Art Journal ~ Love Your Life Art Journaling Class by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

Raffine Art Sketch
Super Deluxe All Media Sketch Book 9 x 12
The first 3 images are taken from the current journal I'm working in. I thought I would show some of the recent additions since the Art Journaling Workshop "Love Your Life" at Dena's Ranch has been announced. There is still time to sign up as it won't be until July 23, 24 and 25. Email Dena at dena@wenmohsranch.com or cal l830-825-3465 for more information.
Click HERE to read about it on my blog and Click on images for a larger view.


Plans for the 3 day workshop are progressing and I'm preparing images, gathering up journals and favorite book references to share and the stack on the couch is growing. It could mean renting a U-Haul or I will need to do some "weeding", a good librarian term.
I like to add events from my daily life so in later years (which is now) I can recall and remember. Who would want to forget this granddaughter's 7th birthday when she wanted a "Fox Birthday" and who ever heard of a fox birthday? My daughter scrambled finding all things "fox" and found this great long fox tail and converted it into a wearing device and Grace wore it proudly and securely over her neck and shoulder all during the celebration, much like a traveling tourist would wear their passport and money. She had an extremely tall pointy party hat to round out her attire. It was green but I chose to make it in pink collage. I collaged other pieces from the invitation and ephemera. I found an used fox stamp and glued it to her dress. I have the fox saying "Oh, dear, I seem to have lost my tail."
Above this I have a Zentangle (more on that later) a quote and a reminder to me at just how gullible I am to the power of suggestion and an evidence of that below in an oil pastel practice area. More on that later also. Why do I want to try everything "art" I see?




I take a lot of art workshops and my friends sometimes refer to me as the "workshop Queen". What can I say? I do like to know the kind, make and model of the brush used and please don't ever just say "red" when I ask "what color is that" as I want to know manufacture and name and pigment number. The instructor may receive a mention in my blog, a 1/4 page or a whole page such as Skip below where I wrote a note summary around the painting, or I might have a whole sketchbook devoted to just one instructor after taking several workshops(oh, tabbed dividers). See below and you know who you are Bob.
A Canson Montval All Media Sketch Book 9 x 12


These are just a few of the journals I will share and discuss. The one below is an altered book I've just started. You purchase an old book on the cheap at the thrift store or a garage sale, glue pages together and use gesso, collage and acrylic paint to fill the pages. For this one I chose a book on women's health because it is filled will neat photos of bodies, babies, wombs and you can save the print or a photo and/or paint out what you don't want to include. Or just practice a technique in one. I tried out some of the oil pastels on this page also. Does any of this appeal to you? If so, call Dena for more information.


Please visit my web site and comment on my blog:

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE ~ MIXED MEDIA ~ ALTERED BOOKS

Contact NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Art Journaling Class ~ Love Your Life ~ Peppers ~ Dena Wenmohs Ranch by Nancy Standlee Texas Daily Painter

"Peppers"
5" x 6" in Kilimanjaro 140 lb. Journal

I finished this journal entry today while preparing for a "Love Your Life" art journal weekend retreat, July 23, 24, and 25 at Dena Wenmohs Ranch near Marble Falls. We are planning on having some fun while jump starting our creativity and beginners are very welcome. No drawing skills needed while we celebrate our special life. The focus will be on learning some quick ways to record some events and everyday incidents in your life. We will use a 9 x 12 journal with watercolor and pens. I will introduce other media such as acrylic, stamping, gouache, collage, and oil pastels. More information to follow but if you're at all interested email Dena or call her.
dena@wenmohsranch.com or call 830 825-3465. Once you're enrolled you will be mailed the supply list.
I've taken 3 workshops at the ranch near Marble Falls and it is a great place to get away and learn some new art tips, tricks and techniques.

Oscar Wilde quote "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

There is no right or wrong way to journal but I'll share with you how I do it. Make a visual journal that is sensational and all about you and your daily life. It is pretty amazing after all. And if think your life is not too sensational at the moment, we'll make something up.

