Why not capture your memories while thinking about something you care about? Relive the good times as you work and I almost guarantee your memory will serve up tidbits you thought were totally forgotten. A special place you remember from childhood, a return to a friend’s country home, a vacation spot where you used to camp with Mom and Dad, a sketching trip to your old school or church, or your first home—as a child or as an adult out on your own—all these are rich sketching subjects.
Gay Kraeger returns to favorite places and fills her journal with sketches. Here, she has captured three views on facing pages. Her written notes add a great deal to the pages, both visually and as a memory trigger.
She feels free to add elements later, like the stamp in upper left; it adds depth and texture to the page as well as to the experience.
Don Gore has sketched at Kansas City’s City Market many times. On this occasion, he chose to do a colorful, intimate interior. Consider taking a new look at a favorite place. Try a new technique or medium or color combination. Update a memory with today’s perspective.
Of course, creating new memories is wonderful as well. World traveler Liz Steel has attended many of the Urban Sketchers symposia around the globe. This image is from one in Paraty, Brazil, and you can bet she has many other incredible memories stored in the pages of her journals. She’s also a huge fan of tea; here you can see her early-morning brew as she works fast and loose.