The Challenge of Creating A Good Book

Way back in college, in a split second one day, I decided I was going to learn how to make books. Really cool handmade, coptic style, hand stitched books. It was one of those spur of the moment determinations that came about during a printmaking class. We had been given the assignment of making books with our prints. I made a book, actually out of my prints. The pages were torn pieces of prints collaged together on wax paper, with more prints/transparencies of sketches I'd done/poems on top. The binding was tape, and it was very very rough looking. I liked it, but when the day came to show the class our books, everyone else pulled out these super cute, professional looking little books with their prints glued inside. Mine was NOTHING like theirs, and I saw in a moment that I had misunderstood the assignment. Theirs all looked roughly the same and mine, well, did not.
I still feel grateful to my prof for not pointing out how unprofessional mine looked, but instead praising it's originality. I didn't feel bad about my book, because of the way she handled it, but the moment did make me determined to learn the basics of bookbinding. I played around a bit on my own at home, and then, when the opportunity came, I hooked up with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and took some classes. I learned what a coptic binding was and how it differed from a Japanese Stab binding. I learned the difference between according books and books with signatures. It was an education gleaned mostly from books, trial and error, and those couple of weekend classes. That's how I learn most everything though, so it was good. And crazily enough that first book became the inspiration for the upcycled art journal in my book. I love it when things like that happen.

A few of my handmade books

Today I pulled out some of my first books and handmade books and thought I'd share them and this story with you. Then tomorrow I have a tutorial for making a spiral bound journal from the salvage of an old torn book. It turned out pretty cool so I think you'll like it. Yay!

Have you ever had moments like that? Moments when your life took a turn and you decided you WERE going to do something? It might have been something that had never occurred to you before that instance but you were now determined to have it happen. It happens to me every once in a while in art, a couple times with trips (I was determined I was going to go to Italy some day- thx to my sweetie I did!) and once in a while in my personal life or career. How about you? I'd love to hear!

Jack of All Trades or Renaissance Woman?

Artemisia Gentilleschi as the Allegory of Painting

Often we get an idea that seems like this great big idea. But as we execute it we realize that really it's just part of the really really really big idea. It's like an entry point that's doable and because we don't realize what it leads to we're able to see it as possible. Think about it this way. If you started dating your future husband with the idea immediately that he was THE ONE...well, would you have been as casual and "you" or would you have clammed up and run from the bigness of it all? Not to say that we don't date someone with the idea that they might be "the one", but I never felt certain one way or another until we'd spent some time together.

Similarly, so many of us feel badly about how we flit from one craft to another, not really ever "settling" down. I hear that so often and I can relate. At one time my husband got so frustrated over my constantly shifting devotion to one craft or another that he told me "I was going to end up a jack of all trades and a master of none." The idea is that if we really put our time, energy, and concentration towards one area of art that we'll master it. Good advice generally, but I really don't think it's good advice to give you. Here's why:

1) Most of us are in a learning stage where it's a good idea for us to acquire as many skills as we can. You'll never know when you'll feel inspired to combine your knitting, soldering, and stitching skills to create something absolutely amazing. Early learning needs to encompass all sorts of areas so that the student can begin to make connections across those different areas. If we concentrate on solely one thing we won't develop that ability to cross over which really is important.
2) Unless we try different things we won't find that something we just "Love" to do and feel passionate about. Great art expresses passion somehow, and a great art life allows us to do that everyday. Back to the dating analogy, very few of us meet the love of our lives in kindergarten. We need to expect that we'll go through an awful lot of "Mr. Wrong's" before we'll find that one "Mr. Right" for us.
3) We also need to be ready for that relationship when it comes. That process of becoming ready comes through time and by relating to others. All those relationships with "Mr. Wrong" prepared and matured me so that when my "Mr. Right" did come along I knew how to relate to him without completely messing it up.
4)Knowledge is never wasted. Neither is excitement. Feeling intrigued and excited about something new keeps me going. I love trying new products, finding new tools, or seeing new ideas at work. It feeds my creative energy and keeps me fired up about creating. I still love my fabric and wire but trying a new painting technique, or learning a new skill opens up new possibilities and makes new combination's possible.

