Bookbinding and Watercolor Journaling on Mackinac Island, MI

Catherine Carey and I co teach Bookbinding and Watercolor Journaling in my home studio on Lake Charlevoix.  Recently we taught our first workshop on beautiful Mackinac Island, MI.   It was hosted at the 130 year old Murray Hotel.   Joining us were 12 lovely ladies that were best buddies from day one.  They traveled from as far as California and Florida.   We made two journals and began to fill them with watercolor sketches of the Island.  Beautiful weather and much fun.

CZT Daughter and Me

FYI,  if anyone is interested I became Certified Zentangle Teacher last fall.  My daughter Becky and I attended together.  There were a number of Mothers and daughters there.  What a great experience.  Becky is an LPC and she is using Zentangle in here practice.

I have tried to put this on my Blog as a badge and just couldn't make it happen.  

This is Becky at an Art Show this summer demonstrating the Zentangle Method.

Spring Greening 2014

I finally up dated my password and now I can post again.  I bought these lovely veggies at the Farmers Market in Breaufort, SC last spring.  They were so pretty I just had to paint them.  I worked from the photo and it was really fun.  I find more and more I love painting my food.  The fresh raw veggies are beautiful and very tasty.

Folded Pocket Booklet

Summer is winding down and I am finding some time to get creative again. A friend and I Co-teach Book making and
Watercolor journaling.  We are looking for a few new projects to spice up classes, up so I put together this little booklet with pockets. I plan to put a few little paintings there.  The paper is painted.  My Grandson and I made it.

Folded Watercolor Booklet

I quickly made up this booklet out of painted paper on Saturday.  My friend and I are planning

a new workshop joining her watercolor talent and my love of how to figure out how things

fit together.  I am planning on turning this into a garden journal.  I'll post again when I have finished the paintings.

Low Country Crabs

While in Beaufort, SC my son and his family came to visit. He and his stepson and Grandpa Cohen trapped these crabs.  They cooked and ate them.  I though they were so pretty I had to take a picture.  Beautiful and tasty to.

Farmer's Market Flowers

It has been a while sense my last post.  Over two years.  I can't believe how time flies.  While spending a few weeks in Beaufort, SC I purchased a sweet bouquet of spring flowers.  A quick contour sketch and watercolor wash.  Why don't I do this more often?   It is therapeutic!

Sunshine in Winter

I am spending the winter in Beaufort, S.C.  While working in my journal from a photo taken last summer in Michigan,  I painted these happy sunflowers.

I transfered the design to some handmade, 300 lb. watercolor paper that I had been wanting to test.  It certainly worked different than anything I have ever used.  Soaked up the water and paint like a sponge.  I love to use lots of water so it worked OK for me.

I think they are rays of sunshine during a dark and rainy winter here.  Hope you're enjoying making your own sunshine where ever you.  

NEW TOYS

New art supplies!  Nothing better.

 Last July my friend and I ordered ceramic pallets for our studios.  We spent and afternoon painting pieces of paper narrowing down what color went where and which were the same.  It seems I had a few that were.

I ran out of time and came home with mine like the top pallet(only paper color).  Well...........you know we artist, at least me, are chickens.  I have no idea why but I just filled my pallet with the real thing yesterday, Oct 7.  It sure is pretty to look at.  I wonder how long it will be before I use it to paint

Back to a slower pace, or NOT!

Things are slowing down a bit.  No more Book Binding classes until Spring.  Our Winter has so much snow and cold and I live on a bad road for students to travel.  I will miss it but I wouldn't want any accidents.

My Journaling friends, Catherine and Karen, came over yesterday and we made books.  I found this fabric for the book cloth on a trip to Indiana to see my parents last weekend.  Catherine purchased the paper on a trip to Hollander's in Ann Arbor.  It just seem to fit so well.

We had a great time matching up paper and trading supplies.  It's always more fun with friends.

I had a few adventures this summer I'll try to start posting some of them soon.

Returning to a little slower pace or NOT

Red, Yellow, and Blue

This is Lokta paper. It is handmade. Aren't the colors beautiful? I love looking at these all spread out on the table. They remind me of my palette. I love color! Most of the time I use to much color or can't stop adding color until I have a muddy mess. Can you relate to that?You can't do that with this paper. I use this for the flyleaf of the inside cover of my books. Everyone is always so excited to choose there color. We gave a workshop last Thursday and Friday in my home studio on Lake Charlevoix, MI. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time painting in their new journals.

Weeds or Wildflowers?

It was a beautiful day in Northern Michigan and I just had to journal outside. We have been allowing the natural wildflowers to bloom, or should I say weeds? They look a lot like weeds because they are scattered all over. They are starting to go to seed. I knew I didn't have much time before they would be gone. I wanted to record them in my journal so I could compare them to next years crop. We have more each year.

From the Workshop

One of the students in the bookbinding watercolor journal workshop wanted to use a rough sketch she had done for her fly pages. We were a little worried how it would handle with the glue. I stayed by her side and we hurried. As you see here it came out very nice. I love it.

Students Books from Workshop

Beautiful books from the Workshop. Everyone did a great job on their books. I hope you are all enjoying painting in them also.
The weather here in Northern Michigan has been perfect for getting outside and journaling, gardening, even swimming and it's only June 1. I love it!

Handmade Watercolor Sketchbooks

I made these awhile ago, before I took a class at Hollander's in Ann Arbor, MI. I love making these books but I am a little surprised that I am driven to fill them even more. This, I think may be the one thing to help me improve my art and my mood. It you are an Artist and are not keeping a journal. Do! If you want to improve your art. Do! If you want your attitude changed. Do!

A little like Christmas Morning

Our first Bookbinding/Journal Painting Workshop was completed on May 25. My friend Catherine and I co-taught the workshop. This photo is the girls opening their books after having weight on them overnight. I was a lot like the excitement we felt on Christmas morning when we were kids.

We taught two, two day workshops back to back. We had five students in each workshop. It was hard work completing the books in one day and the girls were good sports to work so hard. It paid off on day two when they could relax and paint in their new journals.

Inspiration from a friend

My friend Katrina sent me a birthday card. It was a watercolor sketch she had done on 300lb paper. She added a loving saying in ink. It inspiraed me to do this little watercolor of Lar and Beck's sunflowers as a thank you to our wounderful friends the Brown's. They gave a very special pre wedding party for our son Patrick and his gal Kyndra.

Obsession with Book Making

These are two of my latest handmade journals. I am loving the process of choosing papers and making my own journal. It is so satisfying to paint in them too. I think this will keep me painting more often and that is my goal. Hopefully, this will help me improve my painting skill. For sure I am having a great time at this.