Abstract Watercolor Play

After watching an art journaling video by Nicki Traikos, of life i design, on creating abstract vignettes in an art journal, I felt the glow of inspiration and decided to try her process.  I taped watercolor paper to a piece of stiff cardboard, added washi tape to make different sized "windows," and gathered some supplies.

I used watercolors in Prussian blue, New Gamboge (yellow), & burnt Sienna.  I also used indigo and yellow ochre Neocolor II watercolor crayons & a sepia Inktense watercolor pencil.  

I began by making a few marks with the Inktense pencil and watercolor crayons, then started laying in areas of color. I mixed the New Gamboge and Prussian blue to make a lovely, soft green.

Once I got started, I simply played!  I painted washes.  I painted areas with clean water, then dropped intense watercolor blobs. When an edge felt too harsh, I sprayed the area with a water spritzer to loosen things up.

My focus was on listening to that little voice within, my intuition, and trying out each nudge and idea. 

After the paint dried, I added little marks with the Inktense pencil.

After the first page was done, I started the same process with a fresh piece of watercolor paper.

Here's the finished page of vignettes.  I used white acrylic ink and a dip pen to create little marks over darker areas of paint. 

 

When I stepped back to study the finished creations, I realized that the abstract paintings looked like little maps of the landscapes we visited in the United Kingdom, with herds of white sheep dotting the earth. 

Art helps us process the experiences of our lives.  

I'm always amazed at how we can create images and symbols of things that are on our minds when we make abstract works.  I hope you'll give this technique a try.

You can see Nicki Traikos' video here: https://www.youtube.com/live/rSv8EvFy-8o?si=HtAAKjX4qwWedqnX

Happy  Creating!

Aurora Borealis!

I have always wanted to witness the aurora borealis with my own eyes, and chance brought this phenomenon right over my home.  

My husband and I went outside and watched right after sunset, as the sky dimmed and the stars began to pop out.  We noticed a pink "cloud" to the northeast.  It looked vague and unlike any photo I've ever seen of the Northern Lights, yet, the sky was pink where it normally would be midnight blue, and we could see the stars right through it.

David took a photo with his Nikon D5, and the photo looked just like the photos

 I had seen by other Aurora watchers, with streamers of bright color and more diffuse areas.

This particular shade of green reminded me of the color that alien beings from other galaxies are painted in cartoons.  I wondered if the aurora borealis, such an otherworldly experience is why.

The magical streaks of color -- though not as bold to our eyes as the camera saw them -- inspired me to draw the experience and write about it in my nature journal.

That way, I can return to the experience to remind myself of how lucky I was to witness it.

Happy Creating! 

Playing with Watercolor Paper Samples

I received this sample packet of New York Central watercolor paper free with an order of other art supplies.  I love playing with paper samples, and experimenting with each type of paper.

Above is the hot pressed paper.   The smooth texture worked well with the permanent ink and Inktense colored pencils I used.

If you are art supply shopping, don't forget to check for paper samples.  They're often free or quite inexpensive, and it's a fun way to try something new.

I used this sample artwork as a postcard, wrote a message on the back, and mailed it to my best friend.  Fun!

What would you like to make with a set of paper samples?

Happy Creating!

Care December: Coldness

I love the idea of tuning into the coolness of the color blue in this prompt.  

Blue looks cooler when you put it next to warm colors like spots of yellow and orange 

by the candles' glow.

This morning, I set up in my studio at dawn with a hot pot of tea and my art supplies to take on the Care December prompt:Coldness.

I had prepared a page spread of vellum paper with clear gesso, so that I could easily draw with Inktense colored pencils and NeocolorII crayons.

A wet brush moved the pigment and brought the colors to life.

I love how the vellum looks like stained glass when held up to window light.

I hope you get some time to create -- this project took me about 15 minutes.  Even a little time spent creating can be great self care.

Collage Planner Pages

My best friend Robin says that instead of "To Do" lists, she makes "Get To Do" lists for each day.  

I love that idea, and have taken it one step further, collaging and decorating my "Get to Do" pages.

I started with an out-of-date planner that I purchased for a quarter at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  The quality of the paper, and the graph paper style attracted my eye.  I simply write a new date over top of the printed date.

I decorated these pages with stamps I made by cutting designs into pink erasers.  You can read a blog post about making those stamps here.

You can see some of my other collaged journal pages here.

I also use colored pencils & permanent ink pens to create pages like these.  I doodled a shape, then responded to that shape by adding other shapes and lines.

