A Journey of Observation, Creativity, and Exploration
Lis Watkins is an artist whose work revolves around the subtle beauty of location drawing, travel illustration, and sketchbook exploration. Through her dedicated practice, Watkins has cultivated a unique approach to urban sketching that highlights the personal, immediate connection between an artist and the world they observe. Her sketchbooks, more than just repositories of sketches, serve as intimate windows into the cities and landscapes she experiences, allowing her to capture fleeting moments, tell stories, and explore the essence of each place she visits.
Sketching the World: A Personal Practice Rooted in Observation
For Watkins, the sketchbook is not just a tool for recording ideas or inspiration; it is a companion in her ongoing journey as an artist. Her sketchbooks hold the key to understanding the world she encounters, from bustling city streets to serene rural landscapes. The act of drawing from life has become second nature for her, with each page capturing a snapshot of her surroundings in the most raw, immediate way. Drawing from life is an immersive practice that allows Watkins to observe not only the physical details of a location but also its atmosphere, movement, and energy.
Unlike traditional artists who may create pieces in controlled environments or in a studio setting, Watkins’ sketchbook work takes place in the real world. She often sketches on location, carrying her sketchbook with her wherever she goes. Whether in a vibrant metropolis or a peaceful park, her sketches document the essence of each place, providing a direct link to the environment around her. This method allows her to experience and understand the world through her sketches, offering an authentic reflection of the space she occupies. It is an intimate, personal experience that enables her to capture not just the visual, but the feeling of the moment.
One of the most powerful aspects of her approach is the way in which her sketchbooks offer an uninterrupted way of engaging with the world. By blending her art seamlessly with her environment, Watkins avoids interrupting the natural flow of life around her. The act of sketching becomes part of the city’s narrative, offering a glimpse into the world as it is, without the intrusion of formal art-making. This organic interaction between artist and place makes Watkins’ work a vivid diary, a visual archive of her experiences, and an intimate record of her creative evolution over time.
Materials: The Art of Selecting the Right Tools for the Job
One of the defining features of Watkins’ sketchbook practice is her careful selection of materials. Over the years, she has experimented with various products to find the perfect combination of practicality and aesthetic appeal. This thoughtful process ensures that her sketchbooks are not only functional but also offer a sense of quality and durability that supports her fast-paced, on-location work.
Among her favorite sketchbooks are those from the Stillman and Birn Beta series. These sketchbooks are beloved for their smooth, thick watercolour paper, which provides a solid foundation for both watercolour and pen work. The 8 x 10-inch and 5 x 7-inch sizes are her preferred formats, offering a perfect balance of portability and ample space for detailed work. Watkins values the paper’s texture, which feels like a thin card and allows her to create expressive lines while also supporting the fluidity of watercolour paints. The thick, high-quality paper can endure repeated use and exposure to various materials, which is a crucial feature for Watkins, who often works on location in diverse environments.
In addition to Stillman and Birn sketchbooks, Watkins also enjoys using Laloran sketchbooks, which are handmade in Portugal. These sketchbooks offer a unique, artisanal touch, and Watkins values their craftsmanship, which adds a personal element to her practice. Over the years, she has explored numerous sketchbook brands, carefully considering each one’s durability, flexibility, and the ability to lie flat when opened. Her meticulous selection of materials reflects her commitment to creating sketches that are not only beautiful but also lasting.
Watercolour paints play a significant role in Watkins’ outdoor sketching. She uses the Winsor & Newton Professional range of watercolours, which are renowned for their vibrancy and consistency. Her palette also includes additional colours from brands like Daniel Smith and Deep Deep Light, reflecting her desire to expand and adapt her palette as her creative journey unfolds. For instance, her 2017 trip to Lisbon led her to add Cobalt Turquoise and Naples Yellow to her collection, capturing the sun-drenched atmosphere of the city. Similarly, her experience during the pandemic, where she spent much of her time in gardens and parks, inspired her to incorporate more green hues to reflect the changing environment around her.
The versatility of her materials enables Watkins to respond to her surroundings quickly, capturing fleeting moments before they vanish. This quick, observational style is supported by her choice of synthetic travel brushes, particularly those from Escoda, which are lightweight, compact, and durable ideal for sketching on the move. To add texture to her work when needed, she carries a selection of crayons and pastels, offering more opportunities for creative expression. Through this thoughtful combination of materials, Watkins is able to experiment with various techniques and textures, creating rich and dynamic sketches that feel alive with the energy of the places she visits.
