…catching up spring!

I looked at the calendar today and couldn't believe that it was already MID APRIL!!! Not, just April, MID April!  Seems like after a vacation everything speeds up for catch up!

A PEEK INTO MY TRAVEL JOURNALS...

Just returned from a sunny sandy vacation on the Florida gulf coast at Anna Maria Island.  It's my favorite place in the world, a bit of the tropics right in our own backyard.  It sure is a change of pace from sunless, gray and chilly upstate New York!

Driving around the island one day, it was a thrill to see an Easter flag that i designed years ago when i was licensing my artwork.  This house looked pretty fancy, so I was too chicken to go to the door and offer to sign the flag, LOL! I know, i should have.

It was a perfect trip. I came for the sun and sand and was there to paint!  Determined to bring limited art supplies, i made a promise to myself to create 1-2 pieces of art each of the 10 days we were there.  Armed with my journals, watercolor palette and a few brushes it was simple enough, and i did create 20+ journal pages on this trip.

 ...I like to bring a few journals, because i usually have more than one painted page going at once.

 This is my perfect vacation…eat, paint, beach, paint, sleep, REPEAT!  My bliss is morning coffee on the sunny deck with my paints and pages, filling the journals and absorbing the warmth and color around me.

 I love to paint.  There was no real plan to paint anything in particular, i just went with my colorful palette to just paint.  Watercolor doodles as a warm up got the paints and color flowing.

 …these pages can have journaling at another time...

 …brush to paper by the sea…….bliss...

 Capturing things around me with pen and watercolor...

...

 …the word "bliss" was speaking to me...

 …Adding words and journaling takes me back to the moments of tranquility while painting.  The journal pages feel exactly like the moment when it was painted.  Different from a travel photograph, when you paint or draw in a travel journal, you are putting yourself in a moment in time with pen or paints.  You are capturing the feelings of where you are, with your artwork which is drawn from a deeper place.  As you go back to the pages later, the artwork brings you back to those moments.  Maybe because your whole heart and soul goes into your art?

 …go to your bliss!!...

 …these pages hold words that take me back to moments.  Keeping a travel journal is a wonderful way to step back in time and relive a certain bliss and care free moments ...

 ...My heart and soul truly is alive and shines so bright at the sea…….

…until next year...

"Art Journaling Exposed" BLOG HOP!

Happy to be spending some time on the Florida Gulf coast, but pausing my palm tree journals to share in this blog hop for Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.

Have you heard about their new emag?!!  It's called "Art Journaling Exposed" and it's journalicious!  I'm thrilled to be a contributor in the premier issue with a little lettering video.  My segment was taped when i was at Interweave's headquarters in Colorado in December filming my Lettering DVD (ooops, just spilled a little secret...to be released later this spring).

This first "issue" is stellar. It's chuck full of artful treasure, real art, from real artists who teach and share their talents all over the world.  It's an interactive e-mag that you download onto your computer or iPad.  What impressed me most, was that for the $4.99 download, it is like taking a "live" online class from the best instructors in the mixed media community.  And once you download the issue, it's yours forever, just like a "real" magazine,  That's pretty cool.  There are articles, tips, artwork, videos, samples, and so much more.  To me it was art journaling idea goldmine!

Treat yourself to the issue, and enjoy the instant gratification you'll get when it appears on your computer in minutes.  You'll love it, i mean it!

To purchase the eMag for your desktop computer, visit InterweaveStore.com: PC download or MAC download.  And here is the link to purchase the eMag for the iPad on the iTunes Store

What do you think?

It's really an honor, and am happy to be sharing this debut and blog hop with my artsy friends.  These are the art journaling gurus, with the most creative inspiration and knowlege.  Visit their blog links listed here and have a ball at the hop!

In alphabetical order:

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/

Traci Bautista

http://kollaj.typepad.com/

Jane Davenport

http://www.janedavenport.com/

Dea Fisher

http://thestarbook.wordpress.com/

Jacqueline Newbold

http://djnewbold.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Osborn

http://identityseven.typepad.com/themessynest

Joanne Sharpe

http://joannezsharpe.blogspot.com/

Melanie Testa

http://melanietesta.com/blog/

Diana Trout

http://dianatrout.blogspot.com/

…fun, funky, fabulous fonts!!

announcing my second online class

"ARTFUL ALPHABETS" 

 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!  

ALL NEW!  Let's focus on the fonts and "lettering letters". We get artsy and fancy in a new online class: ARTFUL ALPHABETS.  It's all about making letters, whole alphabets with most the supplies you already have.  With your creative confidence, you're ready to focus on your ABC's and distinctive lettering styles for art journaling, scrapbooking and mixed media art.  Enjoy all new content creating fun, funky, fancy, fabulous fonts! (LETTER LOVE 101: Art Journals class not required)

THIS IS A PASSWORD FREE VIDEO!  FEEL FREE TO SHARE ON YOUR BLOGS AND WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

Joanne Sharpe presents

"ARTFUL ALPHABETS" 

*online class goes live April 9, 2012*

*25 alphabets in
*25 video lessons with 

*25 printable reference pdfs

*FOREVER ACCESS CLASS*

*5 weeks April 9-May 11, 2012

$35

Learn and letter 25 whole alphabets!  
With art and design principles, explore fancy script and flourishes, casual calligraphy, composition and spacing, decorative pattern, shading, shadows and color.

