Nature Journal

Ellie's Homemade Nature Journal

Ellie and I took an afternoon last week, hiked and searched for treasure, and glued our finds in our nature journals! She loved this activity, especially since there were no "rules." Gluing flowers right on the paper was fine.

We brought along a mason jar with water for paints, watercolors, crayons, and glue. I brought a black, waterproof pen to write in our journals and document our finds.

I had my own spiral-bound watercolor journal, but I didn't have one for Ellie. I made her one by doing a basic bookbinding. I stacked three 9"x12" pieces of watercolor paper on top of each other, then folded them in half. Using the fold as the "spine," I used a tack (though a nail would work better) to make holes in the spine and tie yarn through the holes to hold the "book" together.

Including the cover, there are 12 pages, which ended up being plenty, as Ellie only really finished 2 pages on this one trip. We could make more books for each outing if needed, but this should get us through at least a few more hikes! It was also so nice to just sit in the grass and paint. So relaxing! Therapeutic time for Mommy too!

Five Dandelions

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to unveil the next project I've been working on besides doodle paintings! I've created a beginner-level teaching guide that is now available in our Etsy shop for print purchase (here) or digital download (here)!

This workbook is free when you attend one of our relevant workshops!

Here's an excerpt:

Five Dandelions explores five different ways to capture a dandelion on paper! Brought to you by the artists at ArtSourceVT.com, this tutorial is presented at a beginner level and encourages you to express yourself in a fun, stress-free way that captures your unique style and story.

Which is your favorite dandelion style? Are you a stickler for inking details, or do you like to splash fluffy, yellow paint?

We hope you enjoy exploring some new techniques and learn a little about yourself in the process!

Thanks for drawing with us!
The ArtSourceVT Team

What's New, What's Next

Okay, there are SO many new things going on that I think I need a bulleted list. Prepare yourselves:

• This weekend, May 23rd-24th is Vermont's Open Studio Weekend! This map (from the Vermont Crafts Council, here) shows all participating artists and the location of their amazing studios! I can't wait to visit some of my favorites, like Sweet Enemy Art (site here).
• May 23, 11am-12:30pm at The Art Store, 409 Mountain Rd., Stowe, VT. Come on in and see some Journal Jam demonstrations (more info here), and make your own pages for FREE! I'll provide all supplies including watercolor paper, OR bring your own journal! The Art Store has supplies to purchase as well, including journals!
• Stay tuned this week for a new blogging schedule and new site content, right here, including daily journal updates (via our Instagram page, @artsourcevt), time-lapse tutorials, and inspiration from local artists.
• This summer is all about nature art, in our beautiful state! We're going to fill our journals with field notes and nature finds. I promise I will try not to scream like a maniac when a beetle lands on my sleeve.
• I got approved for a grant from the Vermont Arts Council to start a summer apprenticeship with Kristin Richland of Sweet Enemy Art (her site above). I can't wait to start -- hopefully in June, and I'll document my progress for ya'll to see!

What else? Any questions about what we do/who we are? Email me at artsourcevt@gmail.com, or contact me via Facebook!

Journal Jam!

I have two words that will entirely sum up why it's been sooo quiet over here at Art Source VT: Journal Jam!

ABOUT
For more information about what it is and what we do, check out our Journal Jam section (here).

SAVE THESE DATES!

• Sat., April 11th, 10am-1pm
  Journal Jam will have a table at the BVT Moms Blog Swap and Shop event (event's Facebook page, here). Stop by and create a journal page by yourself or with your kiddos! We'll provide paper, (washable) watercolor paints, simple writing prompts, and doodle ideas/instruction!
  Where: The Schoolhouse; 8 Catkin Drive, South Burlington, VT
  Cost: FREE
  
• Sat., May 2nd, 11am-2pm
  Journal Jam is leading a complete art-journaling workshop with art and writing prompts! You'll work with two instructors for the price of one! At this event, you can begin your art journaling journey! Need help finding your own creative voice? Learn basic techniques for artistic expression, document life moments, and celebrate all the beauty that is you! We'll create pages by blocking out text areas, splashing paint, and adding our own doodles and handwriting.
  Age: No experience required, geared toward teens and adults, appropriate for ages 10+.
  Where: Artists' Mediums; 300 Cornerstone Dr., Williston, VT
  Cost: $75, and check out our short supply list.

