Art Journal Check-In

It's been awhile since I actually picked up my art journal and worked within that format. I've been having such fun with the pet-painting class and the Southern Exposure workshops that my own journal has been buried under a larger pile of art supplies being used for other projects!So, I thought I'd catch you up on a few things -- some of which you may have seen here before and some that are new.First up, the title page! NO RULES!

Here's a look at that series of the same image I kept doing over and over. I'm ready to tackle it one more time, this time not in gouache as these are but in pan watercolors and on a different paper, just to see how it plays.

Here are two images on watercolor postcards from the lake.

This one was done last summer from a vintage postcard. The perspective is a bit wonky. There's also a lot of pen and ink on the it.

This version is from a photo.

I still don't have the color and movement right. I've done this one twice so far (postcard above and larger) and just can't get the color right but I'll keep trying. Next time I'll try a cold press paper.

Here's a fun and fanciful one!

I haven't played with my linoleum blocks for too long! But here are the first two things I've done -- the cat (which I showed here when we were printing) and the Christmas card.

I'm not very good at birds -- have to work on this one some more! It's from last summer.

And then there are "places." I love painting from places I've been -- these are all from photos. The first is from Kinderdijk in the Netherlands. The painting can't begin to match the wonderful day spent with my blog friend Tara and her husband David. It will be a memory for a lifetime.

Of course, I had to tackle one of my favorite images from the Shaker Village!

The fascinating Montmartre area (postcard).

And this one needs no explanation! (Also postcard.)

Lately I've felt in creative overdrive -- wanting to paint, glue, stick things together, try new techniques and write (I'm working on family history, too!) Coming up in May, a friend and I are hosting our next make-and-take tea. Here's a sneak preview of the project. These are silk scarves. I did the top two and my friend Barb the one on the bottom.

For more on the technique of these, please visit Bleubeard and Elizabeth. This link and this one too will direct you directly to the process but be sure to check out her other tutorials if you're interested! It's tremendously fun!