A New Year... What am I Doing...

As any of you who follow my erratic blog know, I take a lot of classes on line. Simple watercolor, drawing, mixed-media and art journaling classes.

This year is no different. I am taking a wonderful class from Joanne Sharpe called Draw Your Own Awesome Year, part 2 of a Twinkling H2O paints class from Dion Dior, and two classes on art journaling from Journal 52 and My Documented Life. Plus, I am working with 2 organizing programs to get my craft room into tip top order.

I'd like to share some photos of the art work I've done so far. Sorry that some photos are on their sides. They are fine in Photoshop and then switch to laying down on the job when they get here.

I'll start with Draw Your Own Awesome Year.
Joanne suggested a watercolor journal with 60+ pages in it. She had us number the pages and put washi tapes on the page edges to give some rigidity and support. The beginning of the book introduces the theme and ourselves to anyone who might read through it. Table of content, your word for the year, a mantra, etc..

My first page.

A quote from Mark Twain about setting goals and dreams.

The table of contents.

Adapt is my word for the year. Adapt to my new retired life. Adapt to Gary and my limitations and our abilities.

Second page of January.

Then come monthly pages to fill in as a grid form or in loose hearts, leaves, etc., whatever goes well with the month. We fill them in with daily happenings.

February came out very well.

First page of January.

Behind the calendar are pages dedicated to celebrations, inspirations, goals and wishes. More pages are to illustrate our trip(s) for the year. Then toward the back are pages of drawings and stuff. I haven't begun to draw any of that yet. Got all year to work on the book.

This class is a challenge for me. Joanne wants us to draw, letter and color everything. I am still a very basic drawer. It takes forever and many erasings for me to get something on the page that I care for. Arthritis has also invaded my thumbs making it hard to letter as well as I did a few years ago. I am used to incorporating stamps, ribbons and embellishments in my work, however I will make Joanne's way my style right now and go with it. I did cheat and resorted to using a painted page from another project that I punched 28 hearts out of for February. I will keep with it, but I have to get more creative with my drawings.

I'll show you March and some of the pages I've done in the back next time.

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