The Love for Things Analogue: My Very First Traveler's Notebook

I began to form interest in traveler's notebooks when I came across the hashtag #loveforanalogue on Instagram. Sure, I've known the TN for years. But never before have I thought to purchase one because, well, as the term implies, it's probably designed for people who travel. I don't travel a lot, so I didn't see the point in keeping a travel journal.

But as the days and months ensued and I kept watch of the many posts about this TN thing, my curiosity finally got tickled. I've always been a journal keeper, and a lover of things analogue (from handwritten letters to saddle-stitched notebooks to old cell phones). I waited a while before I made the purchase because I wanted to make sure that I'll be ready for it and swelling with eagerness to use it.

Most TN covers are made of hard leather, some are made of faux leather, some out of fabric scraps, and some combine fabric and leather. I would've wanted the fabric cover at first but I couldn't find anything like it here in the Philippines. The best alternative that I found was this artdori from aireescreates.com. The cover is made of organically treated abaca. How can I resist something that's plant-based? :o) I placed my order at the start of 2017 and now I'm so into it. I love how strong the TN cover is and how good it smells. The 2 inserts that come with it are bulky and the paper can take collage, acrylic, inks, and watercolors. 

I've got my eyes on other brands of TN and I'll probably purchase one or two more within the year. In the meantime, I'm making the most out of this beautiful artdori by posting reading notes and other ephemera and mementos. Yes, you can say I've fallen into the rabbit hole. Joyfully.

Mixed-Media Portraits in My Paper Bag Journal

I haven't blogged for a week! I've been so busy with weekend family and school affairs + I've been suffering from seasonal allergies. It's never easy having to deal with cough and colds while trying to get on with the daily grind. But what is life without a few challenges, eh? Anyhow, I'm here again to share with you two portrait studies done on the pages of this brown paper bag journal that I made last time. I love how this handmade journal turned out. The pages are lighter in tone and they're sturdy enough to take in acrylics and other water-based medium.

Here's the first portrait study that I made:

I was experimenting with skin tones here. I wanted to try beige but I didn't have that color in my acrylic collection. So I used white mixed with warm gray instead. Then I colored her hair with a mix of greenish yellow and olive green. I used Inktense pencils to outline and add details.

And here's the second portrait study:

She's one of those vintage dolls that I like to make. For this portrait, I thought to experiment with acrylics, gelatos, and distress ink. The hair and the dress are mostly acrylics with a little dabbing of distress ink. The face and the background colors are acrylics and gelatos combined. I normally use gelatos toward the end of my painting process as I prefer to use them for adding depth and drama.

Painting on a brown paper bag is almost like painting on toned paper. I enjoy the experience every time, and I love how my creations turn out. I prefer to use acrylics over a gessoed page. However, feel free to experiment with watercolors, charcoal, pastel, and other mediums.

Watercolor sketch: Leaf from a Talisay tree

The Universe connects with us every time and it is up to us how we wish to respond to its prompts. Yesterday morning, after driving my little girl to preschool, I planned on doing field sketches at our parish church’s grotto. I was very eager to do so as I hadn’t done any live outdoor sketching for months already. But then, I came to think about my chores and other pressing errands for the day. So I ditched the idea and proceeded to drive home. Along the way,  a big leaf from a Talisay tree was blown by the wind and it landed on my car’s windshield. For about half a minute, I waited for it to be blown away again, but it didn’t. It got stuck on the edge of the windshield. It was then that I realized I could bring home this lovely leaf and sketch it. It is after all the leaf of a Talisay tree -- one of my favorite trees. And, you know, I've always enjoyed drawing leaves. (Ask my Botany teacher. Hee hee.)

So I stopped the car, got out, and grabbed this leaf. When I reached home, I laid it carefully on my art table and headed to the backyard to finish my laundry. The whole time I was loading the clothes and hanging them to dry, I was thinking about the leaf and how it just came to me, as if wanting to be drawn and painted. Or maybe it’s just me trying to romanticize this ordinary occurrence. Or maybe I’m just trying to find a reason to sketch. What does it matter, anyway? The important thing is, I was able to sketch that day. And I did it for the love of leaves, trees, sketchbooks, and watercolors.

Art Journal Spread: Faith Love Courage Joy

It's the beginning of another work week. I'm glad that my weekend went well and that I had enough time to rest and recover. I wasn't able to do any serious painting or art journaling, but I was finally able to declutter the mess behind my dining chair. (It's complicated.) I got to give my eldest daughter the chance to doodle and draw in my sketchbook and that made her giddy all over. My second daughter and I also had plenty of talks about her storyline sketches. My husband made this really awesome salmon soup for Sunday lunch. And we all got to attend the Sunday Mass. Yes, 'twas a lovely weekend, I can say.

 

Now, let me share with you this art journal spread that I made last week, while dealing with cold and flu-like symptoms. I wasn't in the mood to draw faces and somehow every time I tried to draw one, it came out really bad. Why bother with portraits when you can make nice loopy flowers that look like electric fans? I drew these flowers on an art journal spread with glued yellow tissue wrap for texture. (Click on the image to see more details.) I stamped some musical notes and old script before coloring the edges and select areas with Faber-Castell gelatos in pastel colors, Lyra water-soluble crayons, and Ranger distress inks.Then I added the tiny word stickers from CosmoCricket. 

I love how this artwork turned out. I spent days looking at the colors and getting some positive energy from them. Yes, this art journal spread is all about color healing and color therapy.  

Have you tried art journaling to help you recover from something?

Art Journal Page: Feeling Under The Weather

I caught a bug at the start of the week and haven't been feeling well since. My kindergartner had to miss two days of school and my husband had to take up extra household chores so I could get some rest. I'm getting better now, I believe, but not yet fully recovered. Thank God, it's almost the weekend. I am so looking forward to a day or two of prolonged rest in bed and not having to get up at around 4 in the morning. Yup. I just need that extra snooze before my official call time.

 

Anyway, here's a painting of a girl that I rendered on the first page of my Artist's Loft sketchbook. She's the reason why that sketchbook turned into an acrylic-based mixed-media art journal. She just led the way. 

Happy weekend, everyone!