I spent the last day of my 9-week trip in the French Alps with my great sketching friend Françoise – and it was wonderful to end my adventures with some landscape sketching.

We could have gone to Chamonix and seen Mont Blanc but that would have been a bit too much driving and a little too touristy. We wanted a more relaxed day and so drove around the Alpine towns of Taninges, Les Gets, Morzine.

After weeks in busy cities it was lovely to be in the mountains and we had a super fun day despite rainy weather.

I did a few quick ink and graphite sketches from the car during the drive.

We found a good spot to pull off the road and then sketched the view. I returned to using my full mixed media kit including Tempera Sticks, Neoart, Distress Crayon and Neocolor II.

And then a second sketch.

So many sketchable views and cute chalets. We had a bit of trouble finding somewhere for lunch…

But in the end found a lovely local restaurant. It seemed very remote from the outside but was full of locals!

We have a wonderful leisurely meat fondue which was fun to sketch.

Frannie had promised me a walk around a lake with a backdrop of mountains. Due to the rain before lunch  it wasn’t possible to explore the lake that she had planned for us to visit. But we found a different one after lunch! How gorgeous is this?

Easy walk around the lake and then it was time to sketch. And guess what, the weather was lifting!

Beautiful forests!

It was a very pretty scene – perhaps too pretty? (ie. too much pressure to create a beautiful sketch). I ended up playing with textures.

It was nice to use my Violet Grey Neoart again (it was essential for my Lewis landscapes at the beginning of my trip).

Wow! the sun came out and the sky was blue by the time we left. 

Thanks Frannie for the perfect last day!!!

The next morning it was time to start my journey home… but first a fun sketch in Geneva.

Make that two sketches! And then one from the airport.

It made me smile to see Caran d’Ache products all through the airport. I had such a wonderful time in Geneva – and in fact the full 9 weeks were so special!!!

I hope that you have enjoyed these blog articles from my grand adventures.

There is just one article to go – my reflections from this trip.