Journal Craft Inspirations

I am delighted to introduce Kolby Kirk, a passionate travel journaler - in our August interview feature

When I write in my journal… I try to include details that might fade with time, such as the weather, or my health … I also try to concentrate on recording more than just the sights, but also the other senses. What does Paris smell like? What does a Nicaraguan jungle sound like?… My journals act as a way for me to stimulate my senses while I’m travelling in the moment as well as a way to bring these memories back years later.

Read the full interview…

If you have the patience, and can resist the temptation,  try sketching your meal before you eat it…   A great way to remember the occasion.

“Another food ‘on-location’ sketch! Tried an aerial/plan view for a change.”

Watercolours in Moleskine Watercolour Notebook

From the Visual Journal of Liz Steel
(Click on the image to view original)

You may already know that I am a great fan of Jessica Wesolek’s online Journaling workshop - Love this Journal. Well, I am delighted to announce that Jessica has developed a new workshop which will be a joy to those of you who feel you are artistically challenged…. “a completely new, unique and original, no fail approach to drawing”

The online workshop commences 21st July 2008 and is an absolute bargain at US$50.

Read more about the “Art school for the Journal & Sketchbook” online workshop here

Just a brief post to let you know we have updated our shopping site, you can now view and pay for our products in the currency of your choice - simply select your currency from the dropdown list in the mini cart on the right hand side.  We accept secure payment by PayPal and ship worldwide.

We are also very excited to be offering PanPastels, the new artists pastels uniquely packaged in a pan - no more dusty crumbling pastel sticks to deal with!  Pastels are wonderful for adding background colour to your journal pages without the problems of warping and buckling sometimes caused by wet media.  They are available in 60 wonderful colours -

Use your journal to experiment, and test your notebooks to see how they will take different media.

“I bought a new moleskine pocket sketchbook, and wanted to see just what I could put it through. I started by stamping 4 colors straight on the pages, added gesso - then sanded it off with sandpaper. I added glue, ink, stamping, pencil, highlighters, paper, watercolour pencil, magic marker, and whatever else was sitting close by. I was rough and abusive, and it stood up like a dream. No leaking through, no tears. WONDERFUL!!  I love these sketchbooks!”Mixed media in Moleskine Pocket Sketchbook 
From the art journal of Suzan Buckner
view Suzan’s blog here

Well, you know how it is the little everyday things that bring back the memories?  Try journaling what you find in your pocket… 

It’s a topic you can re-visit from time to time, as Jerrie has indicated on her page.

From the journal of Jerrie Hall

I love John’s take on this, as he has included himself in the page…

From the Journal of John Payne
(Click on the image to view John’s blog)

“Sleep. Sleep. I woke up this morning having slept for almost 24 hours straight (with a couple breaks here and there). I’m sick with a stomach virus this weekend and the medicine that the doctor gave me knocks me out completely (obviously).

Necessities for when I’m sick:
–Ginger Ale: Ginger is good for an upset tummy. It tastes good too!
–Soup and toast: yummy…
–Medication: The doctor gave me this medicine to help my virus go away.
–Pillow: I love my pink comfy pillow
–Blanket: When I’m sick, I need a soft blanket to keep me warm.
–Tender Love and Care (TLC)”

Mixed media in Moleskine journal

From the Art Journal of Tiffany Zajas
(Click on the image to view original)

Cheryl created this page inspired by NEC’s Ecotonoha project - https://www.ecotonoha.com/index_en.html

Ecotonoha is a project - to nurture a virtual tree collaboratively, and at the same time contribute to the actual environment to cope with global warming.  As you make ecotonoha’s leaves, the virtual tree with grow, and as ecotonoha grows, real trees will be planted by NEC.

Watercolour pencils in Moleskine sketchbook

From the Journal of Cheryl Mitchell

A great way to capture little things as you are travelling, is the 3 minute sketch technique featured in Dory Kanter’s book ‘Art Escapes’. By drawing a small box on the page beforehand you avoid the ‘blank page syndrome’ and can record small things that catch your eye.

“Long wait at Lille station for our TGV. My eye was caught by two musicians travelling with their cello’s when they were standing at the ticket machine.

I loved Dory Kanter’s suggestion in her wonderful book “Art Escapes” that you draw little boxes on the page and sketch inside them - far less intimidating than having to fill a whole page, it also meant I could get away with drawing only the bottom half of the ‘french chic’ girl - the top half was too difficult!”

From the Travel  Journal of Gill McCowen
(Click on the image to view original)

You don’t have to restrict yourself to drawing plants in your garden journal - Jeanette has created some beautiful pages from her garden inventory.

“Discouraged by the destructive freezes and constant rain, I was inspired by the written inventory of “Garden Gear at Holkham, 1761″ in Laura Stoddart’s book, “The Sweet Life”. I decided to make a visual inventory of the garden gear at Longears. Here is installment number 1. Let’s hope that the Head Gardener at Longears doesn’t get so busy inventorying that she neglects to actually garden!”

“It was alarmingly hard to choose my favorite trowel; the Trake has long held that distinction, but the trowel I bought at my favorite nursery this spring is really a big improvement on trowels!”

From the Garden Journal of - Jeanette Yee Sclar, Mistress of Longears

(click on the image to view original)
Image copyright of the artist