art journal

Abstract Botanicals Re-cap

This class had been in the works for a while, in my mind’s eye, and I was thrilled when it finally started. The intent was to use botanical images for inspiration and respond in the abstract style. Rather than creating representational art as depicted in the early part of the century, my thought was to move in a different direction. I came up with a series of studies for exploring creative voice and learning new techniques. And as always, I encourage my students to use their creative intuition and let it lead the way.

THE GRID

Creating a gird in our handbound art journals, using a gift card to make lines with gesso and painting botanicals with an emphasis on darkening the negative space.

Here is my demo page using outline and various botanical shapes inspired by a puzzle I put together with my husband during the stay-at-home days of COVID.

Here is a look at my student’s work using the grid format…

Painting blossoms, different sizes, shapes, and keeping the negative space in mind.

CONTOUR DRAWING OF BOTANICALS USING CHARCOAL

This is a practical way to study, using charcoal for contour line drawings, a paint brush with water to activate the charcoal line and adding white paint for highlights. By eliminating color in this simple practice, one can focus on value. These drawings are simple and beautiful. Give it a try, I think you will be pleased with the process and something you can re-visit many times to enhance your drawing skills. We used newsprint with a light coat of clear gesso for the substrate. And how about using a twig to paint lines? Another simple art tool you can find in the dried winter foliage. Look at these lovelies.

I dream up these exercises intentionally to help students loosen up, let go of imperfection and focus on line. Many of the masters painted using line for emphasis. Think Henri Matisse, Picasso, and VanGogh…they used line to enhance their imagery.

Abstract work using a limited palette and painting into the negative space with hard edges.

My demonstration page…

Student work…

Exploring collage on art journal pages before working on gesso board with collage and line.

I love Robert Kushner’s art and we used his work for inspiration! The process started with laying down collage on a gesso board. Followed by painting line and blossoms on the board. This process requires integrating the painted image with the shapes and design of the collage.

A beautiful student painting! And here are a few more lovely paintings for you to see…

My gesso board pictured below is still a w.i.p. I am thinking the white accents in the blossom will work but honestly, I had to let the piece sit for a while before, I was sure. It is part of the creative process to come back with fresh eyes to review your work, ask yourself if it needs anything else, or knowing it is complete.

The last session of Abstract Botanicals involved painting the art journal covers. I encouraged students to use whatever process, technique, or creative expression they desired. Using leftover paint for a clean-up page on the cover is standard practice for me. It eliminates the blank white page and gives me a springboard for the next steps.

Look at the painted texture!

A cover inspired by Kirshner…

Acrylics mixed with water make wonderful washes..

Pattern and line create interest on this cover.

An accidental spill…no worries, look where it was used…

It was perfect for the negative space surrounding this floral image.

Yes, this botanical was painted with a twig!

When working with collage, it is important to audition the pieces and lay them around a page until you find the perfect combination.

Found poetry creates interest and we want to look closer to read the words.

Below is my art journal cover. It started with a clean-up page, a perfect collage item with harmonious colors, and finished up with a blossom painted with a twig.

Written on the side faintly in pencil…embrace imperfection.

Using a limited palette and simple botanical drawings in my art journal.

The finished back cover of my art journal. 

As always it started as a clean-up page and then I added the shapes, marks, darks, and had so much fun painting with freedom. Just letting my creative muse lead the way. Here is a close-up of the marks made with Posca pens. Poscas are an awesome art tool, available at Amazon of course, and locally at our very own Meininger’s Art Supply on Tejon. If you have never been there, you are in for a treat. Lots of wonderful art supplies for your journey.

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my class “Abstract Botanicals”. It was a special group of students, eager to explore new art techniques, and have fun creating imagery in the abstract inspired by the world of botanicals.

Studio practice and a journal look

Happy New Year!

As 2023 unfolds, I wanted to share some ways to get started with your art practice. If you are like me, the holidays absorb a lot of energy. By the way, I consider it well spent, yet it squeezes my time in the studio. To get going again I like to start working in my art journal. What I refer to as clean-up pages are a perfect springboard. If you have taken an art class with me, I always encourage students to use leftover paint on a blank art journal page. Intentionally making a first layer eliminates the blank page and provides a starting point for collage or paint.

