Chris Buchholz

Instructor Bio

Based in New Oxford, I’m a watercolorist and sketchbook artist who draws everywhere I go—especially while traveling. After 15 years working as an illustrator and graphic designer, I now spend much of my time painting both from my studio and on location, capturing the everyday moments and places that shape my life.

Family is central to who I am and often appears in my artwork, along with landscapes, nature, and the familiar scenes around me—from the creek near my home to the places my family and I return to again and again, including our well-loved cabin in the woods. Above all, I’m passionate about painting a true sense of light and bringing that feeling into everything I create.

Keeping a Sketchbook: An Illustrated Life

Discover the joy of keeping a sketchbook as a daily creative companion. In this inspiring full-day class, we’ll explore how sketchbooks can become visual diaries—places to observe, experiment, play, and record life as it happens.

I’ll share and discuss examples from my personal sketchbooks spanning nearly 20 years, including travel journals and themed sketchbooks. Students will have the opportunity to look through them up close and see how ideas, techniques, and habits develop over time. You will be able to look through and gather inspiration from some of my 70 sketchbooks that I’ve filled over the years.

We’ll cover basic drawing and sketching techniques, but the heart of the class is building a sustainable and enjoyable drawing habit. We’ll talk about removing pressure, embracing imperfection, and finding inspiration everywhere—at home, while traveling, or in everyday moments. You’ll learn practical tools and approaches for drawing, painting, and doodling wherever you go.

Students may bring any sketchbook they like along with the art materials they enjoy using. I’ll share the tools I use regularly and explain their advantages, helping you discover what works best for your own creative practice. We will draw/paint/create from observation, and if weather permits, take a short excursion outside to draw from life.