Monday, June 5, 2023

Sketchbook Revival 2023

Sketchbook Revival 2023, hosted by Karen Abend, wrapped up in late April and it was a good one! For the uninitiated, it is a collection of two daily workshops (archived for a month) focusing on various art-related practice -- painting, urban sketching, breaking down your own creative barriers, collage and more. Finally, I'm sharing some of the things I painted during that time.

I chose to do mostly the painting/drawing sessions, though I did watch a couple of the collage pieces. Even though I've done enough of it that I don't really want to do it anymore, you can still learn about color, design and placement regardless of media.


I'll show you a few of the things in my sketchbook, along with a bit of commentary! This iris was the first I did with Jeanne Oliver. The idea was to do a contour drawing -- that is, your pencil does not leave the paper as you sketch the image. I chose one from my botanical calendar. Then you can use paint or colored pencil or markers to add color. 


I liked this one a lot. It's not that the drawing is that fantastic, but doing the process makes you slow down and really think about what you're doing as you work.


Last year I did a blob-painting workshop that I loved. This year's was taught by NYTimes artist Mike Lowrey. It was different from last year's -- and yet, similar but my drawings were entirely different! 


You start with a blob of color and then see how it speaks to you as you add in the line drawing. I had fun with this -- it reminded me of looking at clouds in the sky and seeing shapes! I found this very fun!


I did NOT find Helen Wells abstract workshop fun while I was doing it. That felt completely out of my zone and I was very uncomfortable! Wells told us to draw a squiggly shape on our page, a spiky shape over it, a vertical line and a horizontal one, the start to color it in. I was not happy. And then I started adding in some dots and it started to take shape. Is it angry birds? I'm not sure -- but I found myself liking it.


In fact, I liked it enough that I did another (and felt equally uncomfortable). I think this might be fish. Or birds. Or just color. This is what it looked like as I was working.

 

And after. Wells was especially good at working us through a lot of the complexities of color -- not just what we like but what may or may not go together -- and why. That alone was worth it!

Tamara Laporte had us painting a fox. She had a template but showed us how to do a sketching grid method so this was done freehand but by blocking my page (and looking at her blocking of her working image. I'm not sure how foxy it looks -- maybe more like a dog. But I liked doing it and I will be doing the grid again and very soon.


Here's a different version. I did love painting him!

Then I watched Joanne Sharpe on spontaneous watercolor and and adding words to your journal as part of the page design. I liked the workshop. But I hated my first piece. I think I tried to get too fancy!

So I did another. It's still not right but I liked it better. And I enjoyed working the wet-on-wet background.

I knew I would love Roisin Cure's workshop, as I was familiar with her work. Her main thing is to have us urban sketch from life. However, online, not so easy. So she had one of her pieces and she walked us through it, explaining how some things are larger, others smaller to reflect the near-far perspective.

Apparently, she did her original sketch from life on the beach. I just loved every second of this and my only wish is that it was more "original" than copied art.

Another of my favorites was Emily Mills' Sketchnoting workshop, which would be great for a travel journal. We could pick a topic so I picked part of my time in England. I'll definitely do this again.


Another workshop, by Amandine Thomas, was on sketching your day. The idea is that one should be doing art practice daily, even if for only a short time. And of course, we always say, "I have no idea of what to do!" Well, subject matter for practice is all around us.


I had such fun with this that I did a second piece.


Joy Ting had us doing a landscape by first mimicking another artist's very abstract landscape. I didn't do that because I hated the colors. Then she wanted us to use similar colors to create our version of a landscape she shared. I just couldn't But I did do my own from her image. It's a more realistically colored version and I rather liked it.


Toni Burt was a super favorite, too. She had us drawing a wonky house and rather than painting precisely, painting loosely with suggestions of color. This was my first...


...and my second. And I will do more in this style, working the houses from some of my photos.


