Hello friends, hope life is treating you well. Today I am sharing another page from my nature journal and also want to thank you for all your encoraging comments on the previous page I shared.
Inevitably I suppose, some pages work better than others, and I am not too happy with this one, but thought I would share it anyway.
These berries I painted from a photograph I took on my phone the other day on a walk, I don't know what they are, not rosehips, even though perhaps they look like that. It was quite rainy and I wanted to capture the wet on them, which gave them a lovely shine.
The next page is meant to be a mossy tree trunk and a fern leaf. The trunk is again from a photograph I took on another walk.
I failed hopelessly on the moss I'm afraid to say, but it's all about the practice I suppose, that's why I started this journal in the first place.
The fern below I took home from my walk and painted it there, so not from a photo. I failed miserably again, it looks all stiff and lifeless...
For the background on this page I used a cool technique I saw the other day on youtube in a video by Scrapcosy (a designer for Paperartsy). You take a stamp and stamp it in Oxide ink, then take a blendingsponge over it. Because Oxides are a mix of die and pigment ink (which takes much longer to dry) the die ink keeps the image in place while the pigment ink smudges. I love this technique. The stamp I used is a background stamp by Andy Skinner.
Well that's it for today, like always thank you for your visits, which are very much appreciated!
xxxxx
Oh Astrid, I understand the feeling of disappointment with journal pages. Sometimes they never turn out on paper as they do in our minds. But other people cannot see our expectations so to them it looks like a wonderful piece of art.
ReplyDeleteSo here is what I see- Your berries look beautiful and shiny. I want to eat them but red tends to be poisonous. ;) Your mossy tree stump is shaded fabulously and I CAN see moss covering the stump and cascading over the sides. And your fern looks like a fern. I can imagine they are difficult to get detailed.
I am really inspired by this nature journal of yours and I am looking forward to many more pages.
Hugs,
Kate
I forgot to mention that your fern jumps off the page at me. I thought it was real and had to go back and do a double take. It must be your incredible shading and life-like details.
ReplyDeleteOk. I am done now.
Kate
Wonderful pages Astrid, and the drawings are really good. Have a great Sunday, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteThe drawings all look beautiful to me, don't be so hard on yourself. Your art shared with us is wonderful to see.
ReplyDeleteYvonne xx
I agree with Yvonne that you are being too hard on yourself dear friend xx The pages are wonderful and your drawings truly are amazing Astrid. This journal is so inspirational and I can't wait to see more xxx
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday
Annie xx
Such wonderful and realistic artwork Astrid. The arrangement you have on the pages is so clever
ReplyDeleteLove Chrissie xx
Looking at our own art is like looking in the mirror - we only see what we think are imperfections and not the whole image. Try looking at some of your art from years ago and you will be amazed at how good it looks now. Fresh eyes! Your nature book is to help you capture experiences in nature. If you wanted it more realistic, you could take a picture. Your art is to show what you felt and experienced not be a perfect picture! Your art is wonderful to look at and very inspiring. I would have loved to have seen the real tree stump covered in moss but I got a great image of one from your art and my mind can see what it wants to see - my own idea of what that stump looked like, smelled like, and felt like. Your nature book is a treasure and I'm so glad you posted these wonderful pages.
ReplyDeleteDear Astrid,
ReplyDeletealso to me, the two pages looks so beautiful- the stump ,for my eyes, is really covered in mosses, and the fern looks wonderful, next to your amazing red berries- I would be so proud if I was you, and the book I would save as a fantastic treasure.
Thank you for showing all this beauty !! xxoo
gorgeous!
ReplyDeletebye from France
Pitchoune
I see what you describe but quite understand your self criticism if it's not what you hoped it would be! To me they are beautiful! Chrisx
ReplyDeleteYou are brave to post images which you think are not up to scratch. But others have said, and I agree, that they take me on your walk and the fern especially looks marvelous. I love the tip about smudging the Oxides. Going to try that today. TFS
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your nature journal and I don't know why you think you failed on the moss. Looks like moss to me. And I think that is a great technique you wrote about looks great on your page. I need to try that with some distress inks. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThe pages are just wonderful Astrid! And I like how you add the perfect Mixed Media additions to your watercolour art to make it even more beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am really loving your nature journal Astrid. I imagine when it's all finished, flipping through the pages would be like taking a walk through the forests of the world! I don't think the moss was a fail at all, the mossy tree stump is one of my favourite bits. We don't seem to have much moss in our wooded area, something I find disappointing because moss makes everything look alive! sending hugs :)
ReplyDeleteThere is such beauty in your drawings! The light on the berries is so pretty and there is such a delicate look to your fern 😁 I love the background stamp you used too. I can understand your thoughts though, as often I set expectations that do not materialise on my pages that others just wouldn't see. Each journal page for me is a learning experience which I love, and it sure is a beautiful journey 😁. I hope you had a lovely weekend and wishing you a great new week! J 😊
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I love your drawings Astrid. So beautiful in their simplicity although, really, they are not simple at all. The berries look amazing .. you really made them shine .. and I thought the piece of fern was real until you told me otherwise. Sometimes, I guess, what we envision doesn't always translate to the page. Others though, who are simply looking, not knowing what the vision was in the first place, simply see the beauty in what was created. I see lots of beauty here and I love it!! Have wonderful day!! hugs xx
ReplyDeleteOh, we ARE so critical of ourselves, but to my eye, your pages are nothing short of outstanding in detail and realism. I adore nature, and I particularly enjoy it through the eyes of an artist. You have fluttered my heart, once again! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteAnd you are not pleased with this? OMG Atrid, if I could do half as well I would wet my pants in excitement. Love this journal!
ReplyDeletesandy xx