Stamp It Out!

We're obsessed with stamping lately. It's become a huge focus in my art journals, and I mean... who doesn't love the simplicity of sticking ink on a surface and quickly transferring it to a clean page!

It's quick, and I love the simple blocks of color.

LilBlueBoo.com

In all my Kindle research lately, one of the most valuable pieces of advice I found was to spend time focusing on what you love and then building it into your daily journal page or illustration. I love a lot of things, so I jump around to different designs and techniques.

But ultimately, one of the things I love most is big blocks of color and interesting plays on graphic design and composition -- a painting that is heavy on one side and light and airy on another.

This can so easily be achieved with stamping and wood block prints. Of course, our little art studio is on a tight budget, so imagine my shock, awe, and wonder at finding Lil Blue Boo's DIY Foam Stamps page.

This lovely lady made stamps out of foam. Simple, rustic, beautiful. Be still my beating, artsy heart!

You can read more about her Foam Stamps (here). Also, her Family Art Journal idea (here) is just stellar!

Free Art Books!

So, though I've had a Kindle forever, I just learned about Kindle Unlimited, and I'm hooked! I've basically promised my husband anything to keep this monthly service, as you can "check out" 10 free books at a time from the Kindle Unlimited library. The first 30 days are free (then $9.99/mo after).

In doing so, you have access to MANY great, free books! But, my favorites are, of course, the doodle and drawing ones! I then can reference them on my PC Kindle program, my real Kindle, or the Kindle app on my phone! I can carry them with me anywhere! Some of these books were on my Christmas wishlist, and they're great for reference! I think I'll keep the Whimsical Lettering book forever! So much inspiration in that book!

If you're NOT into signing up for Kindle Unlimited, most of these books will be an inexpensive addition to your digital library anyway!

Art Journaling
The Art of Whimsical Lettering
Art Journal Freedom
No Excuses Art Journaling
Raw Art Journaling
Inner Hero Creative Art Journal
Artist's Journal Workshop
Journal Spilling
The Journal Junkies Workshop
Art Journal Prompts & Points to Ponder
Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts
Dreaming from the Journal Page 

Doodling
Doodles of Life
Doodles Unleashed
Doodling in French
Doodleology
Draw What We Love 

Drawing
Drawing for the Absolute Beginner
Drawing Nature for the Absolute Beginner
Drawing Portraits for the Absolute Beginner
Drawing for Beginners
Making Faces
Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces
How to Draw Cool Stuff
Sketchbook Confidential
Creative Thursday: Everyday Inspiration 

Zentangle
Zen Doodle: Tons of Tangles
Zentangle Art for Beginners
How to Draw Zendoodle Art
The Zentangle Untangled Workbook
Zentangle for Beginners: Ultimate Guide
Learn Zentangle FAST
Zentangle Basics
Zentangle for Beginners: Relaxing with Zentangle 

Mixed Media
Artist Trading Card Workshop
The Mixed Media Artist: Tips, Tricks
Mixed Media Self Portraits
Mixed Media Revolution
Acrylic Techniques in Mixed Media
Creating Art at the Speed of Life: 30 Days of Exploration
Art at the Speed of Life: Motivation and Inspiration 

Other searches to try:
acrylics, collage, stamping, design, creative, crafts, paper crafts, painting, kids art, journaling, etc.!

My Top 10 Art Journaling Instagram Accounts

Here are some of my favorite accounts to follow on Instagram that post art journal pages!

Follow them!!

Specifically, this account (@artjournals) features other great art journal artists!

It's included in my Top 10!

