Sketching and Watercolor

Journaling for me has always been about writing in my books. I've always admired people who sketch in their journals, and I have often wished I could draw better.

Then a few years ago, I discovered art journaling where things like paint, stencils, markers, and magazine clippings were being used to embellish a journal page.
 But I've also noticed that these kinds of mediums aren't so portable, and now that the weather is nice, I like to sit on the patio and work in my journal.
So......
I've decided to challenge myself......
I'm going to spend time learning to sketch, and if I want color, I'll use watercolors. Oh, and let me say that my watercoloring is not all that good either.

Here's a sketch of a silly fairy from my daughters fairy book, done with pencil, black marker and watercolor.

The picture below is from a travel magazine. 

I spent way too much time on this one. I have to remind myself not to get so wrapped up in the details. 

I figure for now, I'll just copy some pictures so I can get the hang of drawing things.

Lilacs

I am sad to see the Lilac blooms come to an end. Did you know? Lilacs are:
The 8th wedding anniversary flower and the state flower of New Hampshire. In the language of flowers, purple lilacs symbolize the first emotions of love, while white lilacs represent youthful innocence.

Their short appearance is a reminder of how I need to take the time to enjoy the people and things around me at the moment, and that is what I've been doing........

 I love the smell of lilacs!

 They remind me of my early morning walks to school as a little girl. When I would take a short cut to school and cut through the fields, there was a house that was lined with Lilac bushes. The sweet smell would greet me and then linger on for a few blocks, before arriving to school.

Did I mention.......I love the smell of Lilacs!