New Sketchbook Journal

I have been lax at posting for the last couple of months. I have been in an art slump. Hopefully I will be climbing out of it son. I have decided on a new project, and I am looking forward to progressing in it. Well I said one new project but there are two. It started with a new sketchbook purchase. It is like the Moleskine books with the same (hopefully) strong paper that holds a little water. And the pages are beige too and has an expandable folder in the back. I couldn't decide what I would be putting in the book. I posted that in the Facebook Sketchbook Journal area and got a few comments and suggestions. One was from Jacqui who knows I have many, many little trinkets that I have purchased for the Scavenger hunts. Many more than I really need. She suggested doing a book showing all of those. and making a memory of them in case I have to one day downsize them. The second suggestion was that I do a journal about someone I love or am close to either past or present. Well that sounded like a great idea to do for a memory book of my husband. It has now been 3 1/2 years since he passed. I would be able to do sketches of him, our babies that we both loved so much, little bits of information on things that we did or that happened to us along the way, how we met. Not sure one book will be enough but it's a start. I decided to do both. I went to Aaron Brothers to get another sketchbook but didn't find the same one. So I got a Moleskine one. I have already started the pages in the one of my Goodwill Finds. I may title that one as "New and Gently Used". The one of my husband will be "Till Death Do Us Part". These are the first and second pages of New and Gently Used. They are done with colored pencils, fineline pens, and a little watercolor.

Back to School Trade Cards

The Facebook group "Former Drawspace Traders" has the theme this month of Back to School. Here are the cards I did for this trade. Done in watercolor, colored pencils, and fineline pens by Staedler.

In a Slump

No artwork lately. I'm going thru a slump. Everything I have tried to do, I wasn't happy with. So I just try to be patient until it is over. I did go to a plein air outing with my art group today. We went to a small mountain community where we have been once before. It's called Stallion Springs. The little day park where we painted is called Horse Thief park. Great place to go. Very nice restroom, a creek or stream, a covered patio area with several tables, other areas with tables, a covered bridge. very quiet and peaceful, and not many people around. Across the water is a cute little white church with a steeple. And many beautiful paintable areas. Here is the painting I started the last time I was there and worked on some more today. It's not really finished and not sure I will finish it. The part from the first trip was done in colored pencils. Today I used watercolor and watercolor pencils. The colored pencil part just shows up too bright compared to the watercolors I did today. But I enjoyed the two outings and the atmosphere and I will consider this one a learning piece.