IF - contagious

This weeks entry for Illustration Friday.



Flags on ships, not just there because they are pretty, they have a messages. Can you see what I am trying to tell you? Quebec, November, Whiskey. Look at the bottom of the post to see the answer.

The international maritime signal flags represent an internationally, worldwide-accepted, system of representing individual alphabet letters in signals to, or from, ships. The international maritime signal flags are component of INTERCO, International Code of Signals.

Generally, flags can be used as signals through several methods, as follows: a) Each flag stands out for an alphabetic message; b) Individual flags have specific meanings; c) One or more flags can form a code

Meanings of International Maritime Signal Flags

ALFA phonetic pronunciation: AL-fah. I have a Diver down; keep well clear at slow speed


BRAVO phonetic pronunciation: BRAH-voh. I am taking in, or discharging or carrying dangerous goods

CHARLIE phonetic pronunciation: CHAR-lee. Yes / The previous group should be read confirming / Change of Course (Sailing Regatta)


DELTA phonetic pronunciation: DELL-tah. Keep clear of me; I am manoeuvring with difficulty

ECHO phonetic pronunciation: ECK-oh. I am altering my course to starboard.

FOXTROT phonetic pronunciation: FOKS-trot. I am disabled; communicate with me / On aircraft carriers: Flight Operations under way

GOLF phonetic pronunciation: GOLF. I require a pilot. / When made by fishing vessels operating in close proximity on the fishing grounds it means: "I am hauling nets".

HOTEL phonetic pronunciation: hoh-TELL. I have a pilot on board.

INDIA phonetic pronunciation: IN-dee-ah. I am altering my course to port / Coming alongside(Navy) / Round the Ends Starting Rule (Sailing Regatta)

JULIETT phonetic pronunciation: JEW-lee-ett. I am on fire and have dangerous cargo on board: keep well clear of me / I am leaking dangerous cargo.

KILO phonetic pronunciation: KEY-loh. I wish to communicate with you.

LIMA phonetic pronunciation: LEE-mah. You should stop your vessel instantly / Come Within Hail / Follow Me (Sailing Regatta)

MIKE phonetic pronunciatio:n MIKE. My vessel is stopped and making no way through the water / Mark Missing (Sailing Regatta)


NOVEMBER phonetic pronunciation: no-VEM-bur. No or negative / The previous group should be read denying / Noor Abandonment and Re-sail (Sailing Regatta)

OSKAR phonetic pronunciation: OSS-kur. Man overboard

PAPA phonetic pronunciation: pah-PAH. In harbor: All persons should report on board as the vessel is about to proceed to sea / At sea: It may be used by fishing vessels to mean: "My nets have come fast upon an obstruction" / At sea: I require a pilot

QUEBECK phonetic pronunciation: kay-BECK. My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique / Boat recall; all boats return to ship. (Navy)

ROMEO phonetic pronunciation: ROH-me-oh. At sea: Preparing to replenish / In port: Ready duty ship(Navy)

SIERRA phonetic pronunciation: see-AIR-ah. I am operating astern propulsion / Conducting flag hoist drill (Navy) / Shorten Course (Sailing Regatta)

TANGO phonetic pronunciation: TANG-go. Keep clear of me; I am engaged in pair trawling / Do not pass ahead of me. (Navy)

UNIFORM phonetic pronunciation: YOU-nee-form. You are going into danger

VIKTOR phonetic pronunciation: VIK-tah. I require assistance.

WHISKEY phonetic pronunciation: WISS-kee. I require medical assistance

X—RAY phonetic pronunciation: ECKS-ray. Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals, / I am performing an exercise (the accompanying flag designates the type) / Individual Recall (Sailing Regatta)

YANKEE phonetic pronunciation: YANG-kee. I am dragging my anchor, / Ship has visual communications duty, (Navy) / Wear Life Jackets (Sailing Regatta)

ZULU - phonetic pronunciation: ZOO-loo. I require a tug / When made by fishing vessels operating in close proximity on the fishing grounds it means: "I am shooting nets" / 20% Scoring Penalty (Sailing Regatta)


Here is what I am trying to say:
My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique, the previous group should be read denying, I require medical assistance.

Medium used: watercolour and permanent marker.

Art journal - spring 09

The Norwegian word for spring is vår, /vå:r/.

Spring marks the transition from winter into summer. What signals you are judging the time of year after? For me spring is the birds of passages returning, singing, calling out to a mate, lets build and settle. Bumblebees and butterflies searching for nectar in the goat willow. Feeling the sun warm my skin. Seeing the wild flowers in my garden peeking up from the grown.

Another signal that the spring is here, is the midnightsun. It is still some days to we have the full effect. Today the sun raised at 01.51 and it will go down at 23.39.

So for me, where I live in the northern part of Norway, spring comes late and last short. So we must enjoy every minute or you will miss it.

Medium used: watersoluble wax pastel and pencil.

Art journal - to cut or not to cut

To cut or not to cut that's the question. It's my hair I am referring to. My hair is worn and have split ends. There is no doubt about that I need a hair cut, but how much? The length of my hair has past my waist some time ago... Not sure how much I'll cut yet, we'll see..

