Escapism via The Artist Journal

Taking a page from Kate's own fantasy journal, I decided to create a "getaway place" in my own journal during my recovery from a recent bout of the flu.

The Heart-Held Cottage
Watercolor and Ink
Stillman and Birn Bound Beta Sketchbook
5.5 x 8.5 inches

I have long loved Hobbiton from the Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit series as seen in Peter Jackson's movies. I love the gypsy wagons you see in Europe as well as some of the tiny structures that people have built for backyard escapes, even using them as small homes. 

The idea of a personal place all my own where I can go to escape the challenges of real life, be they illness, family, financial or just a too long to-do list holds vast appeal to me. I can decorate and nest and relax. A place where problems can't follow, where there is no dust, no clutter, no cleaning. 

A place to enjoy painting, reading, napping, observing nature, lounging in front of a warm fire, visiting with invited friends, cooking a special meal or just simply being. The cottage became a place where I'm not rushed by deadlines or decisions and I can indulge (if I want to) in an hour long soak in a gorgeous claw- foot tub! (TMI, I know!)

The fun part for me was adding special touches that have special meaning to me that might not be obvious to the casual observer. (The stained glass doors in the bookcase sketch have a backstory, but you wouldn't know if I didn't mention it.) 

While I'm definitely not an architect and I certainly wasn't become overly concerned with the laws of physics in my house plans, I did have a great deal of fun thinking about the rooms I would have and the type of furnishings I would surround myself with. The colors and material choices were all up to me without considering someone else's tastes or needs (unless I chose to include them).

The pages developed over the two weeks I was sick and I worked a little bit here and there until they were finished.

But in a way, they'll never be finished as I have enjoyed the escape so much, I'm already planning my next getaway!

The things I learned for next time:

• I'll work bigger and create the floor plans to take up an entire page each.
• By working larger, I'll be able to add in more detail when it comes to the furnishings, window treatments and such.
• I will work on both the views of the inside as well as the views looking out the windows. 
• I'll focus more thought on where the getaway is located‚ like the beach, mountains, underground, or in a pasture or forest.

How about you? Care to join me in creating a fabulous getaway that only exists in your imagination and on the pages of your sketchbook?

If you do, please comment back here so we can come and visit your secret hideaway!

A lifesaver of a fantasy journal!

Hi all--as I'm sure you know, journals don't HAVE to be serious.  It's wonderful to record our travels, study nature, deal with life's challenges, but you can just kick back and have FUN, too.

Many of you have already seen this set on my Flickr, but it's a little accordion journal I made up to help me get through a particularly rough patch a couple of years ago.  It helped my husband, too!  We needed badly to escape family problems and stresses when his mother was in the last stages of dementia, and although we couldn't REALLY escape, this little, silly journal with its cartoonish, colorful images brought us a laugh more than once.  Try it!

We had an imaginary truck, an imaginary cat named Jax (my REAL ones don't care for travel thank you very much!), and all the time and sunsets in the world...

Yes, it DOES remind me of Rolling Homes: Handmade Houses on Wheels, a book I've always just loved.  Turns out Joseph did too, we'd both bought it back in the late 70's, long before we ever met...

(One of these images made the cover of Sketchbook Confidential, too!  I had fun, AND stayed sane.  Relatively...)


Correspondent Roz Stendahl created International Fake Journal Month, when you are encouraged to make a journal on anything you like--travel to somewhere you've never been, be someone you'll never be, whatever you like!  Read more about it here.

And of course our own Laure Ferlita created the popular Imaginary Trips classes, which everyone raves about!  I'd love to take on myself...more on these SOON!