handmade // sketch away

I'm at my desk at work in downtown Los Angeles with a cup of Earl Grey tea (it sounds a lot more relaxing and romantic than it actually is).  Meanwhile, I wish Suhita would draw me into one of her lovely sketches so I could instead be amongst the warm yellows and browns in Varanasi, India or nestled in the greens and blues of New York City in springtime.

New York watercolor by Suhita of Sketch Away

The works of art created by Suhita of Sketch Away give me a sense of serenity and evoke images of long, lazy days of creative freedom (I'm awfully poetic today, eh?).  But seriously -- her stuff is amazing, so I felt obligated to bring her shop to your attention so you can bask in the glow of her artwork like I have since I first stumbled upon her watercolor print of the Chrysler Building while wandering through the Etsy marketplace a few weeks ago.

"My biggest inspiration comes from travel," Suhita tells me. "It helps me look at the world around me with fresh eyes. But the great thing is that it also helps me learn to look at the everyday stuff like a traveler, which makes everything exciting and fun to draw: from a trip to India to the fire hydrant on the corner of our street."  Yes, she has a print of her sketch of a fire hydrant for sale in her shop.  And it's so beautiful!

"I almost completely work on location. My work is usually created in large and small watercolor sketchbooks I carry around everywhere," Suhita continues.  "A small portable watercolor kit, a bunch of brushes, and pens lives in my bag. This way, I can capture life as it happens: on a vacation, on the way to work, at the aquarium with my kids..."

Sketch Away

I'm sure the way it happens is less bohemian than what I'm imagining, but in my head, Suhita's life sounds so dreamy.  I can't wait to own a piece of her world, matted and framed in my own home.

And you can, too: Suhita is offering Free Shipping on all items in her store through the end of 2011. "This means you could buy stuff for friends and have it shipped directly to them at no extra cost," and she'll even include a little note to your gift recipient if you want her to.  For free shipping at Sketch Away, use coupon code FREESHIPPING2011 now until December 31.