Bits & Bobs: More Pages from a Junque Journal

In the spirit of "everything but the kitchen sink," here are a few more pages from this art journal.  Really it's just stuff I like to look at, all put-and-stuck together.... somehow..... with something. And then something else, on top.  I hope you like its randomness.

A Pretty Little Junque Journal

I made a little book.... maybe we call it a "junque journal" or a "glue book."  I just wanted a place where I could cut and paste and paint and sew and write.  

For the base I used all kinds of papers, both vintage and new, including lots of Fabriano Artistico 140# Hotpress.  This paper makes me swoon.  I truly love it that much -- so great for any medium, from pen and watercolor to collage to acrylics.  The journal's design is based on Teesha Moore's Amazing 16-Page Journal (Google and find the videos on YouTube for excellent step-by-step).  "Amazing" is an understatement -- I've made a gozillion of these over the years.  A 16-page journal from one sheet of 22x30 paper.  Amazing.  

For this project I added a number of signatures.  I did most of the machine sewing before sewing the journal together. Blackboard paint, ball fringe and S&H Greenstamps, washi tape, doilies and dry cleaning tags, and flowers.  Lots of flowers.  Pure eye candy.  More photos to come!

Plein Aire Still Lifes in Kitchen & Garage

The Tattooed Sailor and His Devoted Artist

What did you do for your summer vacation?

Andre Francois

I’ve always been a watercolor sketcher – partial to Moleskins, Lamy Safaris, Noodler’s Bulletproof black, Winsor Newton watercolors, and the odd bit of ephemera collaged in.  But I’ve never really shared my sketches on this blog… well, except for here and an oil sketch here and there.  For no particular reason – just not taking the time for all the blasted scanning and stitching.

But last spring I stumbled on this inspiration, took an old book that had belonged to my parents, dissected it, and rebound it with watercolor paper – thus making a new book that is part sketchbook and part bawdy, mid-century, French cartoons.  It’s been so much fun to work in and I must share.  If anyone reading this has ever been tempted to make a book or sketch or both, this is a grand adventure.

The original book was The Tattooed Sailor by French cartoonist Andre Francois (1918-2005), published in 1952.  I know Francois drew for some major newspapers and magazines back in the day but his subjects in this book were often artists and so, over the years, I’ve thumbed through The Tattooed Sailor many times and gotten good laughs. My hand-me-down copy was crumbling apart so, without reluctance, I committed it to the project.  I kept some of my favorite cartoons, which now live alongside sketches from our garden, our garage, and our travels.

No need for me to tell you how I re-made the book – I did exactly as I was told.  Shirley Levine of the Paper and Threads blog documented her process perfectly and even referred us to Martha at Trumpetvine Travels for the signature sewing. Both sets of directions are easy to follow. I haven't invested in bookmaking tools - just used what I had on hand and it worked fine.  Many thanks to these ladies for sharing so generously and making my summer!

Et merci aussi a M. Francois.

 My tattered copy of The Tattoed Sailor

Doubleclick any photo to enlarge.

Before glueing the signatures back in, I patched up the spine as best I could and glued a strip of muslin to the inside.  I used Fabriano Artistico 140lb. hot press watercolor paper in the off-white color which is still quite a bit whiter than the pages of the book. But I like it.  Some of the watercolor page edges are torn and some I trimmed with deckle-edged scissors.

I used some funny French-y advertising paper I had on hand for the end papers on both the front and back of the book.

I kept the first page with the original inscription. No clue who Dick was.

Francois's title and mine. :)

Cone Flowers drawn with Noodler's Serano.

Francois's ship is flying under the Texas flag!  And don't you love the Tattooed Sailor?

More sketches and cartoons to come.

Quick Sketch

nfs

An hour's worth of sketching, in between fluffing and folding. And it was really the dots on the scarf that intrigued me - I saw her in a catalog. I don't really want to own the scarf but I did want to paint it.

