I have actually been pretty productive with my journals lately - from notes at the NAEA Convention and dealing with the passing of my dog to ideas for new directions in my art and experimenting with the new Strathmore journals. So, I thought that I would share. The page above is a sketch I made in my current 11x14 journal. I'm trying to take my art in a new direction, and I have been experimenting with more organic shapes and forms while still trying to show a shallow, layered space like in my Excavation series. I used a standard Bic black ballpoint pen. I love the gradation that you can get with it. I'm not certain if this is THE direction that I am headed in my art, but it's a step in some direction. I do know that I'll be adding to this page - definitely more shading, but probably color and collage as well.
I couldn't help experimenting in the new Visual Journals from Strathmore, and I love the heavier paper. I think folks will really like them when they come out in the summer. So, I had begun several pages in a couple different journals, and when Jeanette of Strathmore asked me if I would be willing to create a page that she could use as a visual journal example, I quickly finished the above two-page spread in the 5.5x8 Watercolor Journal (140 lbs paper). The beginnings of this spread can be seen in the previous post. Titled "Lost and Found" this is much more of an art piece where I really sat down and worked on it from beginning to end over a three day period. Most of my other journal pages evolve slowly over time and I incorporate a lot of day-to-day things. But it's nice to be able to focus on something and see it through in a short period of time.