Browsed by
Author: Artist

Art Journaling: Whales, Birds and a Little Tequila

Art Journaling: Whales, Birds and a Little Tequila

Ok, well maybe a lot of tequila!  We are off on a camping/wildlife adventure with wonderful guides provided by Mar y Adventuras.  We camped on beautiful white sandy beaches on two different island in Baja California, Mexico.  

Our guides took very good care of us, offering lots of tequila, fresh fruit, and fresh caught fish.  Happy hour awaited us every day when we returned from a day of bird watching, whale watching, hiking and kayaking.

 I added at least 15 new birds to my life list.  I started this list as a young teenager in Alabama so you can imagine how exciting this is for me.  I finally see blue-footed boobies!  

Zoom in to see the blue feet!

I see two birds that are endemic to Baja California, the Belding’s Yellowthroat and the Gray Thrasher.  

The drive to Magdalena Bay, for gray whale watching, is a four-hour van ride through a land of cactus, lizards and turkey vultures, bare and hot. We stopped at a tiny cafe for fresh empanadas and quesadillas, which were served from a rancher’s kitchen.  

There is no menu and we satiate our appetites by ordering from the kitchen window.  The rancher’s wife quickly warms up our food on a wood burning stove.  Delicious!  We all order seconds.  I wander outside to find meat hanging to dry like freshly washed laundry.  Surprising, there is a flock of brightly colored yellow birds.


 I take photos and identify them as Lesser Goldfinches.  Off in the distance at the tip of a cactus I take a picture of another, not so colorful bird and find out that this is a Gray Thrasher found only in this region.  All this is wonderful inspiration for painting in my Arches watercolor journal that I brought on this adventure.  I had to pack my traveling light kit, as I knew there would be limited space.  Here are some photos of how I prepared my small Winsor Newton palettes.  I filled one with my warm colors and another with my cool colors.  

Lots of Wildlife!

Lots of Wildlife!

Did you know that I am an avid bird watcher? Part of going to a new location is the joy of spotting a new species to add to my life list. I thought it would also be fun to incorporate all the birds I have been seeing in Baja, Mexico into my watercolor journal.  Here is a watercolor painting of a Brown Pelican…. they were everywhere!

 This is a photo I took of a Black Crowned Night Heron who was doing some fishing right in front of our restaurant on the water in La Paz, Mexico…. (a painting waiting to happen!)

A Page in my journal showing a map of Baja with a painting behind it

Here is a photo of one of the Whale Sharks we swam with.  Thanks Michi for sharing this awesome underwater photo.  Look at those fabulous polka dots!!!

Art Journaling- Mexico

Art Journaling- Mexico

I have never been to Baja, Mexico. It was a long trip starting out in Oregon, Snowing and zero degrees at the airport.  Here it is Sunny and beautiful. First thing this morning our friends tell us we are going to go swimming with whale sharks this afternoon ‘ This was unexpected,, but hey! why not! And let me tell you, what a thrill to be with these gigantic gentle beast. At first made me panic a little to be in the water with them.
 Did you know they have polka dots?
I have been drawing and painting in my journal but the internet is too slow to load photos…. I will try again with my next post.
Free EBook for YOU!

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!

New Article for Cloth, Paper, Scissors – Pages Magazine

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

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!

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!

The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color DVD

The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color DVD

My DVD, The Good, the Bad and the Beauty of Color watercolor workshop is available for pre-order.  If you missed this online workshop you will soon be able to own a copy of the DVD.

I am currently filming and editing and working on my 2014 watercolor workshop with Artful Gathering Online workshops.  I will be offering some step-by-step watercolor painting lessons.  Please stay tuned for more details!