Experimentation and Playfulness: A Space for Creative Freedom
Watkins’ sketchbooks are not just tools for capturing the world around they are also spaces for personal experimentation. She views them as laboratories of creativity, where there are no expectations or deadlines. The beauty of sketchbook work, for Watkins, lies in the freedom it offers. There is no pressure to create a perfect piece of art; instead, each sketch is an opportunity to explore, test new ideas, and grow as an artist. This spirit of exploration is central to her practice, allowing her to push boundaries, try new techniques, and develop her skills in an environment that is free from judgment or outside constraints.
The Urban Sketchers community has had a significant influence on Watkins, inspiring her to embrace boldness and creativity in her work. Artists like Jenny Adam, Swasky, Inma Serrano, and Maru Godas have demonstrated how daring colour combinations, vibrant textures, and innovative techniques can transform urban sketches into captivating works of art. Watkins resonates with this ethos, seeing her own sketchbooks as a dialogue with both her materials and her surroundings. Each page is an invitation to experiment, and each line drawn is part of an ongoing journey of discovery.
This sense of freedom is a key reason why Watkins cherishes her sketchbook practice. It is a space where imperfection is embraced, and the unpredictability of the creative process is celebrated. Unlike commissioned work, where expectations may limit creative expression, the sketchbook allows for playfulness and exploration. There are no rules only the act of creating for the sake of expression and growth.
While her sketchbooks remain a deeply personal part of her practice, they have also found their way into the public sphere in a variety of forms. Some of Watkins’ sketches have been used as references for commissioned work, while others have been turned into prints or featured in exhibitions. One notable project was her zine, London Greens, which showcased her favourite sketches from the pandemic period. This zine was exhibited at the prestigious Rendez-vous du Carnet de Voyage festival in France, where it was nominated for the Prix du Carnet de Voyage International.
This shift from private practice to public exposure represents a natural evolution for Watkins. While her sketchbooks remain intimate and personal, she values the opportunity to share her work with others, inviting them into her world through the stories told in her drawings. Her work has the ability to transport viewers to the places she has visited, offering a glimpse into the life and energy of each location. Through this process of sharing, Watkins fosters a connection between herself, her art, and her audience, sparking a deeper appreciation for the art of location drawing and the beauty of urban sketching.
Exploring the Intersection of Identity and Place in Lis Watkins' Sketchbooks
In the world of art, a sketchbook often serves as a personal space for experimentation, technical exercises, and emotional exploration. For Lis Watkins, however, her sketchbooks represent more than just a collection of drawings. They are deeply personal reflections, a dialogue between her internal emotions and the external world. Through her on-location sketches, Watkins crafts an artistic language that encapsulates both her evolving relationship with the environments she encounters and the unique ways in which she expresses her identity. Each drawing is not just an attempt at accurate representation, but a deep connection to the place itself, filtered through her individual perspective.
The Personal Connection Between Artist and Environment
When Lis Watkins sets out to draw, her focus goes far beyond simply recreating a physical space. She is interested in the soul of the placeits energy, its spirit, and the feelings it evokes in her. Whether sketching a quiet corner of a park, the energy of a bustling market, or the tranquility of an empty street at dusk, Watkins looks to capture not only the visible details but also the essence that makes the location memorable to her. Her work is more than a technical exploration of perspective and light is a way of interacting with the world around her.
Each drawing in Watkins’ sketchbooks is an intimate translation of her emotional response to the environment. The act of sketching on location allows her to engage with the scene in real time, making her more than just an observer and becoming an active participant in the story of the place. In this way, Watkins forges a connection between herself and the environment that goes beyond what the eye can see. The sketches she creates are not merely reproductions of what is in front of her; instead, they are reflections of her personal interpretation, emotions, and memories associated with that space.
Unlike many artists who focus on technical accuracy, Watkins allows herself the freedom to distort, abstract, or enhance elements of a scene. This flexibility in her approach lets her communicate not just what a place looks like, but how it feels to be there. Her sketchbook becomes a vessel for her emotional responses, capturing both the tactile sensations of the moment and the more ephemeral impressions of sounds, smells, and the mood of the space.
Drawing on location provides Watkins with the opportunity to establish a direct and immersive relationship with the surroundings. She takes in the nuances of the environment way light shifts across a building, the interplay of people in a crowded square, or the calming rhythm of nature in a park. By incorporating her own emotional and sensory experience into the drawings, she creates a work that is deeply personal and unique. Her sketches become a form of storytelling that expresses not just a visual representation of the place, but also an emotional narrative that unfolds across the page.