Here’s a look at a page I painted yesterday. The collage pieces were in place, and the French lady came from a delicious bar of soap. The wrapper was too pretty to throw away and I used it for a first layer in my art journal.

Soap wrapper with French flair

I was also using a dark blue paint and a Catalyst shaper brush by Princeton. It felt so good to be painting again and it was easy to dive in with this process.

Catalyst shaper and Stabilo pencil

The Stabilo pencil is a water-soluble pencil, I use it for first layers and outlining. The shaper is an interesting tool and is useful for mark making. I like the way it reveals an underlayer of paint. Both tools were used in the pages pictured.

Floral beginnings, dark layer

After being out of the studio for weeks, I start out working very loose. Spritzing a page, random pencil marks, loose shapes, and the shaper for mark making. This helps me get started again. If I were to start in on a painting, it would be a disaster! I am not ready… my creative muscle needs to be exercised and I need to find my mojo again. After years of being an instructor and a maker one would think these obstacles would not exist. Wrong… so wrong. Just like an athlete who has been in the off season, the artist too has to work out and get back at it. Art journaling is the perfect tool for this. Or making clean up pages like the ones here…

On the above page I intentionally painted a cruciform shape. This can be the beginning of an abstract floral, or landscape. It is a classic design tool and by studying the shapes in place an image will come to mind and I can begin the page. The other pages were painted using leftover palette paint. But I do like the textures and combinations. Another tip…I am intentional on my clean up page to paint shapes and colors that coordinate, no mud allowed. Usually, several pages will be painted with leftover palette paint so that the colors are harmonious on the page.

Here are a couple of other ideas to get started in your art journal after a break…

magazine images with doodles

Cut out magazine images, collage them onto a page, add mark making with paint markers. Express thoughts, goals, visions for the new year.

watercolor pencil and inks

Create a page using colored pencils, watercolor pencils, inks, and markers. Row by row make marks using your tools of choice, mix it up, simple doodles and shapes. This page can be copied at the print shop and used for collage on other pages. While watching TV or waiting in the car, this process is accessible and gets your hands moving!

vintage book page as substrate

When cleaning out my studio I found this painted book page. Actually, it is several pages glued together and I wanted to keep it but not as a stand-alone piece, so I added it in my art journal. Eventually I will finish this page by integrating the collaged item into the page with stenciling, added marks or more collage. It is a w.i.p.

M O R E C L E A N- U P P A G E S

Pinks

landscape

Hopefully you will find some time to get back at it. If you do not have any clean up pages underway, now is the perfect time to grab some harmonious paint colors and layer it on. Start with pencil lines, spritz some water on a page, add paint, make it drip, paint horizontally and vertically with no plan in mind. Let it dry and sit for a day or so. Come back to it and discover what the page says to you. This is intuitive painting and trust me, the page will beckon you to something. Maybe it is simply adding collage pieces, or a specific image will shout out to you, or you might need to add more paint. Let your creative intuition lead the way. This is a fun process, therapeutic, relaxing, enjoyable, inspiring, and an expressive endeavor.

Hope to see you in class during 2023, it is always a blessing!

LET’S CHASE SOME BEAUTY TOGETHER

My Grief Journal

On my art table

I wanted to share my grief journal with you. Since my Dad died in September I have had trouble focusing on my art and using an art journal to process my feelings has been very helpful. Grief is not something that I fear or try to thwart, but I have realized that finding the right space to allow emotions to bubble up does not come naturally to me. Making art without any plan, or reference, or goal, or worry about how it appears to the viewer…letting color, shape, imagery and marks lead the way has been therapeutic. The pages mean something to me and reflect my faith, memories, tributes to Dad and experiences during the last months of his life. The color palette was much darker than what I normally use. More moody colors with patches of brightness which reflects the feelings in my heart during this time of grieving.

Page 1

These close-up photographs show the texture, drips, and mark making details of my first two pages. I called them Grief No 1, thinking that this would be a methodical process. Each page would be sequential, orderly and titled in such a manner. WRONG! It did not come out that way. Each page was an expression of its very own, not at all methodical, or linear, very much the opposite…somewhat abstract, purely expressive, and always from a place deep inside my spirit.

Mixed media acrylic painting with Posca white pen for lettering.

