local leporello

Scenes from close to home

I've just recently finished another leporello. This one is all scenes from close to home in the Pyrenees in Spain. It took a while to fill this one - I started it back in June - because in between I did a trip to France where I painted in a separate leporello just for that, and then a retreat in Italy where I worked in a new sketchbook.

I'm finding one of the joys of leporellos is that you can fill one fairly quickly, so it's easy to give each one a little theme based on a trip, location or subject. I'm not showing all the sketches here. You can fit 8 full spreads in the leporello I'm using from DeepDeepLight.

After I finished the last spread a few days back, I opened up the whole book and realised that I actually had even a tighter theme than I realised. All the sketches except one (the bridge I did on the first spread) are religious buildings - ermitas, monasteries or churches. This wasn't my intention, it's just how it worked out, and I like how cohesive it makes the story in this book.

I've said this one is finished, but it's not quite! All the sketches in this one are on separate spreads and I'm planning a way to join each spread to the previous and next one. It's one of the best parts of leporellos, joining up the whole story into one long theme. I do have a plan, so watch this space!

My leporello, watercolours and brushess are Deep Deep Light Use code: RENEELIGHT to save on your purchase.

I'm excited to start a new leporello as soon as the autumn colours kick in. I know that they don't last very long, and this time of year always seems the most pressing to get out and sketch a lot before the colours blow away. A little leporello should be just the right length for something like this. Wish me luck!