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Travelling with your Art

© Amy E. Badurina

June's here, and if you're like a lot of people this summer, you're looking at some sort of a vacation. You'll head out on the road by car or by plane to locales exotic and domestic, and if you're also like the majority of us, you'll be leaving your studio at home.

Needless to say, that doesn't allow for a lot of artistamp creation -- unless you plan ahead.

I'm in the process of getting some things together for a lifetime dream -- a trip across the country on Route 66 by car, stopping to see all the cheezy 1950's fiberglass monuments. What better inspiration for a series of stamps? However, since the trip is going to take a full six weeks, I had logistics concerns. What to take along to make the creation process easier, without having to overburden myself? I'm an overpacker anyway -- my car will likely already be stuffed to the gills with everything up to and including the kitchen sink, so how to make room for the things that are important to me without sacrificing a lot of time and room on the road?

What I came up with was the following plan. If you're going on a trip in the near future, a similar plan might help you indulge your creative impulses while also indulging your wanderlust. (And if you do use these, feel free to send me a copy of what you produce -- I'd be glad to put it in the newly-formed gallery!)

1. Long before you head out, take some sheets of paper (whatever kind you would normally use) and "perforate" them with dots or actual holes in a preset size. Make several sizes and shapes -- you never know where inspiration will strike.

2. Pack these, along with some basic art necessities. For me, these include:

* an I-zone camera, which takes pictures that are just the right size for artistamps.

* colored pencils and artist's crayons.

* several harnesses of drawing pencils.

* a small watercolor set.

* some rub-on letters and numbers set, purchased at Staples for a reasonable price.

* Any small rubber stamps and miniature ink pads that will fit in my bag.

3. Make sure, when packing the car, that your Art Bag isn't buried underneath other useful items. Worse than not packing anything at all is packing what you need and not being able to find it.

4. While on the road, stop at scenes, monuments, and vistas that catch your breath or inspire you. On the pre-perforated sheets, draw in or stick on the essence of what you're seeing. (If you know ahead of time that you don't like sketching in miniature, make your pre-perforated sheets a little larger.)

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