Category art journaling

Plein Air on Campus

mayhewjnm 1 Comment

These paintings were all done from the front seat of my van. Is it ‘plein air’ if the window is closed? (I think the window might have been open though! We have had weeks of gloriously clear, sunny, warm weather) It seems the important aspect is to be looking at the real object in its real life setting. The first one is on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington, IN. It took me about 30 minutes.

Acrylic on hardboard, 6 x 6 inchesIMG_0039

The second painting is also on the IU campus, done on a different day. I loved the morning shadows on the building, but feel I didn’t paint them quite how I wanted.

Acrylic on hardboard, 6 x 6 inchesIMG_0041

I tried again the next week, using watercolor in my art journal. I like this one better. I think it was helpful to include the big tree that is casting the shadows on the building. Perhaps I was better at drawing it the second time. Perhaps the vertical format is more suitable? Total absorption for one beautiful hour!

Watercolor on Arches 90lb paper, 3.5 x 4.5 inches

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Art Journal II

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I bought a lined, spiral bound journal for this year made by the same publisher as my 2016 journal. However, there was some small change to the paper making it more absorbent, and giving a more grainy finish.

I wasn’t happy with it, so I decided to make my own. I figured out how to print this grid onto watercolor paper. After a lot of fruitless effort trying to get the pages spiral bound, I took the simpler route and put them all in a 3-ring binder. It’s working really well!

The paper is Arches 90lb cold-pressed watercolor paper. It’s great for watercolor, but does not take colored pencil very well, and pen and ink is more difficult to use on it.

I even have a storage pocket in the back, where I keep the wonderful paint dots from Daniel Smith. It’s like having a complete palette on the go!

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Art Journal I

mayhewjnm 2 Comments

I started keeping an art journal in August of 2015, after reading  Daily Painting by Carol Marine, and No Excuses Art Journaling by Gina Rossi Armfield. I bought a standard journal at Books A Million, and I kept this one all the way through 2016. On most days I painted in watercolor, or drew in Prismacolor pencils. On some days I stuck in found objects that were related to that day. week or time of year.

I have loved keeping the journal! Sometimes it was therapeutic-expressing an emotion, sometimes it was relaxing, and sometimes just plain fun and enjoyable. I love seeing the week’s page develop. I saw patterns in my life that were encouraging.

My children seem to enjoy looking through it, enjoying the pictures and remembering the events. My oldest daughter has asked me to leave it to her in my will!