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Valesca
van WaverenWhen I’m traveling by myself, I often manage
to get some drawing done. However, if I’m
with my husband and son, I prefer to do things
with the three of us. When I draw, I tend to
experience the place where I am even more
intensely. I love to paint things that jump out
at me—anything from the letter font on the
street signs and the different colors of the
houses to the plants and the pots they’re in.
They are mostly everyday things that I have
time to notice when I’m on vacation.
The pages you see here were made when
I got home after a vacation in France and
Portugal. I like just painting the things I see,
but I also enjoy playing around. That’s easiest
when I use a collage technique: a wrapper
from a tin of mackerel and a little paper bag
that I got when I bought some postcards are
perfect starting points. I prefer to make
something entirely new out of such items,
rather than just keeping them.
I often take a short break with three friends.
We have a copy of Wreck This Journal by
Canadian author and artist Keri Smith that we
always take with us, and it’s turned into a real
mess now. So for our next break, we’ll be
making our very own ‘sketch and scrapbook’.
We’ve called it the ‘Big Little Ladies Book’.Tip: Vacation sketchbooks don’t have to be
pretty—you’re on vacation after all. It’s fine
to keep it rough and ready: as long as you’re
having fun making it, and enjoy looking at
it afterward. >Valescavanwaveren.com; @valescavanwaveren