The art journal entry for today is obviously inspired by my wonders on how much to cut. The text on the bubble is from a Norwegian folklore, loosely translated: "scissors said the wife, knife said the husband."

Medium used: pastel chalk and pencil.

Losing my balance

Sadly I get periods in my life where I lose my balance. The world is spinning and my concentration is not there. All I want to do is lay still in till it all passes. It started with a car accident 4 years a go, now it comes in period. It is SLOWLY getting better, and I am starting to learn to live my life with this illness.

The illness has made me renounce/give up things I really want to do, and just concentrate on what is important to me. I can not hold the pace I used to. To me right now my priority is my family and my studies(need to pass those exams...). My art is important, but the time and effort I put into it comes in waves much as my illness.

My art journal is a good friend. It is a great comfort knowing I can nurture some of that creativity even if it is small scale. This is a entry form my journal when this last dizzy period started. For me it is the feeling of falling into a swoon.


Medium used: watercolour and permanent marker.
Entry made in the: brown hard covered journal from Huey.

IF - breezy

This weeks entry for Illustration Friday is breezy.


I really liked this part of the illustration.

How did the inspiration for this illo come to life? Do you use open source? Like different kind of Ubuntu, Linux, Open Office, Firefox, Wordpress and so on? There is a version of Ubuntu called Breezy Badger, and the obvious illustration would have been a drunk badger. How ever my mind wandered and I wanted to spin around the Ubuntu logo.

When trying a open sours for the first time, I was not sure what to expect. Feeling like I was hanging in mid air and not that many people to help me if something was not the way I liked it to be. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised! I gave me a feeling of freedom, I could do what ever I wanted and still have full control that no virus would come and destroy it. It was this feeling was it that brought me to the next question. What kind of feeling do a person have that go jumping out of a plane? Would it be windy or just breezy? Would they have that same feeling of freedom? My illustration ended up with three people that are free falling.

This is how the Ubuntu logo looks like.
Medium used: charcoal and watercolour.

Boxes - I have an idea or two

First I like to say thank you so much for all the great ideas! There is no doubt that you can do great things with boxes. A lot of you suggested altered art in some form so when summer comes, and school is out I'll give it a try!

The winners
1st: Vicki Robison and I'll take her up on her suggestion and make a small medicine cabinet/box, she will also receive 1 box of embodier floss,1 box of blue pearls, 2 box of precut Norwegian vintage paper from 1925 and 1943!

2 consolation prizes LaY hOoN and Brenda. They will get 3 boxes each, 2 boxes whit the same vintage paper as the first prise and the last box I'll fill with scrap, mostly Christmas theme or you can have the same small medicine cabinet/box as Vicki, your choise. (I'll send you a mail for details.)

Stacy and Kristine asked where I got these boxes, well I have a wonderful spouse that rescued them form going in the recycle bin at his work. So now I get to recycle them! They are original for having hard candy in.

Rena Sawatski mentioned ATC sadly the boxes are to small.

Have you read the comments? There are just plenty of good ideas!

I have edit some of the text to sum up the ideas, if you publish it in some form please give credit where credit is do……

ArtSnark said...
Sand the tin. Then soak in vinegar (or vinegar & bleach) with a piece of rusty metal. When the tin box rusts you dry & spray with sealer & then decorate as you wish.

Kathy said...
Make assemblage's (mixed media) from these types of tins. My secret (not any more) is to throw them in the fire and let the paint burn off, then I leave them outside to rust to perfection. I have also spray painted them to use as well.

whyte said...
Spray paint the outsides, collage the top of the lid and melt some nice candlewax from a pooped out scented candle or wax melt, pour into the tin, add a new wick, ta-dah, new candle tin.

Brenda said...
Sand them lightly, coat with gesso and then other coats of acrylic and I have melted UTEE onto them, of course images as well, you could use one as a canvas for a mini piece of art - oh the possibilities, drool. How about using one for a mini photo album that concertinas out?

Rose said...
I'd collage them and then make little sewing kits from them or put a little trinket in them and use as a gift or table favor.

Rena Sawatski said...
Collage, paint, distress, do assemblage. You could make them into an art doll. Decorate the inside, add a little book or possibly use them for ATC's.

Oh, How about making a shrine with them?

thismuseofmine said...
As several of the ladies said you can alter them and make assemblages, I have done that. I noticed that no one mentioned Alcohol inks. They work well for metal, so you might try that. Here is a link that I love to go to for a little inspiration:
http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/alttins.html

This is something I have done with my girl scouts before. They LOVED it. They are middle school age, so they have all kinds of things like gum and lip gloss, etc that they can put in them. Again here is a link: http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=2032

My very favourite thing that I have done with little tins was when my little niece was born a premie, and she was quarantined, so no one could come and visit. EVERYONE wanted to see pictures- it is so hard to carry them around in your purse without them getting ruined, so I made a little accordian book that went inside the tin. When the lid opened you just pulled on the end of the card, and you could see 6 pictures of her, and then you turn it the other direction and you can see 5 more. Then you just fold it back up and it goes right back in. Of course I decorated it, inside and out, but I made sure the decorations were things that would stay on really tight, so that when it was rattling around in my purse it would still be really pretty.