Israel Trip

A photograph from our trip to Israel. We are standing in Jerusalem, Dad, Louie and I. I used a photo image transfer technique and also chose a photograph of pillars from Capernaum. A photo transparency on the opposite page, over acrylic painting. Handwriting is everywhere in this journal, sometimes a prayer, an observation, a memory, a thought about Dad’s quirky sayings, or just raw emotion scribbled somewhere.

The black and white photograph was taken years ago. The bronze angel sat in front of a little shop on Colorado Avenue here in the Springs. She no longer is there, at least I do not recall seeing her lately, but she lives on… on this page… heralding welcoming arms to the heavens.

Green..

“When you are green…you’re growing!” A favorite saying by my father. It’s so true, isn’t it? A simple thought which conveys the attributes of being a lifelong learner. Trying new things such as taking an art class, picking up the cello, writing your memoirs, learning a foreign language, traveling to a different continent, learning to fly fish, changing careers, reading non-fiction, walking up the Manitou incline, or taking a class online…all might require us to be a novice in something we know little about. This process of being brave and taking up something new, well it is just plain magical if we let the process lead the way and allow ourselves to be green. Moving out of our comfort zone can move us into growing as a person in new and vibrant ways.

Thanks, Dad, for these affirming words. This is how you lived your life. I remember when my son started playing lacrosse, Dad said, “I know nothing about lacrosse, I have heard of it but that’s about it. I better check out a book from the library and see how this game works.” And he did just that.

Angel inspired by Fra Angelico

It’s not often that I share something as tender as grief here on my blog. My hope is that you will be inspired to use art journaling for expressing emotions. Actually, all the art we create is rooted in something emotional. Sometimes it is conscious other times it is a sub-conscious expression. Color has meaning, the images we are drawn to reflect our preferences and the unique way we are wired creatively. A preference for abstract or representational types of art are quite personal. Sometimes it changes, sometimes an abstract piece will capture our attention, other times a representational painting like those created by the Dutch masters speaks to us. Making art, and viewing art is a fluid process. The more we engage, the more we begin to understand who we are as makers, creators, and lifelong learners.

My grief journal is complete…for now. It’s not unusual for me to pick up a journal and add something long after it felt finished. More paint, another layer, an item of collage, or scribbled words, depending on my mood, or depending on if the page needed something else. One day I might add to this journal but for now it seems good. Though I will walk with grief for many years, it will become more and more bearable. Allowing my grief to flow through this process of making art has been a fulfilling journey. I have many take aways and a discovery…grief is abstract which makes art journaling the perfect companion for me right now.

Thanks for allowing me to share and be vulnerable. It is well out of my comfort zone. But as Dad used to say, “when you’re green you’re growing.” This all feels right, to share, be open, and reveal my heart… for such a time as this.

I appreciate you stopping by and welcome your comments.

Create and Celebrate

Here’s an idea…find time to create as you celebrate!

Who doesn’t love the beautiful moments ushered in during the holiday season..sweet aromas swirling around from the kitchen, visits with family, festive parties, baking sweet treats, rummaging through boxes filled with ornaments and decorating the Christmas tree, traditions old and new, sparkling lights all around, finding the perfect gift, and sipping tea by the glow of candlelight. Even though I love it all, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to lose touch with making art. And here are a couple of simple ways I keep connected to my practice in the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle. I hope they inspire you to stay in tune with your art making and you find bits of time to create as you celebrate.

During a recent visit to Florida I discovered fallen sea grape leaves. Though all of Florida is still green and lush in November, these sea grape leaves had fallen, and turned a rich earthy brown and caught my attention. I stuffed them in my suitcase, not knowing how I could use them, along with this amazing sand dollar I found on the beach. When I got home I decided to try mark making with a white gel pen. Yes, the surface is bumpy, and yes, the leaves become brittle and can crack easily, and yes this is not a perfect process, and yes…embracing the imperfection made it an absolutely perfect way to spend a short bit of time creating. Fallen sea grape leaves are nowhere to be found here in our beautiful state, but other fallen leaves abound around the landscape. Scoop up a few, larger ones work best, tuck them in between book pages with waxed paper to absorb moisture, and try your hand at mark making with a gel pen or sharpie.

