New Classes at ImaginaryTrips.com!

©1997 Alaskan Sketchbook Cover
Laure Ferlita
Watercolor
11.5" x 5.5"

Game On! Or maybe I should say "Schedule Up!"

I have posted the 2013 Imaginary Trips Schedule and you can find it here! New trips and visits are planned as well as some prior destinations that you might have missed the first time around. For those of you waiting for the Independent Learning Classes (or should I say still waiting), that is my first priority for 2013. The first of the ILCs will be posted by the end of April!

I have to tell you I'm pretty excited about the first class on the schedule for this year, An Imaginary Visit to A Past Vacation! (Please click the title for more information.)

If you're anything like me, you've probably taken at least one vacation in your life before you started to sketch or before you became comfortable sketching around others. Or maybe you've taken one recently, but the trip was so fast-paced you didn't getting any sketching done.

Take a look at the sketch at the top of this post...you'll note the copyright date is 1997! And that's when I completed the sketch from my trip to Alaska...from 1996! It also happens to be the only sketch I completed from that trip despite my well-thought-out plans.

Is that just not sad? That was a fabulous trip! I made the sketchbook, I gathered my materials and I painted the cover. What happened to everything else, all those other great pages dancing in my head?

Somewhere along the way life got busy and interfered with my well-thought-out plans. I have no sketches for that trip other than the cover. The horror! You know they say about "good intentions," right?

I decided to correct this huge oversight and it started me thinking about the trip and all the stuff I didn't remember. (Oh, come on, it was nearly 20 years ago! Surely you don't think I can remember it that well!)

How could I go about reconstructing my trip so that I had a sketchbook that was worthy of this great trip when I CRS (can't remember stuff)?

This experience lead me to put together the class and to share it with others who might have done something similar. So if you're one of those people—just like me—that have lots of good intentions but no sketchbooks, come join me!

Please check out the new schedule for a "trip" or a "visit" as we're going to some fun new places as well as revisiting some of the prior places we've visited.

Finally, a new mini-class, Ink & Wash

I've been kind of missing in action, here, trying to get a new class done, and finally launched it this week!  Here are a few images from the lessons, which are available with my other mini-classes, here: http://www.cathyjohnson.info/online.html

This is the sign-up button on my web page...

There's a video demonstrating this one...

And this one, where we look at various ways to pre-tint pages...

Another demo video...

A freebie ballpoint pen works just fine...

 

Water-soluble ink can be FUN and exciting!

Toned paper can give you some interesting effects and even set the mood!

These are just a few things we cover in the 4-lesson class; you can see more information on my website link, above.

sisters

+info

Moving My Art Around . . .

First, I must say I feel badly about not having posted to this blog more often. I read it all the time and so enjoy the company and the inspiration. I devoted all of last year to my iPad Studio Workbooks -teaching artists to create their art (and art journals) on the iPad, but this year, I am craving the feel of my real world sketchbooks, watercolor paints and pencils for awhile.

Inspired by some artists here, I decided to try the Stilman & Birn Beta sketchbook and fell instantly in love. It has everything I have been searching for since before I even started keeping actual artist journals. I have always painted on Arches 300 lb cold press paper and never found any comparable feel in a book before. The Beta pages are not as heavy, of course, but watercolor behaves in a similar way.

One thing I love to do in my journals is collect the random sketches I make all over the place (including in my iPad), and create a more comprehensive collection. I really think in the long run, it will be my artist journals that will comprise my most precious life works - to me at least!

So, I was really thrilled when I discovered how beautifully the Beta book accepted transfers made with my Sheer Heaven process (the Zeta book does also). This means I can move work from anywhere into a single journal.

The spread I posted above is comprised of two transfers of a sketch I made years ago while preparing a workshop, watercolor wash and painting, and a poem I wrote very recently. I did the type on the computer, printed reversed on Sheer Heaven and transferred to the journal spread - right over the wash.

I have posted a complete step-by-step on my own blog to show how, exactly, this spread came together. You can see that here:

http://www.wisdomwoman.com/whatever/

Hopefully, I will be a more familiar face around here. Cathy does such a wonderful job of keeping this blog delightful!

jessica

Inspired to Try....

A while back on FB, Jamie Williams Grossman posted about the book she was working in.  An 8 x 10 inch, 16 page book made from one sheet of watercolor paper!!!

Of course there were many questions in the comments about how????  Jamie was very sharing and gave the website address for the directions and also mentioned that it could be fashioned smaller using a half a sheet. It would be approximately  5 x 7 inches.  Now, that's my favorite working size.  I must do this!

Here is the link Jamie gave:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6qmXGRrsE

This is my 5 x 7 adaptation and below I've provided directions on making a basic book.  The sky is the limit for what you do with it :)

I painted the cover, page borders, splatters and marsh images with FW Acrylic Inks.

Please click to enlarge images.  This book has 16 paintable surfaces.

You'll want to use Fabriano 140# watercolor paper as it doesn't crack when folded. I tore my sheets so I could get an uneven edge. I use hot press as I like writing on the smooth surface.

Your book will be as precise as your folds.  Take your time and you'll be happy.  I practiced on  a 15" x 22" sheet of drawing paper.  I'm glad I did!

Happy journal making!

Artist's Journal Workshop

Artist's Journal Workshop, a group on Flickr.

Lots of lovely work in our Flickr group! If you keep an artist's journal--or want to!--please feel free to join us!

Just look at how many new pieces have shown up there in just a couple of days.  I'm working on a slideshow to put on the blog, too...

Artist's Journal Workshop

Artist's Journal Workshop, a group on Flickr.

Looking at ways to share our Flickr group...