Back to the Big Idea. If you're still searching for that something you "LOVE" than don't chastise yourself for not having found it already, or for not just sticking with something. Don't settle, do enjoy the journey and please don't feel like you're wasting time by pursuing new things. The small tangent that leads to a big idea could be just what you need to take you to that next big idea. The journey is also what readies you for when you do get a glimpse of that really really "big idea". So love where you are. Love that you have a passion for lots and lots of things. Love that you have a curiosity and an ability to embrace the new. It really is a strength. 

Don't see yourself as a "jack of all trades and a master of none" but as a Renaissance woman in process. Someone who someday will have an incredible amount of skills and experience available to her. That could be you. That will be you. You just need to see the value in your journey now and not lose faith in yourself and your seeking. :)

Connecting With Others Through Blogging

This morning I was thinking about this blog post while I was getting ready for the day. The "what should I write about?"quickly turned into "what is this blog about?" question. I guess I was feeling a bit introspective. I don't know about you but when I began this blog it was ostentatiously because someone had suggested it would be a good way to begin building a marketing platform. But really I'd been reading other blogs and thought it would be fun to share my creative side with others. I feel a little secluded sometimes, and don't always connect on the levels I'd like with those around me. The blog, I thought, would be a good way to get myself, my ideas, and my words out for others to find and maybe connect to.

Then I wondered about that word connect. How do we connect with others online? How do my readers connect with me? Do you connect with me? Without an answer I flipped it around and asked how do I connect with others?

I connect with a blog author in a few ways. The more of these things I feel like we have in common the more I'm interested in that author. So, if you're female, if you share my passions (art, crafting), if I feel like we have common goals or are on a similar journey (you have kids, or like kids, you're feeling your way into the art world, you're making your art or craft your business), or if you share my faith or values (you're a Christian, you're a committed mom or wife, you're committed to being authentic with those around you, AND you want to encourage others). It can be just one of those things or it can be more than one of these things that will draw me.

So to flip that back around- do I share all those things about myself with you? Can you read this blog and find out what my interests are, what I believe, what I love to do, and where my passions are? Do you have a sense of where I am in my journey? Do you feel like you can connect with me?

That sense of connecting is huge- but it's not the only thing that attracts me to a blog. I like a pretty design, I like reading posts if they change- if the author varies the emotions or voice in their writing. Intense is wonderful once in a while, but you've got to mix it up with some fun, some informative, or even just silly. Throw in some eye candy- I am an artist- and give me some good ideas. Best of all- keep me in mind. Don't just write about yourself, don't just write for yourself, as if you're the only one who's ever going to read what you write. A blog is not a diary or journal. It's a mini publication that you're sharing with the world- I think the best blogs are those who treat it as such. But it is a personal publication- I still want to hear your voice and know the person writing it. I think the best analogy I've heard is from Kelly Rae Roberts, to paraphrase, she said that whereas your website is your front porch where you invite people in, the blog is your kitchen table. Keeping that image in mind- I think of a blog as a place you gather with friends to share and laugh, and maybe do a little show and tell. It's a place for them to get to know you but for you to get to know them as well. It's a place to encourage each other, relax, connect and re-connect. I want to keep this all in mind because I do want this blog to be all of those things. I know too that, it won't ever be all things to all people, and you might not always be in the mood to read introspective when I choose to write it, or you might not always be interested in the tutorials I post, or thoughts I share. That's the beauty of blogs. New content is just another post away. :)

So now you know the sort of things I think about in the shower. :) I have to admit though, just so you don't think I can always string these many thoughts together in the morning, that what I'm usually thinking about is my to-do list for the day.

Fall Fashion Bliss- Shop Ruche

Art as usual means, among other things, infusing your closet your home and your life with art. For help with the closet part I found this fall lookbook from Shop Ruche for you all to browse. I love it! My favorite is that candied cape as well as the shoes. Love shoes. Oh and the butterfly dress, and the bags.... you get the idea. ;)

Better yet- they're doing a giveaway for an amazing bag. Seriously- you have to see this bag. I love it! 

Check out those Killer Heels- Easy to Make Graffiti Shoes

Starting to add color!