Remember a few years back when coloring books were the rage? They still are a tried and true way to keep your hand moving. I love using my colored pencils to fill in the spaces, experimenting with color combinations, letting my creative intuition lead the way. If you have a coloring book on hand, take it out, and use either colored pencils or markers and color away, with abandon. It’s easy, accessible, and a satisfying way to get your creativity moving. Hopefully you still have a few pages that need a splash of color, if not, coloring books are available almost anywhere.

Card making is another idea. The above design was created on white card stock using a stamp for the background (gray ink) and a couple of stencils for the main design. I also wrote the word joy…blank inside for writing your own message, it is the perfect way to create when time is in short supply. Also, you are sharing your artistic expression with the world and blessing someone with a unique design hand-made by you.

There’s nothing I love more than bookmaking. Pictured is an art journal I made from snippets of paper from my stash. The cover is two pieces of watercolor paper attached to sticky back canvas, with a space of one inch for placing the pages. After gathering the papers together, cover the inside spine ( sticky back canvas exposed ) with PVA glue and attach the papers, let the book dry on it’s spine propped up with pages open. For the outer binding I am going to use the brown fabric, add simple stitching, the silver milagro wing and a hand-made bead. Before gluing the brown fabric to my book, the pink ribbon will be added in the middle for a tie to hold the bulging pages together. Even if you only have time to gather the papers together, it is a start. This book measures 4″x 6″, inner pages are all sizes, and while watching a Christmas movie I can easily stitch the brown fabric. I am absolutely in love with this little art journal!

Lastly, here are some wooden panels where I have added the first layers. It is always a win to have some substrates ready for making art. On the top image I used vintage text and matte medium to adhere, being careful to remove all air between page and panel. The panel edges are colored with walnut ink. This panel is ready for a botanical drawing and acrylic paint accents. I hope to share this process in my upcoming Abstract Botanicals class which is in-the-works.

The second panel has a layer of painted newsprint adhered. For my daughter’s baby shower I made paper flowers out of painted newsprint. I had some leftover pieces, and decided to use them as a first layer on a wooden panel. I have no idea where this piece will end up but the blank white canvas is gone and I can easily jump right in with acrylic paints and create a still life or expressive floral.

When there are many demands on your time, I hope these ideas help to keep up your art practice. Sharing your creative expression on a card, making an art journal for yourself or a friend, making marks on leaves, coloring pages, or preparing a substrate for a future painting, all are accessible and will give you the chance to … CrEaTe…while you CeLeBrAtE..!!!

Thanks for stopping by and please share your creations with me.

The Secret Garden Art Journal

T H E S E C R E T G A R D E N

My cover page for The Secret Garden Art Journal class that I taught at Bemis Art School, this one was an adult art class. My students jumped right into making art, some were experienced artists, and others beginning their journey after a lapse of time, decades in some cases. It was delightful to see their curiosity, and willingness to engage with the art journaling process. I was honored to have an amazing array of women join me on this journey into making artful pages inspired by the classic book, The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett.

This two page spread is “Graffiti Garden”. Using black and white copies of art journal pages or any other black and white collage item we created the garden upon discovery by Mary Lennox. When the little robin lead her to the key, and she opened the wooden door to peek inside, the garden had been neglected. Dried twigs, and stems covered the garden landscape. This two page spread depicts the garden at this stage. The flowers are dormant and just beginning to bloom. Using black and white copies of art journal pages created interesting papers for collage and at times have a story all their own…only the artist knows for sure.

Painted papers for collage. This is a whimsical depiction of a garden, using simple shapes, hand painted papers, lots of white space, text, music, dress pattern tissue, and painted marks on Trader Joe bags. I loved using the TJ bags just because they are readily available, the simple white marks create texture, and I will always think of 2020 and the challenges we endured by using the paper bags. A familiar idea through quarantine times was using what we had and shopping for groceries to keep the pantry stocked.

Continuing the theme of using what is accessible, we stamped the left page with a kitchen item. First an underpainting using acrylics was done and additional marks. For stamping I used a red pepper and the end of an iceberg lettuce head in magenta paint. I drew the flowers with a black sharpie and then went over them with a white Posca pen. Autumn leaves found in the backyard were used for the second page. Once again, an underpainting, then laying the leaves on the page and spritzing with a bottle filled with paint and water. Finally an outline of the leaf shapes with a white Posca pen.

