Using my Mom's French Book in my Journal

One of my favorite things to do in my journals is to use book pages in foreign languages as a background for my watercolor paintings.  If you would like to see more about how I did the page below, see my post on the Sketchbook Challenge Blog.

Free EBook for YOU!

I got a very nice email from Tiffany who manages the Cloth Paper Scissors community.  She sent me this the link for a free eBook that features my art from my Travel Journals: Using Maps as a Starting Point article.  

There are also several great articles in this eBook about art journaling prompts, journaling tips and a review of writing tools.

Just click on the link and you can download the PDF file for your use!

Using Black as Color

The second article that I wrote for the 2014 summer issue of Pages is about starting out with black on your journal page.  We will be preparing some of our journal pages using this technique in my upcoming watercolor workshop, the Colors of Umbria, Keeping a Watercolor Journal,  in Orvieto, Italy.  There are just a few spots left if you want to join us!

New Article for Cloth, Paper, Scissors - Pages Magazine

I'm excited to tell you that I am just about finished with an article I wrote for the Summer 2014 Issue of Pages.  I am putting the finishing touches on some journal paintings that I had started.  This is so fun for me because it is like visiting old friends.   I am getting them ready to send off to Interweave Studios in Boston to be photo graphed so I want them to look their best!  This particular article that I have been working on is about my favorite water-soluble pen.  I will tell you about the other articles I have been working on in a following post.

Playing with Water-Soluble Pens

Those of you that have watched my DVD, know that I love to play with water-soluble pens.  I don't think that I can pass up a good looking pen.  I have so many that I really can't keep track of them.  I have been playing around with water-soluble pens for an article that will be in the 2014 summer issue of the PAGES magazine.  To organize my pens, I made examples of each one in my watercolor journal.  Do you have a pen you love?  What is your favorite pen to use in your journals?  How do you organize your pens?

Happy Colorful New Year - It's a Beautiful Day!

"Your success and happiness lies in you.  Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."  Helen Keller

Today is my birthday and the beginning of a new year!  I feel blessed in many ways.  I am so happy that I made the decision 14 years ago to quit my secure job as a lab technician to stay at home and pursue art.  I was scared, lonely and I had no idea what I was doing but I just knew that I had to draw, paint, mix gooey colorful messes and create.   I have made so many wonderful new friends.  Artists are the best!