Adventures in the Black Forest – Schwarzwald

Let me tell you about my summer! 🙂

I had the opportunity to go to the Black Forest at short notice and work from there.

This allowed me to extend my portfolio / repertoire by a few places that I would paint now – because as you know, I only paint places that I have already experienced myself.
These now include the Black Forest around Titisee, Neustadt and Hinterzarten as well as Freiburg and Basel!

In this post I’m sharing glimpses into my sketchbook. When I’m on the road, I try to capture my impressions and memories with watercolour sketches (‚watercolour action painting‘), which I can then paint with soft/chalk pastels when I’m back in the studio.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

I’m also sharing lots of photos of my excursions, so that you can get an idea of the scenery and motifs that may result in paintings.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Boats

I have explored the area by bicycle, on foot, with my sketchbook, and with my camera

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Bicycle Selfie

I found a place where the forest met the water – my absolute favourite combination!! This is where I did some of my sketching and where I also went for a swim in Lake Titisee:

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee 01

Here’s the beginning of one of my sketches:

Katja Schmitt Sketch Skizze Titisee Aquarell Watercolour

And this is the finished version – as much as these ‚action sketches‘ can ever be finished…

Katja Schmitt Sketchbook Skizzenbuch Lake Titisee

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Bike

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

This is where I went for a swim – the water of lake Titisee was beautiful!

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee 06

While I was drying in the sun, I did another sketch 🙂

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Skizze Sketch

The following photos were taken during an evening stroll.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black ForestTitisee Neustadt Chapel Evening

These chapels are very typical and you can find them in every settlement and next to many farmsteads.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black ForestTitisee Neustadt Chapel

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest 02

Mountain pastures everywhere…

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest 03

The Black Forest lives up to its name:

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

There are several motifs here that I can imagine painting!

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

If you’re curious, I followed a walk („Panoramaweg“) between Titisee-Neustadt und Neubierhäusle.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Titisee-Neustadt is located at about 850 m altitude.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Until the cows came home… 😉
The bells rang – those of the chapel and those of the cows.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Chapel

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

One of my ‚action sketches‘ – it is actually one of my Visual Morning Pages, which I do first thing in the morning. They are abstract and do not have to mean anything – although they often do. They are intuitive, sometimes meditative, and of course I usually process the impressions and colours of the previous day.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Skizze Sketch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee

This sketch is more like an underpainting. I plan to embellish it.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Skizze Sketch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Kurpark

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

One afternoon I visited Hinterzarten.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Hinterzarten

Have you ever watched ski jumping in the winter? Hinterzarten is one of the most important centers for this sport.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Hinterzarten

No photo and no TV image can really convey the height and steepness of these jumps. Amazing!
Over the years I have watched a few competitions on TV. Now I wanted to see one of the locations live. There were even some athletes training, so I could watch – and hear – a couple of ski jumps.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Hinterzarten

The town looks like this almost everywhere. Very typical for the Black Forest.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Hinterzarten

But because Hinterzarten is such a famous winter sport center, there is also quite the chic 5-star hotel in this small town, the Parkhotel Adler.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Hinterzarten 04

On July 31, after work, I went for a longer hike.
It was very, very hot, and it got a little tight with time, and I was very exhausted when I came home at nine o’clock in the evening, but sometimes you need a challenge, right?

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Because time was so short, I didn’t stop to draw on the way, but only took photos.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

I passed many, many cow pastures…

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

On the way up the mountain, there was barely any shade, so I took advantage of every little bit.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Hike Selfie

The highest point of my hike: 1071 m!

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

I found out about this hike on the Hochschwarzwald-Webpage (hochschwarzwald.de). It’s called „Von Titisee nach Neustadt und über das idyllische Spriegelsbach zurück“ -> From Titisee to Neustadt and back over the idyllic Spriegelsbach. However, I started in Neustadt, not Titisee.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

The Black Forest was quite an adventure for me. It is not necessarily a region I would choose for a holiday, but on the other hand I love the challenge of exploring a place to which I am „sent“ and discovering its charm and beauty! After all, this is my „mission“.
This hike absolutely helped me to connect with the area!

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

From the mountain I had a marvellous view down on Hinterzarten and the ski jump, which I had only visited the day before.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Finally downhill!

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee

Another one of my Visual Morning Pages – done the next morning after my hike:

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Skizze Sketch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Skizzen Sketches

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Skizze Sketch

Some additional impressions and perspectives:

Katja_Schmitt_Schwarzwald_Black Forest_Sketchbook_Skizzenbuch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee 07

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee 05

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest 01

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Skizze Sketch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Church Kirche

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee 04

Typical architecture of the region:

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest House

The Rathaus (town hall) in Neustadt:

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Neustadt Rathaus

Titisee is all about clocks!

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Clocks Drubba

Now that I’m back in the studio, I will take all my sketches and photos, look at them, let everything sink in, and then pick up my soft pastels and capture my memories in paintings.

Katja Schmitt Schwarzwald Black Forest Titisee Sketchbook Skizzenbuch

Would you like to be among the first to see these paintings, receive more news about my creative journey, the places I visit, as well as first dibs on selected offers?

Yes, I want to stay in touch!