Sketchbooks as Memory Archives: The Role of Time and Reflection
Lis Watkins’ sketchbooks serve as much more than repositories for her artwork. They are time capsules, preserving moments of her life and experiences in a form that transcends traditional memory. The act of sketching is deeply tied to memory, and for Watkins, each page is a window into the past. When she flips through her sketchbooks, she is transported back to the very locations and moments she captured in her drawings, reliving the sights, sounds, and emotions of those experiences.
This deep connection between drawing and memory imbues Watkins’ work with a sense of nostalgia. Each sketch is infused with the energy of the time it was createdwhether that’s the bright warmth of a summer afternoon in a bustling city, the muted colors of a foggy morning, or the vibrant energy of a festival. Through her work, Watkins preserves not just a visual snapshot of a place, but the emotions and sensations that make it memorable.
For many artists, the process of sketching is inherently tied to personal reflection. It is a way to process experiences, engage with emotions, and revisit moments that would otherwise be lost to time. Watkins has honed this practice to a level where her sketchbooks become more than just records of placesthey become reflections of her evolving relationship with those places. Each drawing documents a moment of interaction between herself and the world around her, capturing a specific memory or insight that may have otherwise been forgotten.
The concept of a sketchbook as a memory archive is particularly powerful in the context of Watkins’ work. Her drawings are not simply technical exercises or representations of external spacesthey are reflections of her personal journey as an artist and an individual. When she looks back at a sketch, it is not just the scene that she remembers, but the emotions, the atmosphere, and the context in which she created it. This adds a layer of depth to her work, making it more than just art for art’s sake. Her sketchbooks, in essence, are visual diaries that document not just her artistic development but her emotional and sensory responses to the world around her.
Embracing the Journey of Artistic Growth through Place
What sets Watkins apart from many other artists is her ability to let her surroundings shape her work, rather than forcing her art into predefined forms or expectations. Her sketches are a direct reflection of her ongoing journey as an artist. She approaches each new place with an open mind, ready to embrace whatever challenges or insights arise from the experience. This sense of openness is evident in the evolution of her sketchbooks. As she continues to engage with new places and environments, her artistic practice grows and adapts in response.
In this way, Watkins’ sketchbooks are more than just a place for finished artworkthey are a space for exploration, experimentation, and growth. Each page is a step in her ongoing journey of artistic development, and her sketches serve as markers of how her understanding of place and self has evolved over time. The act of drawing on location allows her to respond to the environment in a way that feels immediate and genuine. It is through this process that she refines her skills, finds new ways of expressing herself, and deepens her connection to the world around her.
Watkins’ use of sketchbooks is also a powerful reminder of the transformative power of place. As she navigates the streets, parks, and markets, she sketches, she becomes more attuned to the subtle details of her surroundings play of light, the rhythm of life, and the emotions that a space can evoke. These experiences are not just documented through her art; they shape her growth as an artist. The places she visits inform not only the subjects of her drawings but also her approach to creativity itself.
For Watkins, the sketchbook is a space for both technical practice and emotional exploration. It is a place where she can experiment with different materials, techniques, and styles, but also a space where she can work through her personal responses to the world. Her relationship with the places she draws evolves over time, as does her understanding of how to translate those experiences into her work. This continuous exploration of place and self creates a dynamic and ever-evolving body of work that reflects both her artistic and personal growth.
The Freedom of Experimentation in Lis Watkins' Artistic Practice
In the world of Lis Watkins, her sketchbooks are far more than just tools for observation and reflection. They serve as vital spaces for experimentation and creative exploration. Unlike commissioned works, which are often bound by specific guidelines and expectations, her sketchbooks offer the freedom to step outside conventional norms. Watkins views these pages not as a place for finished or polished pieces, but as a private laboratory where she can experiment with new materials, test various techniques, and push the boundaries of her creativity.
This unrestrained space for experimentation allows Watkins to try anything that sparks her interest, be it new colour palettes, unexpected textures, or innovative drawing styles. The process is dynamic, with no fear of failure, creating a fertile environment for growth. It's through these moments of artistic risk-taking that she experiences true creative breakthroughs. Watkins’ sketchbooks evolve naturally, often as much a result of serendipitous accidents as deliberate intent. Her approach is more about fostering discovery than achieving perfection. It’s in these uncharted territories of exploration that her artistic skills continue to evolve, allowing her to move beyond the conventional techniques she once relied upon.
