Thursday, January 31, 2019

Through Rose Coloured Glasses


The January journal prompt for Westcoast Calligraphy Society was "through rose coloured glasses".

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Weathergrams


Weathergrams made at the Westcoast Calligraphy Society Meeting

Weathergrams were developed by Pacific Northwest calligrapher Lloyd J. Reynolds in the early 1970's.  They are written on kraft paper strips and are hung on tree branches.  The subject matter is usually seasonal, and they are left out "to weather" between solstice and equinox or between equinox and solstice.  They are short poems of about ten words or less; Reynolds doubted that anyone would stop to read any lengthy statement while standing in the wind or rain.

Weathergrams are meant to be informal, rather than formal calligraphy works, so I used Weaver Writing.  The initial letter of a weathergram is done in vermillion and the remainder in black sumi, so that the writing will last as long as the paper does. 

Monday, January 28, 2019

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Creative Watercolor: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners--Create with Paints, Inks, Markers, Glitter, and More!


Creative Watercolor takes a modern, illustrative approach to an old medium, and adds crafty projects to explore the beauty of watercolor.  I read an electronic version from NetGalley, so I can't comment on the production values, but I did see a review on Amazon indicating that the paper quality is good and that it opens nice and flat, a necessity with a book like this.

After a discussion of supplies and color mixing, Calderon provides some good watercolor warm-ups.  This technique chapter also demonstrates how to scan and replicate your paintings using Photoshop.  This allows you to turn simple paintings into graphic art.

The next three chapters delve into flowers and foliage, butterflies and critters, and fruits, veggies and nuts. As well as step by step painting instructions and photos, each chapter includes fun projects like place cards and recipe gift cards.

The final chapter is a good introduction to lettering, a perfect way to round out this book.  All in all, this book will give the beginner a complete introduction to watercolor, lettering, and the type of illustration projects that combine these elements.

Friday, January 25, 2019

The Same Subject, Different Approaches


The left-hand drawing is a continuous line drawing.  On the right side, I painted the shapes first and added the ink lines later.

Thursday, January 24, 2019

In the News


I've been following the Brexit news with great interest, so on this day it made it into my journal.

The sketch and writing on the right hand page were done with a brand new pen with a Sailor fude nib.  It is bent, allowing for lines of different widths.  Obviously I will need a lot of practice with it!

Thursday, January 17, 2019

What a Difference a Day Makes


It seems a long time ago that the Christmas tree stood in the corner where the bookcase normally lives.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Yes, That is a Forsythia Blooming!


Vancouver is enjoying a very warm winter this year.  All the snow is on the mountains where it belongs, (so far).  In the neighbourhood I have seen this forsythia, Lenten roses, some heather, and a lone crocus blooming.  No snowdrops yet, but they're certainly pushing through the soil! 

Monday, January 14, 2019

The Perfect Quote Makes a Calligrapher's Heart Sing


I was looking for a quotation to make one of these cards into a birthday greeting - you can imagine my delight when I found this one.


Saturday, January 12, 2019

Snow on Trees


Artist Trading Card, heat embossed on gelli print
Stamp by All Night Media

Friday, January 11, 2019

Go Fish


Artist Trading Card, stamping and pencil crayon on gelli print
Stamps by RSP and Great Canadian Stamp

Thursday, January 10, 2019

A Drive in the Country


These are artist trading cards for our upcoming Vancouver swap.  I stamped the Tim Holtz car on a gelli print, and added the rest with pencil crayon.

I used two different gelli prints; here is the second one:




Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Working Small: Nothing is Wasted



How small?  Well, this is two pages from the journal that I keep in my purse.  Each page measures approximately 1 3/4" x 3".


It is an accordian journal, made from a strip of mixed media paper left over from making the journals that I use every day.  Here it is stretched out; you can see on the left hand side of the picture the front cover.


The nice thing about the accordian journal is that I can use as many pages at once as I want to.  


The photo above is three pages.

And the next photo is only one page:


Monday, January 7, 2019

Decorated Paper


I decorated a large sheet of blue poster board to cut up for sketchbook covers.  It was kind of an experiment - the calligrapher who showed me this technique used Mi-Tientes pastel paper.  I wanted something thicker because I like a firm cover on my book for sketching standing or sitting on the couch.  (Calligraphers, of course, use a table or slant board, so for them this isn't necessary.)

I used my new Finetec watercolors for the sparkly letters, and some opaque Artist Loft watercolors for the black and blue.  The Artist Loft rubs off a bit when dry, so I had to use a spray sealer, which seems to have done the trick.

I think it will work fine - stay tuned!

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Saturday, January 5, 2019

New Toys


My days as volunteer Treasurer for the Vancouver South Presbytery of the United Church of Canada are drawing to an end.  My friends there gave me a gift card to Opus Art supplies, so I went down to the boxing day sale and bought some new toys.


These Finetec pearlescent watercolors are the gold standard for calligraphers - what a beautiful gift!

Friday, January 4, 2019

Christmas Angel


Will I get all of the Christmas angels sketched before the 12 days of Christmas are passed?  I must get a move on!

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Christmas Presents


Of course I had to "document" my Christmas presents in my journal - spoiled by my husband and sister.


Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Bright Colors in Landscapes



I did this watercolour sketch in December from Wil Freeborn's book "Learn to Paint in Watercolor with 50 Paintings".

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Happy New Year!


I loved the Draw Tip Tuesday this week and had to give it a go - in my journal and then on a card for my cousin in England.