This is one of those projects that eliminates the fear of not being "perfect." It's just a planner page, so there's no pressure.

It helps me to see how reducing expectations on myself opens me up to follow my intuition, to stop judging my art making, and to free up my lines.

What if I created like this all the time?!

What if you gave this a try? 

Use what you have and doodle in your daily planner.  See what develops.

You may find new lines, shapes and approaches in your art making.

Happy Exploring!

Augusta the Fairy

We recently had a photo shoot with a professional traveling model named Augusta Monroe.  

She was wonderful to work with and created beautiful poses in wooded scenes. 

I used a photo from our shoot as a reference to draw this image in my sketchbook, 

giving model Augusta a pair of fairy wings.

Using a piece of tracing paper, I traced over the sketchbook drawing to transfer the image to watercolor paper. 

Then I colored on the back of the tracing paper with a 4B graphite pencil, and 

taped the drawing onto watercolor paper.  I traced over the main lines of the drawing, leaving behind a faint image on the watercolor paper to work from.

I laid in washes of color, and layered on detail.

I used Winsor & Newton watercolor paper in a block,

so I didn't have to tape my paper down.

I finished the image by adding tree branches in the background with Inktense colored pencils, and touching up details on Augusta's face.

Why not give this process a try?

  

Start with a photo you like, and make drawings in a sketchbook.

The pressure is off when you're just sketching for fun.

When you create a design you like, trace and transfer it to a sheet of better paper.

You can paint with watercolors, or use colored pencils, markers, or whatever medium you enjoy.

Let your imagination roam free on the page, and remember: 

You're not a camera creating photorealistic images.  

You're an artist creating expressive works!

I hope you make time for art in your schedule this week; you're worth it!

Here are two images of Augusta Monroe that you are welcome to use as reference photos to create artworks from.

Many thanks to model Augusta Monroe for her creative work!

Paddleboard Picnic

On a recent sunny day, David & I took our paddleboards & a picnic to our local state park lake.  We paddled around the lake and down to a boater's picnic area.

The day was lovely and sunny, perfect weather for floating, picnicking and sketching in my nature journal.

The way the sunshine shot through a patch of wildflowers just unfurling caught my eye, and I sketched with Inktense colored pencils, then added touches of Neocolor II crayons. Touching in a water brush pen brought the colors to life.

We returned a few days later and I painted the sunlight in the trees across the lake from the picnic table using my QM2 Winsor & Newton travel watercolor kit.

I love the colors in this kit! At 5" x 2.5" and about half of an inch thick, it's my tiniest watercolor palette. And it comes with a compact travel brush. 

A small art kit can hold an incredible array of colors.  For a look at the colors I mixed from the Winsor & Newton kit, see my blog post on color swatching.  

Color mixing may seem boring or technical, but it teaches you so much!  I found the experience relaxing with no pressure to make anything "pretty."  By simply experimenting, I discovered an abundance of bright, useful colors I could mix with this tiny set.  I find myself way more likely to put my watercolors to use now that I am familiar with what they can do.

I hope you play with your art supplies this week and discover what they can do.  Take them for a spin around the block, and experiment to discover the possibilities they hold for you.  You'll be surprised by how much more likely you'll be to use what you already have to make art!

Painting with Spirit

One recent morning, I took my nature journal and art supplies out to our nearby park.  

The morning sun caught the spring foliage in an ancient maple tree, and I was struck by the beauty of backlit maple foliage against dark branches.  The new maple leaves were still golden green, and hadn't yet matured into the deeper sap green hues of summer. They vibrated with life to my artist's eye.

I am thrilled by high contrast scenes like this one.

That's the feeling I seek when painting or sketching.  I find the part of the larger scene that fascinates me, that draws me in & inspires me.  Sometimes it takes a little time walking around and looking, but once I find the inspiration, I sit down and start sketching.

I began with a Pentel India ink brush pen to sketch in the tree trunk and limbs.  After the ink was dry, I began laying in areas of color with a Sakura Koi watercolor set.

I ran out of time before I had finished my artwork, but luckily got a reference photo so I could finish at home.  Using the photo above, I added more details with Inktense colored pencils and Caran D'Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons.

As I created, I thought about the painting philosophy that I have been reading in the book, Painting Water in Watercolor by Christian Wharton:

What we paint is life itself, ... it is ourselves we are painting. It is our spirit recognizing ourselves in the spirit of the object we are looking at.

