@garpu_somay (2)

by Aika Mentari · July 11, 2025

Not in the Studio: Finding Inspiration at the River’s Edge

Where is a work of art born? Some people would imagine a tidy studio. A drawing table. Bright lights. But sometimes the best work is born in the least expected place. Somewhere a little wild. This photograph from the artist Garpu Somay (@garpu_somay) is the proof of it.

Look at this image. A hand holding an open journal at the edge of a river. The background is not a white wall but running water and natural rock. This is not merely drawing. It is a dialogue.

Translating Wild Nature into Art

How do you translate the sound of running water, the shadow of leaves and the cold of morning air into a drawing? The answer is on that page. A fox drawn in a distinctive geometric style. Its blazing colour contrasts with the green of nature, and yet somehow feels exactly right.

This is a process of alchemy. The artist takes raw energy from nature and filters it through their imagination, letting it fall onto paper as a new and personal form. Our journal is only the medium. The bridge.

A Small Bulwark for Your Wildest Ideas

To create in the open air you need a tool you can rely on. Something sturdy. Something unafraid of getting wet or dirty. The leather cover of this journal is not merely an aesthetic. It is armour. A small bulwark protecting the precious canvas inside.

Seeing our journal in its natural habitat—in the open air—is a satisfaction of its own. We designed it to be a travelling companion. A portable studio you can carry wherever inspiration calls. I reckon there is no better place for it than here.

Inspiration does not wait indoors. It is out there. Our task is to make sure you have the tool to catch it.

This journal is alive now. It does not only hold a drawing of a fox. It holds the memory of that river, of that day’s adventure. That is a value money cannot measure.

Ready to take your studio anywhere? Choose your travelling companion here.