Cheerful and Colorful Paintings

Cheerful and Colorful Paintings in Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Media and Collage
nancystandlee@sbcglobal.net

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Small Acrylic and Collage Painting, "Somewhere on Round Mountain", Bunkhouse Gallery Sale, Watercolor Journal Class in June, Journal Choices Part 1 by Nancy Standlee, Arlington Texas Artist

 Somewhere on Round Mountain 13044
14x11 on gallery wrapped canvas
acrylic and collage 
Available at Daily Paintworks
Another small acrylic and collage figurative painting from the Robert Burridge workshop at Dena Wenmohs ranch in April. If you are in the Marble Falls/Austin TX area this weekend please stop by the Bunkhouse Gallery 21st Fine Art and Jewelry Exhibition and Sale, April 27-28, 2013 11 am to 6 pm at the http://wenmohsranch.com 573 Old Spicewood Rd, Cypress Mill, TX 78663 or email Dena dena@wenmohsranch.com. I sold three pieces there at last weekend's show and I have 3 more pieces available. 

I am scheduled to give a one day watercolor sketchbook, art journal class at the Dutch Art Gallery, Dallas, TX,  June 29, 2013, See additional info on my website HERE. I call it "Love Your Life" class and it's a recording of some familiar things in your life. You don't need any art or drawing experience. I make it a non-threatening fun exploring day. Just come and bring your supplies and get ready to have a great time. Over the next few posts I will discuss some of the materials and today's entry will be all about journal choices.  Google any of these journal types or look at Cheap Joe's, Dick Blick, or Jerry's Artarama.

 The Aquabee super deluxe sketchbook 9x12, 93# paper, 60 sheets, can be used with watercolor. Comes in other sizes. These are pages from a trip to Acapulco, January 2006 with Joan McKasson and Flying Colors Art Workshops. I was not numbering pages and didn't have time to add any color to some of the sketches of purchases I'd made. I am forever recording the food I've eaten. Other entries from this time was receipts, cookie wrappers, newspaper clippings, jokes, notes from friends from the workshop, postcards, and lots of writing. The 90 lb journals are not the best for watercolor but they suit me as I like to do more writing with just a few small sketches. I really like to look back and see clippings of favorite TV shows and movies. If you want to record a scene, a 140 lb. journal would be your choice.
 The Canson Montval All Media Sketch Book, 50 sheets, 90 lb. 9x12, spiral bound, other sizes, make sure it's all media for watercolor washes. These two pages record a painting trip to Gun Barrel City with my Canvas by Canvas girl friends in October 2009 and I had a birthday celebration there. This records some of the gifts I received. I enjoy this black covered book because of it's sturdy cover. Later I will paint something on that black cover.
 The Raffine Art Sketch super deluxe all media sketch book, 100 lb. 9x12, 48 sheets, similar to the others and takes good watercolor washes. I'd just come home from a Carol Nelson workshop in Denver and I cut up and glued the airline ticket to the top and then on Monday had Cataract surgery in my left eye. I was hoping you could see me as I wasn't seeing you. 3/15/2010. Your journals help document and date your journey.
Another two pages from the Raffine from 3/19/11 entry. I'd gotten an income tax refund and decided to go to Tucson on 3/24 and the plane left at 3:45 pm on 3/25. I usually make plans in advance but I had wanted to take Kath Macaulay's Pocket Sketching and decided I had some $$ so let's keep it in circulation. It was money well spent, Kath was delightful and I met some lovely sketching friends, In a few weeks I headed to Fredericksburg with some girlfriends for a gallery show at the Good Art Co. I add photos, images from brochures ,
anything.

You don't have to have a 9x12 journal to record your life. Kath introduced me to pocket journaling with these Strathmore Drawing 400 series, 4x6, 24 sheets, 80 lb. These are the ones I like to keep in my backpack to make a quick sketch or write down a menu. I like to glue on something on the cover and date, then cover with clear tape as these get put on wet tables, etc. The chicken - I had chicken pot pie for lunch and it was 102 - 106 degrees and I was packing for a Robert Burridge mentor workshop in Arroyo Grande where it was 76 degrees from 9-7-2012. The other image was waiting for a family member at the hospital April, 2013 and sketching patients behind my backpack hiding, hoping they wouldn't catch me staring at them. Read more about my trip to Tucson Here. http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/2011/03/pocket-sketching-with-kath-macaulay-in.html. 

Strathmore Visual Journal Watercolor 90 lb, 9x12In. 68 pages,  I'm using this journal at the present and if you add something to it you don't want read by all put a sticky over it before the photo. This has a good heavy brown backing and a good spiral. I've attached a piece of collage paper, a piece of batik fabric, by Burridge permission bracelet, a pen and a watercolor palette box.

These are some middle sized journals that I love to use. The black cover one is a Hand-Book Artist Journal, 128 pages, suitable for light watercolor washes and 5 1/2" square, perfect to keep at the table and recording stories. I call this my Dena book with some illustrated jokes. I can not remember a joke so I write them down here and illustrate them and then cram right before I need to share one. Some of these require parental guidance. This is a very private book and no, I will not let you take photos from this book. lol The little Red book is an Art Spiral by Carnet made in Japan by Maruman. 80 lb, 24 pages, 5.6x7.3. I love this size. Nature Sketch 130 lb, 50 sheets, 7x5 in. and a smaller version (6x9 in) Aquabee with a sketch of The Posada de la Aldea in San Miguel where my son and I stayed for the Mel Stabin workhsop in February 08.
 Granbury Courthouse from the Red Art Spiral.
Mrs. Stewarts Liquid Bluing from the Nature Sketch. I'd saved this old bluing bottle from my Mom and it brought back memories of going to the washateria with her. An entry from the Nature Sketch.

It's your choice on what kind of journal you use and you need to try out several to find your favorite. I haven't found my favorite yet as each one is useful for a specific entry. In a recent Don Getz workshop I used a 140 lb Kilimanjaro book. See Blog post. But as I said above I do a lot of writing and you get more pages in the 90 lb books but if you were documenting your trip with sketches, then I'd use a 140 lb book. One think I like about the Kilimanjaro book is it interlaced with sketch paper between watercolor sheets, good for writing or adding photos. I have other books but these are the ones I use the most.

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