Keeping a Watercolor Travel Journal

 Part of the joy of traveling to new places is to take some time to paint in my watercolor art journal.  This is my first time visiting Lisbon, Portugal.  I am enjoying walking around this colorful city  Here is a page in my journal of the cute trolley car.  This is what I love to do - paint plein air!

Fun Ideas for your Watercolor ART Journal, Part 3

I am always looking for fun, unique ways to add to my watercolor art journals.  While I travel, I always pick up brochures, free maps, coasters, wine labels...  Then I add them to my journal pages.  I also paint little paintings of what I see along my journey.  These all create a lasting memory more precious than any photo album.

Try these ideas!

· Doodle or create Zentangles.

· Connect your writing and glued items with lines, dots and squiggles.

· Collect and add business cards, tickets, postages stamps, cut out words and photos from brochures, wine labels, paper money and postcards from your travels.

Fun Ideas for your Watercolor ART Journal, Part 2

Here are some more ideas for how to add interest, color and creativity to your watercolor art journal.  These are some of the things that I will do to the back of the page in my journal.

· Pre-paint with a light watercolor wash of cobalt blue, permanent rose and transparent

       yellow watercolor paints for a colorful journaling background.

· Journal your thoughts and about the area you are visiting.  Be sure to include the date.

· Journal about the area, weather, new friends and events.

· Using an archival glue stick or matte medium, glue collected vacation ephemera to your journal pages.  Overlap and connect object.

· Paint the page with black gesso before adding things.  Use white gel pens on this page.

Paint a collection - here I did a study of barns and buildings