If you are interested in the process of keeping an art journal you might check out the new forum over at Wet Canvas. I've just posted this image there today.

To view other art journal pages I've posted, there is a search button at the top of the blog and just type in art journal pages and scroll down.
Please visit my web site and comment on my blog:

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE ~ MIXED MEDIA ~ ALTERED BOOKS

Contact NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Gerald Brommer Workshop ~ Floral Collage ~ Art Journal Pages

Floral Collage
11" x 15"
Gerald Brommer gave instructions that he didn't want to see any pistils or stamens in our floral collages. I got that one covered in my floral painting above but Jerry's florals below are outstanding. I had time to start a second one but it is not finished yet. The muted gray color in the background (the negative shape) was achieved by watercolor with a little white gouache and applying and then dabbing with a Kleenex to give it more texture. We glued the larger pieces down first, tried to have a focal point, and to make an impression of a flower. We used watercolor to edges of flowers to round off some edges and to make interesting marks. Most of the painting is made from collaged pieces of watercolor painted Oriental rice papers or washi.

Click on the images to enlarge.



These two 11" x 15" paintings (above and below) are Jerry's and I love them both, don't you?

Books:
I will mention one of the books he has written that he told us about.
He feels that this book is important one to teach art history in the school system.
"Discovering Art History" by Davis. I found a third edition online used and it has 638 pages and about 9" x 12" so this will be enjoyable art tour across centuries for a long time.

Art Journal Page 98 and 99
I didn't make daily entries while I was packing or attending the Gerald Brommer workshop for 2 weeks. The thumbnail drawings at the top of page 99 are similar to Jerry's drawing exercises he does. He has no plans for them (he did make copies and glue some of them in a collage - so did I but that's later). He fills sketchbooks up with these so when it comes time to design a painting it's automatic. He will make these in airports or while waiting somewhere. The week one workshop was "Stained Papers and Collage" and week 2 was "Designing with Watercolor or Acrylics and Collage". I made a small 5" x 5" collage on 140 paper for my journal "Cowboy Kisses" and used wedging to create movement. Someone brought Hershey kisses for snacks one day and since I have a chocolate deficit those little kisses tags were all around my work place and I've found them in pockets and art supplies while unpacking. So why not put one in a collage to remind me of that week where we worked with Mr. Brommer or Dr. Jer and I sometimes called out for help.

Tribal Line ~ Art Couture Gallery ~ Art Journal Pages

"Tribal Line"
Acrylic Figurative on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

After the Robert Burridge workshop I wanted to paint abstracts and have painted two that I will post later but I keep going back to figures. These figures were painted on a toned canvas. Bob had done a painting with a girl with bright red boots so this is my interpretation. It was accepted in the Art Couture Gallery in Dallas.


Art Journal Page 81
Unpacking from the Anne Bagby workshop and wanting to make a chop but just drew it instead. Shirley Trevena's new DVD, "Breaking the Rules of Watercolour", arrived from England and I just had to collage some of the mailing envelope. Check out Shirley's blog here.

Art Journal Page 82
One of my babies turned 51, oh, my. On that day he texted "51 years ago we had us a day."
Here is Theresa's baked oatmeal recipe and you can find more about it at the Artist Food Network. Drawing looks pretty bad at the top of the oatmeal box but I have an excuse because I was in a big, big hurry.

Art Journal Page 83
Not fun days as I was gathering info for income tax, and I've watched the Trevena DVD and she says forget perspective and gather up some of your favorite things and paint them. I chose my mother's biscuit cutter, my favorite coffee drinking cup, a gift from my daughter, a cut glass toothpick holder that my father used every day, and the bottom of the pointy bill holder because it was old and interesting and I didn't pay any attention to perspective. I started Burridge packing.

