The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color DVD

My DVD, The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color watercolor workshop is available for pre-order.  If you missed this online workshop you will soon be able to own a copy of the DVD.

I am currently filming and editing and working on my 2014 watercolor workshop with Artful Gathering Online workshops.  I will be offering some step-by-step watercolor painting lessons.  Please stay tuned for more details!

Peaceful Wishes

I am sending you best wishes during the holiday season.  Thank you to all m y wonderful artistic friends, new and renewed.  I have enjoyed spending time, traveling and painting with you. 

As always - You inspire me!

2014 Workshop Calendar

New for 2014

Here is what I have been working on for 2014 Classes and Workshops....

Watercolor journaling demo and workshop at Daniel Smith Fine Art Supplies, Seattle and Bellevue, Washington - Dates and times TBA

ARTFUL GATHERING ONLINE ART RETREAT - This summer!  I will be teaching follow-along watercolor paintings.  My 2013 workshop - The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color is now available for pre-order.  

Art Unraveled:            Watercolor Art Journal - Tuesday July 29, 2014

                                    Kaleidoscope Hearts - Wednesday, July 30, 2014

                                    Inky Doodle Watercolors - Thursday July 31, 2014

The Colors of Umbria; Keeping a Watercolor Journal - Orvieto, Italy.  September 7 - 13, 2014

CREATE - Chicago & Seattle - Times and Dated TBA

Just in Time for the Holidays!

Watercolor Journal Page using Expansion Kit colors.

I am happy to announce that have designed a Daniel Smith Expansion Kit and it is now available for purchase.  It is the perfect complement to my Daniel Smith Jacqueline Newbold Travel Kit.  These additional six Daniel Smith colors are my favorite go-to colors and are always on my palette.  I suggest these when students ask for more color ideas to fill up their palettes.  Along with the addition of these beautiful colors, a larger and smaller brush, artist tape, water holder and a great vinyl art bag to hold it all, you now have everything you need to paint at home or while you travel!  It ships priority mail at no charge.  If you want to add additional art supplies to your order, be sure to tell them my TRP number (phone-in orders only) and you will get an additional 10% off of your order!  A gift for you :)
Here is my TRP NUMBER:  TRP00274
 

Painting Highlights.....

My favorite time of 2013 was painting daily in Provence, France with a wonderful group of artists.  Twelve wonderful artist joined me on my 3rd watercolor journaling trip to St. Remy de Provence.  I love this charming town not only for its own charm but because within an hour in all directions, we were in awe inspiring locations painting plein air.  Here are a few highlights from our trip:

One of our favorite times of the day was sharing our paintings in our journals

The red poppies were out in full bloom!

We were lucky to be in St. Remy for the traditional costume parade

There was lots of dancing in the streets of St. Remy

 My next European Watercolor Trip:  ADVENTURES IN ITALY

Happy Thanksgiving!

There is fresh snow in the mountains and there is a family of deer grazing in the field.  My daughters are home and we are jockeying for oven time: pumpkin pie, potato gratin, homemade cranberry sauce, key lime pie... What are some of your favorite dishes?

I wish you all a wonderful week with family and friends! 

Back in Stock - a Great Gift for the Watercolor Artist

Today I excited to announce that am picking up a fresh load of my self-publish book, Watercolor Journeys & Inspirations from Travel.  
Here are just a few emails that I have received about my book:
"Wow! What a treasure! I love it! You need to expand on it and publish it big time! What a gorgeous book and filled with great information and beautiful artwork!" ..... Lynn

"I just wanted to follow up with you...I LOVE the book, I have been pouring over it and working on the lessons - I feel like they should be called "workshops", they have proven to be so productive and interesting for me. Your careful, organized, right-to-the-point explanations and ideas to try out the concepts (especially color mixing, love the chickens:-) has been very helpful, fillling in the holes in my watercolor education. I am having so much fun with it, and not feeling any of the tentativeness or anxiety around the outcome as I have in the past." .....Jeanne

 "Got the book today and I do indeed love it!  I've already taken a couple of ideas from it for my travel journal [my palette and colour wheel] and will take your book to Italy with me."    .....Lori 

"I received your book today, and absolutely LOVE it!!!  So much so, that I just ordered 2 more, to go along with the additional copies of the DVDs that I purchased."   .....Cori
To buy my book, please see the PayPal button to the right.  Thank you!

Here are a few pages from my book:

Keeping a Watercolor Journal - Umbria, Italy

Keeping a Watercolor Journal

I am teaching a watercolor workshop in Orvieto, Italy, Sept. 7 - 13, 2014, with Adventures in Italy.   It is filling up fast and there are just a couple of openings left in this workshop.

Dates: September 7 - 13, 2014;  Cost - $2995 

Create a visual diary of watercolor painting, journaling, and mixed media as you slow down, observe, and savor your time in Italy. Learn how to make on-the-go paintings with watercolor washes, water-soluble pens and pen-and-ink. Enhance your journaling style with maps, Italian book pages, pockets, tags, and more. You will discover how much fun it is to record your life journeys with watercolors. Umbria is rich with sights, sounds, and colors--all wonderful inspiration for developing your artistic eye. Exploring the streets of this historic hilltop village, we will discover stone archways, alleyways and Italian piazzas, the Duomo of Orvieto, Gothic and medieval designs, and colorful flowers cascading from windows -- every corner a possible painting.  The Etruscan palette will inspire us as we experiment with luscious ochres and rich gem-tone colors from the past.