Another favorite artist is Este MacLeod, whose watercolor workshops and free coloricombo challenges I participate in. Este is big on having us use numbers as a jumping off point for our thinking outside the box and the trees she had us paint all are based on overlapping numbers. Would you know the one in the middle is a bunch of 5s? Or the one to its left, 2s? Again, I'm painting off my grid but I love it and the color!

Lauren Lesley had us drawing chickens! That's harder than it looks -- maybe not if you are "simplifying" the chicken but I just couldn't do a "cute" chicken -- I wanted mine to look close to the real thing. I loved this. Painting animals is something I enjoy and strive to be better with. There is loads of room for improvement here but I basically liked it.

And I hated this on with Angela Fehr. I can't even remember what the assignment was and Fehr was engaging. I just couldn't get anything the way I wanted it to be. Isn't this the most ghastly art? Frankly, calling it art is a travesty. The more I tried to save it, the worse it got!

I tried to do the technique and add a line drawing of chicks -- which I liked only slightly more.

I listened to a couple of workshops, not doing the project but also got a great deal of of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's session and the opening session on how to build your own journal with some basic bookbinding skills. I'm not sure I'll do it but I'm glad I know how -- because you never know!

So, that's Sketchbook Revival. Now, I just have to get that daily practice in order!

Sharing with:    Share Your Style    /   Rain's Art Date   /   Love Your Creativity  

69 comments:

Debra@CommonGround said...

I absolutely LOVE seeing all your art, Jeanie. Your blobs are so fun and the houses are amazing. So great that you push yourself to do these. I so admire that!!! thanks so much for sharing the fun with us!

Sherry's Pickings said...

so much wonderful art Jeanie. Love that fox and really all of it! the colourful abstract is great too. So much fun you must have had.

Sue in Suffolk said...

What brilliant paintings and drawings - I'm so envious of people who can do this.
Loved them all.

Sherry's Pickings said...

love the house and the iris too.

SueJay said...

Thanks for sharing your sketchbooks, some lovely ideas for future works. I loved the idea of swirly shapes then adding spikes and circles. I don’t “paint” but my mother did and her father too. Your post was so inspirational that I might try some of the ideas.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

This is all quite wonderful, Jeanie. We should all be creative and continue to learn forever. It's an exciting way to live.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

Honestly, I love everything you did. I hope you will remind us the next time one of these is coming up (once a year?) I'd love to join in. Freeing, I think.

roentare said...

Really colourful and beautiful sketches

Iris Flavia said...

Big WOW on all the art! The beach-scene is my absolute fav.

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Wow, your talent is amazing!

Anvilcloud said...

So many workshops and projects. You really get involved in this, and I am impressed by many of your pieces, like the Blobs, for example.

shoreacres said...

My favorites are the iris, which isn't surprising, and the two wonky houses, which did surprise me a bit. They're really pleasing, and a perfect example of why a discipline like this is worthwhile; it pulls you in directions you might not otherwise go!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeanie

These are all just fabulous sketches, they are fun and colorful, pretty irises. The beach scene is one of my favorites, but I love them all. Well done!! Take care, enjoy your day!

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Very nice! Your wonky house has tons of charm. The blobs, are adorable, lots of fun movement.

Let's Make It Artsy is a favorite show. Fei- fan Balzar makes art look easy and fun.

Valerie-Jael said...

Lots of fabulous art, I loved seeeing it all. I hope I have the strength to join in a course soon, that would be lovely. Hugs, Valerie

La Table De Nana said...

Must have missed it all:( I had done the beach scene w/ Roisin.I have to applaud your work..It's all varied and wonderful Jeanie.
Truly good!!Love the iris and the wonky houses..Paul Wang paints gorgeous watercolors.. in pieces almost go see..Looks like you could do this!

Sandi Magle said...