Abstract floral was the theme for this two page spread. I used a pastel painting by Debora Stewart featured in her book, Abstract Art, for our inspiration. This was a new color palette for me, burnt umber mixed with yellow for the darks, and I really enjoyed working with this palette. The orange accents really pop against the dark background. Thank you Debora Stewart for creating this beautiful image for us to use as inspiration in our art journals.

For the last two pages I created a silhouette technique and an acrylic painting entitled Through the Garden Gate. On the silhouette page a layer of acrylic underpainting, a neutral color paint layer around the silhouette and then written words reflecting on themes from The Secret Garden book. The technique used for Through the Garden Gate was watery acrylic paints, almost appearing like watercolors on the page. The best feature of acrylics is how vibrant the pigment remains when mixed with water.

This is my back journal cover inspired by the art from Marimekko design. I love the vibrant colors, simple shapes, and black line highlights. Adding marks with black and white pens in the negative space is a meditative process for me, almost like embroidery stitching or knitting. Drawing gold line accents over the back lines creates depth and interest.

Flipping through the pages of this art journal brings a smile and a sense of satisfaction. I loved the process of creating these pages while teaching others the techniques. Thankfully our zoom class was without any glitches, one never knows when using technology and so many others are on the internet simultaneously. Hopefully this provides a glimpse of art journaling and an understanding of how this creative process impacts the artful journey. Hope to see you in class one day and thanks for stopping by my blog.

Stamp it up!

Since March we have all faced numerous challenges and at one point everything was shut down to keep our communities safe. During that time I got to thinking about creative ways to make an art journal page with unusual items. I was making Swedish cabbage one evening and looked at the core of the cabbage..it was shaped like a star. Aha, that might make a great stamp. And quite honestly it did and this page happened as a result.

For my new class, The Secret Garden..an adult art journaling class I decided to incorporate this technique. For my demo page I used a red pepper and the end core of head of iceberg lettuce. It wasn’t as lovely as the cabbage core but it pushed me to figure out how to make it work. Here is a peek at the process. First I started with an underpainting of some favorite colors. Then, I stamped it up, and finally used marker pens to add details.

Posca pens are amazing! They make a nice line, no accidental blots that can happen with other brands of paint pens, smooth lines, and so far…lots of ink. I look forward to seeing my students work and how they decided to make their stamps from household items into beautiful blossoms! So far Zoom is working out fine, thanks to my administrative assistant and tech support from my daughter..it has been a huge life saver during this situation. Look around your kitchen and see what items might work for stamping. One of my students mentioned using a jalapeno pepper, great idea!

A late night chat with my sis

My sister and I were catching up on the phone and while sitting at my art desk during the conversation…this happened. I opened my Canson spiral bound journal to a clean up page. At the end of an art session leftover paint always makes it onto a blank page. This eliminates the blank page and gives me a jumpstart on making artful pages. Many artists use this practice, it is not anything new, but something I encourage you to keep in mind.

With acrylic inks, paints, markers and gel pens I let my creative muse lead the way as the conversation ebbed and flowed for a couple of hours. I must admit it is a blessing having a sister to talk with, especially during these unusual times we are facing. She has always supported my artistic pursuits and it was apropos to make pages, move my hands while talking the night away.

It’s just mark making, not a masterpiece, playing with color and line…with my iPhone up to my ear.

Playful adventures like this in my art journal are something I encourage you to try. It works your creative muscle and intuition leads the way. Any artist can benefit from such playful expressions. It’s like writing the morning pages, Julia Cameron’s exercise as a lead in to her wonderful book, “The Arist’s Way”. By the way, this is a fantastic book ! I highly recommend it for artists looking toward self discovery and removing obstacles cluttering the creative process. During these times of spending more time at home, take some time to make playful pages, and seek out Julia’s book, you will not be disappointed.

Make beautiful memories

s u m m e r i s a b e a u t i f u l s e a s o n

even though we find ourselves in difficult times

summer is a refreshing time of year

the outdoors are waiting

for YOU

gather up your art supplies

find a quiet spot to collect your thoughts

let your paintbrush flow and release your emotions onto the page

make some beautiful marks and memories..

your creative soul is beautful

Process peek

Polaroid pics fail

Happy New Year everyone! Thought I would share a little process work that I did to start the year. It had been SO long since I had been working in my studio, my creative muse was stagnant and I needed a kickstart for 2020 so this is what I did. Over the holidays we snapped some Polaroid pics. Well, the film was expired, the pics failed but I loved the colors and shapes. I thought to myself, why not use them for collage…

Pics collaged on black gesso page

So I splashed some black gesso on a journal page, added some stencil work, cut up the pics and made this arrangement. It was a random process, I did not want to overthink it, no pressure, just needed to get my groove going again after being out of the studio so long. After I looked at the pieces I saw the center of a flower and went with it.