Art Journal Page 84
Still unpacking and packing and I've been wanting to draw better so I've gone back to some favorite drawing books:
1. Danny Gregory
2. Dan Price
3. Bert Dodson
4. Betty Edwards
I watched 2 granddaughters and if I hadn't drawn around their hands I'd never noticed that Mattie's little fingers had fingernails so short the ends of her fingers were visible (biting nails) and Grace had 2 fake nails on her 5 3/4 year old fingers.
(I hope this type face isn't an inch high. I'm working on a 13 inch laptop and it's hard for me to decide exactly the font size I need) I will post some Burridge adbstracts next.

More Watercolor Roosters ~ Iron Horse Inn ~ Art Journal Pages

Watercolor Rooster #2 with an Acrylic Background
9" x 11"
I have not tried this before - mixing acrylics and watercolors but my watercolor background became muddy so I just painted it with acrylics. I would have tried gouache but they were at home and I was at the Iron Horse Inn with my CBC sisters.

Watercolor Rooster #3
9"x11"

Art Journal page 75
It rained a lot so it was a great time to splatter, the Courthouse Square in Granbury has been described as one of the most complete examples of a late 19th century courthouse squares in Texas, the Iron Horse Inn was a great place for a long weekend spent painting and eating. You can find more recipes at Bed and Breakfast. Theresa at the Iron Horse has shared a wonderful recipe for her baked oatmeal that I will post soon on the Artists Food Network. We had a great lunch at the Merry Heart Tea Room on the square and a visit with a Tarleton alum at the Rio Grande Mercantile. For more Granbury information click here.

Art Journal Page 76
Don't we hate, hate computer problems and here I am pulling out my non-existent red hair. I thought my desk top computer had fried but after hauling the cpu to Fry's and troubleshooting with APC, I found out the battery back up had malfunctioned. Thanks APC.Com for sending me a replacement and I'm now up and running and thanks to a guru grandson who spent several hours out of a busy life attaching wires to batteries and finding where all the right plugs went. Here's my new travel laptop and then to try it out heading out to San Marcus on the Pickle Parkway after a stop at Heitmiller's Steak House in Elm Mott. A fun trip to Smitty's Market in Lockhart to eat Barbecue off a piece of paper. In the next post I'll include a slide show of some of the fun images from this favorite place for really good barbecue.


Art Journal Page 77
I went with a friend to the Austin Medical Center, a visit with Stan and Joyce and enjoyed seeing beautiful orchids filling their house and greenhouse. We visited Texas State University to see the Lonesome Dove exhibit on the first floor of the Alkek Library while the 7th floor was under construction. It just makes me see red when I think about what a big, big mistake Larry McMurtry made when he killed off Gus in Lonesome Dove. I was so bummed when he died. Lonesome Dove's duo, Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, our loved Texas Rangers turned cattle drivers, can be seen again at the Wittliff Collection and it will help preserve our cultural heritage of the Southwest and this unforgetable series. I thought it so interesting to see Deet's pants in the exhibit. They were made from an old quilt with leather patches on the inside legs and knees. Thanks to Mr. Wittliff to making this collection available. If you love Lonesome Dove please check out this collection. There was also a wrapped fake body, minus a leg that was Gus..not my favorite part because there should have been a Lonesome Dove 1, and 2 and 3. On to Lincoln and lunch at the Elm Creek Cafe, to College Station and a Rehearsal dinner at the Ozona Grill and Bar. Texas Monthly had a December issue about the 40 best small town Texas cafes and the Elm Creek Cafe was included. Later I'll include a slide show of some of the sites and from the museum collection.