What also deeply influences Watkins’ experimentation is her engagement with the Urban Sketchers community. This group of artists is known for embracing bold and unconventional methods in their artwork, and Watkins finds immense inspiration in the way her fellow artists approach their work. Artists like Jenny Adam, Inma Serrano, Maru Godas, and Swasky, who are all willing to play with colour, texture, and line in unexpected ways, have motivated Watkins to take similar creative risks in her own sketches. The Urban Sketchers community embodies a shared understanding that a sketchbook is a space to innovate and create, not to achieve perfection. This collaborative spirit encourages Watkins to continue exploring new techniques and to take creative chances without the fear of judgment.
Through this exploration and risk-taking, Watkins has honed a unique artistic style. The blend of expressive, fluid line work and vibrant, multi-layered watercolours has become a hallmark of her sketches. She has learned to focus less on technical accuracy and more on capturing the spirit and atmosphere of the places she encounters. Over time, her sketches have transcended mere depictions of locations and have become a personal narrative, infused with emotion, experience, and interpretation.
Developing a Personal Artistic Identity Through Sketchbook Practice
As Lis Watkins’ sketchbook practice has matured, so has her artistic identity. Early in her artistic journey, her sketchbooks were primarily tools for practiceplaces where she could hone her skills and experiment with different techniques. However, as her confidence in her materials and methods grew, so did her understanding of her own creative voice. Today, her sketches represent not just the places she has visited, but her personal interpretation of those locations. They serve as windows into her emotional connection with the world around her.
A key element of Watkins' artistic evolution has been her ability to capture the essence of a place, not just its physical details but its mood, energy, and atmosphere. For example, her watercolour paintings of gardens during the pandemic reflect a peaceful, contemplative energy, while her urban sketches of cities exude a sense of movement and vibrancy. Each sketch is a deeply personal response to the environment, one that speaks not only to the visual but to the emotions and memories tied to the experience of being in those places. This shift from mere observation to emotional interpretation marks a pivotal point in the development of her artistic voice.
Another significant aspect of Watkins' evolving artistic identity is her use of colour. Over the years, she has developed an intuitive approach to selecting pigments, carefully adjusting her palette based on the unique characteristics of the places she visits. For example, when she sketches in Lisbon, she uses bright colours like Cobalt Turquoise and Naples Yellow to capture the warmth and brightness of the city’s sun-drenched streets. This careful manipulation of colour helps her evoke specific emotional responses to the places she’s depicting. Similarly, during the pandemic, when she focused more on nature, she incorporated more green hues into her sketches, reflecting her growing connection to the calming influence of gardens and parks.
The subtle yet deliberate shifts in Watkins' colour choices have played a pivotal role in the development of her artistic identity. These adjustments, combined with her increasing focus on emotional resonance, have helped her refine her personal style. As her sketches have evolved, they have become more than just depictions of the external worldthey have become an extension of herself, a visual narrative that conveys her unique perspective on life, art, and the places she has visited.
Embracing Mistakes and Growth in the Sketchbook
One of the most liberating aspects of Lis Watkins' sketchbook practice is her ability to embrace mistakes and learn from them. Unlike polished, final works where perfection is often the goal, sketchbooks offer a space to take risks, explore new ideas, and, importantly, make mistakes. Watkins believes that mistakes are not setbacks; rather, they are essential stepping stones in the creative process. Each misstep, whether it's an awkward line, an unanticipated colour mix, or a sketch that doesn't quite come together, offers valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t.
This mindset is central to Watkins' approach to creativity. By allowing herself to make mistakes in her sketchbooks, she fosters a sense of curiosity and exploration. Each page is not viewed as a finished product but as part of an ongoing journey opportunity to experiment, reflect, and grow. Rather than striving for technical perfection, Watkins embraces the unpredictability of her sketchbook work, finding joy in the process rather than the outcome. This shift in mindset has allowed her to cultivate a more relaxed, open-minded approach to her creative practice. The pressure to "get it right" is replaced by the freedom to explore, make mistakes, and learn from them.
Through this process, Watkins has developed a greater sense of resilience and flexibility in her artistic approach. Where others might view a mistake as a failure, she sees it as a necessary part of her artistic evolution. This freedom from perfectionism has not only helped her grow as an artist but has also contributed to a deeper sense of satisfaction in her work. The enjoyment of the creative process itself has become as important as the finished sketch, allowing her to stay engaged and passionate about her practice.
