TRAVEL SKETCHBOOK

Sketching Boats in a Quaint New England Town

A Weekend Adventure in Newport, Rhode Island

Everywhere you look in Newport, there are boats, boats, and more boats just waiting to be sketched! Photo by Anne Kullaf ©2025

I stood by the edge of the dock with my sketchbook propped on the railing, looking out over the deep blue Atlantic Ocean water in Newport Bay. The white sailboats bobbed on the waves, their masts making the distinctive clang that boats do when moored in a calm gentle inlet.

A red and a blue hulled sailboat sat next to each other on the water waiting for their captains to board and go for a sail. In the meantime, they were the perfect models for me to sketch in watercolor.

The morning sunlight on the water reflected on the hulls of each boat, creating web-like light patterns that shimmered as the boats moved up and down in the water. The bright colors were perfectly suited for a watercolor sketch, painting marine subjects in watercolor is always a treat. There is something compelling about using watercolor to paint water and boats. It’s a natural fit, and the colors on this particular day did not disappoint.

A quick little study of the boats on Newport Bay on a sunny summer morning, watercolor sketch by Anne Kullaf ©2025

I have always loved boats by the sea