Watercolor Pencil Roll

Daily journaling comes and goes with me, unless it's a special occasion.

 Sometimes I make a conscious effort to journal and then sometimes I feel I'm too busy. Since I'm not a good writer and have never been able to express myself in words, I tend to lean more towards pictures to describe how I feel at the moment. 

My process is.... add color first, then simple but brief thoughts in words.  

Throughout my journaling years, I have tried many ways of keeping a journal (acrylic paints, collage, mixed media) and I always return to the easiest and most convenient way. I tend to journal on the couch or laying in bed in the evenings, so for me, watercolor pencils are the easiest and most convenient tools to journal with.
I just added a few more colors to my watercolor pencil collection, and I didn't want to just throw them in my journal bag, so I thought I would experiment a bit.

I came up with a Watercolor Pencil Roll.

I kind of measured the size I would need, but that got confusing, so I just started cutting fabric and sewing.  That's normally how I roll ;)
I just knew that it had to hold at least 24 pencils and fit in my journal bag. The closure was the trickiest part, but after several "rip outs," it all came together.

My journal bag consists of black markers (I love my black markers, so I have about 6 different ones), white gel pen, scissors, ruler, Tombo adhesive and watercolor pencils.
The roll does add bulk to my bag, but I like having all the colors laid out in front of me.

Each pencil has it's own sleeve.
I kind of misjudged the space of each sleeve, so I only ended up with 22 sleeves as opposed to 24, but in the end it all worked out because I discovered that I really don't use the white or the light grey pencil.
Only time will tell if this roll works out to be convenient, but I always enjoy a challenge.

Chau!

Liquitex Ink and A Couple Journal Pages

Look what I found on the clearance shelf at Hobby Lobby.

Liquitex ink! These usually retail for $6.99 each, and I got each one for $2.37.
I love these!

Technically, these are acrylic paints, but they are more liquid and behave more like an ink. I like it because I can give my page color without hiding whats underneath like thicker acrylic paints.

Here, I glued a letter written by my dad back in 1985. I know a lot of people would cringe at the thought of using an original copy in their journal, but this letter only has meaning to me, so why not? 

This journal page is complete.....it has a little decoration and color, and I can still read it.

This page is just about having fun with color and texture. 

I do have an important tip to share........

When working on a page next to a finished page, make sure you protect the finished page before spraying ink. If you look closely, you will see green splattered paint on my cheek. 

Needless to say, I was not happy with myself for making such a foolish mistake.

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.

Count Your Blessings

I am blessed.

On The Other Side

This is the time of year, where so many beautiful yards are in bloom. When I see a garden gate adorned with flowering vines, I can't help but wonder what is on the other side? Is it as beautiful as the entry?

We never know if, once on the other side, we'll be surprised or disappointed. 

That is what has happened with my art lately. The opportunity came up to try my hand at sketching, so I decided to give it a try. I've never thought of myself as being able to draw, so I knew it would be a challenge.

I am pleasantly surprised to find that I like to sketch, and then.....add some watercolor.

I have always liked the soft, marble look of watercolor, and how it flows on paper. 

Sketching will take lots of practice, but I am enjoying the process.

Blessings,

Linda  

Spring Line Up

This page was inspired by Junelle who is teaching The Art of Wild Abandonment class. I am sooooo loving this class!

Junelle also encouraged us to hang some personal photos on our clothes line. I decided to use a picture of myself when I was 8 years old. I have a box of old photos that will probably never be put in an album, so I thought I would scatter them throughout my journals.

Check out the dress my mother dressed me up in. Oh Goodness! I'm even showing off that some of my front teeth are missing. 

Letter Love And Book Making

Hope you had a good weekend. It was rather crazy for me.

I did manage to sneak in a page from Joanne's Letter Love 101 class. Whimsy Grids is what this page is about. I used Tombo markers, which is becoming a favorite.

Here is a fun picture.

I taught a book making class over the weekend at the Volo Bog Youth Art Guild. Keep in mind that it usually takes a good 6 plus hours to make a book from start to finish. I had to condense this down to 2 1/2 hours. These kids were amazing! They did a great job and finished their journals by the end of the class. That was their quick introduction to the art of book making, so I hope I inspired them to want to learn more.