Sketchbooks as an Ongoing Conversation with Self and the World
For Lis Watkins, her sketchbooks are much more than just archives of past experiences. They are ongoing conversations with herself and with the world around her. Each page is a reflection of her evolving artistic journey, an exploration of her thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. Watkins' sketchbooks are living documentsconstantly evolving as she experiments, grows, and refines her creative voice. The beauty of this practice lies in its fluidity; no page is ever truly "finished," and each drawing serves as a step in an ever-evolving conversation between her inner world and the external world she encounters.
This continuous process of exploration and self-reflection allows Watkins to develop a deeper understanding of both her artistic practice and her own identity as an artist. Every new sketchbook represents a fresh chapter in her ongoing artistic journey, filled with new discoveries, experiments, and insights. Her sketchbooks serve as both personal archives of her artistic evolution and as spaces for creative reinvention. As she fills new pages with sketches, Watkins is not only documenting her growth as an artist but also pushing the boundaries of her creativity, finding new ways to express herself, and embracing the ongoing process of artistic discovery.
Ultimately, Watkins’ sketchbooks are more than just repositories of memories or technical exercises; they are reflections of her artistic soul. They capture the spirit of each place she visits, the emotions she experiences, and the creative risks she takes. Through experimentation, growth, and the acceptance of mistakes, Watkins has developed a rich, unique artistic voice that continues to evolve with each new page. For her, the sketchbook is a constant companion tool for artistic discovery, a space for personal expression, and a powerful vehicle for navigating the ever-changing landscape of creativity.
Transforming Private Expression into Public Art: The Journey of Lis Watkins
In the world of art, the sketchbook holds a unique place. It is often the most personal part of an artist’s practice, a private space where thoughts and creativity can be explored without the pressure of an audience. For Lis Watkins, her sketchbooks are more than just repositories of raw ideas and experiments are the starting point for the pieces that will eventually be shared with the world. In the final part of our exploration of Watkins' sketchbook journey, we delve into the seamless transition her personal sketches make into public-facing works. This process not only reflects the evolution of her artistic style but also demonstrates how a simple sketchbook can foster deep emotional connections and inspire others through public exhibitions and collaborative projects.
At the core of Watkins’ artistic practice lies the ability to blend her private, intimate sketches with professional commissions and public-facing illustrations. Her sketchbooks serve as both a testing ground and a springboard for her more refined pieces, making them the perfect reflection of her creative growth. What starts as a personal exploration in the safety of her sketchbook transforms into compelling public art that resonates with viewers on a personal level. This relationship between the intimate space of the sketchbook and the broader world of public art highlights the dynamic duality of the sketchbook as both a tool for self-expression and a means to connect with others through creative work.
Sketchbooks as a Bridge: From Private Practice to Public Work
For Lis Watkins, the process of turning private sketches into polished public works involves more than just technical refinement. It is a journey of maintaining the raw energy and emotion that characterizes her sketchbook drawings while translating them into pieces that can be appreciated by a wider audience. Many artists rely on their sketchbooks as a quiet space to experiment, try new techniques, and work through ideas. For Watkins, this process is no different, but the significant distinction lies in how she bridges the gap between these personal studies and her public-facing work.
The sketches in Watkins' books are far from just preliminary drafts for future projects. Rather, they embody the essence of her creative expressionspontaneous, free-flowing, and deeply emotional. These intimate moments, captured quickly and without the constraints of perfection, provide the foundation for much of her professional art. For instance, her location drawings and sketches created on-site serve not only as personal reflections of her immediate environment but also as references for larger, more detailed commissions. Despite the shift from the raw sketch to a more polished final product, Watkins ensures that the vitality and emotional depth of the original drawings are carried over into the finished illustrations, making the transition seamless.
By maintaining this connection to the core of her sketchbook work, Watkins demonstrates the power of the sketchbook as both a creative tool and a professional asset. The ideas, concepts, and techniques that she refines within the pages of her sketchbook are never left behind but continue to evolve and thrive in her public art. This fluidity between private and public expression not only strengthens Watkins’ artistic voice but also highlights the significance of sketchbooks in the development of an artist’s unique style and perspective.
Exhibitions and Collaborations: Bringing the Sketchbook to the World
Though sketchbooks are often seen as deeply personal and private, they can also serve as powerful platforms for public interaction. In Lisa Watkins' case, her sketchbook work has transcended the confines of her studio to reach broader audiences through exhibitions and collaborations. By sharing the personal observations and reflections captured in her sketchbooks, Watkins invites others to connect with her artistic journey in a meaningful and emotional way.
