A Mini Watercolor Nature Journal

I've been taking an online class from Cathy Johnson called "Quick Sketching in Color," and am thoroughly enjoying it.  In the class, she gives instructions to make your own mini watercolor journal out of a single piece of paper.

I made mine from an 12" x 18" piece of cold press watercolor paper that I cut in half lengthwise, then folded each piece accordion-style, and glued the two pieces together to make a concertina sketchbook.

Here's a link to an Instructable on making your own concertina sketchbook.

This is my mini-sketching kit, and you can see the accordion-fold mini journal on the left.

Simplifying my kit makes it lightweight and easy to carry, and I love taking it on nature walks!  I can stuff my art supplies, plus my car keys into the little bag and go on sketch-adventures.

 

Focusing on quickly sketching takes the precious-ness out of drawing and makes it a game.

You can learn more about Cathy's Self-directed mini-classes here:https://cathyjohnson.info/art-classes/

Happy Creating!

Nature Journal: Autumn Colors in the Early Morning

The morning fog has been lovely, adding texture to autumn's beauty.

I sketched this scene in pencil, then added watercolor with my Winsor & Newton travel watercolor palette and a simple water brush pen.

I chose lavender for the fog & the distant hills.  Remember: you are the artist, and you can choose whatever colors you like.

Happy Creating!

Weekly Planner Design: Mugs and Tea

It's no secret that I love drinking tea -- black tea, herbal tea, all sorts and varieties.  And, each week I make a weekly planner page, and list out the week's appointments.  Why not fill that page with sketches of what I love? 

What do you love?  What would you enjoy making no-pressure sketches of? 

A weekly planner can give you that format.  Use any sort of notebook -- lined, dotted or blank -- and any sort of drawing implement.  I sketched this page with a mechanical pencil, then inked the finished design and erased the pencil lines. After this photo was taken, I filled up the week with events, appointments, classes, & even some fun things like bulb planting.

Happy Creating!

Painting in the Woods with a Daddy Longlegs

Caution:

If photos of spiders frighten you, don't scroll down past the 4th photo.

On a recent Friday afternoon, David and I took a walk through the state park woods, he with a camera and I with a nature journal and travel kit of supplies.

The brightest flush of colors had washed out of the woods, flamed and gone, but a mellow richness remained.

As usual, a splash of colorful leaves against bending boughs caught my eye, and I began sketching, first with a mechanical pencil, then with watercolors.

I was engrossed in painting this section of the woods when I noticed a tiny visitor wobbling up to my watercolor palette -- a Harvestman, or daddy longlegs.

Even though some spiders give me the heebee jeebees, this spider relative has always seemed friendly to me. They are harmless, have no venom, and eat garden pests like aphids, so this little friend didn't disturb my painting, but added a tiny welcomed feeling of being trusted by a forest denizen.

The woods are dry after the summer's drought stretches into the fall, and I think this fragile creature needed the moisture in my paints.  Maybe it was seeking some mineral, too. It selected a mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber, both nontoxic pigments, and you can see the swath it lapped up from my palette.  That little mixing well is about 1.5" by 1.75".

As someone who relies on a well, the drought has been concerning, anxiety inducing, and completely out of my control.  In situations like that, I look for small ways I can help.

This gentle creature gave me a tiny way to feel helpful.

A blessing.

Wishing you the blessing of happy hours creating in nature.

Another week, another weekly planner page!  I had just bought a pile of pumpkins for my Pencil Drawing students at CCBC to draw, and had all these beautiful pumpkins in different shades and colors in my studio.  It was so much fun to sketch, ink and paint these little characters, with each one holding a day's summary of activities.

Do you have a favorite collection of objects in your home?  Why not draw them together?  You don't even have to make them part of a planner page!

Happy Creating!

Paddle and Paint in a New Nature Journal

A new nature journal brings the energy of beginnings.  Anything is possible, and there are pages and pages waiting to be filled.  

I brought my new nature journal along for a paddle and picnic date with my husband, and he kindly agreed to spend some extra time after lunch so I could sketch and paint this hickory leaf and nut on the picnic table.

I started with a pen and ink sketch with brown ink in a Lamy Safari fountain pen.  Then, I added color with my Winsor & Newton travel watercolor kit.

The paper in this new journal is not made for watercolor, but I still use it.  The paper warps and wrinkles, and the colors don't flow and move the way they would on real watercolor paper, but I can still lay in color to my sketches as if I'm using markers.  

That's what I love about nature journals and sketchbooks. You can do anything in them. No rules.  If you find you don't like the end result, just turn the page and start again.  

What would you like to sketch in a nature journal or sketchbook? I hope you make that sketch!

Happy Creating!

Nature Journaling: White Tailed Deer

One autumn morning, I looked out the window to see this White Tailed Deer down the hill from my home.  Her gray winter pelt attracted my eye, and I grabbed my cell phone, and captured this photo of her.

The gorgeous morning light and autumn colors inspired me to make a quick sketch in pencil in my new nature journal, then splash in watercolors.

I focused on the bright colors and contrasting values that caught my eye, and didn't get everything in exact proportion.  I am happy with that decision, as it expresses the morning and the scene.  I always tell my students: You're not a camera! Don't feel like you must get everything "perfect."

I hope you find something in nature that inspires you.  If you'd like to create using this photo as a reference, please do!

Happy Creating!