These make GREAT baby gifts- or gifts for the grandma's- all they have to do is attach the pictures and they have a great brag tin. You actually could make these for any holiday, or for any age kids. If you wanted to just have one to show off your kids. You could even do one with those photo corners, so you could change the pictures out when your kids get new ones every school year like ours do.

Katla said...
The downside of boxes is that they get messy themselves, hard to keep track of the right boxes. So if you had a tiny shelf where they fit it would be great. Or if you add fronts to them , and make them into tiny drawers, a lot of work but I think it will be very nice. -and organized.

Can also be used to make our wedding-invitations!

LaY hOoN said...
I think I'll turn the metal box into altered art piece, will put in my daughters picture in it.

Poetic Dreams said...
I think I would make them into a sweet love note for someone special. Take paper and fold it accordian style. Glue the last sheet in the tin and add a lil ribbon to the front sheet to use as a pully. That is after ya've written ya special message on it.

These would be nice to leave hidden as a treasure to find. I used to leave notes in my children's lunch boxes or hubbys pant pockets for them to find.

angeltreats said...

Similar tin boxes that have been covered with polymer clay (Fimo, Sculpey etc). Like here: http://www.desiredcreations.com/howTo_PJCoverAltoid.htm

A Christmas idea.

Ya know those advent calenders? Why not make one with the tins? All ya have to do is take 25 of them, Put a special picture on the inside (use up those Christmas cards ya received) then add a lil Knob on the front of it to open the tin. Then when Christmas comes ya can add a Lil Treat inside each box before ya put it out. Ya can either add a nice lil trinket toy or a small candy. I think that would be an awesome thing to make with the tins.

They're all the same size and it'll look so cute! All ya have to do is decide if ya want to hang it or have it as a free form stand. If ya make it to hang I would glue the tins to some kind of board. Like a small Cork Board.Or ya can even recycle an old Cookie sheet and add the maganetic sheet to the back of each tin and then it'll hang on the cookie sheet.

If ya make it free form then ya can get one of those large Plexic glass free standing Picture frames and glue them on it. Ya can then slide a piece of Christmas wrap inside the frame. OH! and ya could even use this same idea for a countdown for the other hoilidays. Valentines,Easter, Etc.. Then all ya do is change the background by just sliding the piece out of the frame! How cool is that? lol


Camille said...
Take the tins and use, sand paper or a file, and scuff them up really well, leaving the edges around the opening bits nice and smooth. You don't want to mess up the open/close part of the box, or the hinges.

Take a min and look at the box and see how you would like it to hang on the wall. Being careful, take a nail and hammer, prop the portion of the tin to be punched on a piece of wood and make a tiny hole for ribbon later. You can use your hammer to make the sharp bits of the opening lay flat with one good wack.

Now get some clay. I use sculpty, but try any you have on hand, even Air dry should work just fine.

Go around the bottom and sides of the tin, leaving the hinges and closing lip of the box plain (no clay). When you have covered the bottom, texture and decorate however your heart desires.

Now to do the top of the box. Get some Tin Foil, Clay, a pce of clear plastic (I save them off everything, even shrink wrap would work), and that nail and hammer again (or if you have a drill tool it will make life easy).

Draw with a permanent marker an outline of a frame. Make sure to leave enough around the edges to give some interest, and accept the clay. After you have cut out the center portion of the lid, use the file or hammer to knock down the sharp bits.

Go around the top of the lid just as you did the bottom of the box, but now get funky. Make a Frame around the top of your box!. Use the Tin Foil to prop up the clay and make it larger than the box. Now bake or let air dry.

When it is dry or cools off trim with a fingernail file any parts you think need to go. Dust it off.Get ready to make it your own.

Paint it, stain it, make it the way you want it to look. I usually think about what is going inside and go with that theme.

When its dry. Open it up and insert your ribbon hanger. Once that is in, cut felt or fabric or scrapbook paper for the sides and background and insert little things you want inside. Make sure to use glue to keep it all standing!.

Lay the lid open and take the shrink wrap or plastic cut it to just a little wider than the window you made, glue the edges and pull it tight.

Now you have a pretty tiny little shadow box, ready to hang on your wall for all to see!.

Ruth D said...
Here's an idea - that I just bought a dozen tin boxes to do - I think I first planned this when I heard about Oprah's Christmas box - with a template to print little cards. I want to personalize one for each member of my family(7 here in CA) and then print out blank cards and give 7 blanks to each person to write a note to a family member and slip it into their box - The boxes will be in a central location in the house and cards can be secret if so chosen. Hopefully these little gifts can go into the Easter
baskets. Wondering if I should title the cards with...something like " The nicest thing about you is...

I love the tins to store stuff in too so I have some left over.

