As always, the first page of my new journal includes my current watercolor palette in some form. This time, I chose a medium-size Moleskine watercolor sketchbook that was purchased very cheap when Border's bookstore went out of business. It's a bit smaller than the Stillman & Birn sketchbooks I have waiting to use, or my own handbound journals. But I will be doing a bit of traveling and smaller fits better.
I often record quotes in my journals, to be able to remember them. This one from my sketch buddy, Kate, seems to fit the space and purpose.
We went shopping Saturday for a new grill, our old one being more rust than metal. The one on sale was a bit too small so we did not buy it, but I did find this tiny turquoise pendant with a clip to attach to any necklace. Now maybe I'll need to thread some turquoise chips to hang it from.
I have also been thinking I would sew something like this sketching kit I saw on Jessie C. Chapman's Flickr site about 10 months ago. Drawing it in my sketchbook helps me think the pattern out. Jessie's kit originally held make-up brushes but works perfectly for a portable kit holding just the essential tools. If I sew it out of an absorbent dishcloth, I can also clean my brushes on it.
Awwww...well you certain DO sketch the most marvelous things, and make the mundane beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe sketch kit dealie is brilliant, isn't it? I like your idea of using a towel...
Woah, amazing. I love your colour palette too.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Color is so much fun to play with . . . a bit addictive! I don't carry all of these colors with me in my travel palettes, but they are what I choose from.
DeleteThanks, Kate! Sometimes I think my sketches are TOO mundane, when I see the wonderful landscapes, portraits, and urban scenes others are doing. Still learning what kind of artist I want to be . . . .
ReplyDeleteVicky, I love your journals. They tell wonderful stories. Even though I sketch and draw a lot, and have always wanted to do an illustrated journal, I seem to never get started. It seems intimidating to do the thing you want to do the most. Do you have a tutorial on your hand bound journals? That is something else I've always wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Fay
Thanks, Fay! My art journals are really just a visual way of keeping a personal diary -- a place to record ideas, thoughts, and memories. Are you familiar with Cathy 'Kate' Johnson's book, "Artists' Journal Workshop"? Great ideas from lots of journal-keepers, to inspire you and get you started.
DeleteI don't have a tutorial on binding journals; I learned how to do a basic Coptic stitch binding from Trumpetvine Travels' tutorial on reloading a Moleskine with WC paper:
http://www.trumpetvine.com/moleskine-reloaded/
My first attempts used discarded hard-back books and cheap writing journals with nice covers, changing the paper to watercolor paper. Later, I learned how to make my own book cloth and build my own covers, doing searches on Google and YouTube.