Gouache Sketches in My Nature Journal

One of the beautiful possibilities in using a brown craft paper nature journal is that you can paint with gouache, and light tones, like this moth, pop off the page visually. 

I found this tiny moth on a nature walk in the park one quiet afternoon.  You can see from the grass blades in the photo, that it was quite small.  I enjoyed making the tiny large in my nature journal.

 

The moth is called a Confused Euscara (Euscara confusaria), and its wingspan measures about 1.25 inches.  I'm guessing the "confused" part of its name comes from the fact that it looks like a dead leaf.  When I hovered my phone right over top of the little moth to take its portrait, it didn't move a muscle, acting just like a dead leaf!

Wingstem bloomed along the trail, and I snapped a photo, then painted the flowers later in my studio.

Each medium has its own magic.  I hope you find an art supply you enjoy and make some sketches.  See where it leads you!

Happy Creating!

A New Nature Journal

A few months ago, I started a watercolor nature journal, and I'm having fun painting nature scenes in it. Still, I missed my brown craft paper and the possibilities it brings for working with colored pencils & gouache.

I cracked open a craft paper journal that I had bought online to create a new nature journal.  I can work in both journals, using whichever works best for my ideas.

Right away, I delighted in making simple pen and ink sketches, adding colored pencil to some.

The brown paper automatically creates the midtone, making highlights and shadows more dramatic.

I try to listen to my intuition, that tiny voice within that offers suggestions.  It often feels like a little nudge rather than a loud, obvious instruction.  Each scene calls out for a certain medium -- some feel very watercolor-y and others invite sketching with a colored pencil.  Maybe it's just my own moods that I'm responding to.  

I find that when I listen to these little nudges, I'm happier and create more freely. It doesn't mean I'm always going to create impressive work, just that it will feel right and that I will be more at peace with the finished artwork than if I had forced myself to follow an expected path.

Listening to your intuition and trying out its ideas is a valuable habit to get into.  Your intuition is full of exciting possibilities and will help you to make wonderful discoveries.

Happy Creating!

Weekly Planner in Gouache & Marker

I was painting with gouache this weekend and decided to use up the extra blobs of paint in my weekly planner.  I love this planner because it gives me a reason each week to play with random art supplies.

I had a fistful of beautiful Faber Castell markers with dual tips -- a fine point at one end and a brush at the other -- found on a recent visit to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  

The gorgeous markers added a lovely detailed element to this week's planner page.

I enjoyed the slow process of layering one medium on top of the next.  The clouds at the top of the page and the white lettering on the right side of the page were done with acrylic ink, and I used my Lamy fountain pen with permanent black ink to label the days of the week.

This quiet process of slowly making art based on your intuition and whims can be very relaxing and playful.  You don't have to make anything "important;" just play.  The beauty of the process is that you often develop ideas that you would never have thought of if you'd been "serious" about your art always.

 Art goals are fantastic to pursue.  Just remember to leave yourself some open time to play, too.

Happy Creating!

Nature Journaling in the August Heat

A hot summer's afternoon was the perfect time to take a short walk and sit on a park bench to sketch.  The very act of sitting in a quiet, shady woods is relaxing and excellent self care. 

I'm practicing simplifying the landscape in my artwork and creating pleasing compositions. 

Sitting for a few minutes on a park bench and mindfully looking is helpful in truly seeing the scene around you.  You can pick out the parts of the landscape you want to focus on.  It helped me to unwind and to compose these two vignettes.

The first scene was right before me -- a broken sapling in a grove of maples.

The second vignette had more contrasts -- late afternoon sunlight streaming through the canopy and deep shadows.

I recommend this technique of sitting still, seemingly doing nothing -- no phone scrolling, no drawing even.  Just noticing nature around you.  Soon, you will begin to see parts of the scene that you want to sketch and paint.  After a little stillness, you might use a viewfinder, a small rectangular frame cut out of cereal box cardboard, to scope through the landscape.  It will help your eye catch on an appealing composition.

Happy Creating!

The Art of Mistakes

I found the book, The Art of Mistakes, through the public library, and what an inspiring book!  

If you're looking for help in fighting your inner critic and getting back to creating after a creative block, reading this book is a wonderful encouragement.  It's a warm, real pep talk from someone who has made plenty of mistakes and discovered how to harness them in her creative career.

Author Melanie Rothschild cuts right to the heart of the fear of creating.

She helps the artist think through what's important, and her beautiful artwork is peppered throughout the book.

Today, I was thinking about the importance of playing with no expectations and no fear of making a mistake, and I simply painted my weekly planner page.  I've posted these planner pages before, but this time, I could feel Melanie Rothschild cheering me on, and I let my paintbrush be loose and experimental.  It's a lovely feeling to truly not worry about the end product! 

After the paint dried, I discovered that I loved the rose at the bottom of the page -- the shadowy phthalo blue strokes mixed with the permanent rose to create rich depth.

I hope you pick up a copy of Melanie's book and take inspiration from her words.

Happy Reading & Creating!

Summer Morning Painting

In an earlier post, I mentioned the trick of taking a walk and finding views to paint. The scene above is one of those spots found on a morning walk.

Planning ahead saves time, and you know just what to carry with you. I brought my pochade box, my Strathmore Visual Journal nature journal, paints, water and brushes. The pochade box allows me to work flat, an important trait for watercolor painting.

I took the photo above to use as a reference in case I didn't finish outdoors.

I also used the photo to help me to see the shadows in the scene more clearly.  Shadows can have nuanced lighter and darker areas.  They can vary from light shadows with dappled spots of light to deep, dark holes. Our eyes are naturally drawn to areas of high contrast, so these are good to incorporate into your paintings to draw the viewer's eye in.

It always amazes me how much I can see in a photo that I didn't see in person.  I encourage you to use a photo to help you see the values in your scene, but paint in person so you get the freshness of the landscape.

Happy Creating!

Summer Nature Journal: Nature Treasures

On walks around my farm, I notice the goings on in nature, and find myself picking up treasures.

Fallen acorns, feathers, & leaves tell the story of what's happening in nature right now, and a sketch of your collected finds makes a lovely & descriptive page.

What's happening right now in your area?

Wouldn't a handful of nature treasures be fun to sketch?

Happy Creating!