Kaine said...
Decorate the outside in the various ways already outline in other comments and turn them into paint palettes by glueing whole pans and half pans in the inside. It makes a great little travel palette for a fraction of the cost of buying a travel palette from the art supply companies.

Lindart said...
Sand them well, then make a little shrine from them, for a person who has passed, or an idol of some sort.

OR take a hint from your GM and decorate them, and put journaling prompts inside, or technique prompts, then put them all in a bowl and choose one every time you need an idea!

candy said...
Line it with felt and make an mp3 player holder.

jaybean said...

Sand them but I do think I will have to try the fire bit now! Mine are made for captured fairies and saved fairy babies that need tiny places to sleep and be safe until they get there full wings. Like a cocoon only a found tin.

Collage some, paper butterflies are great for decorating them and now there are so many nice brads and grommets that you can insert through the cover!

Link for altered tins: http://www.artchixstudio.com/create/classroom/class_alteredtins.htm

Little Joys said...
Alter them with papers and collage, then create fold-out books that attach and fit inside. I usually choose a theme for the whole piece and carry it throughout. I also love to use tins as personal shrines - great gifts!


Kristin Long said...
Decorating them (like collaging them) and then giving them to a loved one as pill boxes or have little notes inside for that person.

Vicki Robison said...
They could be hundreds of things. But maybe look around and see what you need or what could make life exsier? Storage, shrine, small med kit, drawing kit, painting kit, medicine cabinet.

Stacy Alexander said...
I would utilize some of the earlier suggestions and distress/paint them and use them as bodies for dolls. Add a head or face on top, limbs and you've got a great little art doll!

jasmoon-butterfly said...
Create a lost aged looking tin made by the fae with lots of little notes made by them of recipes / garden fae flora even some notes on humans!....either mini scrolls or mini booklets aged with tea and burnt edges!

pinkflamingo61 said...
Bar Mitzvah idea. For a present I am making him a Mezuzah. It's a small prayer box that hangs at the door of the rooms in the house. Inside the box is a prayer. The outside is decorated in many different ways. I sanded an Altoids box, the thin one not the square-ish one. I covered it in vintage text. On the top of the box, which really is the side as I am using the box on end so it opens like a book, I put a vintage small plastic toy shepherd with a lamb on his shoulders. On the front of the box I put a really tiny, one inch high Frozen Charlotte doll, bisque from the 1800's Germany. I dipped her feet in super tiny beads and glue before attaching. I used a large fox head charm over the doll. Then I layered gold, verde and touches of black paint to make it look like old metal with the text showing through in places.I used polymer clay as putty around all of the additions so they were seamless, actually coming out of the box like a sculpture rather than an assemblage. When it was finished I put 5 or 6 coats of high gloss varnish on the entire box. When I gave it to my friend she got the prayer and put it in the box for her son to hang outside of his bedroom door. If I were to do it again I wouldn't make a prayer box, I'm not Jewish, but I would love to do it again as a shrine.

Kristine said...
Semi translated from Kristine who think people prefer to read short blogposts and not thesis... (I must say I think it is so nice to get comments is the joyful languish of NyNorsk (New-Norwegian)!)
Here goes:
A box to keep the coughing pills or is it anti-coughing pills in, having a cold.

Memory-boxes, you put all kinds of small things in the box, mostly like things like papers and pictures and then you forget about it! When you open it in years to come you will find a wonderful surprise, ain’t that neat?

Buttons, buttons and more buttons… addicted to buttons so it would be great putting some buttons in the tin.

IF - instinct

This weeks entry for Illustration Friday is instinct.

Do you have a cat? We do! The most beautify cat in the world! In addition to being a cat that keep me company in my studio he catches mouse, lemmings and spiders. Good boy! But some times he is just a nightmare, this occur every time we are preparing fish. If it is raw or boiled he don't care, just wants the fish now! We boil it before he gets it and if he is inside the house there is a lot of noise. He keep telling us that that fish is his and it is probably enough boiled. If we don't guard the casserole he actually pick/fish the boiling fish out of the casserole! We no longer have aquarium...

No, it is not the cat to blame, but if we had have one I would guess it won't last long, I am sure he would have found a way to got the fish out...

My illo is split in to two.

The bowl should be coped, not sure how yet. The background colours is in real life the same on both these pictures. Still having issues with the varnish, it is supposed to be matt but I think it looks glossy. Need to buy a new brand this one is not working for me, only trouble is the shop that sells art supply's only carrying this one brand...(yes, only one shop here I live, actually it is a book store)

Medium used: pastel and charcoal.

EDM # 9 - organized chaos

The EDM challenge number 9 was "Draw a bit of "organized chaos" My art supplies has a tendency to get mixed up and chaotic. My solution is of course sort them in to boxes...

This organized chaos is drawn in pencil nothing fancy not even the shadows just the out lines.

Medium used: pencil F and 6B

Boxes - can you give me an idea?

Boxes, boxes and more boxes! I love boxes! I have a lot of them! I use them for keeping things organized!

Now I got a carton of metal boxes. What can I do with them? Can you give me an idea? The boxes measures about 8 X 6cm or about 3,5 X 2,4".

