Sorolla worked long hours carrying a small sketchbook everywhere, scrawling quick studies of landscapes, people or boats that he passed. Many of these sketches later became studies for major paintings. But even with his sketches at hand, he often chose to paint outdoors, believing that only by immersing himself in the environment could he truly capture its essence.

I am sailing from San Francisco to Sydney, writing a book called “The Sea—A Love Story”. (It’s a book for grown ups.) I made a cyanometer—actually four cyanometers—to measure the color of the sea each day while I’m on the ship. It’s very scientific.