I have an Art Group that meets on Thursday mornings. It's been tough this summer to get together so this is the first time we've gotten together all season. But it is SOO FUN! I have all my online friends I'd never part with (love you!) but I really feel I need the stimulation a weekly art group gives as well. It's fun to create things as a group.Yesterday, we got together to paint shoes. Yup, shoes. Sometimes we do watercolors, sometimes we try new techniques, sometimes we just have coffee and talk. It's always fun and I've missed it this summer. But back to the shoes.

One of the groups' members had seen a friend of her's wearing a killer pair of painted heels. When she described them they were the type that are dye-able. You know for weddings. An artist friend had painted them for her. They sounded amazing, I think she said they were actually painted in solid blocks of color which would be super cute too. I kind of forgot the "dye-able" part of the heels description because at that point in the explanation I was already dreaming of graffiti style heels. So I went over to Target and raided their clearance aisle for a pair and found this grey set for $14.99. Not super cheap but hardly a big investment. So I figured why not give it a go. :)

More color!

I wish I'd thought to take a before photo because the difference really is dramatic. They were nice shoes to begin with but this took them from nice to Fabulous. To paint them I used tulip's 3d paints, squirted onto my palette and then just dipped a flat or fan brush into the paint and flicked it onto the shoes. It wasn't that messy but I was fairly close to the shoes. I would've liked to have been able to splatter it more for larger lines but that might have been too much too. When I got home I added some glue on crystals in assorted colors by the heel and than across the toe of the shoes. I tried to keep their placement fairly random so they accent the graffiti style.

Check out the bling!

I'd like to try this again but with a slightly lower heeled shoe (so I'd actually wear them more) and I'd like to try the larger splats of color. Maybe begin with a basic black. Not sure, but I really really love how these look and as I drove home I was thinking of all the other things I could splatter with paint. "My black umbrella is pretty plain, hmm... there's that left over fabric, slipcovers..? I know! Canvas splattered and stitched into sofa pillows..." I really do love the look. If you try this at home I thought I'd mention that I might spray a poly over the shoes. The tulip paints won't come off without scraping but I haven't tested the paints water soluble-ness.

Artisty Keds!

My friend decided to use canvas keds for hers and I love how her's look too. She used acrylics, added water to the paints, and poured on the color. Then she accented the blocks of color with a black tulip 3-d writer. I was thinking how cute these were too and how I'd like a pair that were doodle-y looking as well. I can see this technique with the dye-able heels I was supposed to use.

So there are a few ideas for you- I hope you give it a try yourself! I'd love to see what you come up with. The shoes are fab and I think I'll wear the pair above with my long jeans and I'll look ages taller than I actually am. What do you think? Or maybe a trench.... (and I'm back to dreaming... )

Randomness

Custom made book photo holder for an Etsy customer

I chose the title today thinking I'd show you some of the random projects I've been working on lately. But as soon as I typed it I realized that the word "random" pretty much characterizes all aspects of my life right now. Not to say I don't have a plan, it's just that the order, the project, the ideas are all shifting and shuffling so quickly right now. I'll have some thoughts about my book and come up with all sorts of ideas for promoting it. Fun, fun stuff. So that goes on my mental list, then I think about my son going to kindergarten in a few weeks and I feel this urge to take him to the parks, or geocaching, or to the History Center. All things we'd talked about doing at the beginning of the summer. There's a contest I want to enter, some submissions I'd like to make, a class I'm prepping for, and some overdue library books. So those start shifting into my to-do list, then I throw in all the day to day's and a few odd commitments, and before you know it I'm walking out the door unsure if I'm going to the co-op, the fabric store, the park, or school shopping. 

Shirt customized with some stitching/applique

I'd feel bad about how random it all is right now but I know that this extreme is the exception, not the rule for me. For some reason, right now is doing this to me, but it's ok. I'm still dealing with it all, I'm still getting my commitments fulfilled, I'm even able to do some things I want to do but don't have to. Like the shirt at right for my son. His new school's dress code states no lettering, pictures, or numbers on their clothing. I don't know if you've browsed boy fashions lately but unless it's a solid color there's usually some markings on it. So to spruce up one of the solid color polo's I found, I stitched on a stripe of red cut from one of my husband's cast off shirts, and then added a bit more decorative stitching. I like it, and I enjoyed it. How do you plan your day? I usually fall back to lists. I'm curious, how do you balance the day to day's but still add in the "want to do's"? Do you? Or do you let them slide?