One example of this is her zine London Greens, which compiled a selection of sketches created during the pandemic. The zine offered a personal insight into her experiences during a challenging period, but it also created an opportunity for others to engage with her artistic process and reflect on their own experiences. This zine was showcased at the Rendez-vous du Carnet de Voyage, a prestigious French travel sketchbook festival, where it garnered significant attention and was even nominated for the Prix du Carnet de Voyage International. This recognition not only celebrated Watkins’ artistic talent but also reinforced the universal appeal of sketchbooks as a medium for personal expression and connection.
The exhibition of London Greens at the festival was more than just a display of artwork; it was an invitation for conversation, interaction, and shared understanding. By presenting her personal sketches to the public, Watkins was not attempting to showcase perfection, but rather to offer a glimpse into her creative world. This approach fosters an environment where viewers feel welcomed to share their own stories and reflections, creating a space for emotional resonance and community.
Through exhibitions and collaborations like this, Watkins highlights the evolving role of sketchbooks as living, dynamic entities that can take on new meaning when shared with others. The act of opening up her sketchbook to a wider audience allows viewers to experience not only the final works but also the raw, unpolished moments that led to them. By sharing her creative process, Watkins fosters a deeper connection between herself and her audience, providing an opportunity for mutual understanding and appreciation.
The Emotional Power of Sketchbooks: Creating Connections Through Art
Lis Watkins' sketchbook practice is more than just a collection of sketches is an emotional journey that allows her to communicate her inner world to others. While sketchbooks are often associated with technical exploration, Watkins uses hers as a space to document her emotional responses to the world around her. Through her drawings, she captures fleeting moments, personal reflections, and emotional reactions to the places and experiences she encounters. These sketches are more than just depictions of her surroundings; they are windows into her heart and mind.
When she shares her sketches with otherswhether through exhibitions, publications, or social mediaWatkins invites her audience to connect with her on a deeply personal level. The sketches she presents are not just visual representations of the world; they are emotional expressions that communicate the feelings, memories, and moods attached to those moments. By offering this level of intimacy, Watkins allows viewers to relate to her work in a way that goes beyond the surface. The authenticity of her sketches, their unfiltered and raw nature, creates a bond between the artist and her audience, making it possible for others to experience the emotions and memories behind each drawing.
This emotional connection is what makes sketchbooks such a powerful tool for artists. The sketches in Watkins' books are not constrained by the expectations of perfection or the demands of the professional art world. Instead, they are honest and vulnerable, capturing the artist's true feelings in real-time. This authenticity resonates with viewers, who often see their own emotions reflected in the sketches. Through this shared experience, sketchbooks become a bridge between the artist and the audience, fostering a sense of connection that transcends the boundaries of the page.
Sketchbooks and the Global Urban Sketcher Community
Throughout her career, Watkins has been an active participant in the global Urban Sketchers community, a network of artists who document the world around them through on-location drawings. This community celebrates the act of sketching in public spaces, where artists capture the essence of cities, landscapes, and everyday life in real-time. For Watkins, being part of the Urban Sketchers network has been an invaluable source of inspiration, motivation, and support.
The Urban Sketchers community is built on the idea of sharing and connecting through art. By drawing in public spaces and sharing their work online, artists can engage with a global audience, exchange ideas, and collaborate with others who share a passion for sketching. For Watkins, this sense of community is essential to her practice. It has allowed her to learn from other artists, refine her techniques, and stay inspired by the diverse approaches to sketching that she encounters through the network.
In addition to the personal benefits of being part of this community, the Urban Sketchers network has also contributed to the growing recognition of sketchbooks as a legitimate and valuable form of artistic expression. In an era where digital platforms and social media enable artists to showcase their work to a global audience, sketchbooks have become tools for communication and connection. Through platforms like Instagram and Flickr, sketchbook artists can share their work with people from all over the world, sparking conversations and fostering a sense of belonging among those who appreciate the art of sketching.
As Lis Watkins continues to explore new materials, locations, and techniques, her sketchbooks will remain an integral part of her artistic practice. They serve as both a personal diary of her creative journey and a tool for building connections with others. Through public exhibitions, commissions, and collaborative projects, Watkins demonstrates that sketchbooks are not just private spaces for reflection but powerful vehicles for public expression and emotional connection. Whether through raw, intimate sketches or polished final pieces, her work invites others to step into her world, experience her creative process, and share in the emotions and stories that shape her art.
