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Art Journal Mantra
Hello Friends!
I doodled this with the same markers that I drew my crazy cat Christmas tree with – my Arteza Brush Pens. They are easier on my arm than drawing in pencil or painting with brushes. They are a fun tool to have around to doodle with, for sure!
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Christmas Tree Cat
Hello Friends!
So what does this artist do when she realizes she drew a leaning Christmas tree? Add a crazy cat pulling it down, of course!
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Winnie-the-Pooh Drawing in Pen
Hello Friends!
Here is a drawing I did in pen in my art journal that I copied from a book called “The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh, A Walk Through the forest that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood” by Kathryn Aalto. This drawing is on page 165 in the book. But I didn’t do an exact replica. The trees are different in mine and I obviously need to practice drawing these sweet chracters from my childhood memories! This is Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger, in the story from “In Which Kanga and Roo Come to the Forest, and Piglet Has a Bath” (Winnie-the-Pooh)
I love the original drawings of E. H. Shepard. He created all of the characters after observing Christopher Robin’s real stuffed animals. It also amazes me that A. A. Milne used his son’s real name in his stories. Also, apparently, Milne’s wife, Dorothy, nicknamed Daphne, “was the first person to give voices and personalities to the characters who would call the Hundred Acre Wood home.” (pg. 41 of this book)
The photos in this book of the real places that Milne used as inspiration for his stories are beautiful! What a gorgeous place he had to live and write!
The last part of her book is “A Visitor’s Guide-The Flora and Fauna of Ashdown Forest.” The photos are awesome!
If you loved Winnie-the-Pooh as much as I did as a child (and STILL DO,) then I highly recommend this book! I still have all of the VHS tapes of the various Pooh cartoons that were on t.v. when I was a kid. Our kids watched them and I have the more modern stories made in the early 2000’s.
Strangely, though, we never got around to reading the original books to the kids. I didn’t read them growing up either! Not sure how that happened. But I did have record albums of some of the stories that I used to listen to over and over. I wish I still had those!
So that’s all for now. I need to work out and clean some before the kids come over this weekend.
What are some of your favorite stories from childhood? I am curious!
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Beatrix Potter Imitation
Hello Friends!
I decided that my first art journal goal is going to be to study some of the best children’s book illustrators from the past. Beatrix Potter is my first choice.
She trained her eye well through constant observation of real plants and animals. She and her brother caught and trained wild mice and rabbits!
I have been reading about her for the last couple of weeks. The biography I bought called “Beatrix Potter, A Life in Nature” by Linda Lear, is actually easy and enjoyable reading, not daunting like I thought it might be when I saw it at the library. So now I am glad I bought it! Her watercolors are so soft and beautiful!
So here is my first attempt at copying, not tracing, one of her illustrations for the book “The Tale of Jeremy Fisher.” Apparently, in addition to drawing from life, she also copied famous illustrators from her day for practice.
I am planning on doing a few more turtles before the end of the year, too. I hope everyone is having a nice Decemberrrr. It is finally cold here! I’m glad.
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Art Journal Project!
Hello Friends!
The other day I stumbled onto a notice on Instagram for a few free videos of how to make an art journal and use it to set and reach goals for the year. It is almost 2019 already which I can barely comprehend.
Miriam Schuman teaches classes at her website called The Inspiration Place. The first four videos are free which are each only a few minutes long. But this is all I am doing for now. I think these four videos are a free introduction to her class called “Painting with Words.” So you can google her and find it if you are interested. I am taking a break from classes for the rest of the year.
Here is the cover of my journal.
I attempted to make it look like a sea floor. Using Washi tape was fun. My daughter let me use hers because she is sweet. 😉 She is eventually planning to do one as well.
Here is the first page.
My paper curled up some, but I was layering some gouache over watercolor…just playing…as my friend Janet suggested. Thanks, Janet. I want to try it on bigger 300 lb. watercolor paper which can take more water without curling the paper.
What I enjoy about playing is that I always learn something new!! My gouache paints are the cheapest brand I could find to experiment with when I took the illustration class. But they are fine. Now I want to experiment painting with just the gouche paints. I also have a book to finish and review.
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug! 😁
Patsy's Creative Corner 