A Little Background, and New Projects

My daddy was an artist. He studied at Centenary College and for years had an easel up in our big family room. I remember him sitting at the dining table to work on some of his art - I do this sometimes as well! I have some of his nib pens and the very old ink that he had, which were kept in a tin box.

I also have his old wooden artist's box, all colorful with dabs of oil paint. I am keeping some of my drawing tools and papers in it, especially if I travel somewhere and plan on doing art while I am on a trip. Funny Story! -- Summer 2017 I drove out to Kentucky to take an art workshop and got stopped by a highway patrolman. He wanted to check my car for drugs of all things because he said in that area they were getting a lot of drugs coming in from out of state. When he got through going through my trunk, he said, "That's quite an artist's box you have there!" I guess he then believed my story that I was coming into the state for a good purpose. I was not speeding!! I think he stopped me just because I had an out of state tag.

My mother had some artistic ability as well, but she was not interested in pursuing it. For years, in our old hall closet behind the extra clothing there was an unfinished painting of a cougar walking along a dead tree branch that she never finished. I suppose she started that before any of her children were born because I never remember her working on anything like that. Probably my daddy was helping her- I really don't know. It was actually very good! If I ever really get a dedicated STUDIO building, or a studio ROOM! , I want to hang it up, unfinished and all. Another Funny Story - when my first son was a little boy he found this unfinished painting under my bed (I had brought it home with me after visiting my folks once) along with some of my old art from high school. He got a pencil and drew fangs on the cougar! I was so upset...I tried to erase them, but that was a bad thing to do. Because of the years of being out of a frame the canvas had collected dirt or dust and erasing made a bright white streak!

my daddy and mother

Now, to come to my New Projects!
Our family got to take a road trip back in October 2017, out east and up north. We kept travel journals and saved some mementos and took lots of pictures (and videos). Finally now after so many months I am ready to start making an Art Journal of our Road Trip. I did the cover page last night, and hope to add some watercolors or colored pencilling to brighten it up- maybe even some more details to the drawing.
There is only one mistake in my drawing, not two! Yes, I am in the driver's seat. My husband does so much driving every day that he likes for me to drive if we ever go anywhere together. The mistake here is my son's hand with the peace sign- I used the wrong hand! LOL

I took these photos outside on our black patio chairs

I am using a cool leather journal with handmade paper pages. Not sure yet how watercolor paint will act on it- I may have to use coloring pencils.

I originally purchased this neat leather book to do a Nature Journal along with my children as they were working on theirs for school. I never filled it up and there are plenty of pages (I think!) left for our trip. I've always wanted to do an artsy nature journal and yet I didn't get too far with this one! I ended up lightly pencilling in what was going on every month for a few months, intending to go back later and draw, letter, color, etc. But life got busy, or I got distracted probably, and never did it. So this is my two projects, both in the same book! Our Road Trip Art Travel Journal, and my Nature Journal from 2014 !! I've been looking on Pinterest a lot at journals, and also browsing an art site I just found, to get ideas about how to proceed. Right now I'm enjoying Everyday Artist at  http://.lesliefehling.com/