Be Who yoU Want To Be

size: 8"w x 6.5"h
On Stillman &  Birn Nova Tria Mixed Media black paper drew out my letters, outlined with a white Uniball gel pen and colored with Black Edition colored pencils in 2 tones for each letter than put a 3D effect on the right side of each letter. Added curlicues with a gold Juice Up pen.

words: be who (yo)u want to be!

Abstract Design - 75

Thought I'd create a piece of artwork to celebrate my 75th BD. Three quarter century... sounds ancient. I've never wanted to reach this far...
size: 8.25"sq
On Canson Mixed Media paper using a Zig Writer created the design. Painted with Gansai Tambi #902 red gold, Gem colors #831 & 850 (pink & green), Windsor Newton "Burnt Umber". Glitter Ritz accents Dark Gold & Warm Highlight. Cross Hatching with a brown Juice Up pen. Added a gold sticker gem in the center.

Abstract - ABC - XYZ

Size: 8"sq
On Edge Mixed Media paper using a Juice Up pen and Posca Colored pencils. Doodled in a couple letters. Added the text to rhyme with the last letter in each section with a Zig Writer.
Added some Pan Pastel med gray to the background.
words: That's all I see - I'm out for tea

Doodled Leaves - The Falling Leaf

I like the result of these leaves...size: 5"w x 6.75"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the leaf design with a Sharpie Fine Tip pen. Painted with various brands of watercolors and Artistro metallic Brush Paint pens. Sponge some blue Pan Pastels in the background. Text written with a Zebra nib and Sumi ink. Backed the artwork onto mid toned green scrapbook cardstock.

words: The falling leaf that tells of autumn's death is, in a subtler sense a prophecy of spring. Robert Green Ingersoll

Doodling _Eye Of The Storm

size: 5.5"w x 6.5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the design with a Sharpie Fine Tip pen. 3D funky lettering. Painted with various brands of watercolors adding white Gelly Roll highlights and a Juice Up pen for the lashes. Backed the artwork onto mid deep blue scrapbook cardstock.

words: Eye Of The Storm

Doodled Roots - When Roots Are Deep

Well this doodle looks better in real life... that brown color is way off.
size: 6"sq
On misc white cardstock doodled the roots... Colored the negative areas with a brown Posca colored pencil. Fickle text written with a Zebra nib and Sumi ink.

words: When roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind

Doodled Flower - Every Day Is A Fresh Start

I pencil drew a whole bunch of doodling things and then started to transfer the designs to good paper... The next few days will be the results...
size: 5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper using a fine tip Sharpie pen drew out the design. Painted with various brands of watercolors and some Gansi Tambi gold paint. Text written with a Zebra nib and Sumi ink. Backed the artwork onto red scrapbook cardstock.

words: Every day is a fresh start

Scribbled Lives 2024 Bound

I'm early getting this year's Scribbled Lives bound... 38 pages plus covers. It's called Australian Piano Hinge you can find the instructions HERE

Size: 11"w x 8.5" h x 1.25" thk

I adhere two 8.5 x 11" pieces of cream 110# cardstock together to create a 4 page spread and did that 10 times adhering the spine area with another piece of the cream cardstock 1"w to have 1/2"gued to each piece of cardstock. Scored and folded. Cut 2 slits - 1.5" up from the bottom and cut a 1.5" slit. Repeated from the top edge.

Cut a piece of the cream cardstock 1.5"w by the length of the paper and started an accordion 1" fold. Adhere more cardstock to the end until I got the length I need for all my folds. Cut the red textured cardstock 1"w x 8.5"long.

Inserted the both folded accordion strips into the slots of the 1st folded page and slipped the red cardstock piece through the accordions. Repeated till all pages were attached.

Covers are a dark green mat board. I adhered a piece of the red textured cardstock as a decorative element and also to hide the ends of the spine accordion while holing the book to the covers.

Die cut the big letters using Tim Holtz "Word Play" Bigz die from one of my geli prints. Adhered them "topzy turvy" and shadowed with a white Uniball gel pen.

Funky Serif Alphabet - Happy Holidays

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper using a Zig Writer various brands of watercolors (wet in wet technique). When dry added Uniball white gel pen accents also doodled is some letters

Scribbled Lives 2024 - Wk 50 - Made Up Alphabet

Size: 7"sq
Since we were asked to make up an alphabet... and I wasn't in the mood to make a regular ABC style - I found a pangram that suited my mood... putting stripes on the first letters of each word.
On Canson Mixed Media using a Zig Writer and various brands of watercolors with a little doodling...

words: how vexingly quick daft zebras jump

Wax Seals - Dec 4, 2024

Playing with the gals again (last time for this year...) and created this batch.