I'll give away 11 of these boxes. Randomly draw out 3 of the replys and send you some boxes... 1 main winner and 2 consolation prize. If somebody has already posted "your" idea just post yours and tell why you also liked it.

1st 5 boxes filled with: 1 embodier floss,1 blue pearls, 2 with precut Norwegian vintage paper and I mean vintage 1925 and 1943 in the last box I'll fill with one of the suggestions that comes in!

2nd and 3rd, 3 boxes each, 2 whit the same vintage paper as the first prise and the last box I'll fill with scrap, mostly Christmas theme.

1 of Mars I'll do the draw!

IF - time

Time! It is something I wish I had more of.... not really but I wish I could spend more of my time doing what I really want. Being with family and friends and making art and crafts! Now a days I feels like I am hurrying along to somewhere else all the time. The feeling that you work against time is not what you want to do the rest of your life, it is only OK for a short period of time.

The illo is inspired of a book I read as a child, about Jason and his mother. Camilla Mickwitz is the author. The mother has so little time that she spends part of her holiday cleaning windows because in her everyday life she can not find the time. When Jason and his mother are going somewhere Jason is always hanging in mid air behind his mother...

Medium used: pencil, watercolour pencil and permanent marker.

Little green art journal

My little green art journal is complete, and I made a video showing the entry's.





I recommend that you see it in a better resolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg8YOSmdVG4&fmt=18

The mediums I have played with in this journal has a wide variety. Not all of the structure is showing and the pencil marks are pale, but how cares, the original is good.

I have blogged about some of the entry's here on this blog

Butterfly dress

First snow

Tin

Balloon

Lovely Blog Award

Jewellery

The jornal was part of the art journal test I did a while back you can read more about it her http://ewian.blogspot.com/2008/12/dream-journal.html

EDM # 8 - jewellery

The EDM challenge number 8 was "Draw your watch or other piece of jewellery" I stopped using watches (that thing telling you that you are going to be late on your wrist) when cellphones started to show the time on the display. As for jewellery I only use a gold ring, not exciting enough to draw. So I chose to draw a piece of jewellery that I have been fascinated of since the first time I saw it, the Cameo. Here is a link if you want to see how the Cameo techniques is made and used. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhrNZpcuIjs&feature=channel_page My Cameo is just of pencil and paper no glass...

Medium used: pencil 2B and 6B

Lovely Blog Award

Look what I got! (Late)Last year I got the Lovely Blog Award from Stacey at the http://artsnark.blogspot.com Stacy is among many things a mixmedia artist that let her creativity bobble to the surfaces and that share some of it through her blog, her Etsy shop and the ZNE network.



The lovely blog award is a bit like a tag, I am supposed to recommend 7 of my favourite blogs. There are so many lovely blogs out there! I reed most blogs through a RSS feed this way I don't have to spend my time to go and see if it's something new everyday the feed does that for me. This way I got to concentrate on reading the blogs, and can therefore read more. Some of the blogs that I liked and did find interesting I tagged in this post http://ewian.blogspot.com/2008/11/tagged.html

The 7 I list in this lovely blog award are supposed to link back & suggest 7 others. If any of you don't wish to "play along", that's OK. I still think your blog is lovely and you get to keep the Lovely Blog Award. BUT if you do play along I like to give you an actually tag I have made for you. See picture below. If you send the lovely blog award on it's way AND send me your snail-mail address I will send it to you.

To the ones that I am tagging, you can send your snali-mail adress to this mail; ewianblog (at) gmail. com DO NOT PUT IT IN THE COMMENT! If you don't want to share your mail address that is fine, your choice how much you want to tell other people. Just remember the tag is made for you. I hope all of you will play along!

The picture of the "One Lovely Blog Award" you can find it here: The http://flickr.com/photos/ewian/3181355410/in/photostream . I had mine included in the belly dancer picture.




Here are the seven lovely blogs, go visit and you will see what I am talking about...

Jennifer, http://thursdaydrive.com One of those cosy little blog that make me smile every time I see there is a new posting.

"She does hair", http://shedoeshair.blogspot.com and as the name say she does hair, my mother only practice three hear styles on my head: ponytail, pigtail and all hanging down, so I read this blog and have had so many great tips.

"So much yarn, so little time", http://cmeknit.blogspot.com this is primeerely a knitting blog, I started reading this only because of the headline, So much yarn, so little time. In the blog you get to see and read the way from start to finish projects.

http://specksbrain.blogspot.com This blog is a drawing/ journal blog, just love the style of the illos.

Tam, http://www.willowing.org/blog-news.html Her blog on blogger is fairly new, looks like, it is going to be a lovely one, but I have followed her on You Tube, the Purple Haze video was one of the first You Tube videos I saw.

Keron, http://thecolourguru.typepad.com A mixemedia art journal lady whit a big engagement.

http://www.badfaery.com Another sketchbook/ journal blog, there are some other post in between that is inspirational.



