Ah, there's nothing like a brand new, pristine year to start us thinking about what's next, what we want to accomplish. Below is a simple graphic that I hope you'll print out and post somewhere you can see it on a regular basis once you fill in the blank. In case you're having some difficulty coming up with an idea, let me make...
This is still on the table, but it's just in time to wish you the very best of the season however you make celebrate. It has been a fun year, made more so by each of you. While we may not have all met in person, you each are near and dear to me and I sometimes wonder where I'd be without you....
Here's a post I've never thought to write before... I've heard a number of people say they were "blocked" and even though they wanted to create, they just weren't able to. You may have heard folks who write say they are block or you might have experienced being blocked yourself. I haven't. I've never been blocked. I've gone through periods where I didn't...
Much like today, our weather 22 years ago was mostly cloudy with a hint of rain with the sun playing hide and seek most of the day. Finally, on that day many long years ago, just before seven o'clock, a fine mist began to fall…and that's the day I married my best friend! Sounds cheesy, right? You bet, but it just happens to...
AcornsWatercolor, watercolor pencil, ink and charcoal The other morning I found myself in a parking lot full of acorns and you know I just had to pick some up! And this time I had a good reason…I did a class last week at Keeton's Office and Art Supplies on Autumn's Garden and the bounty to be found there. We painted some of the...
"Fall in Florida"Ink and WatercolorStillman and Birn Zeta Sketchbook5.5 x 8.5 inches In a recent conversation with someone brand new to keeping a journal/sketchbook, I was asked the question, "How do you decide what to sketch? Where do you find inspiration?" I have to say, I hedged a bit because there is no straightforward answer. My answer was a question, "What inspires you?" ...
Experimenting with every "white-writing tool" I could find in the studio I've had a white-lettering-on-black-paper project simmering on the back burner forever or so it seems. One of the things that has me dragging my feet is not knowing which tool (pen, pencil, marker or ink) to use. While cleaning up in the studio this weekend, I stumbled across the sheet of paper...
Activity-Style JournalingJournaled while out to lunch Back on the 25th of September, I asked artists, art journalers, sketchbook keepers, and illustrated journal keepers to step forward and vote on whether they would classify themselves as an activity journal keeper or an event journal keeper. An activity journal keeper is someone that keeps a journal as an activity much like someone would brush their...
Sketch and painting fast. The journaling wasadded after the demo. What fun! We had a blast Saturday at the demo on Art Journaling at Keeton's Office and Art Supplies in Bradenton. Lots of wonderful folks showed up and asked all kinds of questions. We discussed art journaling, materials, tools, making mistakes, getting started, and everything in-between. My favorite question from the audience was...
If you are a keeper of a journal or sketchbook that has some combination of words AND art, I have something on my mind and I'd like to know what your thoughts are on the subject… Is Art Journaling an Activity or an Event for YOU? For the purposes of our discussion, Activity is defined as something that is embedded in your life like...
I'm going to be doing a live demo (gulp!) on Art Journaling this Saturday at Keeton's Office & Art Supply!! If you're in the or near the Bradenton area, I hope you'll come and join me. At Saturday's Demo, I'm going to be demonstrating getting started in Art Journaling with just a few tools, a good sketchbook as well as discussing some of the...
Getting ready for my trip to Acadia National Park and trying to decide what to take is so much fun! I'm not sure what your approach is, but more often than not, we artists seem to adopt the "more is way better" attitude when it comes to packing up for a trip on which we hope to get some sketching done. In fact,...
Oh My Goodness. Five years? Really!?! Yes, FIVE years has flown by and it's time for a celebration of EPIC proportions! Okay, maybe not epic, but still fun! I am going to be doing a very special Imaginary Visit to Acadia National Park that will have two bonus assignments (for a total of six visits), fun giveaways each week as well as special...
Maine ThingsDouble Spread in my Maine SketchbookZeta Paper - 4.5 x 15 inchesInk and watercolor You think you know something and then you find out you don't. It's a little disconcerting. As an example, I thought Portland was Maine's capital. It was in 1831. Then they moved it to Augusta in 1832. I can't even come close to just having the dates confused. ...
Dr. Weber, I presume? His name is Dr. Weber. He seems to have one very large and very bright eye. Every time that eye gets closer to me, I hear the words, "Open wide," in my left ear. I would be hard pressed to tell you exactly what his eye color might be as it's usually so bright I have to shut or...
Shoes For AcadiaAcadia Sketchbook from Zeta PaperWatercolor and Ink7.5 x 4.5" It doesn't happen too often anymore, but every once in a while, when I'm working in the studio with the music rocking and enough uninterrupted time, I forget I'm sketching. When that happens, I turn a sketch into a painting. Like the page above. And normally, I'd say there's nothing wrong with...
Finished Journal PageStillman & Birn Zeta SketchbookInk and watercolor 5.5 x 8.5 Do you ever lose track of the small "events" of your days? I do. And I'm guessing that may help to explain my fascination with the journal pages that are actually calendar pages that folks have drawn and doodled on. Wish that I could and would, I know that I'm not...
Acadia National Park Sketchbook Cover Stillman & Birn Zeta Paper Watercolor and Ink Going on a trip, for me, begins long before I ever get in the car or plane. It starts with the planning of the trip and once the tickets are purchased, I begin the long and lovely process of deciding which journal format I'm taking, the type of paper I'll...