. Expressive Floral

I used a white pencil to draw some petals, mind you I am working fast, and free so it is not perfect nor is it my best work. I just had to get going and get my hands and brain creating again. This kind of process is like an ice breaker, a warm up, a get it going kind of thing, a what if and I don’t care if it is imperfect kind of thing. Basically doing it for the process, doing it for the love of creating, and doing it because my muse absolutely needed it. This is the beauty of art journaling, it’s free and easy. My first inclination for the piece was totally different than how it turned out. I thought maybe the colors in the polaroid pics would be the foundation, muted grays, greens, and burnt orange. Nope, that is not what happened. Those colors are completely lost, oh well! Whew I am glad that is out of the way, now I can get down to some serious work…or not! With this post, I wanted to be open, keep it real, and encourage you to allow yourself time for process work. It’s a great way to start the year.

Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment and let me know how you started the new year.

My 2019 summer favorites

H E R O E S of W W II were honored at the 75th Anniversary of D – Day and we were honored to be present at the ceremony. It was a fabulous, fast paced trip through Europe with our friend who is a high school history teacher and several students who are history buffs. We merely came along with some other adults, no chaperone duties involved, just soaking up the history and sights of Europe. It was memorable and our hearts swelled with pride and emotion as the survivors of Normandy were honored and those who had died. God bless them!

The Heroes of Normandy

Normandy France…we attended the 75th Anniversary of D Day and here is a vintage photo of the heroes from that day long ago.

Saw the Queen in London, she is beautiful!!!

A coach and a creative..seated on a bench in Covent Gardens on a cloudy day in London…

Saw this Van Gogh painting while at the National Gallery in London, yes it is amazing in real life.

Stopped by the Rijksmuseum in The Netherlands, snapped this photo in the outdoor garden.

My Aqua LOVE journal which I shared on my first ever FACEBOOK Live during Playful Experiments, an online forum where I was an instructor, part of 21 SECRETS studio.

C O L O R A D O S K Y

The view from our tent while camping at Chatfield Reservoir

Our grandson camped with us..his first time sleeping in a tent!

The Mountain That Loved A Bird

My Gifted and Talented Art students created the illustrations for this production at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. It was a very special opportunity and performance.

The Mountain That Loved A Bird

I took a summer art workshop and created my first ever pastel painting. Thank goodness the instructor lent me his pastels because my big box store brand paled in comparison to his Sommeliers. It was a productive workshop and moved me out of my comfort zone!

Flowers in my garden

And as the end of August nears, the blossoms are fading. Already the shadows are getting longer, sunsets are earlier and there is a slight chill in the evening air. Time to start lighting our chiminea.

The view from our friend’s lovely mountain-home deck. We spent a week-end here and also saw the B-52 band at the Dillon amphitheater. It is one of my favorite places to visit during the summer. We walked the streets of Breckenridge, rode our bikes along the Blue River, and enjoyed delicious eats at Sauce on The Blue restaurant.

And during the summer weeks I took care of this precious one, my granddaughter Ella Leigh. We are grateful for her little life and the blessing she has received. Ella has recovered wonderfully from being sick for many months and now at 7 months, she is thriving, happy, and strong.

Big brother is a joy also and spending time with my son and his family warms my heart. Landon’s cousins sent him face paints for his birthday. Woohoo..and, grandma – a.k.a. Mimi, had a ball painting his cute little face. Moments like this are ones I truly treasure.

During the in-between time I found time to sketch. This is in preparation for my upcoming Southwest Landscapes class that starts in September. With Labor Day week-end coming up, schools already in session, the days of summer are behind us. I hope you had some special moments creating art, spending time making memories with your families, looking up at the sky, and keeping your eyes open to see the wonderful gifts of our natural world.

I’m teaching online!!