Mel Stabin Watercolor Workshop ~ Dallas ~ Art Journal Pages

Watercolor 15"x22" Sold
The client had a photo taken on a Cabo beach and asked for a painting. It was fun to paint but I had to ask for help several times. Mel is very helpful and I appreciate his calling out the colors used when he begins a demo.
I painted this in the Mel Stabin workshop during the first week of February at Artist's Showplace. This was painted on Thursday when Mel said it was "our choice" day. On Monday was landscape, Tuesday - landscape with figure, Wednesday - Something ordinary and sketched with a brush, Friday - the figure. This was my 3rd workshop with Mel and his workshops are filled with energy, his poems and quotes plus his fabulous watercolors to encourage us to a new level.
The morning was devoted to a Mel demo on a half sheet of Arches of our day's objective and then around lunch it was time for each of the 25 in the class to get down to business while Mel visited around the room. Most days ended with a great critique for each work.
We could paint from our own references or he provided some great photographs that he'd blown up to a 11x15 size. I remember at the Nicholas Simmons workshop he questioned working from 4 x 6 photos and how I could see the detail and now I understand what he meant. I'm getting some larger photos.
Cheap Joe's has a supply list for Mel if you'd like to see what colors and brushes we used, click HERE. There are no gimmicks, mask or salt for Mel. He says "I trust the brush. It can do amazing things."
In the slide show below I have shown some of his paintings and I will show more of the student work in another post.

Art Journal Page 66

Some art supplies needed for babysitting my grandchildren, some of my back fence fell over, then it's pack and pack for Mel, Dana Gioia kicks off the PCPC 3rd art festival,
and no I did not watch the Super Bowl - still trying to get every thing loaded for the workshop. Dana was chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts under President Bush since Jan 29, 2004.

Art Journal Page 67


Some sketches about the workshop, the value study where Mel corrected my car to make it larger, the bottom two sketches are my paintings.

A slide show feast of some of Mel's paintings from the Mel Stabin Workshop. Mouse over for captions.

Small Watercolor ~ Art Journal Pages

7 1/2" x 5 1/2" Watercolor
On pages 50 and 51, "Taking Risks with Watercolour", by Shirley Trevena, she gives a painting exercise to loosen up just before painting. It's a method I tried here by flowing in color, making marks, dots, squiggles, drag and tap the brush, encouraging blooms, using water soluble pencils on sandpaper, and Stabilo Tone with the black. I exploited and ran with the results by adding a woman figure. The Stabilo Tone set was purchased for some studies from the book. They are a combination of colored pencil, aquarelle color and wax crayon in one and I think their names have changed according to this site.




Art Journal Pages: P. 47
A trip to the Kimbell Art Museum, Halloween with me turning off the lights and hiding in the kitchen, Bills, Babysitting job with art work, always it's "Can we do art?", Canvas by Canvas took down the Petroleum Club exhibit and hung the exhibit at Artists Showplace, then dinner celebration at a Japanese restaurant, Sushi Axiom, for the sold paintings before the play.



Art Journal Page 48
The play we attended was "Menopause, the Musical" and funny, funny. I saved our invitation to the Petroleum Club.

Art Journal Page 49:
Refrigerator clean and Quiller pack, and had a great 5 day workshop with Stephen Quiller so I condensed 5 days into the Quiller colorwheel.

Art Journal Page 50:
So I'm halfway through the Montval All Media Sketchbook. A small Shirley Trevena study, our brave Grace having her tonsils out and Grannie cooking her chicken noodle soup and pumpkin pies (which she didn't eat or like) but she got a new Hannah Montana robe and pj's. She quipped before the surgery after donning the cap, "I look like the lunchroom ladies".
The next few days were spend cooking, cooking, cooking... sweet potato and pecan pies, and biscuits and cornbread for the dressing, and fruit salad with the occasional sorting of paper in boxes in the living room. I found my car title at the bottom of one large stack and refiled it in the Important Paper tub. (So wonderful because I wasn't even looking for it and my goal is to have nothing lost in my house.)
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and can find where you put the leftovers.

Birthday Paintings ~ Lake House ~ Art Journal Pages

In my previous post, I mentioned that CBC members had a paint out near Gun Barrel City and while there we celebrated fall birthdays. This is one of my paintings I received from Maryann and she did a great job on my portrait. The painting is an acrylic 8"x10" and will be hung with all of the other birthday paintings I've received.