Stay Humble

size: 8"sq
On Edge Mixed Media paper using a Zig Writer and Black Edition colored pencils. created the title, and the balance of text with an empty 2.4 parallel pen and Sumi ink in Uncial style.

words: Stay humble, stay grounded, remember what got you to that level - and that's hard work. Tim Howard

Doodled Curves - Make Believe

I LOVE that curvy section at the bottom...
size: 8"w x 7"h
On Edge Mixed Media paper using a Juice Up pens and Posca colored pencils. Wrote the quote in Dot Alphabet style.

words: If the land of make believe is inside your heart it will never leave. Madonna Ciccone

Black Hole In Time

This piece just evolved without any thought... and when I saw the black hole in the center with the balls floating within it, it reminded me of the Black Hole in space.
 size: 5" sq
On Edge Mixed Media paper using a Juice Up pens,  Zig Writers, Posca colored pencils. Wrote the quote in basic serif style.

words: black hole in time

Abstract Linear Florals - Add Some Color

I was checking Instagram again and came cross this style of doodle and was in a mood to create one myself...
size: 5.5"w x 7.5"h
On Edge Mixed Media paper using a Juice Up pen and Black Edition colored pencils and add Uniball white gel pen floral dots. Since I had doodle the whole page had no place to add my quote so cut away where the quote would go. Wrote the quote on a separate piece of text paper and adhere the artwork onto that piece

words: Color can elevate your mood and energize your spirit. So go ahead, add some color to your life today.

Circle Doodle - Failure To Failure

I was in a mood to do something with circles... I love circles...
size: 5" sq
On Edge Mixed Media paper using a Juice Up pen, Zig Writer, Posca colored pencils and Lyra Splender Blender, Caran d'Ache B pencil with paper stump and Uniball white gel pen highlights. Wrote the quote in basic monoline.

words: Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. Winston Churchill

Scribbled Lives - wk 49 - New Year - New Beginnings

Size: 7"sq
On Edge Mixed Media using a Zig Writer and Juice Up pen for the outlining the lettering and coloring with metallic gel pens. Added the large dots with Stickles "Thistle" glitter

words: 2025 - New Beginnings

Wax Seals - Philodendron & Shamrock

Size: 1"dia
My last 2 seals I wasn't expecting till December... They're a little plain but when I'm in the mood I'll play with them...
I'm going to try really hard not to buy anymore... we'll see how long I last.

Triangle Brush - Must Have Flowers

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At my recent BVCG Play Day I created this floral design, then add the quote. I bought 3 of these triangle brushes - but for the life of me I can't find the middle size which was my favorite...
size: 7"w x 5.5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the floral design,then found a quote I like and added that using a black Zig Calligraphy pen - smaller nib in an unknown font style I found online.

words: I must have flowers always and always. Claude Monet

Doodled Ovals - No Abstract

I created the abstract design using ovals while playing with the gals.
size: 4.75"w x 5.75"h
Cut out a section to fit the quote into. Adhered the pieces to the blue cardstock and then wrote the quote using a Micron .02 pen in basic monoline.

words: There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality. Pablo Picasso

Abstract Circles - Find Peace

At my recent BVCG Play Day I created this abstract design and then decided to add the quote in the larger circles...
size: 4"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper drew my circles with a Zig Writer, then connected them with those curvy bars. I had intended to color everything but then thought better of it with the big circles... Painted the background with Gansai Tambi Graphite Colors (the blue - not that it looks bluish...) then the smaller circles with regular watercolors. Added a white gel pen highlight.

Text written in a style I saw from "Gexeichnete Schriten Von M.J. Grade 1 Plate 23B)
words: Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace. Albert Schweitzer

Uncial - Abracadabra & ABCDE

 

 

On Canson Pro Marker paper was playing with the word "Abracadabra" in various size nibs (2.4 & 3.8) and then one in a different Ecoline ink for each letter...

 

The Alphabet This Is:  Using a yellow Ecoline ink and shadowed with a Zig Writer.

 

Uncials - The Impossible - Ghandi

size: 6.5"w x 4"h
Thought I'd try out a quote. A 2.4 parallel pen and a crazy brownish mix.
I goofed a word... and camouflaged it with those big black boxes... then wrote the author into one of them. (problem fixed...)