Sometimes a beautiful opportunity shows up on your doorstep and you grab it with gusto. That’s what happened when I was invited to be part of this amazing forum for learning art journaling techniques online. This was a first for me so I was out of my comfort zone with regard to the technology requirements for this kind of undertaking. But I listened to my own words…moving out of our comfort zone is when the magic happens… and indeed this is exactly what occurred. Using an iphone to film my work, editing, re-filming parts, keeping my words succinct, thinking, creating within a time limit, consulting with the amazing Tonia Jenny who helped me out immensly every step of the way, and uploading the finished videos. This process forced me learn new skills and I am glad that I did! 21 SECRETS has been a huge part of my creative journey and I have enjoyed learning online with some incredibly talented mixed media artists. Now I am part of the team and bringing to you the opportunity for creating at your own leisure; whenever the muse strikes you, in your jammies or even while on vacation, no hassel with parking and toting all of your supplies to a classroom, oh no….just turn on your computer and voila…you can see it all in living color with ease! I hope you will join me for AQUA LOVE, creating an art journal spread in a grid using the yummy color aqua, and the photo image transfer technique. It is a combination spread, the photos provide representational images, and watery aqua hues create complementing layers. It was a lot of playing and experimenting, which by the way is the intent of this summer studio session entitled –

…P L A Y F U L E X P E R I M E N T S…

I hope you will join me and let your creative juices flow! Here is a link for more information and registering. https://bit.ly/2XEb8Ft There will also be a Facebook group and a boatload of wonderful instruction from a variety of artists. Try something new, just like I did, you will not be disappointed.

Live sessions are closed but you can still purchase an e-book with both Playful Experiments, and Capturing Moments; $55 each or the bundle for $98. These sessions provide so many different and unique approaches to art journaling from an amazing and talented group of instructors. Please check it out with the link above. It is always nice to have some on-line classes at your fingertips. That way when you feel an urge to create yet are drawing a blank on where to start, open up the ebook for a jumpstart. Lessons are only 35 minutes each, supplies are minimal and flexible, use what you have works in most cases, and voila.. your creative muse is on the move.

Southwest Landscapes Re-Cap

The beauty of a southwest landscape by embracing a sense of place and observing the colors of earth and sky, this was our world for 6 weeks. A group of students from various backgrounds gathered together and shared the experience of making art in the historic art school we call BEMIS. A few had painted before, others had not, but with some tools, instruction, and confidence each one set out on a painting journey.

The underpainting was a layer of orange which you can see pictured here. The range of color in the underpaintings was like a rainbow full of a variety of hues. Such is the beauty of mixing color, any variation in combinations produces something different. The underpainting produced a glow which worked well with the subject matter and also eliminates the stark white blank canvas.

Students used a variety of photographs and pictures of paintings for inspiration. By developing soft edges, hard edges, texture, color, perspective, line, and shape the paintings began to reflect each individual’s style. As an instructor, this is my favorite aspect of the process; encouraging the pursuit of style. Each artist has an intuition with regard to brush strokes, imagery, color preference, and design. Mastering skills is secondary to trusting the intuitive process… in my opinion. Somewhere along our journey, this intuition can shut down because of a critical voice, giving it wings again takes courage, persistence, and experience. I love encouraging this process in my classes.

Each student completed one painting during the duration of the class. I also incorporate art journal exercises such as thumbnail sketches, an abstract charcoal line drawing, color wheel, simple landscape paintings and a collage landscape on a trifold black paper using my personal stash of gelatin printed papers and altered National Geographic papers. Here are my samples of these exercises.

The charcoal line drawing with gesso and tint was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe and southwest imagery.

And the tri-fold collage landscape exercise, front and back with a little Van Gogh inspired sky!

I suggested words to be added on the back side, maybe a quote, song lyrics, any thought or idea that came to mind…

C L E V E R …a little play on words…(Bemis is the school name) so Jack came up with this..

get it? beam us…up scotty FUNNY!!!

The best ingredient in any class is the people and this group was full of creativity, and a willingness to learn about acrylic painting. When the session is over, there is a great sense of accomplishment, just look at their paintings!! And also a sigh…hard to see it come to an end.

That’s a wrap.. Southwest Landscapes..wonderful! Kudos to all, you did an amazing job. Until we meet again, keep creating, keep in touch, and enjoy what is NEXT.