watching the rain pour down

In between packing up the Colour my World ATC swap to send home to the 30 or so participants involved, I worked in my art journal. At one point the sky grew very dark, then literally cracked open with thunder and rain poured down. Before that happened, I hadn't decided yet what I was going to do with the square boxes I had drawn with my watercolor pencils in my journal. As that huge downpour came down, I decided to simply write about what was going on right then and there. I like how this page came out and when I look at this later it will bring me right back to this day in a heartbeat.

I started with a template that is supposed to be used for making a window or perhaps faux postage stamps. I placed it on my journal page and used water soluble colored pencils to trace inside.

I added a misting of Adironack Color Wash in Butterscotch.

I used another template, this circle one from the Crafter's Workshop. Instead of sponging color around it, I used my watercolor pencils to trace the circles inside.

I used my water brush to activate the watercolor pencils.

The water also activated the Adirondack Color Wash misting I did!

I added more plain water like a wash, and below you can see my finished spread. I also added a photo printed on transparency film of my sister and me in 1966 as flower girls in my father's sister's wedding. It just seemed to fit. The beautiful gold painted wings at the top of the right page were a gift from my friend Donna, who is an amazing painter and has a beautiful spirit. I love the series of iconic women she is painting now, go give her a visit!

I have more photos of my steps doing this spread uploaded on my flickr photo account. If you start here and click on "previous" at the top, you can view the photos large and in order. It starts with one finished view and then the entire spread from start to finish!

Enjoy, be well, and think about starting an art journal if you have not already. I would suggest Julie Balzer's site if you'd like help to get started: Art Journal Tips from Julie. This project has been one of the best things I have done for myself as a person, and an artist, in a long time! ; ^ ) lenna

drawing and pencils

{ art journal july 20 }

All of a sudden yesterday, I had a desire to go draw in my journal. I didn't know why at the time, but thinking back it is probably because I was writing so freely in my art journal the day before. I took the same black Sharpie marker and started with the spiral above. Like the writing I did, but this time drawing abstract lines. I did not have a plan, I did not know what I was doing, I just wanted to draw, to doodle even. It felt a bit like the Zentangle art form I learned last year, except I was doing my own thing and not following any patterns at all. It had the same effect though, of being meditative. I just kept making lines until the page was filled and it looked like this:

When I looked at what I had done, I thought to myself that watercolor crayons might not be the best tool for adding color this time, even if they are one of my favorite ways to do so! I thought about Lianne and how she commented that she used watercolor pencils all the time. I have a set that is not as well used as my crayons, but I thought they might be just the ticket. I think my choice was correct. Below, my drawing is colored in randomly and completely but I have not added any water to the pencil color I had laid down yet.

I grabbed my Niji watercolor brush, filled the barrel with water and started activating the color. I love how this makes the color pop when you do that! The pencil is a little more subtle than the crayon I think -you can compare it by looking at the post following this one. But the pencils were just what my abstract drawing needed, just the right amount of color -- and, I could easily get into small spaces.

My husband came into my studio while I was doing this, saw this page for the first time and said, "Wow! that is so cool. It reminds me of . . .  Max . . . Peter Max!"  Well, that was certainly a compliment! Then Steven grabbed my camera off the table and started taking photographs, I thought I would share some of me working (playing).

Look, Joy! I am wearing my Stonewall Kitchen T-shirt!!

(Joy is the assistant manager in Avon, CT - I used to work there)

(new hair cut!)

I cleaned up my table pretty recently, so it's not that bad.

some close-ups, the whole page . .. 

One of my favorite sections is below. See how the watercolor pencils are a little different from the crayons?

what will you do in your journal today? Have you started one? Are you on a roll? 

I really liked drawing, writing and playing with my different watercolor media instead of doing collage, just as a change of pace, as something different, something that was challenging for me. I wonder what I will do on the other side of the spread??? Hmmmm . .. I'll be thinking about it now!

Have some fun, whatever you do ; ^ ) lenna 

Learn more about this project here: Art Journal Every day. 

All of the writing on the process of my art journal is here -

-it starts with the current post, scroll down.