Sketchbook Practice: Art Journaling with Megan Wells

Hi! I am pleased you're here.

I've maintained a sketchbook practice for several years now and I love learning new ways to fill its pages.

Today, let's learn some techniques from Megan Wells. She did this class on Workshop Week. 

Apart from a sketchbook, we will need: paintbrushes, watercolor paint, water, markers in different colors, white gel pen, black acrylic paint, white paint. 

To get rid of the blank white page, Megan suggests adding different paint colors all over the page.

When the base layer is dry, add some water on the page with a paintbrush, then add a drop of paint on the water -- see how the paint spreads like blots. Let this dry.

With the same method, you can tip the sketchbook to achieve some drips. 

Splatter is another fun way to add color to the page. Dip the paintbrush into the paint then gently tap the paintbrush above the page to get different-sized dots. Let this dry. 

With black ink and a paintbrush, draw some leaves and flowers randomly on the page. Work with odd numbers. Add flowers with a lighter paint shade (ex. blue or purple) for added dimension.

Megan likes to add black paint in certain areas of the layout. 

While the black paint dries, she adds more color to the flower petals and leaves using markers. She adds lines (using black paint) to add more depth to the flowers and leaves. 

With a white gel pen, add designs in the areas with black paint: lines, dots, crosses, mandalas, even words or phrases. These designs tame the black areas and are very meditative as the patterns are drawn repeatedly.

Here are other pages from Megan's sketchbook:

Here are two versions I made in my very own sketchbook:

I enjoyed the process and the many layers that emerged with just paint. This is such an inspiring way to turn a blank sketchbook page from "blah to TADA!"

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People Sketches and a Gift for the Grandparents

I'm glad you're here!

Over the years, I've been practicing my watercolor skills. Sometimes, I like to experiment with faces:

This is a sketch of my friend Jenna who lives in Macau. She has a beautiful apartment with large windows and she is a mom to many potted plants. I sent this to her and she was so delighted by the surprise in the mail.

This is a sketch of me and my niece Kirsten. I made an imaginary spot in the garden with giant flowers shading us from the sun and each of us lost in a book.

I made this as part of the #100dayproject in 2020. It was the height of the pandemic and people all over the world had to wear a mask to stay protected from COVID-19.

Also during the pandemic, my husband and I worked from home. One day, I made a sketch of the people he talked to on a regular basis on speaker phone. Not having met or seen them, I made these drawings based on their voices ("she sounds like someone who wears pink and pearls"; "he sounds like he surfs during the weekend.") I showed these to him -- only two of these faces matched what they looked like in real life. Oh well.  

I made this for my friend Irene. It's a family portrait that I gifted her for her birthday.

These are attempts in self portraits. 

I also made this sketch of my grandparents. They've called heaven home for many years now and I miss them so. Sometimes I wonder what we'd talk about if they were still around. Would they be savvy enough to do a video chat? Would they take selfies? 

This painting may not exactly resemble my grandparents but it captures their love. I think I'll frame it. 

I found this small gift box with a window. 

If I put the sketch inside, might it work as a picture frame?

It does...TADA! 

Maybe you or your kids can make a drawing of your or their grandparents (frame optional) that you can present to them on National Grandparents Day on September 11. This will definitely turn their day from "blah to TADA!"

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Bookmarks That Say Thank You

I celebrated my birthday in April, my second one in quarantine, but I didn't really mind because I feel more connected to old friends from across the globe because of technology. I get text greetings and we are able to hang out on video conferencing platforms. 

This year, a group of my dearest friends surprised me with a virtual birthday card. The theme was "arts and crafts" (they know me so well)! 

Each one of them made a craft, showed it off in a photo, and they wrote me wishes that really lifted me up and are giving me a boost of confidence. The crafts ranged from hand lettering, painting on canvas, coloring pages, poetry, drawing, decorating gift bags, and flower arranging. I hope that as they created they felt a sense of calm and a feeling of pride when they finished. 

I got so tickled with their masterpieces! As a thank you, I made them these bookmarks:

They are hand-painted and hand lettered with watercolors and the concept is a like a jigsaw puzzle where each person perfectly fits into a bigger picture. 

I started with a blank watercolor sheet, a paint brush, and my reliable watercolor palette.

I decided on a repeating pattern, choosing happy colors like yellow.

Two kinds of yellow! Because these friends are sunshine and positivity. We always have a good time. We laugh at the corniest jokes. We also offer encouragement when some of us are having a rough season. We pray for each other.