1. ArtJournals
2. KCDoodleArt
3. CourtneyWhite
4. Teoleto
5. Dana84c
6. ImFeelingCraftyToday
7. JaxScraps
8. Ebleaman
9. AnneLaureJacquArt
10. TerriKahrs

 

Kristen M. Watson Classes

Check out these fabulous classes with local artist Kristen M. Watson! I'm super excited about the Book Arts December classes!

• Her website is here: kristenmwatson.com
• The class list, for adults and children, is here.
• More pictures of her beautiful hand-made books here.

And, of course, she does plenty of other fabulous artwork that you'll find on her site! We saw her artwork at Art Hop this year, and she was our instructor for the BVTMomsBlog Moms' Night Out "Paint the Town" event! She is a wonderful teacher!

Zentangle Letter E

I had fun tangling this letter E last night! I've been grabbing some of our old messy paper to play with!

I love this pattern and use it SO much. Here's a link to a variation of it.

If you're really enjoying our letter series and looking for other lettering ideas, check out our Lettering Board on Pinterest, and share your work with us via #kasvtgallery on Instagram! Your images will appear in Our Gallery.

As December approaches, E and are going to be going to our Winter Holiday Board for ideas about projects to try. We'll share our Pinterest successes and failures with you! Come on, winter! I'm really looking forward to trying this one from Debbie's Resource Cupboard!

Oh So Beautiful Paper

Remember when I said we'd be celebrating lettering this month...? Um, THIS SITE! *swoon*

Oh So Beautiful Paper. I'm going to go get lost in that site now. TTYL.

This lettering tutorial lives on the site, here, and I'll keep a reference link on our web resources page!

Free Drawing Template - Owl

I'm creating a series of free drawing templates to use for tangling, tracing, coloring, whatever! They're grayed-out images that you can trace over and change however you wish!

Download The Template PDF Here

*Print setting should be set to "Actual Size" to cut out and fit into your journal.

These templates are 100% free, and you can cut off the KASVT logo to use the image in your artwork, for personal or commercial use -- no need to credit us!

I only ask that, if you redistribute the digital file itself, that you do not crop the logo -- just so others can find their way back to the site to check out other free templates, to be posted in the near future! Happy Drawing!

Sketch Supplies

Here are some of our favorite sketching supplies!

Tangled Haunted House

I think I like Elle's Spooky House more... the dark colors, the flutter of fall leaves, but here is the tangled/doodled one I did this week!

Toddler Spooky House

Tonight, my very serious artist painted her background, stuck leaves to it, let it dry, cut out her house silhouette, painted it black, and helped me glue it on the page with white squares for windows. Easy Peasy! Proud Mama!

Spooky Houses

Jamestown Elementary Art Blog

This week, we're creating spooky scenes and houses!

What I love about drawing architecture is that it can be as simple or as detailed as you like! Messy watercolor or acrylic swirls create a great background for a Sharpie-drawn or black-painted silhouette of a spooky house, black cat, ghost, or pumpkin! Add some doodles/tangles or other details with your white gel pen or some white chalk, and what a neat, creepy scene you have!

Want to customize this activity for your toddler? Have them paint the background for your scene and use a stencil to create silhouetted shapes!

I found this amazing creation on the Jamestown Elementary Art Blog. These kids are SO, SUPER talented! And kudos to these teachers for leading some incredible art adventures!

For more ideas about how to draw spooky scenes, check out our Halloween Art Board on Pinterest.

Want to share your art with us? Use #kasvtgallery to be featured on Our Gallery page!

Silly Monsters

Mateo Dineen is one of my favorite creature illustrators! Check out more of his artwork on his site (here). Just a little parental disclaimer: some of his monsters are doing some not-so-kid-appropriate things, like smoking.

But most of them are just... lost on our planet, taking photos, or stuck with their head in a sock... doing very human things, which is hilarious.

Also, his monsters aren't that more detailed than our creature blobs. They have some more detailed eyes, shaded limbs, and FUR. I've posted some how-to pins on our Halloween Board showing how you can draw fur if you'd like to create some furrier creatures for your Halloween artwork!