One of the joys of working with children in art classes---is they enjoy the process and aren't terribly interested in the result. As adults we obsess and criticize and strangulate ourselves about the final product instead of enjoying the process. Here you have explained what you enjoyed and what you didn't. Exposing oneself to so many 'teachers' can I say, sometimes muddies 'your' waters. Do what you love and enjoy the process regardless of what you end up with, though I bet it will be interesting and lovely...I have confidence in your talent and vision! HUGS, Sandi

gigi-hawaii said...

This is all fine work. My favorite was the one using overlapping numbers in your trees. Interesting design.

Rita said...

I was an observer of all of the classes but not a participant. Still not up to it yet and the studio is a mess...but I LOVE what you have done! Some of them I am sure I would have had failures but learned something anyways. A lot more than you had I'm positive of that--lol! I am so out of practice from the last two years. But it is a lot of fun for me to just enjoy watching the classes, regardless. Thanks so much for sharing your journey! :)

Anca said...

I like the Fox most of all. It must have been a delight to spend time drawing and painting. Lovely!

Barb said...

Catching up with you Jeanie. You've accomplished so much art - your creative juices have been flowing. I smile at the "Blob" art and love the wonky houses. Those foxes could be some of "my" foxes! Hope you feel well. Barb

Anonymous said...

I loved seeing your work from each workshop, Jeanie! And I completely identify with hating particular projects and feeling outside your comfort zone. But that tells you you are stretching and learning! Thank you and please keep posting! 😃♥️

Joanne Huffman said...

Love seeing your work from a class I loved.

This N That said...

Love your art work..Great pen and ink!! Cute houses...Hope all is well..

anno said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bill said...

What a wonderful display of painting. You have talent, Jeanie and it's fun seeing it. Love the blobs!

DUTA said...

Very interesting for someone like me, for whom making art is all greek ..to me.

Jenn Jilks said...

These are really inspiring! Well done. I will bookmark this, if I get in the proper frame of mind. Lovely!

The French Hutch said...

I adored peeking into your sketchbook Jeanie and it is all just fabulous, I love this! Your workshops sounds intriguing since I am not at all talented in painting and drawing. But, it doesn't mean I don't enjoy and appreciate how much work and all the feeling you experience. The iris is lovely and my favorite but I do love the fox and he does look like a fox. I'm going back in for another scroll. You should be excited about your work, amazing!

Mae Travels said...

The number of highly varied workshops and the art you produced looks bewildering! So many different ideas. It’s fun to see but looks like actual work to do it. If I’m remembering right, my mother said the first recognizable think I ever drew was a chicken. So I like your chickens. (I must have been around 2 years old).
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

acorn hollow said...

That was a pretty extensive workshop. We all have things that take us outside our comfort zone.
Just wonderful
Cathy

anno said...

Your work is gorgeous, Jeanie,and I'm impressed with the range of projects/techniques you explored during the workshop.

Interesting, too, to hear your comments on the workshops. Where the Helen Wells workshop might have felt a bit uncomfortable for you, I appreciated the guidance she provided in setting up an abstract composition: It felt like something I could do! (Whereas Roisin Cure did beautiful work, but I felt like I needed more help with decided where to start and how to render constantly changing shapes on the page.)

Like you, I enjoyed the wonky house exercise, and I especially appreciated the instructor's advice to set up a library of elements you are most likely to use when drawing/painting from imagination. Her own library, in case you haven't already downloaded it (I think it was the freebie she offered) was a pretty amazing collection of door and windows and walks, etc.

I loved your iris (and agree: Jeanne Oliver is an amazing instructor; I lust for her palettes, but it looks like I need a trust fund to afford them), and I really enjoyed the work you did with with Sketching Your Day. Definitely need to find some time to revisit some of these workshops. Thanks for the reminder!

kathyinozarks said...

Good morning, thank you so much for sharing your art classes from sketchbook revival. I had signed up for it but just didn't have the time-and now I can see it was above my talent level.
Your work is gorgeous-really enjoyed this post
hugs Kathy

Steve Reed said...

