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Category: art journal

Painting in France, May 2019

Painting in France, May 2019

Join me on an artistic journey of creative expression! 

I am teaching a watercolor painting and art journaling workshop in Provence, France, May 10 – 17, 2019.  

Registration is now open.  If you book now you will receive an early-bird discount. Experience the magic of Provence:  cypresses and olive groves, scents of wild thyme and lavender, medieval villages perched on hilltops, and a countryside rich with bright, crimson-red poppies – all a feast for your senses.  

 

More Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Watercolor Artists

More Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Watercolor Artists

I just adore this tiny watercolor palette!  It is called the Pocket Palette.  It comes with 14 iddy biddy magnetic pans to hold the paint that can be removed and replaced with other colors.  It is about the size of a business card (3 5/8″ x 2 1/2″) but holds lots of paint!

 Here it is waiting to be filled with new fresh watercolor paints.

I used it to paint this colorful background in my Gratitude Journal.  The mixing area was so wonderful – the paints did not bead up like they do on some palettes.  I was thinking what a wonderful gift this would be for the traveling artist!

Check Out the New Issue of Cloth Paper Scissors

Check Out the New Issue of Cloth Paper Scissors

Just out is the March/April issue of the the Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine.   My article, Making Your Own Map, is featured in the Jump-start section.  Check it out!  This is a technique that we will use in my upcoming watercolor journaling trip to Orvieto, Italy, with Adventures in Italy.  There is still time to sign up for this fabulous trip!

Demonstration on How to Paint a Field of Sunflowers, Watercolor

Demonstration on How to Paint a Field of Sunflowers, Watercolor

Here is a free demonstration on how I painted a colorful field of sunflowers in my watercolor journal.  It has as a little cabin in the back of the field.  Watch closely how I negative paint around the sunflowers to make them pop!  The video is in fast motion, set to some fun music. so it only takes three and a half minutes to watch the whole thing.  I hope you enjoy watching. If you want to join me in ITALY, painting on location, I would love to have you join my trip with Adventures in Italy, May 2016!

Painting a Field of Sunflowers in Italy

Creating an Art Journal

Creating an Art Journal

Teaching in my studio in Bend, Oregon – I have been sharing one of my favorite things to do with my art journals – take them apart and reconfigure them to be more creative, artistic, and tactile!  We have been getting messy mixing acrylic products with watercolors.  We have been using ordinary office supplies and manipulating them into extraordinary journaling enhancements!  Would you like to join me in Orvieto, Italy for my Colors of Umbria: Keeping a Watercolor Journal Workshop?  We will be doing similar artistic creations in our journals as we slow down, observe and savor our time in Italy together!

Driving Around the French Countryside

Driving Around the French Countryside

We spent a day driving through the Southwest part of France coming across some very beautiful towns and sites.  This area of France is known for pâté de foie gras.  We saw geese throughout the countryside.  We even saw statues devoted to geese in the town of Sarlat.















A page from my watercolor journal
A page from Helen’s watercolor journal


Keeping a Watercolor Travel Journal

Keeping a Watercolor Travel Journal

 Part of the joy of traveling to new places is to take some time to paint in my watercolor art journal.  This is my first time visiting Lisbon, Portugal.  I am enjoying walking around this colorful city  Here is a page in my journal of the cute trolley car.  This is what I love to do – paint plein air!

Fun Ideas for your Watercolor ART Journal, Part 3

Fun Ideas for your Watercolor ART Journal, Part 3

I am always looking for fun, unique ways to add to my watercolor art journals.  While I travel, I always pick up brochures, free maps, coasters, wine labels…  Then I add them to my journal pages.  I also paint little paintings of what I see along my journey.  These all create a lasting memory more precious than any photo album.

Try these ideas!
· Doodle or create Zentangles.
· Connect your writing and glued items with lines, dots and squiggles.
· Collect and add business cards, tickets, postages stamps, cut out words and photos from brochures, wine labels, paper money and postcards from your travels.
Wonderful Students!

Wonderful Students!

I adore my students! They keep me motivated and inquisitive.  I know that as I am getting ready to teach at the new Seattle CREATE Art Retreat, I will be meeting new students as well as many that have taken classes from me before.  I want to offer new and exciting ways to draw, paint, add to journals, create and explore.  As I am organizing and packing my boxes of art supplies I can’t help to try new things.  It makes the preparation for my class take longer but it is so fun to offer new and creative ways to do the art that I like to do!

A Beautiful Time – A Peek into our Orvieto, Italy Watercolor Journals

A Beautiful Time – A Peek into our Orvieto, Italy Watercolor Journals

Our time together in Orvieto was magical.  Each day was a new adventure filled with painting, creating, exploring and learning about the rich history and culture.   The Colors ofUmbria, Keeping a Watercolor Journal group was creative, fun and always up for learning new things.  I loved making new friends and painting with our artistic group.  As the week unfolded, our watercolor journals evolved into exquisite memories of our colorful time together.  Thank you to all the wonderful participants of this fabulous time together, laughing and sharing good times!