1/7/11

Life Needs Seasoning...Just Add Salt--and ART!

Here's my first page for the Sketchbook Challenge January theme of "highly prized." I was inspired to use salt as my highly prized thing because rather than a direct prize itself, it's a prize enhancer. There are many things in life that help us appreciate the other things we have all the more. I was listening to NPR and a fabulous show on salt and how it brings out the flavor in so many foods. Did you know that there are even books on salt? That's the librarian in me. Salt's a deep subject. I'm just sayin!
Some of us have mentioned that we keep a variety of sketchbooks with different purposes. I have an idea sketchbook, but for this challenge I've decided to work through a book of completed pieces. I admire how Laura and others begin with a small sketch and repeat it, adding ideas as they go and finishing by creating a more formal work. I am too impatient to work that way, so instead I create one piece and keep working through it until I'm satisfied. We all have completely different ways of working and yours is just as valid.
This sketchbook page began as a quick pencil sketch, followed by a good drubbing with permanent ink. I always work in waterproof ink because I know I want to add wet media later. I used my Rapidograph pen by Koh-I-Noor filled with india ink, and my new Lamy Safari pen filled with Noodlers Bulletproof Ink to create the sketch. Then I headed to the sewing machine to outline it with black thread. Yes, I DID put the entire sketchbook under the machine. It's what I do! I may decide to create separate watercolor pages in the future and stitch them into the sketchbook like a saner person.

I added ripped collage bits from old books and then pretty, saturated watercolors. I used both Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Liquid Watercolors and a set of Grumbacher Deluxe Opaque Watercolors which travel very nicely. Now back to my idea book to quick get down some sparks before they go out.

13 comments:

  1. Beautiful, brilliant colors!!
    Great job!!

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  2. I always love all the bright colors you use. You have such a wonderful style!! Thanks for sharing Kelly. xoxo

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  3. I wish there were more bright colors to use, but orange and purple will do for now!

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  4. um. so. the koh-i-noor and rapidograph drafting pen sets that I've had since college but have had dried ink in them for 20 years. I should throw them away? I keep thinking one of these days I'll get some pen cleaner to see if it works. I LOVED those pens.

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  5. Well...you can try. I had a whole set and I soaked them and soaked them in the cleaner and could not fix them. I then had a newer one and while cleaning it managed to make it leak! But they're worth it, so I keep getting new ones. They only stop working when I set them aside and stop using them. You're technically supposed to dip the end in the cleaner after each use. Like THAT's gonna happen! I barely make my bed, lol.

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  6. I LOVE your sketchbook page! Great idea and exectution too. Just love all the colors!

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  7. Kelli.. i reallly love where you chose to put the text collage pieces.. just awesome! ♪

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  8. Love it, love it, love it!!
    You never cease to amaze me!

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  9. Lovely page, you've got me interested in looking for books on salt now, lol, but I am a library assistant, perhaps we just can't help ourselves :)

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  10. I love how you use simple every day objects and ideas! The colors are great too, thanks for the peek:)

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  11. What a wonderful page! I LOVE my Dr. PH Martin's watercolors. I have a set that a friend gave me years ago and they're awesome. Did you sprinkle actual salt on your wet page to get that great effect where the purple and yellow come together? It kind of looks like you might have. Love it! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  12. Stunning! It's great to read more details of your process. You've made m want to go stick my bird journal pages under the sewing needle.

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