Scribbled Lives - wk 48 - Thankful - Dr Seuss

I created a doodled abstract design using ovals and used a large part of it for another calligraphy piece... so this frame off cut was lying on my desk. It was a touch to small for the finished piece so cut it apart and adhered it to the red textured cardstock adding the black corners to make it a frame again...
Size: 5.5"w x 7"h
On Edge mixed media paper, wrote out the text with a Juice up pen and colored with Posca colored pencils and blended with a Lyra Splendor Blender. Adhered the frame and then adhered to the red cardstock.

words: You ought to be thankful a whole heaping lot for the places and people you're lucky you're not. Dr Seuss

Yes & Maybe

At my recent BVCG Play Day I created these 2 pieces playing with my Copic Marker.
size: 9"w x 7"h (both approx)
YES: On Genoa Bond Calligraphy Paper double dipped my wide Copic marker into a blue and magenta gouache and wrote out the letters for "yes" in a funky style. Shadowed the right edge with a Caran d'Ache B pencil and paper stump. Added the text with the smaller tip of a Zig Calligraphy pen.
words: Yes is a positive word.

MAYBE: same as "YES" except for using 3 colors (olive green, Magenta and Gold). Shadowed with the Zig Writer. Same text style.
words: Maybe or maybe not.

Crown Book 2- Number Rhymes

Our challenge for our December meeting will be the Crown Book #15 from Hedi Kyle's "Art Of The Fold" book. Last time I did this book was in July of 2021. This one is a bit smaller.
Size: 2.5"w x 4.5"h
I raided my geli print paper (done on Columbia Mills LBS End paper) and used both sides to create this booklet. Since I recently did a floral alphabet book I thought a numbers Kids rhyme booklet was needed...

I'm using one of my favorite funky lettering styles for the text (which I don't know the name of...) done with a Zig Writer.

I found the numbers (a font on my computer) just done in a black outline too pale so added a white inner line using Bleed Proof white and pointed nib. I find they really pop now.

To see larger, individual images, click on link below

http://yogiemp.com/Journals/ArtOfTheFold/CrownBook2_NumberRhymes.html 

Visigothic Knot - Life Is A

I came across something onLine by Risa Gettler and was inspired again...
size: 8"w x 7"h
On Edge Mixed Media paper drew my knotwork then doodled using Gelly Roll Metallic pens, Prisma colored pencils and Uniball white gel pen. Added a circle of Stickles Fine Glitter "Diamond". Text written with a brown Juice Up pen

words: Life is a series of dreams, a series of interlocking awareness. Frederick Lenz

Illuminated Y - You Have To Think

 

Today was supposed to be day 2 for our Uncial class with Barb Fuller... but we had a dump of over a foot of snow with frigid temps... and the roads needless to say were not good, so I cancelled going to class - sigh. Instead I created my version of an illuminated letter picking a "Y" for my name and than getting a quote to fit the oversize letter.
size: 8.5"w x 5.5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper drew out the large "Y" and then the autumn leaves around it in an oval shape using a brand new Sharpie fine tip pen. Painted with watercolors and Kuretake Mica Gold ink. I doodled into the letter before painting using a small balled stylus.

I left the Madagascar style lettering plain.

words: You have to think anyway so why not think big. Donald Trump

Funky Uncial, Yes, No

 

I'm taking a 2 day class with Barb Fuller (a BVCG Guild Member) in Uncials. It's one of my favorite hands... but does take up a lot of room especially since I don't like using small nibs...
On Canson Pro Marker paper.
The Uncial word was written with a 3.8 and a 2.4 empty Parallel pen using a crazy mix of Ecoline ink I had in a jar (the brownish color) and a reddish. Graphite shadowing.
The Yes and No  were also done with some crazy mixes... shadowed and doodled with a white or gold gel pen.

Perseverance Snail

I came across something on Instagram and was inspired again...
size: 8"w x 7"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper drew my snail form and then doodled within the lines down with a Zig Writer. Painted with watercolors, dropping in lots of water to get a nice blending effect. Highlighted with a white gel pen and some graphite shading.
Text written in a funky style.
words: By perseverance the snail reached the ark. Charles Spurgeon

Scribbled Lives Wk 47 - Wilderness - Wilderness

Size: 11"h x 7"w
On Canson Pro Marker paper drew out the large word, then erased the area for the first part of the quote. Outlined with a Zig Writer and text with a Juice Up pen. Colored with Posca colored pencils in various shades of autumn - even though we got more than 6" of snow so far...