Thank you so much to everyone who joined the 5th year of Sketch Across the World, what an adventure we have been on. Out of the door we went with sketchbook in hand on the 29th & 30th April 2023, to sketch in nature.

We felt the sun on our faces and the wind in our hair. We stood in snow and soaked up the rain. The wind carried us along and with nature left its mark on the page, as we recorded its sounds creating a sense of place where nature could be heard. Adventures started at dawn, from your doorsteps, on balconies in gardens, to cities and beyond. From micro adventure to big ones travelling large distances, to stand next to the sea, whilst some went by boat to paint the landscape out at sea. We ventured to bog land, into the jungle, rainforests and woodlands and to our favourite trees.

Our adventure began in Kuala Lumpur in the Far East, with our first sketch floating in on the breeze.

It arrived from Louise @fromwondertopaper who sketched a chocolate albatross butterfly from her jungle adventure and captured a video of gibbons calling. This was the first time they have been heard on a sketch across the World adventure and this blew me away. From the jungle we headed to Connecticut where @colleenkastner was surrounded by birds, sketching flowers in her garden. Then over to Durham in the North England, UK, where @flatcapandfrappuccinos was on the river bank sketching bees around the dandelions, whilst the celedines and wood anemones closed up for the day. To the West next we went, where @wildbraid and @kkr.explores.art sketched Spring time blooms in Washington. Before we ventured with @ Kiri_saul in Picton, New Zealand into the bush sketching trees and then stood on Picton Harbour looking out to Marlborough sounds.

The most Northerly Sketch

The most Northerly sketch came from @judyintheyukon in White Horse in the Yukon, where snow was lingering at her feet, sketching the landscape before her, birds were singing and ravens soaring overhead. This was our coldest sketch location this year

The most Southerly Sketch

“Sketching outside has been a revelation for me this year – from never even thinking of doing it, to now where I do it nearly everyday.

Kiri Saul

Our Sketch Across the World Map

Highlights from the Weekend

130 artists took part across 5 Continents, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. We literally sketched across the World.

You joined in from; Kuala Lumpur, Connecticut, Durham, Seattle, Wellington NZ, Tregaron, Wales, Vietnam, Yorkshire, Ceredigion in Wales, South Downs in Sussex, Northants, UK, Kansas City, Netherlands, Norfolk in England, London, Bristol, Germany, Sororan Desert Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Bergen in Netherlands, Eastbourne UK, Kentucky, Peak District, Hebden Bridge Yorkshire, Windsor Great Park, Norfolk, Edmonton, Ottawa Valley, Romania, Languedoc France, Nova Scotia, New England, Bollington England, Rome, North Indiana, Northampton in England, Massachusetts, Island of Maui, Hawaii, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, Vancouver Island, Texas, Queensland, New South Wales, Soult in France, Western Australia, Brisbane Australia, San Diego, Kent, Somerset, Devon, Lincolnshire uk, Oxford, Nottingham, Sydney, Shropshire, Bristol, Shropshire, Cumbria, South Africa, Texas, Yokohama Japan, Aboyne Scotland, Peak District, Colorado, Michigan Bedfordshire, Yukon, Brighton UK, Ohio, Oregon, California, Dorset, Florida, Niedersachsen, Germany, Ontario, Herefordshire, Portugal, Pacific North West, Malmesbury England, Oxfordshire, Latvia, Hong Kong, Scotland.

207 sketches were created over the weekend, sharing nature from your part of the World

You sketched bees, birds, butterflies, cactus, trees and their leaves and seeds, woodland plants and the ones in your garden and fungi discovered beneath the trees. You took us on adventures to the rivers edge, into woodlands and to the sea. The soundscapes you captured this year, from the written word to the audio sounds was so amazing and inspiring to see. I loved connecting to your location, so many amazing moments, what an adventure it has been.

Here are a few for inspiration from @dimecalf Sketchbook page in South Africa, @manja.art sat by water, with birds chirping and a spider crawling up a web in front of her in Germany, @paint.there on a boat painting the landscape off the island of Maui, Hawaii, @wildbraid created a tiny sketchbook for her adventure in Seattle and @ilovecoquelicots coastal adventure in Portugal was so refreshing to experience. I would love to hear which sketches inspire you.

“I’ve wanted to paint this view from the water for a long time. Ukumehame Valley, island Maui, Hawaii, is full of so many colours and shapes, even on a misty morning.”

Maggie Sutrov @paint.there

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A post shared by miúdaqueadorapapoilas (@ilovecoquelicots)

A Big Thank you to Alice Savery @alicedrawstheline for our fun sea adventure. I had an amazing time out on the cliffs at Aberporth in Wales, Sketching over the weekend. Thank you once again everyone, I have loved travelling through your posts, I hope you’ve enjoyed the adventure. I’m looking forward to seeing where you take your sketchbooks next, inspired by our Sketch Across the World Adventures.

Katherine – The Walking Sketchbook

• Sketch Across the World
• The Walking Sketchbook