In other great news, Good Ole' Whatshername is on her way to California. This painting was juried into the Randy Higbee Gallery 6" Squared Spring Art Exhibition in Costa Mesa. Randy's shows are packed with talented artists - be sure to go by if you're in that neighborhood. April 17 - May 6, Randy Higbee Gallery. Woohoo!

The Parisienne

multi-media on paper

work in progress

This girl is destined to become part of a collage but I like how she looks now. She's larger than the ladies in the Little Women series - they've all been 6x6 and this girl is about 6x8 on a 12x14ish piece of canvas paper. I've had so much fun lately treating paper before I paint on it - snips of this and splashes of that - layers that create remarkable depth. I love these artistic detours. Hmmmm... she looks French to me.... cue Maurice Chevalier.

Ducky

oil sketch on paper, 5x7

Maybe I should have said, "Some quirky paraphernalia has been swimming onto the blue post-it note stuck to the taboret." Sketched while watching CSI [original version, of course] - the coroner/character Dr. "Ducky" Mallard makes me laugh. Not to mention the {Very}Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs...

Pincushions and Pantone Colors

Pantone No. 18-2120: Honeysuckle

oil sketch on paper, 5x7

Color is a faithful muse. I love doing paintings inspired by Pantone's choice for Color of the Year - click here to see No. 15-5519 {Turquoise} in 2010 and here to see No. 14-0848 {Mimosa} in 2009. Yum-my. I've been playing in the studio lately - exploring some new ideas and techniques. Having a great time. Hard to say what will become of them yet but you'll know when I know. In the meantime, some quirky paraphernalia has been jumping onto that post-it note referenced above... I'm just saying.

Ten-Minute Cheese Spreader Sketches

Timer Set!

These sketches were done in response to a challenge one of my favorite teachers, Carol Marine, issued recently on the Daily Paintworks blog - paint the same thing over and over for no more than 10 minutes. The cheese spreader, the blue post-it note, and the paper primed turquoise for collage-making were handy. I've done this with Carol before - it's a great exercise. Really helps you think about values and colors and quick decision-making. Inspirational - and surprisingly tiring. Whew! Be sure to visit Carol's blog to see her great work and the DPW blog to see lots and lots of 10-minute sketches.

Just Time for a Sketch: Happy Hour

Happy Hour sketch

8x8, oil on canvas

I did this quickly from a photo I found on the website WetCanvas. What a great resource for us artist-types. This girl looks like she could be one of my twisted sisters. Have a great weekend!

Carol Marine Workshop

unfinished study, 6x6, oil on panel

I spent most of last week at a workshop taught by Austin artist Carol Marine. Carol is first and foremost an incredibly talented painter and colorist - she has a special way of seeing a subject, simplifying shapes and values, and then translating that vision into an economical number of perfectly toned and placed brushstrokes. And she makes it look easy.... gee whiz. Moreover, she is a wonderful teacher: direct, honest, very accessible, and just a whole lot of fun. Be sure to check out her blog - click here.

Carol did inspirational demonstrations each morning and then set us on a course of exercises - like the 10-minute/15-stroke apples to the left - that weren't easy but very informative. It was great fun to be with our artist/host Dena Wenmohs and spend time at The Bunkhouse - Dena's artists' retreat and bed & breakfast in Cypress Mill, Texas. Plus, in addition to Carol and Dena, I made wonderful new friends - some from far away and some just around the corner. What a marvelous week.... I'm exhausted!!

Just Time for a Sketch: Woman's Best Friend

Twofer

oil on panel, 11x14

Surprise - a bonus! Our models in yesterday's open studio were a beautiful woman and her guide dog - both consumate professionals and such a pleasure to work with. The time just flew by. Then it was off to a birthday celebration for a beloved group of my twisted sisters (sans one - we missed you!). The evening temperature was so perfect as was sitting under the stars together with a beautiful view of the city, great conversation... how lucky am I?