BONUS: Mateo has a blog where he actually shares the process photos he takes as he creates his artwork, and you can follow him on Facebook (here)!

Mateo Dineen

Ghouls, Monsters, and Creatures

This week, we are making creatures! I first discovered the art of imaginary creatures when I stumbled upon Carla Sonheim's blog, The Art of Silliness.

Then I took an "Unlock Your Inner Creature" class at Artists' Mediums, over the summer, with Kristin Richland. It was wonderful, and I highly recommend checking out her future creature classes! It went beyond the basics I've described below, to get your brain thinking more creatively! I loved it and have been inspired to make more creatures ever since!

Essentially, you draw any-old shape you want. You can draw it with your eyes closed, or trace the shape of an object you like. Then you add a few basic facial features, maybe some shading, and voila! A creature! Or, in honor of Halloween -- a few spiky teeth or lines for hair would make a pretty neat ghoul or monster!

Another way I love doing this is by painting (using your acrylic spray-paints or just making swishes on the page). Then, I look for animal- or people-like shapes in the blobs of dark and light paint patches. I trace them in black, then draw in simple shapes for facial features. I've been enjoying using my white gel pen (Uniball Signo) and a black artist pen (Staedtler Triplus Fineliner) (or any ol' Sharpie will do!) to add details and highlights on top of the watercolors I used below.

Here's one I did this week! There are more imaginary-creature examples on our Halloween Art Board on Pinterest, and I'll post more drawings and tutorials throughout the week!

Want to customize this activity for your toddler? Help them to draw or make shapes on paper. If they can draw dots for eyes, a line for a mouth, lines for hair, they'll have a page of creatures in no-time! If they're not quite ready to draw, cut out blobs of paper for creature bodies, and circles or other fun shapes that they can paste on their blobs, for creature facial features.

Want to share your artwork with us? Use #kasvtgallery on Instagram to be featured in Our Gallery!

DIY Acrylic Spraypaints

OMG yoo guyz!! ..... So, even though it's mid-Halloween-candy-art week, I had to share this! I found this idea while browsing the web and the wonderful world of art journaling!

DIY acrylic spray-paints! I grabbed a couple of old spray bottles -- the ones that our optometrist gives away with glasses cleaner in them (or an old perfume bottle would work). And:

1. Rinse them out.
2. Spray the sprayer a few times using only water, to rinse it.
3. Fill the bottle with about 1 part acrylic paint to 5 parts water.
   Or experiment with the ratio. Too much paint may gunk up the sprayer.
4. Add warm water, and shake to mix!
5. Spray away. Warning, it is messy!*
6. Add stamps, like I did with the "G" below, or doodles/tangles.

*This can easily be adapted to a toddler art project, with supervision. I'd just recommend using age-appropriate non-toxic paints, of course. You also may want to do this activity outside or with a lot of newspaper on your art table. The spray gets everywhere.

You can spray stencils, cut out your own shapes to put on the page, etc.! Today, I also picked up some supplies at The Art Store. I talked to the woman working there, and she recommended 2 new pens: a white gel pen (Uniball Signo) and a black artist pen (Staedtler Triplus Fineliner) for doodling/tangling on top of watercolors/watered-down acrylics. Both are working fabulously so far, though the Staedtler takes a little while to dry. I recommend propping up your finished pages in front of a fan while working on other pages. I love my Micron pens and will continue to use them for basic doodling, but the Staedtler is the first pen I've found that lets me draw over dried watercolor without picking up any of the pigment.

Pink Peppermints

Pink Peppermints! Just practicing drawing some peppermints today! Here's a mini tutorial I found!

I made the swirls go in the wrong direction on a few of them, but I still like them clustered like this, in pink

I sketched them with a Micron pen, colored the swirls with a pink Sharpie, then used a lighter pink highlighter to shade one side.

Text added with picmonkey.com.

Candy Corn Tangle

Maybe for the next project, I'll venture outside my safety zone a little more. For now, I took on a little candy corn tangle! E was not interested in making artwork yesterday... maybe today!