Last night I made a plan for today. It's simple. Go to the post office and ship Etsy custom order and care packages. Finish a mini art quilt I have going. Renew my library books. Contact Bible Study Fellowship about their fall program. It's all good things. It's all do-able. I might even be able to throw in a bit of geocaching with Jasper. :)

Combining Photographs and Fabric

The photo is of a pond near my parent's home

Experimenting is one of my favorite parts about creating art. I love combining elements, or materials, or techniques. It's been a bit busy around here lately so I haven't gotten to indulge myself in this way for a little while. For the last two days however, I've been able to play and the challenge I set myself was to use the new photo's I've been running through Lo-mob in my art. I love the artistic quality of some of these photos and want to display them but didn't want to go the standard route of a frame. So I decided to print them onto photo fabric and then stitch them to fabric layers, treating them essentially as mini art quilts. I thought I'd show you how they came together.

Adding color with colored pencils

To accent and add a little saturated color to the photos I used my Inktense pencils and lightly colored areas in. Then I treated them like any of my mini art quilts and began layering them onto fabric. I hand stitch my mini quilts and love how the stitching becomes such a strong design element in the composition, and it's really so simple. To finish of the purple piece I added the wire word love and a little raw edge applique in the shape of a heart. To finish off the scene of our local beach I decided to create a stack of papers stitched together, and then use that as one of my layers to set of the piece. Then it's just more fabric layering.

The photo here is of Excelsior Beach on Lake Minnetonka

So what do you think? It's simple and I think they look pretty good hanging up on the wall. It's certainly an easy option if you're looking for a non-traditional way to display some photos. It also adds a fairly large block of color to the wall where I've hung them.  

How do you solve the photo dilemma? Scrapbooks? Print them on canvas? Or have you found an innovative way to frame yours? I'd love to know!

Dealing with Detours on our Creative Journey

We've been on the road again. This time visiting my husband's family and man is it a long drive. There are very few times in life anymore however that I get the time to sit and do nothing and so although it's long I do rather look forward to the downtime the journey, and a few detours or road construction brings.

Which makes me think about other journey's, like the one you and I are on. It's a personal journey with ups and downs, but I think rarely do we stop and think about as a journey. When we do we're frustrated by where we are, or our inability to read the map or even find the map.

I know that I need to remember that sometimes making no forward progress, and taking the opportunity that sitting still and reflecting is, allows us to discover where we are in the journey. For instance I took a class recently and many of the artists were frustrated by their inability to settle down and concentrate on just one aspect of their art. Because I was there just a few years ago and recognize the frustration I realized that they were someplace important to their journey. They were trying and discovering who and what they were interested in artistically. In the midst of it you feel as if you've been traveling for ages but really it's still the beginning. You're doing the work now, that will allow you to go on from there confident, experienced and well traveled.

Sitting in the car I'm thinking about this and wishing I could encourage those who are in that part of their journey. I've only just past that part, I found my wire and fabric, and I know because of past experience that although I feel I've come far and feel as if I must be at the mid point of my journey, that how you feel is deceptive and I still could just be in another stage of that beginning.

The point is that we are on a journey. We are traveling toward something and not sitting at home reading the postcards others have sent us. We are out there, discovering new things, maybe experiencing a detour or two , but still we are journeying.

But today's lesson remains, as I sit here in the car with my Soy Sugar Free Vanilla Coffee Frappucino (another detour story there) that it is important to sometimes set it on cruise, or pull over and check the map and realize where we are, how far we've come, and that we're traveling towards something.

A Scaaarry Story- The weeks prior to my Etsy Shop's Opening

It's coming... my shop will soon be two. So like any good mom I'm looking back at the milestones of the last two years and thinking a bit about the beginning.

I'll try to tell you how severe my "butterflies" were at the thought of opening my first shop. They felt more like swallows divebombing at full speed into my stomach lining. I was crabby, horribly twisted up feeling and tense through the shoulders like you wouldn't believe. All this for weeks before I listed my first item. I feel pretty sorry for my husband in retrospect. I can remember him looking at me and saying, "are you sure you want to do this? Cause this doesn't look like something you're looking forward to doing." I know it didn't look like I was reaching out to grasp a life long dream but seemed more as if I was anticipating gall bladder surgery.

