Deserted Island from Steve's Sketchbook / Time Together

All Alone

A hut and two palm trees fill an otherwise deserted island in this latest entry from Steve’s Sketchbook.

A hut and two palm trees fill an otherwise deserted island in this latest entry from Steve’s Sketchbook.

I have often thought it would be fun to be on a deserted island, at least for a little while. And I would enjoy it even more if Laura were there with me. Who says that I have to be alone on a deserted island? The island would still be considered deserted if two of us lived there, right?

If you start looking at this island in this artwork, you might think it is rather small, and you would be right. An island of that size does not offer that much to do. You could only swim and climb the palm trees so many times before it all got old. Maybe I need to draw a larger island next time, just to give ourselves more to do.

You could always use your imagination and say that all you see here is the tip of a long, narrow island with lots more to do, and that could be correct. As long as we are imagining, who can say that we are wrong? We could also say that we are just across a relatively small channel and are viewing this island from a vibrant area filled with good restaurants, a Walmart, and a theme park. That way, we can just take the boat over to the mainland and have what we need when we want it, and then escape back to our island to relax. You can’t see the boat? I tied it up on the other side of the island to make the view better for those looking on from the mainland. Like you.

When you imagine, you set the rules. Why not have them work in your favor?

Time Together

Laura and I sometimes talk about getting away from it all, at least for a little while. Maybe an island like this one would be perfect for us. We would not require too much to have a good time. Just a place to sleep, some water to swim in, an endless supply of heavy-duty sunscreen (For me. Laura tans, I burn. Hence the family name, I guess. Steve Burns, literally.), and some food to eat would do for a good while.

A wise man (our high school band director) once said, “Who you go with is more important than where you go.” I have found that to be true over and over again. Laura and I have been to all sorts of places. If I were to go to some of those same places with other people, I would not enjoy it nearly as much. But when I go with Laura, we have a wonderful time, even if you would not consider the place the most exciting place you have ever visited.

I hope that you have found someone to share life with that you can enjoy spending time with. Even if it is just going for a walk or sitting and talking. Fun is based on what you make it, not where you are. Where you are can contribute, of course, but it is not the driving factor. We had lots of fun times when we had five months together due to COVID-19. Most all of that time was spent at home, and we enjoyed every bit of it.

If you are looking for a mate, choose wisely. Find someone who you enjoy being with, and then spend all the time you can with that person. Focus more on the act of being together and less on the place.

Life is best enjoyed with someone you love by your side.

Bible Verse

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. - Ephesians 5:25

About the Artwork

Even though I call this series “Steve’s Sketchbook,” I used more of a painting style than a sketch here. As I have said before, why hold yourself to one style? This is the first artwork I have done on an iPad instead of on an iPhone. The extra room to work was very helpful, and I can definitely see the benefits of the larger working surface.

And no, if you are wondering, I still plan to do some sketch-type artwork, too, such as the next artwork that I will share in a week or two. Sometimes I just draw or paint whatever feels natural. In this case, that was an island. If you remember past Steve’s Sketchbook entries, this one might look familiar. Check out this earlier beach scene, for example. And is this island the same one pictured in the island map painting? Maybe. You can decide if it is or not.

For this painting, I enjoyed trying some of the different brushes the Procreate app offered to see what sort of textures I could create. I don’t necessarily care for just flat color for this sort of artwork, so I used as many textures as I could. I used a similar look on some previous palm trees in different paintings, and I like how these turned out. The hut does not quite have the look that I wanted, but I think you can tell what it is.

The sun and the clouds really make this painting what it is, in my opinion. As you probably know from different photos and artwork around here, I really like clouds. I wanted to get these just right, based on my memories of beach days. I then found the sunlight brush, so that sunlight is just a single click of the digital pen. So easy that it almost feels like cheating.


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About Burnsland
Burnsland is Steve Burns, with generous help from his lovely wife Laura. Steve is a husband, father, photographer, webmaster, writer, podcaster, artist, Christian. Steve enjoys sharing his photography, art, and stories through Burnsland.com, from the Burnsland World Headquarters in Tennessee.