I loved seeing all of these! You are so creative. I liked the wonky houses and the abtract ones, particularly your interpretations of them as birds and fish -- that IS what they look like! I also especially love the blob paintings. I'd frame that. :)

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I signed up for the project, but never got to see a SINGLE episode. I was just too busy that month. I don't draw, so none of what you shared would have interested me, but I would have loved to see the collage artists. I sure like your iris, and I love the abstracts you drew. Awesome. I also liked the travel journal you drew, too.

Little Wandering Wren said...

What a fabulous workshop that led to such a variety of art, you must be chuffed with everything, especially those that you didn't especially enjoy creating at the time. They all look wonderful! Have a happy week Jeannie, I've been back in Paris and I always think of you there!
Happy days
Wren x

Luludou said...

You did beautiful work. I loved reading your post and realizing you loved the same ones I did. I'm less into collage too.

My name is Erika. said...

I never got around to doing any of these classes even though I signed up, and seeing your art makes me wish I had. I love your blob images and the wonky house too. It looks like you had lots of fun and learned some things too. 😀. Hope June is going well for you Jeanie. Hugs Erika

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I love that you are still learning and growing. Wow! that is some workshop with so many art projects. My favorite, of course, is the iris. Purple iris have a special place in my heart from childhood. It's the state flower of Tennessee where I grew up and so many yards had it planted. Sadly they don't grow in hot Florida. BTW - no neck brace for me anymore!

Pam Richardson said...

Jeanie, I loved reading this post and seeing all of your work, what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. I love the iris, the beach scene, and the wonky house! I have no ability to draw, but I have a great appreciation for those who do. Have a wonderful day!

Nancy said...

Jeanie I loved seeing your paintings! The iris is amazing! Along with the beach scene. What fun you had creating these beauties! I want to see more, please!
Thanks so much for sharing! ~Nancy

thepaintedapron.com said...

Wow Jeanie, you have been busy! So many different artists, workshops and techniques! I tend to avoid anything that makes me uncomfortable, and admire you for trying, pushing yourself and sharing it with us. I especially like your finished abstract and the chickens look great. I did the doodlewash monthy challenges for a while, which is a great way to get in a daily habit of painting everyday, but lately the prompts have been awful, things I just did not want to paint, so I've let that slide. I need to get back to the daily habit! Thanks for the inspiration, happy painting!
Jenna

Lisbeth said...

Great art you have made Jeanie. Must have been so interesting attending the different workshops and try something out of your comfort zone. I really love the abstract ones, although no fan of abstract paintings. I am sure you can use these workshops in your future work.

Decor To Adore said...

You are such a talent Jeanie. Your style reminds me a bit of Susan Branch. Love the Bath map. :)

Red Rose Alley said...

So many wonderful paintings you did, Jeanie. I love that FOX painting. And Yes, I knew it was a fox right away. He even has a twinkle in his eye. ; ) This sounds like a fun workshop that you could learn many things. The creek painting hit home for me. Looks just like the creek in my town, with a view of the mountain in the distance.

Have a good June week, Jeanie.

~Sheri

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

Hi Jeanie! Thanks for coming to visit on my blog! I loved having your comments again. I loved the energy of this art post. I love seeing your work, and I LOVE how many times you said you hated it! *smile* That's all part of it I think. Just hate it and try something else. Haha.

Andrea @ From The Sol said...

Wow, there wasn't a single painting I didn't like. So many techniques and ideas, it almost serves as a lesson on lessons :) What fun you must have had and you really did produce some beautiful art. I never seem to have the time to spend taking lessons, but if I did, I love the way this group of lessons was laid out. Wonderful, eye opening ideas and art, Jeanie ...

Andrea @ From the Sol

Sandra Cox said...

Look at all these water colors! I especially love the irises.

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Beautiful Jeanie, so fun and colorful. The fox painting is darling. I recently saw a fox on our property. Happy weekend.

