Art at the Beach

 

Over last weekend, David and I vacationed in Florida on a gorgeous natural beach.  The beauty of the dunes, the plants, and the wildlife inspired and relaxed me.  

Between dunks in the Atlantic Ocean, I sketched, snapped photos of nature, and painted.  I used the photos I took to create more pages in my travel journal after we had left the beach.  

Above is a painting I made of Sea Grapes while waiting for our flight home.  Here's my reference photo:

My travel art supplies fit into a makeup bag I bought at the Goodwill.

Less is more!

I find that having fewer supplies makes me more likely to draw and create, and that filling a 6"x 8" journal page is less daunting than a larger space. 

Why not give yourself the gift of a mini art vacation to sketch, relax and play with your art supplies?

Even if travel isn't in your plans, you can still set up a travel art kit.  Pick out a few of your favorite supplies and tuck them into a pocket, a pack or a zippered case, then visit someplace interesting to you.  It could be a coffee shop, a park or a greenhouse in your area.  

Any sketch, even one you see as imperfect, is far more interesting than a blank page.  

And every time you create, you build your skills & practice self care.

Create. You're worth it!

Flower Power!

I bought carnations for my drawing students at the Community College of Beaver County to practice on last week, and had some leftovers after class.  

The flowers have brightened up my studio, and inspired me to play with India ink in a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. I focus on making marks that feel freeing & expressive.

 After the ink dries, I add watercolor washes.

Because India ink is waterproof, you can add watercolor washes over the top as soon as the ink has dried, creating bold contrasts.  

I hope you can have a play with colorful art supplies and a bouquet of flowers.  

The flowers will lift your spirits twice - as you enjoy the blossoms decorating your home, and as you create artworks based on them.  Remember, you're not a camera.  You don't have to create a super-realistic artwork.  Just play with lines & colors inspired by the flowers! 

Color in Winter

When the weather is February gray, and you feel like you need a splash of color, try cutting up small pieces of watercolor paper and playing with watercolors, making brush strokes that feel natural to your hand.

I began this piece by splashing in watercolors.  After that layer was dry, I added India ink touches to pop the contrast up.

These are great to prop in a place you will see them, so you can benefit from their bright colors.  I dropped this one into a letter to my best friend.

Happy art-making!