My Etsy Shop's Banner

It was just plain scary. By listing my work I thought I was inviting people to view it, judge it, dislike it, love it, buy it, or ignore it. My work is who I am and it felt very very personal. Anyone who's ever done a critique session in a college art class knows the trepidition with which you pin your work to the board. It's with a prayer to be kind, to be constructive not destructive, you're hoping for encouragement from strangers and the risk of an unkind remark or flippant judgement can be paralyzing.

The first item I listed- My Scribble Heart

But I did it anyways. AND if any of you are contemplating taking this step, or starting a blog, I have to tell you that the experience was NOTHING like my fears. Instead of standing there holding my work up before the world I merely sat at my computer, in my home, and uploaded a few photos. There was no dealing with judgements, kind or unkind, there was no sneering comments from passerbys. Instead I found encouragement, a community, friends, and lots and lots of hearts. I didn't have to try to sell my work, people would view it and if it called to them they bought it. There was no convincing, no pushing. I love that. Because really I don't want to push my work on people I want them to see it, and if they love it, buy it. If they don't love it, that's fine with me because I really really want the people who purchase my work to belong to it, if you know what I mean. 

But I was scared and I want to tell you that it's ok to be scared. You're fearful because you're taking a step into the unknown. It will be ok , you can do it, and the satisfaction you'll feel for having been brave with your work will be a high that will propel you to do more. To risk more. To dream of more. I know in my soul that you too can do it. After all, I did. :)

Thoughts on the Interaction Between the Maker and Beholder

Original Picture (unaltered)

Ok- disclaimer- I am no techy, but my husband (a techy) just got me a smart phone (thanks honey!) and I've found this fabulous photography app. It's called lo-mob and it's now my favorite thing to do when I have a few seconds to play. Of course, since I love it I had to share it with you all. :)

What it does is take any photo from my camera roll and it runs it through a selection of filters. There's about 25 to choose from ranging from a slide look, a medium format camera shot, a polaroid look or a couple of dozen others. What I've done is take one photo from my collection and process it different ways so that you can get a look at what I'm talking about. You can also check it out for yourself at lo-mob.com.

Pretty Cool, huh? Smart phone or not, this is a fun reminder that we, as artists, can control an image whether it's a photo, a painting, necklace, or sculpture. We can manipulate it, stretch it, darken it, crop it. Then, when we release it into the world we're giving that image as a gift to others who might not see as we see. There's an interaction between the creator and the viewer that I think we, the artist, sometimes overlook. We make something and put it out into the world, but we can't control how others view or interpret our work. That's beautiful to me because that means that what the viewer brings to our work is as important as what we bring. Once the viewer interprets through their personal lens then they are connecting to the work. Once they connect to the work then they have personalized it and THAT makes it theirs. From a marketing stand-point that's what we, the creators, want because that is what will turn that person from a viewer to a committed buyer. I believe that's one of the reason "inspirational" art does so well. It makes the connection quicker but it also limits the viewer somewhat to seeing what the artist sees in the piece. Adding the word "believe" or "fly" will surely help the viewer who wants to believe or has the longing to fly relate to the work and even see it as a personal talisman. How do you want others to connect to your work? Have you ever considered the viewers' role in the life of your art? Just some food for thought.

Paint a Backdrop- Check!

Pocket Lake

We got home from the lake yesterday and I was amazed at how immediately it felt so good just to be home. I was also amazed at how quickly the "to-do" list grew from the moment I went through the door. As I walked through the house putting things away, I mentally took note of all there was to do. Vacuum, dust, laundry, grocery shop, sort, pile, and toss. Crazy. It made me long to go back to the lake. But instead I soldiered up and ordered a pizza for my boys and started to clean up a bit. :)

Getting started...

