Love of Lettering

It's that time of year again! Fall classes at the best shop in Boulder (Two Hands Paperie) have begun! On November 7, from 10:30 - 4:30 I will be teaching Love of Lettering. Hand lettering is a great joy of mine, and gets incorporated into my drawings, paintings, and mixed media journals. In this class we will create a sampler of the many different lettering styles I use, as well as a chalkboard inspired page that is beyond fun. Join me as I share my tips & tricks, favorite quotes, and passion for lettering. This class will infuse your work in a variety of new ways!

Creative Lettering Workshop

There are so many great new books on the market lately that cover one of my favorite topics, lettering. I am pleased to share a new book by Lesley Riley, Creative Lettering Workshop that also includes an interview and piece of artwork by yours truly. Most books that focus on lettering tend to veer a bit more towards calligraphy or hand lettering, whereas this book is all about combining quotes with mixed media, perfect for the visual journal! Grab a copy and check out some of the fantastic artists whose work greatly inspire me, such as Jennifer Joanou and Pam Garrison.

Orange is the New Black

More fangirling! This time it's over everybody's fav show, Orange is the New Black. I love these characters SO much I just had to do a new sketch! Enjoy!!!

More fangirl funtimes

A little Game of Thrones fangirling. Don't get me started on these two. Working on a much larger sketch from the show. If you need more now, check out Scott C. Campbell's GOT Great Showdowns. He typically illustrates showdowns from films only, but gave us all the gift of a GOT series. Love him! I obsess over his work. Do you hear me Scott, let hang out and sketch and watch movies. Stay tuned...

Fangirl Funtimes

Having fun with little watercolor sketches for Lila Rogers MATS class on the subject of being a digital nomad. Google it and tell me if it doesn't just sound like a dream job!

Just finished reading (ahem, obsessing) over the book Fangirl. Sweet story of a freshman in college, falling in love, and writing Harry Potter type fan-fiction. The book within a book of Fangirl is coming out as it's own fantasy book this fall. Hurrah for Rainbow Rowell! Loving all the fan art (Simini Blocker I'm lookin at you!) for her books so much, that I had to dabble with my own! More to come.

A World of Artist Journal Pages

Woo hoo! A new visual journaling book is out! And it features four pieces of my artwork! You can order a copy of A World of Artist Journal Pages here and please take a look at my Q&A on the author's website!

March Misc

Downton Abbey

Aaahh, Downton! I can not even believe there is just 1 episode left of the season. A season that leads me to think we may only get one more. I'm not sure if I've shared very many of these sketches, but I'm crazy about drawing these cast characters from my favorite shows. It's slow going, but hopefully I can make more and post more of them because it's the most fun side project. This is from season one and I'm thinking it's about time to make a new one. Enjoy!

My Valentine

This is what my sweet husband works on most days. The building of wooden surfboards, skateboards and stand up paddle boards. Because not only is Chad a skilled craftsman, but also an artist, he decided to hand draw the designs on these two boards with paint markers. It's crazy and detailed and beautiful. Just his style.

Because Chad is crafty and creative and will pretty much do whatever I ask, he agreed to help me by being a guinea pig for my Silhouette Stories class. We spent the afternoon journaling the main assignment and this is what he came up with. I love journaling with others, but it's extra fun seeing how your spouse takes instruction and in what wildly personal way it gets interpreted. To return the favor I was a good sport with feedback on what was/wasn't working, where we needed more time, etc. All in all a good time was had by all.

First stage of the process. Journal writing, paint, collage, mono printing and mark making.

The Silhouette gets defined.

Filling in and around the silhouettes, and adding line work and lettering. Full disclosure: Chad wants to work his page some more, but as both student and teacher's helper, he did a great job. There is a story in his piece as well as an intensity and intimacy between the figures. I'll keep you updated as it evolves!

Jan - Grey Pages

Another year of No More Excuses! This year Gina Armfield has created a whole theme around color. It's really rejuvinated my commitment to my NME journal. This is such a fun, daily diary/daily sketchbook process for me. I just love it!

Inside cover was painted with acrylic and the quote is rubber stamped. The journals tabs were hand painted and punched using a tab punch.

Using my monthly grid page as a color sampler, to do list, and place for my word/quote of the year.

More "grey" pages and a little Game of Thrones love.

Silhouette Stories class

What a great class! On Jan 31 I taught Silhouette Stories at Two Hands Paperie. We spent the day working in our journals, crafting silhouettes from textured backgrounds and finishing up by adding details such as line work and lettering. Class was fun and busy and everyone really worked hard. By the end of class everyone was working fearlessly and headed in very personal directions. It was a joy to work with this group and see what everyone created using the same steps.

Creating backgrounds in our journals.

By the end of the day, each piece becomes so personal.

The finishing details.

January - what a month!

Whew! January was a busy and productive month for me. I prepped for my Silhouette Stories class at Two Hands Paperie, taught the class last weekend, somehow managed to keep up with my MATS class and Year of painting class, and worked in my No More Excuses Calendar. February looks to be about the same, busy, busy, busy. For now I will give you a glimpse of what I worked on and will follow up with specifics on my journaling classes and other projects!

Mixed media painted creating in Alena Hennessey's Year of Painting class, incorporating my word for the year, flow. "I am rooted, but I flow." -Virginia Woolfe


Silhouette Stories journal page


Journal design created in Lila Rogers MATS Bootcamp class. Tons of sketches and ideas have come out of this first assignment and I look forward to sharing them in the future as prints, journals, stickers and cards. Keep an eye out for them!

One week until classes begin!

Silhouette Stories begins soon! I am looking forward to teaching this class at Two Hands Paperie, a favorite local shop. In this class we will be working with the foundations of Visual Journaling, combining text with imagery, utilizing vibrant painted backgrounds and collage techniques that will become the base for our hand crafted silhouette imagery. I will demonstrate lettering techniques as well as how to add finishing details to your pages.This is a wonderful shop and we will have a great time creating here together, surrounded by inspiration! For more details about Silhouette Stories (Jan 31, 10:30–4:30) and to sign up, head on over to the Two Hands Paperie site. 

At first glance silhouettes evoke history, family and memory. We are reminded of simpler times when images were crafted by hand. Often we struggle with focal imagery in our work. We crave drawn or painted images on our journal pages but don’t know where to begin. Luckily for us, silhouettes represent the simplest way to view a figure, often as an easily recognizable outline, a black form on a white background. In this class we have the luxury to deviate from the traditional silhouette. Building on top of layered backgrounds we can create rich self-portraits, capture our loved ones, and represent our own personal icons and symbols. Taking something beautifully simple, rooted in history and tradition we will make it new again. Modern heirlooms are made personal by using family photographs that can be either realistic or stylized and whimsical.

Time for classes!

Happy New Year! I am thrilled to announce that I am teaching at Two Hands Paperie this year in January and February! So give yourself or someone you love the gift of creativity and begin your own visual journal. Classes will be intimate in size and will be held at my favorite shop in Boulder, CO. Silhouette Stories (Jan 31, 10:30–4:30) will be a more image based class, where we will create energetic backgrounds and use silhouettes to create focal imagery and with which to tell our own stories. 

Love of Lettering (Feb 21, 10:30–4:30) will focus on text as image and the many playful and expressive ways to explore lettering. This will not be calligraphy class, but rather a way to explore your own hand and the marks it can create as well as with drawing type in different styles! I am beyond excited to share my passion of visual journaling with you and to create together. I look forward to seeing you in class soon!