Jocelyn Curry

Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way was the first-time, urban location for The Art of Drawing Maps by Hand in 2019. The long, Pacific NW daylight hours provided our classroom with ample natural light for the hardworking 13 who took this challenging course. Meals were delivered to our private, adjoining dining room. As is typically the case once the mapmakers become immersed in their design work, many logged dawn to dark hours, making the most of the time set aside for immersion into map drawing. Here is a collection of photos (not all maps are included here) that show some of the work being done during class, and photos of some of the maps completed at home after the workshop. Please click on the photos to enlarge them. Appreciative thanks to Marilyn McGuire for supplying many of the photos shown here!

Full concentration is evident in this photo. We did have our lighter moments and Happy Hours, even.

There's a lot to cover in a relatively short time. The second day of this workshop is chock full of learning techniques.

Marie's preliminary design steps utilize tracing paper images that are ideal for tracing later.

Marie's finished map. Bright, clear and charming, it shows many natural and human-made elements within the 11"x14" map.

Above, Tim's tracing setup on his lightpad illustrates a key step in map drawing. His map is of a network of trails and other property landmarks showing visitors the way around his home.

Tim's completed map done in ink and colored pencil. This is the first such project he had ever done.

Yes, sunsets came and went but some soldiered on until closing time at 11 PM.

Sandy's map benefited from her R&D done prior to the workshop weekend. Her map illustrates her grandmother's journey from her small, tribal village in British Columbia by schooner to Seattle in 1923. Symbols of cultural importance add further meaning to this keepsake.

Mary's map integrates numerous memories from her childhood home. To create a lyrical, dreamlike quality, she lettered her texts in undulating lines.

Shan's map is of a favorite neighborhood in Georgetown, DC. His distinct drawing style evokes the Colonial era.

A map serving as a memoir: Gayle created an architectural-style map of her home, including all the sleeping spots enjoyed by her cat..

In this photo, most of the inking is done. Waterproof ink is used so that paint can be applied.

As an experienced "map drawer of imagined places," Pat branched out by creating many illustrations of alluring destinations on this map. He also added a voyager whose journey is mapped and labeled here.

Various ways of adding color to maps are demonstrated during the workshop.Spattering watercolor serves to add tint and texture to map areas needing accents.

Katy's map depicts her many-year journey through her education as a calligrapher. It folds up, map-style.

A custom cover and closure enclose Katy's map.

Anne's map was inspired by the siting of birds in the Dumas Bay vicinity. Her border designs show a solid grasp of ornamental design.

The final afternoon hours include photo ops, sharing of maps, and general levity. This group included five "grad students" from previous map workshops. My current plan is to schedule a map drawing retreat for any grads who would like to set aside a weekend to work on maps without the repeat of full instruction.