This morning I got right to work on a backdrop for my church's VBS program. It's been on my "to- do" list for more than a month but I put it off because I didn't know how to do it. "Just paint a sheet" were the instructions I'd been given but in my mind I was wondering the where, how, with what, and when questions. Do I use acrylics or do I try to do spray paint? Would I aphyxiate myself if I spray painted it all? Of course, I'd do it on the lawn, but how do I get the sheet to stay still? Maybe I should use acrylics, but then I'd have to buy acrylics. Maybe I should buy a stiffer fabric....

Add a few details and FINISHED!

So many questions! In the end, I pulled out my pints of leftover latex and spread out my big ol' drop cloth on the lawn and just painted the sheet. It really didn't take long, it's drying in the sun right now.

For weeks I worried about this and it was done in a little more than an hour. It's just crazy how I can build things up in my mind and make them much more difficult than they really need to be. Do you do that? Do the little things overwhelm you so that you feel you don't know where to begin? The art fair I signed up for is next Saturday. I have a whole slew of "to-do's" for that as well. I'm hoping, as happened with this backdrop, that the execution will be a lot simpler than I've anticipated. I have a display unit I picked up at a garage sale to remodel, the canvas backdrops to stitch, and an old bookshelf to rehab as a little check out counter. I'll keep you posted. :)

Sometimes You Feel Inspired, Sometimes You Don't

There are days that I look at this blank screen and think "what can I possibly say that anyone else would like to read?" I feel tapped. Then I look at the list of past posts on the side of the page and I think how did I ever find that many things to write about? Some are just fun and frivolous, some are of news I'd like to share, some are etsy items I love, and some are about books I've read. Usually I'm attempting to share something with you. You may or may not be interested but I'll throw it out there in the hopes that because it interests me it might interest some of you.

Inspiration fuels all our creative activities,including blogging, but only sometimes does it take you out of yourself and make the creation process effortless. When I write with this kind of inspiration, I feel like the typist, not the writer. The words are given to me. You know how that is, it happens with art too. Sometimes every decision you make seems made for you. Every color or mark you make was whispered to you. You simply do as you're told. It's inspiration at it's finest. it.Those are the times that I feel like God is breathing the inspiration into me.

Today I don't feel inspired to write on any one thing or another so I thought I would write about that. But as always when I think about inspiration, one thought leads to a question that leads to another thought that inevitably leads to a question. So for the rest of the day I'm going to keep track of all the instances when I acted upon inspiration. Whether it was reaching for a red colored pencil or a blue- or composing a photo from a slightly different angle, or writing down my thoughts.

I'd love to have you give it a try as well! Then let me know if you were surprised by anything. I'll do the same and it'll be our little experiment! Thank you!

"My Mama is an Artist"

Photos taken by my son- J. Swift, age 5

I wrote this post in my head last night while I was putting my son to bed. I was thinking about a moment earlier in the day when he had my camera. He was snapping pics and said in this oh so serious voice, "Now I want to take a photo of the Artist with her Art." At the time I just thought how cute his little voice was when he said it. But later, as often happens, he was going to bed and I was going over the days moments in my mind. Suddenly I began to think of that comment in a different light.

My son is 5. He has never known the mama that was too scared to call herself an artist. The mama who wanted more than ANYTHING in the world to be an artist. He never knew the frustrated me who was always out of sorts because I had a dream with no idea how to realize it. He never knew the mama who was, honestly, scared to reach for her dream because there was risk associated with it.

The mama he knows is an artist, who makes art every day, who has business cards that say "artist" under her name. The mama he knows wrote a book about her art journey. He doesn't know anything different. I think I'm very glad that the mama he knows dreams big and reaches for those dreams. He's seen my work in magazines, he's seen me excited, he's seen me selling my work and goes with me when I ship it to places like Vancouver, Singapore, and Australia.

I wonder if he'll grow up ready and expecting to reach for his own dreams someday because of this. I wonder what kind of influence this mama will have vs. the me that existed before. And I wonder if maybe the timing of it all wasn't due to the fact that this me had become a mama. There's something about becoming a mother that clarifies your view of the world. That makes you more ready to stand up for your family and your self as an extension. Truly, I wonder if I would be the artist I am today if I hadn't become a mama first.

What about you? What has changed your life and are you ready to grasp your dreams? Will you be the person you want to be or the person you don't? What kind of mama or papa will your child know? Will she be an Artist? Will he see you frustrated by life, or reaching for your dreams in spite of the daily frustrations of life?