We will not just be observing and painting our week in Orvieto, but we will be experiencing it in a new, invigorating, lasting way. When you return home, you will have your watercolor journal as a lasting keepsake more unique than any photo album, and new skills to continue watercolor journaling on your next adventure!

This workshop is for all levels - beginners welcome! • Create a watercolor art journal about your stay in Orvieto, Italy • Take drawing and watercolor painting lessons • Learn how to keep your colors fresh and lively • In studio and en plein air painting • Add interest to your journals by incorporating mixed media

The Moon was but a Chin of Gold

Here is my post for this month's Sketchbook Challenge:
  This month’s theme is about those captivating celestial bodies - the moon and the stars.  They remind me of a much-loved poet, Emily Dickinson and her lovely poem, The Moon was but a Chin of Gold.  I often include snippets of her poetry on my watercolor journal pages.  I love how she puts her words together to form sparkling strands of lyrics.  Here is a peek in one of my journals where I used parts of this poem.  If you would like to read her poem in its entirety, I posted it below. 
Do you have a poet or poem that inspires your art?

THE MOON was but a chin of gold
A night or two ago,
And now she turns her perfect face
Upon the world below.
Her forehead is of amplest blond;	5
Her cheek like beryl stone;
Her eye unto the summer dew
The likest I have known.
Her lips of amber never part;
But what must be the smile	10
Upon her friend she could bestow
Were such her silver will!
And what a privilege to be
But the remotest star!
For certainly her way might pass	15
Beside your twinkling door.
Her bonnet is the firmament,
The universe her shoe,
The stars the trinkets at her belt,
Her dimities of blue.

                                 By Emily Dickinson

   

Painting Palm Trees with Watercolor

Here is a new demo video for you!  I show how I use a sea sponge to paint palm tree leaves.  I hope you enjoy it!

Keeping Organized

Occasionally I get questions from people asking about products that I used during the filming of my DVD, Art Journals on-the-go.  Several of you have wondered about the zippered bag that I like to use to keep my journal and supplies in.  I buy them through Daniel Smith Art Supplies and here is the link to my favorite size:  Clear Vinyl Art Bag.  They are very handy if you are traveling.  I prepare a bag before I get on the plane and then it is easy just to pull the bag out and it has my pencil, eraser, journal, small palette, a couple brushes and whatever else I may need to do a little project.   I do believe that I have every size, but this is the one I use the most.

 

Just recently they have several that have handles and a pocket.  I just bought the one below and think it will be very handy too.  Vinyl Art Bag with Handles:


This page shows all the different sizes:  http://www.danielsmith.com/Item--i-G-479-015

WARNING - the larger bags are really big!  I suggest getting out your measuring tape before you order to see which size fits your needs.

Pam Carriker's New Book, Creating Art at the Speed of Life

Pam Carriker’s new book, Creating Art at the Speed of Life: 30 Days of Mixed-media Exploration is a delight! 

It is filled with easy to understand lessons with step-by-step guidelines on how to do fun journaling ideas such as create a journal page of random shapes, making layers of textures and colors, and how to make the page cohesive with monochromatic colors. 

I love how she introduces and explores the elements of design with a series of exercises and the completes the lesson with a worksheet to help you evaluate your work to make it more successful and satisfying. 

As I sat down to look through Pam’s book, I could hardly sit still to read it as I wanted to jump up and do each and every activity that was presented in this colorful and lesson-filled book!

I especially loved the chapter entitled, Trompe l’oeil - fool the eye.  Pam teaches us how to take a photo and change its settings to “fool the eye” using shading.  I cannot wait to try this in watercolor art journal!

Thank you, Pam for giving us this beautiful, artistic gift.  I highly recommend it for the adventurous artist.

Up Close - Castles and Such

I think it is fun to take photos from odd angles and of things up close.  Here are some that I took as we toured castles, chateaus and medieval villages in the southwest of France.

Art Journaling Magazine

The autumn 2013 issue of Art Journaling Magazine by Stampington & Company has hit the stands.  I am so excited that my article, A Watercolor Travel Art Journal, is included in this issue!

This is my bare all story of how I got started painting and how it led to keeping an art journal.  I hope you will find this an encouraging story about my struggle from not knowing the first thing about painting, drawing and art in general to where I have ended up today.  I wrote this article for those of you that struggle with being a beginner artist.  I hope that you will find it inspiring.

Here is a description of this issue:  

Dive into a world of heartfelt art with the Autumn 2013 issue of Art Journaling. The vibrant and emotional artwork of Traci Bunkers graces the pages of the Artist Portfolio, and you'll learn how to build a visual vocabulary with Kelly Kilmer. For ideas on documenting those memorable summer vacations, the gorgeous travel journals of Jacqueline Newbold and Chrisanne Robertson are sure to fill you with inspiration. This issue will also help you get a head start on the holidays: Follow Tori Weyer’s lead, and create a Christmas box journal filled with your thoughts and memories of the season.