Art Journal Collaboration

I was part of an art journal collaboration in 2006. There were fourteen of us, artists and clients of the leader who had a Process Painting business. A condition to join was to take her class which I did. Kind of like art therapy, but it was not for me.

Tiger on the back cover - flower on the front cover

I wanted to be part of the art journal collaboration even though I did not know all the parameters yet. We each had our own book that was passed to the next person every 3 weeks. 

We each picked a theme, mine was Floral Journeys to remind me of where I came from: I grew up in a family-owned flower shop. I had a sign-in page, here I blanked out the signatures. On my first page I had an accordion book, here it is opened.

Perhaps I had too much art instruction in my past to fully engage in Process Painting. Getting psychoanalyzed as I painted was not for me in 2006. 

In February 2007 we had an art exhibit at The Winter Street Studios in Houston. I sent the postcards to everyone I knew at the time. Many people showed up - it was a fun evening.

Each collaborator had to contribute money towards the art opening: food, security, rent, etc. Cost me $250 in 2007. That was the minimum fee to pay the leader, or my work would not be shown. The leader’s daughter bought one of my handmade books. And I sold another handmade book during the exhibit.

Here is the flip page video of my collaboration book:

Inspiration for the collaboration came from fifteen artists participating with art journaling documented in “True Colors” published in 2003. It is a fabulous, awe-inspiring book. If you like art journaling at all I recommend you buy it immediately.

Can purchase at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/True-Colors-Palette-Collaborative-Journals/dp/0971729638 or through Somerset Studio: https://stampington.com/True-Colors 

Please tell me about your experience participating in art journal collaborations.

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017

To Outline or Not To Outline - Watercolor

Since many artists use calligraphy with sketches and watercolor, I took a weekend workshop recently at the Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H): Pen, Ink and Watercolor, for all levels, given by Joan Hughes.

On the first day, after getting our tube paints, plus flat and round brushes arranged, we got to work right away, no student introductions, no preliminaries. 

We started by tracing Joan's sketches on large light boxes. 

The first sketch was an apple, carrot and onion. After tracing with pencil, we used our Micron pens to cross hatch, make squiggly lines, not to show too much and no outlining! Then we could watercolor very lightly.

The second sketch was a fluffy cat, no outlining here! Still needs work. 

The third sketch was more advanced, a chair with end table, lamp, plus frames on the wall, mon Dieu! I worked and worked on mine, then Joan came over and made suggestions. I’m OK with how it came out.

Joan was not in favor of outlining. I could tell because she kept saying, “No outlining!” to all the students. 

In the Houston Calligraphy Guild Retreat in May, see my blog about that, here, the artist Shirl Riccetti told us to outline each sketch we made. 

So I was fully flummoxed!

Next Joan demonstrated how to use a flick of color to paint bodies for people. I loved these! I thought I was rather good at it too - I went wild making those little background people.

We sketched other people too and I was told by Joan, “Oh, you outlined!” Joan painted the hair on the middle person.

Other than the sketch samples, a handout of a grid of textures reminded us what to use instead of an outline.  I made use of that when we sketched and watercolored Queen Elizabeth on the second day of the workshop.

Next we traced Joan’s sketch of a poppy flower. By this time, Joan was telling us to watercolor before we used our Micron pens, so we would not outline too much. My flower remains unfinished. Maybe I’ll play with it again one day or leave it this way.

We finally sketched and painted a couple of windows and doors on the afternoon of the second day. 

In the ad for the class was a sketch and watercolor of a building so I thought that was what we would be doing, for the most part.

An hour before the class ended we traced the sketch of The Alamo, Joan demonstrated watercoloring the sky. Mine remains unfinished. 

Since WAS-H is across the street from The Menil Museum, I walked over there after class and enjoyed myself while looking at the Surrealist paintings.

All in all , it gave me a glimpse of how another artist works. But I still like outlining. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter: To outline or not to outline.

©Anne Rita Taylor 2017