art journal and daily sketches

mason jar pen drawing
first sketch for the year 2013, mason jar


My goals this year are to complete a mixed media art journal and sketch daily.

I often sketch in journals, notebooks or whatever I have on hand. Years later, those quick sketches, sometimes with added notes, allow me to look back at what was happening in my life at that time.

Doing quick sketches daily takes the pressure off of being perfect because I'm not drawing for my next art piece. It doesn't matter if proportions are off or the subject is uninteresting. These sketches are purely for the act of mind to hand and they often communicate more than I ever intended.

On the other hand, art Journaling is a mystery to me and often seems unapproachable. I've been eyeing this goal of creating a mixed media art journal for a couple of years now. Like a high school crush, I've been stalking the art journaling books at the library and on-line, daydreaming about how wonderful it will be when I finally come face to face with that blank art journal.

So I've decided that this magic is going to happen in 2013. Luckily, last week I checked out Traci Bunker's "the Art Journal Workshop" from my local library. She covers choosing a book for your art journal, materials and then offers art journaling prompts. This was just the push that I needed.

She has this cool technique for tinting gesso with pastels which she demonstrates on youtube here.

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