Medium used, belly dancer: watercolour, 3B pencil, watersoluble wax pastel, acrylic, spangles, and permanent marker. Picture is made in my art journal entry is made in the Hand Book Artist Journal from Global art materials. Inc

Medium used, tag: stamp, embossing and ribbons.

Art journal - ticket

My Nana, grandmother, died Monday. I will miss her tremendously. We had a close friendship. In addition to being my grandmother she was a close friend, we shared a lot of common interest among many things the love of books, crafts and family. When we talked about death she said that she was not afraid to die. She had her ticket to heaven ready, it was just a mater of time before the conductor called her on board the journey to heaven. It is a slim comfort that she was old and did not suffer much. It does not take away the terrible void she is leaving. My art journal entry is the quote she used to say "I have the ticket to heaven".

Medium used: 3B pencil, vintage book page from the book "he is our peace" , stazOn stamp, and watercolour. The entry is made in the brown leather journal from Rhonda Miller.

IF - clandestine

I have only encountered the world clandestine, in relationship to illegal labs. (English is not my native tong.) As I am taking chemical science classes I thought it would be fun trying to do one illo for this weeks entry for Illustration Friday with a chemical twist.

Medium used: watercolour and permanent marker.

If you want to se another chemical science classe picture you can see my art journal entry back in October here http://ewian.blogspot.com/2008/10/art-journal-science-chemistry.html

Art journal - ice skating

Ice skating, it has been many yeas since I last ice skated. I think about 15 years... Not that I suddenly started doing it again, but the roads has been slippery. First a lot of snow, then rain and then frost. It all made it in to wonderful ice skating and chair sledge days.

Medium used: permanent marker, watersoluble wax pastel, acrylic, masking fluid and watercolour. The entry is made in the brown leather journal from Rhonda Miller.

--
Stacey I'll pick up the "Lovely Blog Award" just give me a little more time to get the picture I am making to go along all done.

Dream journal

Finding the dream journal is not easy. I love to test art and craft supplies and I do it fervently. My opinion is that if you don't play around with your supplies you do not know what they can do for you. This time it was art journals. 14 of them! I chose to make a picture rather than just test the different mediums. There is still a bit of plan behind the pictures. The large blocks of colours was laid down this way to test how much the paper would curl. Different brushes was used to see how the paper reacted. There is a lot of small things that I look for to find a good journal. I made my self a diagram with the property that I am looking for. I'll add property as I remember them/ find the need to have them. It is all about finding the balance what is important to me and what is important to you, and what to write there. If there is element/property you want to know that I have not written about just let me know, there is a good chance that I have tested it but did not write about it here. Or I can test it. Why am I doing it? Read this post http://ewian.blogspot.com/2008/12/testing-art-journals.html

Let me tell you about the life of a journal in my care, one journal lasts about a month. I carry it with me when ever I go out and it gets drawed and painted in several times a day. So this first month it has a bit of a ruff life. After when there is no more blank pages it retires/moves in to the bookshelf with all my other old doodle book and journals. Here it stays until I need some of the sketches or just some inspiration. So now and again it comes out.

Testing the journals did not take so long but writing down all the findings was a large job.

Name: Kilimanjaro
Producer: Kilimanjaro
Colour of the cover: black and blue with logo and info on.
Appearance: paper and card stock
Book/ note block: note pad
Cover: soft in front, card stock at the back.
Sheet: 20 watercolour paper and 20 protection paper that works fine as drawing paper.
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: spiral, can be folded all the way back
Tear edge: no
Size outside:26,8x14
Size drawing surface:24,5x13,9
Price Norwegian kroner: 79
Price dollar: 11,19
Purchased: http://www.cheapjoes.com
Paper gram: 300g on the watercolour paper.
Paper info: good quality watercolour paper
Paper colour: off-white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: good to draw on, you notice the tooth.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: OK
Watercolour on paper: very even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: don't bend
Water to get the paint to flow: plenty
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: needs a rubber band to stay closed
Other notes: lovely drawing and painting journal

Name:Moleskine, small sketchbook
Producer: Modo&Modo
Colour of the cover: black
Appearance: *synthetic leather*???
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:80
Pocket: yes
Ribbon/rubber band: yes
Book mark: yes
Corners: rounded
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: stitched, tight
Tear edge: no
Size centimetre outside: 9,1x14,2
Size centimetre drawing surface: 9x14
Price Norwegian kroner: 84
Price dollar: 11,95
Purchased: http://www.cheapjoes.com
Paper gram:--
Paper info: very smooth paper
Paper colour: pale yellow
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: very smooth, BUT smudge the graffiti on the page have to try with a harder pencil.
Eraser on paper: lifts OK
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: uneven colour
Crayons on paper: very well
Water on paper: bends a bit
Water to get the paint to flow: little
Lift of some paint: some
See through the page: yes, when watercolour and water is applied.
In my bag: closed
Other notes: --

