I’ve been busy recently, and not just with the kids. No, I threw caution (and $13 an hour) to the wind and hired a babysitter for Friday afternoons so I could take a class. (I feel as though I’m living some kind of decadent lifestyle, having a few hours away from the kids, and if you knew my life down in Los Angeles you’d think, “Wow, has her life changed.”)
I don’t know specifically where my interest in doing illustrated journaling comes from. I’ve avoided art classes since my age was in the single digits—I always catalogued myself as a “I can’t draw or do art” person. I bought Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain a million years ago; never got too far into it. I read some about nature journaling in Wild Days and the amazing Keeping a Nature Journal. I wanted to run out into my backyard and start sketching everything, but the writers of those books were talented and I, being at the stick-figure level, didn’t know where to start.
Tried painting a little bit with the kids’ watercolors. The pictures came out…watery. Washed out. Uninteresting. And I kept my journals in books with lined pages, text only, no sketches.
But then I noticed the local rec center was having a class on “Illustrated Watercolor Journaling.” And I thought, a rec center class! I can do that!
The class is taught by Gay and Christina, who do this sort of thing full-time. Their journals are right there in the class for us to page through, and they’re very inspiring! The class (two sessions so far) is fabulous. I highly recommend it. Except for the way it’s introduced me to a whole bunch of new stuff to investigate at an art supply store. We paint (I have a little Winsor Newton kit now), we draw, we share various things we’ve found.
I’ve discovered that I’m quite good at blind coutour drawings—drawing something without looking at the page. It’s when I look at the page that the “symbols” (as Betty Edwards puts it) take over.
At home I hauled out my copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and started doing some of the exercises. I even started going through Drawing With Children by Mona Brookes, figuring if she can teach children to draw, she can teach me to draw.
But in the interests of working at it, I have moved from my lined Moleskine to an unlined one. This is practically like changing my name and moving to Antartica in terms of keeping a journal. I take it with me everywhere, and I’m sketching. Yesterday, out with Darin and the kids, he went into Cho’s to get some dim sum and I sketched. He and Sophia went into Rick’s Rather Rich Ice Cream for cones and I sketched.
I’m really excited about this. (I was also excited about the Latin class and that’s going nowhere for this year—schade. But Latin isn’t going anywhere.) I’ve started a new listing of visual journals over in my Neverending List of Journals.
Your blog was recommended to me by Fran Pullara. I’d love to take a class with Gay and Christina and have admired their work. Unfortunately I live on the wrong coast! I have links to a lot of art journals in my post on my blog today.
Wow! I’m thrilled about this! You do indeed sound passionately inspired! I hope you’ll share your work!
If I ever come up with something I’m really proud of, I’ll definitely share it. It’s really hard to get past the “I can’t doodle in my journal! I need to write Deep, Often Self-Pitying Thoughts!”
So far, lots and lots of doodles. It isn’t getting easier, but I’m convinced that practice makes…well, a better doodler, at any rate.
Loretta: I will check out your list of links — finding art journals has been a lot of fun of late.
i’d been reading this blog because of the political comments and because i have two young children for whom i’m their stay-at-home dad. but i’m deleting it from my list of blogs that i read. you have too much time on your hands, ma’am and way too much money if this and your travel -which is indeed extensive compared to those of us in the real world- is what you have to worry about. you out to get out of lala land there and see the real world where people are living outside of their gated enclaves.
Well, I guess if you’re deleting from your list you won’t see this…
Why on Earth would you think this is what I have to WORRY about? Seriously.
I mention the illustrated journaling because that’s what I’m currently very interested in — it’s my current hobby, and I tend to, you know, talk about what I’m interested in at any given time. Should I write exclusively about what I’m afraid of, what disgusts me, what we should all be out there protesting about?
Also: I don’t live in a gated enclave. Doubt I’d like it very much.
And if taking a few hours one afternoon a week is “too much time on my hands”… well, what can I say. We don’t agree on that point.
Gothgate: Even when I lived in the woods, with no running water, no electricity, an at-home job, a baby, and no money, I had a few hours a week to myself.
The “real world” is a concept as amorphous as “normal”.
Hi,
I am really interested in this class. I live in LA. Is the class being held anywhere here? Where is the rec center you go to? Sorry for all the questions, but some info would be greatly appreciated!
Hrm, yeah…Gothgate’s right. You *obviously* have way too much money…care to spread the love?
/snark
Meenakshi: Gay and Christina have a list of their classes on their site. Today Christina told me the best way to get a class set up is to go to a scrapbooking center or a museum or something and ask if they can set up the class (I guess so they’ll get enough students or something). They certainly sound more than willing to take their show on the road!
KS: I’m taking an $80 rec center class — and that means I have way too much money? Um, okay. Whatever.
Sorry…I found Gothgate’s comment amusing; mine was meant very tongue-in-cheek.
Actually just found this site and read your comments about taking the class at the rec centre, and I say good on you. Wow, am amazed at Gothgates attitude actually. I am a stay at home mum and with all the chores, minding the kids etc and everything else I don’t find much time to fit in me either, so can relate 100%. Good on you for going out and putting a little money into yourself. I believe creativity is a self-empowering way of finding the answers to oneself, as we all know we have a million questions running through our heads. I guess it takes a man to think that $80 spent on ourselves is being frivolent! Personally I congratulate you! Not many women actually do spend money on themselves, usually the kids, the family, the house but we often get neglected in the process especially the mums that don’t work. I personally started to go swimming for the exercise as well as for time-out for me as it helped just as a way of relaxing and refreshing my inner self and I believe I am a better Mum for it. Everyone needs some time out – and as for Gothgate I believe he will come to realise that one day!!! Perhaps his escape is in the work he did, whatever way being creative, working at a job you like, swimming, painting, drawing, journaling it is important for you and your health to have that time. CONGRATULATIONS and good on you. I admire you, and it is a pity that some people want to add distate to other peoples happiness.Here are two Inspirational quotes for you: “To have the sense of creative activity is the great happiness and the great proof of being alive.”
(Matthew Arnold )
and “Just because someone is a travel agent for guilt trips, doesn’t mean we have to buy their tickets” (Michael Angier)
Hope the last quote helps you to keep on , keeping on being good to your inner self.
Marilyn
I did a search on Google and typed in the words “Illustrated Journaling” and this site came up. I live in Toronto Canada, and I facilitate Illustrated Journaling Workshops. I am excited to hear that there are people all over who are interested and excited about this amazing way of expressing oneself.
I am just getting started. I work full time at an abused women’s shelter, and do the Journaling Without Words Workshops on weekends. I’m inspired, thrilled and encouraged by the comments I’ve read here!
I took that class and its wonderful!!!!!!!!! Ignore whoever that kill-joy was!. As a stay-at-home mother, you do whatever it takes to STAY SANE!
I moved away from the Bay area and am looking for a similar class with no luck.
Anyway, hope you’re still drawing!
I’ve started in 2007 and 2008 to keep an illustrated journal. Great stuff.
…dave