A Lesson in Foreshortening

Cute Glasses

Reclining Nude in Mirror

11x14 oil sketch on canvas

Foreshortening is a technique used in drawing to make three dimensional objects appear to be realistically receding in space on a two dimensional surface. Thus, in the pose above, the model's left foot is actually a bit larger than her head.... or at least that's the theory. In practice, it's a whole 'nother story. Yesterday, I overheard a fellow warrior say that a teacher had once told him to forget learning to draw with correct perspective and just draw. Draw. Draw. Draw. Draw. Perspective will come in its own time. Luckily, I love to draw but, gee whiz. Not to put too fine a point on it but, could anyone get back to me with exactly when "its own time" is?

That's the School Bell I Hear Ringing

Reclining Nude

(Mirror, Mirror On the Wall)

11x14 oil on canvas

The model in this sketch was lovely and I had a great vantage point for capturing both her image and her reflection in the mirror. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow as we begin again with Laurel Daniel's still life class. I have so enjoyed these before and, though I never feel I do my best work in a class, the lessons presented continue to reveal themselves long after school gets out. It's funny though... I'm kinda' nervous. Lavagirl reminds me to just be myself, be nice to my teacher and the other kids, and she bets I'll make a new friend very quickly. I love my kids.

I'm Just Not Sure About the Hat

Topsy Turvy

6x6 oil on panel

So named because I painted her - start to finish - upside down. It's a common trick to teach you to draw or paint what you see rather than what you *think* you see. I'm posting her upside down because frankly, she could never survive our criticism right-side-up. A bit too full of face, Topsy is, and her eyes are just plain scary. But it was fun and I think I learned alot about the dialog that goes on in your head, "this shape is longer than that shape, the next one is lighter than the last one, this is a square, a triangle." The version in the Letterman sketchbook (not painted upside down) has great eyes but I didn't have much luck rendering the black dotted tulle in her hat with pencils and chalk.

Just (Barely) Time for a Sketch and a Promise

conte crayons on paper

I apologize, faithful readers, for my absence. We all hit those times in life and I look so forward to next week when I believe the dust will settle somewhat. In the meantime, a sketch aux trois crayon from my trusty Letterman sketchbook and a promise that I'm working my way back as quickly as possible.

Letterman Sketch, Aux Trois Crayon

Conte crayons on paper

Reruns. Is it possible that I find even the Letterman reruns to be entertaining? Perhaps it's because I'm always drawing while watching. Yes, that's it. It actually takes me two times through the show to get it all. Makes perfect sense. I've been adding colors to my painting palette lately which I think has it's good and bad points. However, getting back to just the three used aux trois crayon is a "valuable" exercise, no pun intended. Click here for more on this traditional drawing method and my beloved Letterman sketch book.

Just Time for a Sketch: Painting in Fits and Starts

Walking the Dog

8x8 oil on canvas

Okay, granted, the week of/before school starts is probably not the best time for a mom to paint. Carpools and tryouts and shopping and such make opportunities spotty at best. Thus, I would have liked some of these edges to be a bit softer - the kind you get when working really-wet-into-really-wet. But it was basically a figure study - my goal was to work with the light and shadows. Check.

Just Time for a Sketch: Cover Girl

oil on paper

Yesterday was super busy but I was anxious to work these skin tones up in oil. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Letterman Sketch, Aux Trois Crayon

conte crayon on paper

Back to the beach, this time aux trois crayon. I have alot of fun with this technique; click here for some details. Her facial features are so-so and I'm going to blame that on my inadequate-but-beautiful bedside table lamp -- okay for reading, but lacks a bit for drawing. No matter as these sketches are pure pleasure. Last night I crawled into bed, grabbed my sketchbook and little tin of conte crayons, started drawing, and the next time I looked up, Letterman was over. My right brain had fast-forwarded completely through the monologue, top ten, and all guests. Craig Ferguson indeed.