Name: Moleskine, watercolour notebook
Producer: Modo&Modo
Colour of the cover: black
Appearance: *synthetic leather*???
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:72
Pocket: yes
Ribbon/rubber band: yes
Book mark: no
Corners: rounded
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: stitched, tight
Tear edge: yes
Size centimetre outside: 21x13
Size centimetre drawing surface: 20,5x12,6
Price Norwegian kroner: 119
Price dollar: 16,99
Purchased: http://www.dickblick.com
Paper gram: 200
Paper info: cold pressed watercolour paper 25%cotton
Paper colour: white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: good to draw on, a bit of tooth.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: do not bend.
Water to get the paint to flow: alot
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: closed
Other notes: --

Name: Canson, sketchbook.
Producer:Carson
Colour of the cover: brown
Appearance: paper canvas
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:78
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: yes
Book mark: yes
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: stitched and glued
Tear edge: no
Size outside: 21,6x14,8
Size drawing surface: 14,2x20,9
Price Norwegian kroner:196
Price dollar: 28
Purchased: Neraas, local art shop.
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good quality drawing paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: ja
3B on paper: very good to draw on.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: bends a little
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: some
See through the page: yes, you can see hints of the picture.
In my bag: closed
Other notes:--

Name: Canson, watercolour
Producer:Canson
Colour of the cover: brown
Appearance: paper canvas
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet: 15
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: yes, silk ribbon
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: spiral, can be folded all the way back
Tear edge: no
Size outside:26x33
Size drawing surface: 23x32,5
Price Norwegian kroner: 147
Price dollar: 21
Purchased: Neraas, local art store.
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good quality watercolour paper
Paper colour: off-white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: OK to draw on, a lot of tooth.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: don't bend
Water to get the paint to flow: alot
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: closed
Other notes: --



Name: Daler - Rowney, sketchbook
Producer: Daler - Rowney
Colour of the cover: black
Appearance: textured card stock
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:50
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: spiral, can be folded all the way back
Tear edge: no
Size outside:22,9x30,1
Size drawing surface:19,9x29,7
Price Norwegian kroner: 129
Price dollar: 18,5
Purchased: Libris, local book store.
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good drawing paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: --
3B on paper: good to draw on.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: OK colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: bends a little
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: yes, you can see hints of the picture.
In my bag: needs a rubber band to stay closed
Other notes: --



Name: Daler - Rowney, sketchbook
Producer: Daler - Rowney
Colour of the cover: black
Appearance: textured card stock
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:50
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: spiral, can be folded all the way back
Tear edge: no
Size outside:16,2x21,5
Size drawing surface:13,7x21
Price Norwegian kroner: 105
Price dollar: 15
Purchased: Libris, local book store.
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good drawing paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: good to draw on.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: OK colour distribution
Crayons on paper: very well
Water on paper: bends a little
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: some
See through the page: yes, you can see hints of the picture.
In my bag: needs a rubber band to stay closed
Other notes: nice drawing journal




Name: Rationella media ab, red journal
Producer: Rationella media ab
Colour of the cover: red
Appearance: paper cover
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:94
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: stitched and glued
Tear edge: no
Size outside:21,5x15
Size drawing surface: 20,7x13,9
Price Norwegian kroner: 98
Price dollar: 14
Purchased: Ark, local book store.
Paper gram: --
Paper info: drawing paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: --
3B on paper: good to draw on.
Eraser on paper: lifts OK
Pen on paper: very well
Watercolour on paper: even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: very well
Water on paper: bends
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: no
See through the page:yes, you can see the picture through.
In my bag: whit a rubber band it stays closed
Other notes: the colours become pale.

Name: Quattro, artist blank
Producer: Global art materials. Inc
Colour of the cover: black
Appearance: paper cover
Book/ note pad: note pad
Cover: soft in front, card stock at the back.
Sheet: 64
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: rounded
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: glued
Tear edge: yes
Size outside:14x8,8
Size drawing surface:12,7x8,8
Price Norwegian kroner: 21
Price dollar: 2,99
Purchased: http://www.cheapjoes.com
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good drawing paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: good to draw on.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: OK colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: bends a bit
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: some
See through the page: yes, you can see hints of the picture.
In my bag: need a little bag to stay closed
Other notes: --

Name: Hand Book Artist Journal
Producer: Global art materials. Inc
Colour of the cover: green
Appearance: green canvas
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:64
Pocket: yes, a see through plastic.
Ribbon/rubber band: yes, rubber band
Book mark: yes
Corners: rounded
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: stitched
Tear edge: no
Size outside: 14x14.5
Size drawing surface:13,9x13,9
Price Norwegian kroner: 57
Price dollar: 8,09
Purchased: http://www.cheapjoes.com
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good drawing paper
Paper colour: off-white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: good to draw on.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: uneven colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: bends a bit.
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: some
See through the page: yes, you can see hints of the picture.
In my bag: closed
Other notes: --
Name: Winsor & Newton, artist water colour sketchbook
Producer:Winsor & Newton
Colour of the cover: white and blue with logo and info on.
Appearance: waxed paper
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:40
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: yes, rubber band
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: mass-produced
Binding: spiral
Tear edge: no
Size outside:25 x 31,5
Size drawing surface:22 x 30,5
Price Norwegian kroner: 218
Price dollar: 31
Purchased: Ciro, local craft store.
Paper gram: 190
Paper info: mould-made water colour paper
Paper colour:off-white
Paper acid free: yes
3B on paper: good to draw on, a bit of tooth.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: very even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: don't bend
Water to get the paint to flow: alot
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: closed
Other notes:


