An Illustrator in Iceland | Inside the Artist’s Sketchbook

2026-02-12 - 12:08

The Iceland trip started as an invitation. My boyfriend of 2 years, Alex, had booked this vacation 6 months in advance. But as the trip got closer, it was harder and harder to leave. First, my entire family (my two kids from a previous marriage, my boyfriend, and I) got the super flu. Then, my elderly mom had major health challenges. I visited her in the hospital and then rehab almost every day. But I knew it was important to go on this vacation. I had to trust that other people could handle my responsibilities. I could let go of control. My kids would be with my ex-husband and would be taken care of. My mom would be under medical supervision, and my closest friends would check on her while I was away. Have a story you think would interest our readers? Read more about our Submission Guidelines here. Credit: Katia Wish As soon as we got to the airport, the burden of the last few weeks lifted. I was ready for this new country and new experiences. When I travel, I try not to do too much research on the country or to look at photos or videos. I would like to be surprised, to find my own little treasures, and to see what is unique about a particular destination. As soon as we got to Iceland, I was fascinated by the sunrise. The sunrise was at 10.52 am on that January day. But it was worth the wait. The late-morning sky, full of lavender, pink, and orange hues, was an invitation to be in awe. Credit: Katia Wish Credit: Katia Wish Later that day, Alex had a mysterious appointment in Reykjavik. This gave me an opportunity to be on my own, with my art supplies. An invitation to sketch! While packing for the Iceland trip, I threw some art supplies in my backpack “just in case”. In my previous experiences, while traveling with other people, I barely sketched. My expectations were low. My first attempts at urban sketching in Reykjavik were challenging. I had almost no sleep (red eye flight from Boston), my hands were shaky from too much coffee, it was cold outside, and I was standing (no support for the wrist). Still, I enjoyed getting to know this new city through my sketchbook. Credit: Katia Wish Credit: Katia Wish I find cities and towns endlessly fascinating. They don’t need to be conventionally pretty. I love the shapes, colors, and design of the buildings, how the view and composition shift and change. The urban landscapes offer a variety of materials, textures, and layers. Nature is great, but to me it doesn’t feel as visually satisfying. I like the complexity of the cities. While having my first dinner in Iceland, the restaurant invited the tourists to step outside. And we were lucky to see the Northern Lights. It made it more special to see them so early in the travel, without planning. Credit: Katia Wish Blue Lagoon was definitely a pleasant experience. Who doesn’t like relaxing in warm water? At the same time, I was already thinking about being in the cafe with the view of the Lagoon and sketching. How would I portray the fog? How would I create the atmosphere of this place? I didn’t bring my watercolor set on the trip, as I didn’t expect to sketch that much. But I had a water brush, a brush pen with black ink, and a few water-soluble markers. So I made those work. While I was looking for a seat to work on another sketch, I was invited by a lovely art student, Chloe from Australia, to her table. It was fun to sketch and chat about art, art supplies, and other things. Credit: Katia Wish Credit: Katia Wish Saturday night in Reykjavik was such a delight. I had not expected to experience so many lights, colors, and a festive mood. Every little restaurant we looked at was so inviting and warm. The decor was engaging to look at – old clocks, mirrors, and beautiful antique musical instruments, lamps, and lanterns. The restaurants were full of laughter and happy chatter. Our little cozy hotel had a lot of areas for people to socialize – booths and tables with nice lights and flowers. For me, it was an invitation to look through the photos of the sites we visited that day and sketch. My color water-soluble markers and color pencils had no real neutrals, so it took quite a few steps to mix browns or grays. Credit: Katia Wish Geysers and a frozen waterfall were particularly challenging to sketch. How do you show frozen waterfall, steam, or bubbling water with dry media (pencils)? Watercolor would be so much easier. But after a while, I figured out a more direct and bold approach to color and rendering. And once again, as in previous urban or travel sketches, I had to let go of control. The Iceland trip started with an invitation and ended with an invitation. Alex prepared a secret proposal! He invited me (and my kids) to share our lives, to have new experiences and adventures together. And that mysterious appointment he had in town? Alex got a ring from an Icelandic jeweller. How incredible is that? Now, Iceland is not just a country; it is a part of our life story. Credit: Katia Wish Katia Wish is an illustrator, author, educator, and creativity coach. She teaches Illustration at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, creates semi-autobiographical comics, writes and illustrates children’s books, and develops and teaches a variety of workshops. www.katiawish.com Katia.Wish.Studio@gmail.com Credit: Katia Wish Credit: Katia Wish Credit: Katia Wish