Art is there to inspire by giving the essence of the subject, and it does this from the level of feeling.

Very few paint with the same degree of truth as Van Gogh. This quality of truth does not result from careful modelling, details, or brilliant alla prima technique. It is something that is more than the sum of the parts. And it is best to aim for that level of truth, without worrying too much about whether we can achieve it or not . It's just more rewarding and fun that way. Technique by itself is nothing without the feeling level.

 

The feeling of the painting or artwork is far more important to me than technical precision.  I am not a camera making an exact replica. I am an artist, a human being, expressing for other human beings how I see the world.  

I feel inspired by Christian Wharton's philosophy (and her technical instructions), and when I began working on this maple tree, I focused simply on the part of the scene that made me feel alive.

I think that's where the healing comes in with this type of art-making.  By tuning in to what really thrills me and makes me feel alive, I connect with my true self, while connecting with nature.  I relax into the bliss of creating, following what I see before me and trying to express it.

The artwork connects me to nature and to myself.

A Celebration of Spring & Reused Materials

I found boxes of free music sheeting with a "Free" sign, and gratefully took a stack. I love using cast-off materials for art-making, and find that new-to-me supplies spark my creativity.

The paper's yellowing edges make it appealing & historic looking. The music notes add texture & movement beneath the drawing, and the staff lines create a structure to work upon.

I sat outside on a recent  spring day and made quick sketches of birds at my feeder with an India ink brush pen.  I added Neocolor II watercolor crayons to create a pop of color against the bold, dark ink lines.

Our beloved Grandmother Sugar Maple tree has begun blooming, and her spreading branches fit right onto the page.

Using just Neocolor II watercolor crayons, Prismacolor colored pencils and one Derwent Inktense pencil, I captured a blooming apple tree on our farm.  I touched in a wet brush to the background area to make a unified wash of the Neocolor II Aquarelle crayon marks.

The notes under the Neocolor II crayons express the music of spring.  Right now, American Toads are trilling, songbirds are singing, and the world is rich in color and music.  

Giving new life to some cast-off papers feels like a fitting tribute to spring!

A Video Sketching Visit to England

I've recently discovered the YouTube channel of British artist, Melanie Chadwick, who shares her drawing on location sessions.  I was taken by the seaside scene in her recent "Winter Sketching Tips."  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LCCS1wsyVE&t=30s

I decided to still the video about 30 seconds in and use the image as a reference photo, so I could create from the same scene as Melanie.

I followed Melanie's technique, beginning with a watercolor sketch of the scene with my Winsor & Newton Watercolors.

Melanie then added color and texture with Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle Crayons and Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils.  

Both of these media allow you to lay in dense color and then touch in a wet brush to create a watercolor effect.

I followed Melanie's method for the most part, using my Caran D'Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons to layer in more intense color.  I added in some India ink details with a Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen.

I used a Payne's Gray Inktense colored pencil to lay in the dark seaside stones in the hillside and other dark values.

This is the final version of my painting.  I enjoyed being an armchair traveler and trying Melanie Chadwick's technique for drawing on location.

What part of the world would you like to visit?  

Try starting with a video sketch vacation!

Adding Pop to a Watercolor Scene

Earlier this year, I painted these Cosmos blooms as a watercolor class demonstration.  I made a quick  pencil sketch of the flowers and splashed in watercolors, finishing by adding color to the negative space.  I wanted my students to see the steps in creating a watercolor painting.

After class, rather than discard the sketch, I worked on it a bit.  I wanted the loose scene to pop a bit more, so I sketched in areas with my Inktense watercolor pencils.  Touching a wet brush into the Inktense area smoothed the color into a wash, but left the original pencil strokes visible.  

As a finishing touch, I added India ink from my Pentel ink brush pen, and Micron waterproof pen lines to contours I wanted to enhance.  I found an inexpensive frame from Goodwill Industries, and the finished piece now hangs in my home.

Why not try this technique for capturing the beauty of Autumn?!

Inktober in an Enchanted Woods

I spent a few hours sitting in an enchanting pine forest at Raccoon Creek State Park with my nature journal.  I used Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils and a Micron pen, touching some of the drawings up with a wet brush to create washes of color.  I love the intense colors of the Inktense pencils against the bold black of the Micron pen.

Here are the pages from my nature journal. 

I felt the cares of daily life wash away as I sank into the pine straw and connected with nature.

Here's a sketch of the cozy spot where I tucked away, sitting against a massive pine tree among the ferns.

I hope you get a nature break today!