchbook date. Whoa, look at that spider web. Just you, me, sketchbook, and some nature. And art, of course. Okay, here's the case. It's usually very humid and hot. Above 80s, sometimes hitting the 90s. And today, 46 degrees in the morning. To me, it's a celebration because I'm a fall baby. And this is the sweetest bit of fall that we can get here as of right now. So as you can see, we've got some jeans, long sleeves, hats, vests. Everybody's got their winter stuff out. This is unusual, but we are taking full advantage of it. Let's keep going to find our spot on where we will be setting up. And I'm excited to break out my new little painting box. When arriving to paint a location, the question always is, what do I paint? So many options and so much inspiration around. The best way I can put it is when you know, you know. There was something about this specific tree. Right before setting up, I went right up to it, sat with it, and I knew it was what I wanted to paint today. This tree was grand, beautiful, and after a few adjustments, I was really excited to begin. It's also been a little while since I've painted out in location, so I was a bit nervous and feeling a little rusty. So I'll be wearing my training wheels and helmet today too. Just as I got all set up and ready to go, I noticed I suddenly have company. I assumed a camp or school. Okay, I'm just all getting set up. Beautiful company right now. I ended up talking to one of the teachers and she said that it's a forest school. How awesome is that? I was walking and I immediately felt very connected to this tree. As per usual, you guys know, I love hugging trees. And I ended up sitting by the tree for a little while and I'm like, I really want to paint this tree. So I just went right across to paint it. And as I was setting up, a forest school arrived. What more of a sign than that? Sometimes, especially when I haven't painted in a while on location, that little blank page voice comes back. Doubts, nervousness, confusion, excitement all at once. But observing all the children allowed me to remember. When we're kids, we don't care. We put on that costume, we climb that tree all the way to the top without any fear and then back down again. So I took that into inspiration and just began starting some thumbnail sketches with that in mind. Okay, so I've got my viewfinder. Now all that's left is getting the composition in. I'm thinking to position it a little bit either this way or more to the right so I could get some... Yeah, that could be good. Or a little bit to the left. Got the sketches ready to rock. And now it's time to lay the paints out. Today I brought just a cool and warm color of each of the primaries. Gave them a little bit of spray with some water. Now I'm going to be taking my widest brush that I have and I'm going to be mixing in the tone and that'll get rid of the white of the page. I'm going to be starting with a color called marigold yellow with a little bit of regular primary yellow. And then we just trust the process and let things unfold as they need to. As I'm toning the page, I'm also using a brush with a little bit of the sponge and getting some highlights and wiping them out as if I were oil painting. And I'm imagining the tree to be somewhere around this area and as I'm looking up into the tree itself, there are a lot of these rays and casting shadows. They're all kind of coming outward in this motion so I'm trying to capture that with the initial tone in as well. This is a relatively quick process and I don't want to spend too much time on it but just making sure that all the rays is communicated. Once the tone background was dry, I went in with a watercolor pencil to just very lightly get in the sketch and the placement. And I'm just going to do this ever so gently and while I do, a quick word and thanking our sponsors, Squarespace. Having the sketches on the left was really helpful to refer back to in terms of the placement and I decided to use red because I saw a lot of warmth in the branches of the tree. When it comes to Squarespace, this is the all-in-one platform for you to build your website, share more about yourself and as many people were coming by today, lots were asking about my website so this was the exact moment in time where it comes in handy. I was actually giving out stickers and business cards to those who asked and a great tip is to do a little QR code that leads you to your Squarespace site so this way you're prepared and you're able to lead people to the place to find you once they meet you. Give it a free trial by going to squarespace.com and when you're ready to launch, go to squarespace.com forward slash justcarp for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. And speaking of visitors, little did I know I'd be meeting so many today. But yeah, just starting with the sketch and then I'm gonna start the painting. Yeah, thanks. Thank you. Are you guys having fun? Yeah. It's so nice out today, right? Nice and cold, not too hot. It's like chill. Yeah, like chill. Of course, but you know, it's fun. It's a really cool way to learn about the tree actually. You too. The first visitors were two friends boys who were very curious about the painting. Okay, you too. They rode off on their scooters as I started to put in the initial paint strokes, but I told them they were always welcome to come back and check and hang out if they'd want to. Maybe I'll try to do it in an hour. Sure, I'll try. I hope you become a famous artist. Painting on location has this special miracle time where you never know what will happen that day, who you'll meet and the interactions