Art at the Beach, Part 3

The ocean waves rolling into the beach where David and I visited were stronger on the second day of our stay. I could hear the pounding surf all day long as we sat up by the dunes.  We could feel the energy of the waves washing over us, & scouring the grayness of winter from our bodies.

Our first day on the beach happened to coincide with low tide, and the beach was littered with beautiful shells.  I gathered a handful and made pencil sketches.

 

I enjoyed following the delicate lines of the shells, looking mostly at the shells sitting on the sand, and only occasionally at my drawing.

You can begin a journal with any theme you like, from nature observations, to your travels, to journals of imaginary characters.  

I hope you'll give yourself the gift of time sketching this week!

Upcycled Stamps

A Sunday morning in my art studio got me inspired to create some new stamps for my journaling and collage projects.My materials were: wine corks, a gum eraser, a pink eraser too old & hard to erase pencil marks any more, an X-acto knife, a pen, a pencil and ink pads.

I began with sketches of ideas, then drew my design onto the surface of the cork or eraser with a ballpoint pen or pencil.  

With the X-acto blade, I cut away everything that wasn't the design, and left what you see above as the stamp. I tested the stamp out, made any changes I needed, and then stamped away.

It's exciting to see your new design printed on paper! I use mine in journals, on cards & letters, and to decorate my daily planner.

I've been making cork and eraser stamps for years, and have collected them into a pretty box.  The dividers inside are fashioned from cereal box cardboard.  Several of the stamps above were made from old shoe soles (see the cardboard X handle?😉).  

I love repurposing old junk into art supplies!

Many of my materials came from the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  They have erasers, a barrel of wine corks, loads of different papers, and I've found stamp pads there, too. 

I hope you'll give this art form a try!

The Magic of Upcycled Gratitude Journals

One of my favorite daily rituals is to drink my morning tea from a china teacup and journal what I'm grateful for.  I used to keep chickens, and accumulated a stack of brown paper chicken feed bags.  The simplicity of these bags charms me, and makes them feel ideal for upcycling into journals. 

I never face the "fear of the blank page," because I'm writing on something most folks would just throw away or compost.  That gives it a magic that delights me.

 

I use the bag's original stitching as the binding, and then add grommets for fun.  The bag is made of three layers of brown craft paper -- designed to hold 50 pounds of grain, the layering adds strength. That gives me six pages to write on -- enough for a month of entries.  

A Stormy Start to a New Journal

Starting a new nature journal can feel like starting a journey of infinite possibilities, but also can feel like a perfect, blank book that you don't want to make the first mistake in.  Thursday afternoon, David and I went out on a hike and I took a brand new nature journal with me. About 2 miles in, we found ourselves slogging through a summer rain shower.  By the time we made it back to the Adirondack shelters in the park, we were soaked to the bone, and my brand new nature journal was no longer crisp and fresh, but soggy-edged and mud-splashed.  Somehow, this felt like the best of both worlds -- still open to infinite possibilities, but also not so precious that I couldn't make mistakes.  A great start.

Celebrating Color in Summer

The joy of new paints is trying out the colors and exploring what you can do with them.

The page "Things Leaves Do" was inspired by nature journaler Hannah Hinchman, author of A Trail Through Leaves: The Journal as a Path to Place.  She fills illustrated journal pages with topics like "Things Snow Does."

Forest Bathing with Mayapples

Out hiking yesterday towards sunset, the gray day cleared, and we stopped for a water break.  I took a moment to sit at the edge of a colony of Mayapples and sketch. The sun shone through the greening trees, the Wood Thrush warbled musically, and a sense of calm and gratitude washed over me. 

This is the beauty of forest bathing -- simply sitting out in nature for its healing benefits.  Like meditation, when I sit with my nature journal on the forest floor and open my senses, I am immersed in the present moment and the beauty of the place.  All thoughts of troubles and the outer world fall away, and I can be still and peaceful.

It's a wonderful form of self care.  Try simply sitting in a natural environment, focused only on what you see, smell, feel and hear. Turn off that phone!  Adding a sketchbook and a pen gives you a way to focus on one element at a time, and create a record of your experience to thumb through later and double your benefits.  

Forsythia Blooms & Inspiration

Though the human world seems to have ground to a halt right now, nature bursts with new life out here in the country around my home. Everyday some new flower spills fresh color into the landscape, and I want to capture it all in my nature journals.

I have been watching videos from John Muir Laws' website on keeping a nature journal, organizing journal pages, and using watercolor pencils to best effect. Inspiring!  Check them out for free here: https://johnmuirlaws.com/blog/

I have taken to carrying a journal with me on hikes with David, or even down the driveway to put a letter in the box. Here is a collection of recent findings in no particular order.

Nature Journal: Signs of Spring

I got the opportunity to get out for a hike to Doak Field in Raccoon Creek State Park today while the weather was warm and mostly sunny.  The songs of Cardinals, Rufous-Sided Towhees and Song Sparrows brightened the world.  Down in the lowlands, Skunk Cabbage spikes have risen from the mud.  Spring is coming!

Portrait of a Cat

My friend has been out of town, and asked me to care for his lovely cat.  After I get done with the routine care of cleaning the litter box and filling her food and water dishes, I sit with her and scratch under her chin.  I sip a hot mug of tea, and relish the quiet, contemplative cat-time.  Pretty soon, I get my pencil out and try capturing her unique personality in my nature journal. 

This tiny cat has such big eyes -- and so much depth & presence.  How can I capture that?

Upcoming Art Classes!

If you're interested in gaining inspiration, carving out time in your schedule for creativity, or trying new art techniques, check out the upcoming Continuing Education art classes at the Community College of Beaver County here: http://www.ccbc.edu/ConEdCatalog

I'll be teaching the following classes this autumn:

Recycled Papermaking :
Create your own artsy & unique paper out of a variety of upcycled materials that you can use to craft and personalize your own journal, stationery, cards, or other unique creations.  All materials are provided
Wednesday evenings 
Sept. 11th & 18th from 6-9 pm
Cost: $39 with $10 Lab fee

Jumpstart Your Journal!
 A regular journaling practice provides a way to capture the fleeting details of your daily life and to process your thoughts.  The calming, grounding experience you have been seeking awaits!  Explore ideas and fill the pages of your journal with new discoveries.
Wednesday evenings,
Sept. 25th, Oct. 2nd & 9th from 6-9 pm
Cost: $49 with $10 Lab fee

Inktober
Capture a natural scene with watercolor & colored pencil, and make it pop with pen & ink touches.  You will work outdoors and take inspiration from the brilliant autumn colors.  Join us for a relaxing immersion into nature and your own creativity!  Beginners are welcome!
Saturday mornings,
October 5th,12th & 19th, from 9 am - noon
cost: $49 with $10 Lab fee

To register, go to http://www.ccbc.edu/ConEdRegistration
or call the Information Registration Center at 724-480-3575.

Hope to see you at one of these sessions!

 A Glass of Wine & A Sleepy Cat

After a busy spell of working, David and I had a day off, and celebrated with a relaxed evening, glass of wine, books to read, and sketching time.  Here's Chubby, our big, gray and white cat:

Catching up on my journal, here are some recent outdoor entries:

An Autumn Ritual 

For years, I have celebrated Autumn in my nature journal by going for a walk, selecting a vibrant fall leaf, and capturing every detail I can, from the brilliant colors down to the bug bites and pock marks left behind by a season of use.  The meditative experience of focusing on the miniature takes me into the present moment, and I am left with a record of the day, the leaf, and the meditation.  Chronicle your present moment in a journal with a leaf and it's portrait.