Travel Journal

After much thought, I decided to make this journal using watercolor paper. I cut 140lb. cold press paper in 5.5x7.5 sheets. Each sheet was then painted with watercolor. Using Photoshop Elements, I created text for each page showing the date and place I'd be and printed same.

On the back of each page, a pocket was attached to hold postcards, etc. (see arrow). Drawing paper was cut to size and two sheets were inserted for each day of the trip.

I made a template for the holes and used a Japanese hole punch which worked great. I was able to punch 5 pages at a time.

For the journal's covers, I applied Inkaid to painter's canvas and printed a collage of maps I'd made in Photoshop Elements with added text. I covered heavy cardboard with the canvas.

To make sure the covers dried flat, I piled books and bricks over top and let set for 24 hrs. Holes were punched into covers - a bit trickier because of the canvas, but with patience and a lot of elbow grease, I got the job done.

The covers and pages were then aligned (I used skewers to help keep everything in place). Now I was ready to sew the binding.

I used a large eyed needle threaded with a hemp-like thread to sew the book together. I made the holes large enough that sewing was not difficult at all. Some decorative buttons were glued on to complete the book cover.

I plan to bring a netbook with me on the trip and hopefully blog about our trip.

I'd love to hear what you think about this journal!

Journals

When I travel, I like to keep a journal. This is a good way for me to remember the good time I had and also provides me with a place to keep mementos from the trip.

This journal chronicles my trip to France in 2006. I won top prize in the "I Remember Mama" contest, which among other things included a trip for two (my husband and me) to Lyon, France for the international opening of the exhibit. We then spent two weeks traveling around Provence and parts of Italy. The journal is made of painted canvas and cotton. Each day I made notes of what we'd seen and done. The pages are enhanced with embroidery. This journal is one of my favorites. It was easy to work on because I kept the pages separate and bound them together once I returned home.

France 2006 Journal

France 2006 Journal detail

My granddaughter, Samantha, and I celebrated her 16th birthday in 2008 by traveling to Paris and London! We had a grand time. (We probably saw a lot more art than she was expecting.) We saw "Mama Mia" and "Grease" on stage in London - how cool is that! Early June is a good time to travel in Europe. The schools there are still in session which meant the lines for museums and other sightseeing attractions were greatly reduced.

I made us each a journal. The pages were made of card stock. I enhanced each page in Photoshop Elements using pictures from earlier trips as well as family pictures of each of us. I also included envelope-like pages made of vellum to store mementos from the trip. One day I would love to see what Sam wrote in her journal.

Pairs/London 2008 Journal

Paris/London 2008 Journal detail

In 2007, I took a class in the Split Rock Program at the University of Minnesota. Eight of my fellow classmates and I decided to do a "round robin" type journal. Each artist made her own pages out of her choice of substrate. These pages could be enhanced in any way as long as it contained some stitching. It took well over a year to complete this project, but the wait was well worth it.

My journal pages are made of painted canvas.

Split Rock 2007 Journal

Split Rock 2007 Journal detail

I'm taking my husband to Croatia to celebrate his 75th birthday. We leave at the end of October. I've been mulling over what type of journal to make for this special trip. I woke up earlier than usual thinking about it this morning. I'll keep you posted on what I decide!

The Sky is Falling

I love this quote by Robert Genn "mute artists are more consistently productive than verbal ones." Stop talking and just do it!

I try to draw every day. Here is a charcoal drawing using my altered book as the substrate. It's a silly little picture, but it makes me smile.

Reinventing the Wheel?

I love color. I've always felt that I had a good "color sense." I bought a commercial color wheel and found it helpful in design. Making my own color wheels is what made the concept of complementary, monochromatic, analogous color schemes "click" for me. There are numerous books and on-line sources defining color - find one that helps you.

When designing a quilt, the last thing I do is choose color. I always start out with a black and white drawing. After that is complete, I mull over color. Color creates a mood. It helps me focus on the point I'm trying to make. I would encourage you to construct your own color wheels.

Commercial Color Wheel

Acrylic Paint Color Wheel

Magazine Swatch Color Wheel

Hand Dyed Fabric Color Wheel

Look at a favorite item around your home. Why are you attracted to it? Dissect the color scheme. Here's an example of an analogous color scheme (colors that are next to each other on the color wheel) - in this case, red and yellow.

Studio Visitors

I love having visitors in my studio. A recent article about my art work caused a flurry of emails and phone calls. As a result, Anne-Marie Grundmeier (a professor in textile sciences at the University of Education in Freiburg, Germany) came for a visit. Prof. Grundmeier specializes in instructing theoretical and practical textile competencies and happened to be in Naples on vacation with her family. Anne-Marie (left) and myself.

A favorite visitor is my daughter. Jennifer (and my granddaughters Emily and Abby) came for a week in June. We had a great time working in my studio. Jennifer home-schools her girls and is hard pressed to find a block of time to sew. She managed to design and quilt a small wall hanging for her quilt guild's challenge.

If you ever find yourself in Naples, FL, give me a call. I'd love to have you stop by for a visit.

My Foot!

My husband and I spent a week visiting friends in Asheville NC. I didn't have the opportunity to draw much, but did manage a quick sketch of my foot while waiting to go out for the day. I need a pedicure pronto!!