Art Journaling Class

ART JOURNALING CLASS:

We have all heard for years why we should keep a sketchbook.  Most of us have ignored that recommendation successfully but perhaps it is time we drop our fear of drawing and just go for it.

 I took a class on Art Journaling from Don West whose info can be found by looking up  the following: idleminutes.com/2011/02/23/why-sketch.

 He was very entertaining and suggested that we each live more of a "Dog's Life".  In other words, lay in the grass on your back and look at the clouds.  He expressed that all of our lives are so busy that we forget to look at the ordinary things around us.

I only took this thinking that it might jump start me to work on a sketchbook but had no idea how the words would flow into journal form once I started painting.

Don also said that when he first posted some of his sketches on his blog that he posted that if his images weren't good or were poorly drawn then the viewers would accept his apology right off the bat and he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.  So please accept my drawing being very amateurish and clumsy so I don't have to fret about it.

 Don supplied a very small plastic box intended for fishing flies in which he put 6 watercolor paints.  Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue, Yellow, Red and Yellow Ochre.  We also got the coolest little watercolor brush gizmo that holds water in its reservoir as well as a 20 pg paper journal on heavy archival watercolor paper.  Wow !  So all I need is my little fly box with the paints, my super cool watercolor brush and my journal.

 It has been quite amazing to me how meditative and relaxing this whole sketching business can be and I am trying to sketch a little each week.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Angela's Dr's appt in Delta and while in the waiting room did observe a wheelchair.  Why sketch a wheelchair ?  Once I started drawing it, I began to think about MOBILITY as I had not done before.  It was a little conscious break through from my normal everyday life.

Don West insists that if we keep drawing our pieces will HAVE to improve !  Here's hoping that is right.

I really look forward to our weather turning nice so that I can go into the desert and really do some serious sketching and meditating.  I like the idea of slowing down and pondering my little world.