As always I'd love to hear what you think- so please leave a comment!

A look inside my Sketchbooks

Ideas for mini art quilts

Art journals are all the rage and while I LOVE looking at the gorgeous filled pages, I can't help contrasting them with my sketchbooks. The visual journals are beautiful, stunning, colorful and works of art unto themselves. Mine are, well, not. They are less works of art and more of a tool for me to use as a collection point.

I've kept a sketchbook since my figure drawing class in college. The instructor was amazing and forced us to develop sketchbook pages as part of the course credit. I loved it and have usually had one at hand, or in my purse, or with me in the car, ever since.

One of my covered covers

I know several artists will actually keep several sketchbooks at once but I like having all my recent thoughts, ideas, and sketches together in one place. When I've filled that sketchbook I date it and then, start another. I ALWAYS decorate the cover, add ribbons to the side, whatever to make it personal. I consider a sketchbook a must have- just curious but what do you do to keep your ideas and thoughts together?


Here is a sampling of what I put into my sketchbooks.
      - notes on techniques I've been reading about

          -color combinations that thrill me

-my thoughts on the museum or art fair trip I just took
-inspiring quotes I've stumbled across
-visual lists of my products
-rough sketches of ideas for different projects
-photos to jog my memory of something
-articles torn from magazines
-to-do lists
-things I WANT to-do lists
-postcards of art I love with a note about why I love that piece

What got me thinking about this today was the new book, Journal Junkies Workshop by Eric M. Scott and David R. Midler. I really like how they sort of combine the "art journal" with my workhorse of a sketchbook. It's a great book filled with techniques and ideas- check it out if you have the chance! And let me know what you use. I'm super curious!

My Thursday Watercolor Class

Some of the girls getting ready for class to start

Last week my first watercolor class was rained out before we could actually start painting. I thought I'd get a chance to play with the paints this last weekend, but never really had the time. SO if you thought I was holding out on you- I'm not. I promised I share and here you go. :)

Along the garden path

Here is my absolutely first ever real watercolor painting. Have to say that although I enjoyed the majority of the experience after a while the whole not knowing what I was doing thing started to get to me. I know I've talked about this before but it is hard to be a beginner again. And although some of the principles I know from other mediums did transfer (like composition) the working light to dark thing really through me for a loop. I wish I'd thought to take a photo of the actual scene that I painted. It was a lot lighter and brighter than this. Really a beautiful day to be out.

The class meets just outside the Lake Harriet Rose Garden so I walked through the roses to get to class. It was so pretty so I took a couple of photos to share.

View of the garden and fountain

Looking through the border at the rows of roses

Beauty Close Up

The Best Kind of Present

Tomorrow morning I have my first actual painting class. It's a plein aire watercolor class and I'm taking it with a few friends.

When they first suggested it my first thought was "I can't do it". There were too many obstacles. For one thing, it's in the morning and I have a little boy at home with me. Then there were the materials, I had none. That's right a studio filled with art materials and I had none of the supplies. Oh, except a kneaded eraser and pencil. So there was cost involved there too. I really didn't think I'd be able to participate- it seemed too hard to make work.

But here's where the wonderful comes in. Out of nowhere my mother in law (the watercolor artist) decides she no longer needs some of her supplies. She's upgrading or they just aren't ones' she would use. Would I like them? I thought I must have told her about the class but no, it was just one of those amazing things that happen. Paints and brushes, check. Then my husband says he can work from home when I'm at the class. Babysitter problem solved- just like that.

Everything that I thought would keep me from this class has just fallen into place. Even down to the gift card to Michael's some friends gave me, and the 40% sale they just happened to be having on watercolor paper. God is making this work for me and I am so grateful. Sometimes it takes everything falling into place for me to see how God is moving in my life. I mean I know he's there when life is hard, and I lean on him then. But receiving a gift, which is what this class feels like to me, is one of those unexpected gestures that shows love. Like your dad sticking a $20 in your wallet when you're not looking. It's giving simply because you care.

So although I was feeling pretty nervous about this class, I also feel certain it's going to be a great experience. I'll let you know how it goes. :)