you'll have. Who's there? Is that a raccoon? When out painting, the light may change over time, but there was this beautiful light source casting right beside the tree, so I was doing my best to capture it while I had it there. I used to have fish in Russia and a dog. Yeah? You really never know what'll happen that day when you arrive to sketch or paint on location, and I'm grateful to learn from nature and the people around me too. Yeah, thank you. This is, uh, I get to wake up and do this. It's a beautiful gift. Bye! Today I really wanted to try a very loose and big brushstroke approach, so I was working on covering as much area as possible with as much chunky brushstrokes as possible. I guess it's safe to say I was so inspired by the playful energy around me. What's that? And besides being warned about spiders being up there, the boys said I had to try this. I don't know if it'll hold you. Be careful. I think it will. Ready? Yes. Should you try to come and go down the hill? No, no rolling down the hill. Maybe after I finish painting. There was just fun all around, but as much as I wanted to go roll down a hill, it was time to keep going on the painting and just get in the zone and focus, and just stay open to more miracles. Thank you. It's a gouache. Thank you. It's nice. Thank you so much. And it's a nice view. Yeah, no, it's beautiful. Beautiful day, beautiful view. You plan to do this just to put on the... Sometimes, sometimes I'll just keep it in the sketchbook. Sometimes I will make the painting and then make a bigger painting. Sometimes I leave it just, you know. It's wonderful if you frame this and you even keep these two on the side. Yeah. It's like a studio. Yeah, I like the... They all together match and make a balance. Yeah. Even though never erase this. I won't ever erase that. I like this part. This is like the plan. And it's nice and quiet here. Are you going to school? No, I'm already done with school. I do this just, you know. Where are you from? I'm from New York, so I was in school there and now I live here. I like New York. Yeah, no, New York is beautiful. New York is home, you know, also. It's home, yeah. I grew up in Buenos Aires, very similar to New York. Yeah. I have to go. I have to go. I haven't been. Yeah. I love the culture, so. I studied first in Argentina, in Bellas Artes. They call Bellas Artes, like a bell art. It's a beautiful school and they teach art, only art, sculptures. First year, I finished the third year of high school. Yeah. And after that, you passed it. Do you paint anymore now? Yes, I have been painting too. And I like figure a lot. Yeah, me too. I love. Dear nature, thank you for the ability to bring all of us here together. Thank you for holding us and for just this beautiful space to be here. Are you okay? Sure. Oh, thank you. Squash, squash. Yeah, it's it's like closest to fast drying of oils you could get on location. But what school are you guys in? Yeah. OK, cool. Majoring in art. I'm doing graphics. Oh, graphics. Yeah. OK. Like you have to take a bunch of art classes. OK. There's no art major. OK. OK. Oh, thank you. That's so nice of you. Thank you. Yeah, I give lessons. I paint. I just go on location, capture the scene, teach through Patreon as well and do everything on YouTube. Now you can take it. Take it. OK, you too. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming by. And then I had a sweet surprise from the boys who were back. Yeah, I would love that. I'm actually pretty hungry. All right. Thanks. Oh, thank you. You can get a couple. I'll just take three. That's good. Get more. Three is good. All right. Three is the lucky number for today. You see how it's coming a little bit together? It's not there yet. I don't know what what it needs, but we'll figure it out. You draw one like that, like that, but you have to make a person on it. Yeah, there was actually some some girls climbing the tree. I should have painted it. Yeah. She said there was a spiderweb. So anyway, we do. No, I was asking her. Oh, you're asking her. No, you're right. I thought you guys were together. Yeah, that's beautiful. You're just admiring that tree. Thank you. Yeah. No, this tree, everybody's been I don't know what it is, but everybody's been coming to this tree. Amazing. Something about this one, though. Yeah. You know, it almost looks like a bouquet. Yeah. And imagine how like look at the stability and the root. Like if you you can sit on those roots and they're just they hold you so nicely. They're super rooted to the ground. Yeah. Nothing like a tree ever. Never, ever. The most special. Yeah. Yeah. It's like a sketchbook. So sweater weather. I was like sweaters, boots and. All right. Everyone has officially made their way. I had so many guests today. It was such a beautiful day. So many blessings, so many great connections. And the thing thing is going to have to be done because I'm actually getting cold once the sun is going down today in this cold front. It's getting a little chilly, but I'm not sure it's my favorite painting of the day. And I can't say I am too proud of it. Maybe if I like go to sleep and wake up and I'll think differently. Sometimes that happens to get a However, it was such a special day and it was full of just great memories, great people, beautiful connections. To me, that is already successful. That is what happiness and success and the reason why I love going out and painting on location. Yeah, my heart's really full. Here's the final. It's your nature. Thank you for being an insightful teacher. Thank you for helping me remember for holding me and teaching me how to hold myself.