Name: Rhonda Miller, brown leather journal
Producer: Rhonda Miller
Colour of the cover: brown
Appearance: brown leather whit leather wrap around
Book/ note block: book
Cover: soft
Sheet:50
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: yes, leather wrap around
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: custom order
Binding: stitched
Tear edge: no
Size outside:16x23,2
Size drawing surface:14,7x22,2
Price Norwegian kroner: 154
Price dollar: 22
Purchased: http://www.myhandboundbooks.etsy.com
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good quality watercolour paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: --
3B on paper: good to draw on, a bit of tooth.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: very even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: don't bend
Water to get the paint to flow: alot
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: closed
Other notes: lovely drawing and painting journal, I'll hope she can make my some more journals...
Name: SeaLemon, plywood
Producer: SeaLemon
Colour of the cover: light wood, looks like birch
Appearance: wood finer
Book/ note block: book
Cover: flexible
Sheet:60
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: rounded
Produced: custom order
Binding: stitched
Tear edge: no
Size outside: 23x15,3
Size drawing surface: 22,8x15,2
Price Norwegian kroner: 295
Price dollar: 43,5
Purchased: http://www.SeaLemon.etsy.com
Paper gram: --
Paper info: good quality watercolour paper
Paper colour: off-white
Paper acid free: --
3B on paper: good to draw on, a bit of tooth.
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: even colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: bends a little
Water to get the paint to flow: alot
Lift of some paint: yes
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: need a little bag to stay closed
Other notes: lovely drawing and painting journal.

Name: Huey, brown hard covered Journal
Producer: Huey
Colour of the cover: brown whit blue ribbon
Appearance: paper whit ribbon
Book/ note block: book
Cover: stiff
Sheet:52
Pocket: no
Ribbon/rubber band: no
Book mark: no
Corners: squared
Produced: custom order
Binding: stitched
Tear edge: no
Size outside:11,3x16
Size drawing surface:14,8x10,5
Price Norwegian kroner: 140
Price dollar: 20
Purchased: http://www.huey.etsy.com
Paper gram: --
Paper info: probably 200g good quality drawing paper
Paper colour:white
Paper acid free: --
3B on paper: good to draw on
Eraser on paper: lifts well
Pen on paper: well
Watercolour on paper: OK colour distribution
Crayons on paper: well
Water on paper: bends a bit
Water to get the paint to flow: --
Lift of some paint: some
See through the page: nothing so far.
In my bag: need a cover
Other notes: lovely drawing journal


The pictures is made by drawing a picture with a 3B pencil. Then traces with a permanent marker. The pencil marks is then erased. Then the picture is then coloured in with watersoluble wax crayons. Some areas is coloured in with watercolours. Then it is stamped and iridescent is painted on the trumpet.

I prefer an art journal that is not spiral bound, although this tend to lie flat, I like to be able to make my picture on both sides of the open page not having a hole in the picture.

If you have suggestion on good art journals, please do so.

--
060109
Most for your money if you are looking for a good but cheap one: Hand Book Artist Journal from Global art materials. Inc

Best watercolour:Kilimanjaro

Best drawing: both Daler - Rowney, sketchbook AND Canson, sketchbook.

I want better watercolour paper than Hand Book Artist Journal, Daler - Rowney, sketchbook and Canson, sketchbook, and better drawing paper than Kilimanjaro, and it would not be fear to compare the custom ordered as they are all unique.

I have to many elements I want to have in my dream journal. So I am sorry, I can not tell you the one journal I would prefer over all others, but I wanted to give you an insight in the quality of the journals and show you some of the elements you may look for.

Testing art journals

Reading for exam, just one more to go this year. I decided to take the weekend off, can't read all the time. So what do I do when I have the weekend off, well this weekend I am decorating the house for Christmas and testing art journals! 14 of them! Some masspruduced and some one of a kind. Making a picture in each and every one of them with the same mediums. This way I'll know how they react and I can compare them to each other.


Why all this work? Well I eat art journals, well that is not correct, but I go through a lot of them and I need to find a journal that meets my needs, this will give me more time creating and less time searching for a good journal. I like my art journals so that I can draw and paint in them not limited of the tooth of the paper or if they can handle water. In the picture you see the start. This will be fun. I'll keep you updated with the result.

IF - balloon

This is actually an art journal entry from last Wednesday. I have been busy with exams and decided that it would have to to for this weeks IF. The original idea came from the phrase "Some glad morning...I'll fly away" Medium is watercolour crayons, just testing out some new ones from Staedtler called karat aquarelle. So far there is a bit more resistance in this crayons compared to the other ones I have, but it maybe the paper. A bit more testing is needed.

Medium used: Watersoluble wax paste from Staedtler and permanent marker.