A blue moon because real friends are rare and must be treasured. 

Some tears, both happy and sad, that we've all shared together.

And a final touch of rosy pink. This is the backdrop I painted, symbolic of our friendship...TADA!

According to an article I read recently, this is what is described as meditative painting: "being mindful and present while putting paint on paper."

I marked the painting into 12 equal parts.

Then cut out the pieces.

I painted the name of each friend, saying a prayer for them as I did it: "Dear God, thank you for Lisa and our years of friendship. Please give her good health and strength, bless her family, and please meet her needs."

I did the same for each name that I wrote. I sent a photo of their bookmark to the recipient and promised to give it to them personally when it's safe to see each other.

We're scattered all over the world and yet our bond remains strong.  We are different but we've proven that we go so well together. 

That's why today, I celebrate friendship and all the rewards that come with it, including receiving the most thoughtful birthday surprise. Friends definitely transform life from "blah to TADA!"

Crafts Inspired by a Floral Arrangement

Hey guys, I'm glad to see you today!

Not too long ago, a dear friend sent over this floral arrangement:

 

I am smitten by her thoughtfulness and how this generous gesture says, "I'm here, I'm thinking of you, and I wish you well." The flowers definitely brightened my day and turned it from "blah" to TADA!"

Here is it in a different angle. I always take a photo so that I'll forever remember it. There are roses, hydrangeas, tulips, orchids, eucalyptus, and some leaves.

Of course, this floral arrangement has inspired me to make some crafts.

First, I made two paintings (these are watercolor paper remnants that I did not want to waste).  

The size is ideal to turn into a bookmark or it can also be framed. I mailed one together with a thank you card to my friend who sent the flowers. 

Roses dry well so I hung them upside down (tie a bundle with a rubber band and use a hook to hang on a cabinet handle). Notice that these roses are still in fresh shape? The petals remain intact and the color keeps a lighter shade when hung to dry at this stage. 

Here's what they look like after leaving them to dry for a week. The petals are crisp and any moisture has evaporated.

I put them inside my bunny vase...TADA!

I also left the eucalyptus stems to dry (same process as the roses) and even when dry, they have a faint minty scent.

I made another arrangement using an empty bottle for a vase...TADA!

Flowers fade and wither but through these simple crafts, I was able to extend their life. I am able to hold on to their beauty a little longer and turn even their dried versions from "blah" to "TADA!"

I wish you all an exciting week ahead!

The Scary Blank Page

Hi there lovely people!

Sometimes, in the course of doing creative work, we get stuck and experience writer's block, artist's block or creator's block. 

Many times, we experience it at the very start of the project, just as we open our notebooks or sketchpads and face the very scary blank page. 

So what are we to do? Instead of lounging on the sofa flipping TV channels or walking away "to find inspiration," let's face that blank page head on and just make something.

Here are a few ideas that I hope will help:

1. Use Prompts

"Doodle-a-Day" is hosted by Rhianna Wurman, also known as @ellolovey on Instagram and Etsy. Every month, she comes up with a list of one word prompts -- one prompt for each day of the month -- to be used as inspiration for daily drawings as an art exercise. 

She suggests a color palette and she even has a version of the prompts in Spanish, French, and German. What a fun way to learn a new language!

I tried it out and my version is on a 5.5 inch x 8.5 inch sheet of watercolor paper. I made postage stamp-sized boxes for each day of the month. I made a teeny-tiny painting each day which was less intimidating than filling a full page but at the end of the month, this is what happened:

It was low commitment on a daily basis but I felt very accomplished for taking baby steps...TADA!  

2. Sketch the Mundane

Whether we doodle or create full artworks, we can always find our muse in our every day surroundings. On a rainy or frigid winter day, when going out isn't a possibility, I look for images on my computer. 

I love to paint flowers and I found this in the website of a pretty shop. 

I made a few more, fitting five little paintings in a page. It felt good after because I was able to practice light and shadow, suggestion and details.

Next time I'll try painting these subjects, too: food, tea and coffee, and people I meet everyday. 

3. Work on a limited palette

I got this idea from Lisa Congdon and Peggy Dean. There are times when too many options (ex. colors, art supplies) can be overwhelming so if we work on our limitations, it's easier to focus. 

For this painting and the one after it, I used just the color blue:

 

This is a single color but you're welcome to use up to three and see what story you can tell.

These are just a few ways I turned the blank page from blah to TADA! Let me know how YOU overcome writer's/artist's block (you may write them in the comments section).

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