Bonnie said...

Your artwork is impressive. It is all over my head! I admire you for exposing yourself to various workshops and stretching yourself.

I think it is wonderful that you enjoy painting all kinds of media and do it well.

Christine said...

Nice work

Pam said...

Goodness woman,you have been busy. I love them all

crackercrumblife said...

I love all of these!! What a fantastic job Jeanie! I love the wonky houses and the sketchnoting most of all. I would love to be able to create notebooks of our adventures with little sketches included. Beautiful work!

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

I love all of these! You are so talented! Thank you for sharing your work with us. There's so much to love in this collection. The fox is great - Will loves foxes right now. He sleeps with a blanket with foxes on it. Except it does not sound like Fox when he says that word... more like 'fuxx' so it kind of makes Phil and I giggle. ;)

Carol @ The Red Painted Cottage said...

I’m very impressed with your paintings, Jeanie! I love the blobs, but I also loved your fox. I painted a fox and eventually I taught a watercolor painting class on a fox, when we wintered in Florida. I haven’t painted in awhile and really miss it. Some of the reasons are beyond my control.

Lowcarb team member said...

What a lot of lovely art here, I enjoyed seeing it all.

Good wishes for a happy weekend.

All the best Jan

Veronica Lee said...

Love the fun blobs.

You are so talented, Jeanie.

Hugs and blessings

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

Jeanie,
I am always amazed at your artistic talents....My niece does a lot of painting and is very good, winning some first place ribbons at one of the largest state fairs in Pa....I do stick figures!! LOL!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!!Thanks for your kind words on my weight loss...It is not easy but I am determined...Have a great weekend!
Hugs,
Deb

DeniseinVA said...

I had so much fun looking at your lovely artwork, all the bright colors and subjects. You are so very talented Jeanie.

Carola Bartz said...

I love what you did, Jeanie! I watched some of the Sketchbook Revival workshops as well, but didn't do them - just made notes in the hope of getting to it later since I simply didn't have the time. Needless to say I haven't doen anything yet. I loved Toni Burt's workshop, she definitely is one of my favorites, and your wonky houses have turned into beautiful art. I didn't partcularly care for the abstract art, but loved Tamara Laporte (I always do, even though I'm not into "cute") and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. I do want to do the trees since I loved that session, and thought it very doable. Thank you for showing us your takes on the workshops.

Misadventures of Widowhood said...

I love how fearless you are with your art! How do you find the time? I'm crazy about your "wonky houses". It's a style that can't help but make you smile and looks like fun to do.

Hena Tayeb said...

Wow.. you are so talented. I love the blob paintings and even though the abstract ones made you a little uncomfortable they still turned out pretty cool. Love you fox and beach paintings as well.

Tammie Lee said...

Wow, I am impressed with your follow through with that wonderful event. I thought I was going to do it, I think i did one.....

All your art is fun to see, so many lovely pieces.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Jeanie, what fun! And some of the things you said about what you liked and didn't like sounded as if I was reading my own words. I definitely favor realistic colors. Love those wonky houses.

DeniseinVA said...

I am impressed with all of these. So much color and cheer! I leave smiling, thanks Jeanie :)

handmade by amalia said...

My kind of fun! And your own work is fabulous! I especially enjoyed the art table watercolor but everything you showed us was fab.
Amalia
xo

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

Jeanie, it is a treat to see all of your art. The fact that you push yourself to paint in so many different styles is impressive. I always try to pick a favorite, but it's fruitless, as they are all beautiful. I find myself drawn to your paintings of houses and trees.

Sandra Cox said...

What a cute wren in the first pic. Looks like a Carolina Wren.

Marilyn Miller said...

I absolutely love all your paintings. Those wonky houses are my favorite, so whimsical. Everytime I see your paintings from classes I tell myself I really need to do something like that and then I don't do it. What fun you must have in these paint classes.

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