• This is NOT your "cutesy daisy dotted letter i class! Five weeks of sophisticated techniques with generous information focused exclusively on artful alphabets and letter making.
• Create an alphabet sampler and lettered journal with pens, markers, inks, brushes, watercolor and colored pencils.
• FIVE new alphabets and self paced activities will be featured each week in lessons posted on Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
• Enjoy Flickr, Facebook and Yahoo groups for networking and socializing
• Teacher feedback in public forums

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!

"ARTFUL ALPHABETS"* 

5 week online class

$35 

Within 24-48 hours of Paypal confirmation, you will receive supply list and class access information from Joanne Sharpe. (jzsharpe@yahoo.com)

…making journal art…..

In the midst of my artful life as my "business", nurturing and creating my online classes and preparing for my upcoming teaching events, i have to DO art.  I find great comfort and calm and "just breathe" in my art journals, especially with watercolors.  These journal pages are filled with my "art trance" artworks and watercolors, using several mediums.
The illustration above is in a square Handbook journal where i created a watercolor look with Tombow markers. First coloring in black doodles, then adding water to spread the ink.  A water resistant black marker is used to letter and doodle.

 The following pages are from my Strathmore Visual Journal MIXED MEDIA.  Here, i whip out the Koi watercolor palette and "doodle paint"….drawing organic black lines, doodling until i have a pleasing image and letter in my "words of the moment". 

… i was thinking about and wishing i had a LOVE button for Facebook….

...more watercolor doodling, filling in shapes with the new Luminarte Silks.

…getting bold here with Ranger Distress Stains as watercolor wash, spreading around the concentrated ink with a water brush making a rich intense background.  Adding a black and white doodle and some words of course.

…daydreaming in my journal with watercolor illustrations here, anticipating an upcoming vacation.  Palm trees will be included!

…must be thinking of the ocean in these!

I religiously practice and create my art every single day.  It's what i am, it's who i am…… my numerous art journals serve as my refuge, calm, therapy,  a place for brainstorming, experimenting and playing, thinking, loving and exploring……..where i live every day.  

Do you find comfort in your art journaling? 

How does your art journal fit into your every day?  Please share!

soooo Letter Loved!

My goodness February was a whirlwind!  I officially launched my first online class LETTER LOVE 101: Art Journals, an art journaling class with a focus on lettering.  It is a huge success with hundreds of creative souls from around the world, coming together to "letter better" and stretch their artistic muscles.  

At the end of the class, my very talented student Ginny Markley, presented me with this tribute artwork.  I was touched beyond words.  Isn't it an amazing illustration?  it even looks like me!  Ginny mailed me the original, such a treasure.


Letter Love 101 never ends, it has forever access! Since the class is officially "OPEN" anyone can register at any time.  The class is self paced with 29 lessons. Current students are enjoying the lessons, taking their time and lingering on the daily assignments.  We have a very active (LIVE!), supportive network of art friends sharing every day on Facebook, Flickr and Yahoo. 

...if you are curious about this class, here's what the Letter Love students are saying... 

 CLICK HERE FOR TESTIMONIALS

 I am so proud of all the fabulous masterpieces coming out of this class.  There are so many talented "letterers", this post would be 90 miles long if i could feature them all.  Students come from many skill levels and areas of creativity, beginners to experts, scrappers, artists, mixed media and more.  Right now there are 2000 incredible hand lettered images on the Letter Love class Flickr site, it's so inspiring!  It's a wonderful reference of creative energy.

You'll just have to join the class to experience that inspiration in our Flickr group 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Enjoy this very little sampling of some student work created from the class.
LETTER LOVE STUDENT ART GALLERY:

Bea Arreola

Sandi Tygar

Deona Paine

Denise Smith

Gail Lieurance

Gigi Becker

Jen Lynnie

Juli Elgin

Jan LaFollette

Kelly Reich

Kim Beinschroth

Linda Kitmer

Lucy Edson

Nancy Wolf

Pippa Gore

Rachel Markus

Ramsey Alexander

Sherry Pollack

There are hundreds more of these beautiful pages, and i wish i could share every single one!  I am so proud.  Thank you to my new art friends for making this class a hit.  As we celebrate our love of lettering and colorful journaling, i am looking forward to continuing this artful journey with you.

Stay tuned for more online workshops coming soon in April and June!  

And join us in Letter Love if you haven't already!