Robb goes to Austria

I was blessed with the opportunity to spend Christmas and New Year in Vienna with Elin's family.  Sixteen days immersed in such rich history and culture, under the care of two extremely generous and creative hosts, it is really no surprise that I came back from the holidays feeling invigorated and inspired.  I actually couldn't even wait until I got home to begin...I managed to fill some pages of my newly purchased sketchbook during the flights back to Michigan.

Tryggvi, my girlfriend's father and an avid artist himself, gave me some really excellent art materials for Christmas.  I did a 4-part series over the course of my stay that summarizes, to a large degree, the entirety of my stay (although they might seem a bit odd without the proper context).

I did these using watercolor pencils and a Pentel waterbrush on a watercolor block.  I'd never used the pencils or the waterbrush before, but they definitely started to grow on me.

The waterbrush and a small aquarelle travel kit

My girlfriend's parents also have an impressive collection of books on a broad range of subjects relating to art, so I drew further inspiration from them.  I've tried to be more aware of my use of color and light in these little paintings and, despite the challenges of working with a new medium, I can't help but smile when I look at them.