Karen is known for her "Poms" and you are allowed to put a "bug" in someone's ear is they've painted something you really like and I really like Karen's Poms. This is my birthday gift from her and since we are finishing up this round of exchanges some of us lucky ones received two paintings. The painting is an acrylic 8" x 10". We tried to be consistent in the sizes.

More about the remembrance gifts - these were not given to all at one time. In no particular order someone would call out, I have a before dinner gift or I have a gift to go with your coffee and the surprises would be passed out, sometimes wrapped, sometimes not. I added my CBC NS charm alphabet to my cell phone today. Thanks Margie. It's big and bold hanging from my cell and I'll be interested to know where others have found a place to hang it besides around their neck. CC gave us a group photo in a very tiny frame to put in a secret place. I quickly sketched in the notebook that I've collaged some images on. It's not to scale but it's just a reminder that this morning I gave the group a lesson on journaling. The notebook contains some journaling notes and at Connie's request I gave a short lesson on art journaling on Friday. All members attended (with 2 sitting in an adjoining room and listening) and I told them I wasn't telling them anything they didn't already know but I would "jump start" and inspire their creativity to get them started. Originally I thought I'd be finished in about 10 min. but we were still talking journaling an hour later and several had great journal entries before we left on Sunday.

This journal page gives the lunch and dinner menu items. The artichoke was on the package of a Hot Parmesan and Artichoke Dip that was delicious. We'd talked about "appropriated" images in the journaling lessons and I appropriated this artichoke for a journal entry. We always eat well at these gatherings and I prepared Friday's lunch: Chicken Salad, Fruit Salad on Spinach Leaves with Poppy Seed Dressing, Hot Cinnamon Rolls, and Hot Apple Dumplings. I made the cinnamon rolls at home and just heated them up that morning and we had enough for Saturday breakfast. You are on your own for breakfast and each member brings their own fare. I'm the one in charge of the coffee pot the night before to fill it up and get ready so the first one up, turns it on. We're thinking about having 2 meals the next time - a heavy brunch and a dinner meal, and maybe some appetizers and wine in there somewhere and always some chocolate. We paint a lot, eat, tell stories, laugh and paint. One member who shall remain nameless suggested "Why don't we live here and go home on weekends?" Good question.. Later I'll make a slide show of the house and some of the photos and you'll understand why we like being there.

Birthday Parties ~ Lake House Art Retreat ~ Art Journal Pages

8 x 10 Acrylic Painting for CC's Birthday at the Lake House What a great painting retreat at the Lake House we rented on Cedar Creek Lake in Gun Barrel City Thursday to Sunday and all 9 members were present and agreed this one was the best yet - perfect days and perfect weather. (We have discovered it's not really in Gun Barrel City but Payne Springs). We painted on personal and CBC projects and did a lot of celebrating as we had 5 fall birthdays. It took awhile to unload and get set up on Thursday but after lunch on the patio, we were busy painting with questions such as "When does the birthday party start?". About three years ago we began a painting rotation so that by the end of the rotation each member would have one painting from each member and we'd celebrate twice a year - in the spring and fall. The above painting is the one I painted for member Cindy C. Then we began to bring smaller little gifts for each member when we went on a Lake House trip. The art journal pages are filled with a record of these gifts that range from rice krispie treats, pens, pencils, wash pens, brushes, brush holders, soap, chocolate and more chocolate, jewelry bags, cross necklaces, mini highlighters, Sharpies, key holders, bookmarks, Micron pens, mini framed photo, covered boxes, cell phone charms, tote bags, acrylic note pads, photo book, mini tool sets, nutmeg and mini grater - and some of these gifts were handmade. My personal gifts were paintings from MAS and KSF, painting smock, and a leather diary. It was like Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

CY and I went to Little Rock for an opening of two of our CBC paintings, we hung the Petroleum Club Show, then time for a movie. You will have to be the judge on the movie.
Family birthdays and then days and days of packing and cooking for the Lake House.

Some Lake House Gifts...