Keep the Creative Fire Burning!

Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures.
by Cathy Johnson
North Light Books. Available as an e-book from Amazon for approx. R98.00

Tired of the studio? Forget the TV and try journaling. No I have not taken up scrapbooking, but I do carry a sketchbook journal with me. Drawing is still the easiest way to keep my creative juices flowing without the pressure of oil painting. One of my recommended reads is the Artist's Journal Workshop by Cathy Johnson. The emphasis is on art and observing your environment. Most importantly we need to find beauty when it can be easily overlooked. Your cup of coffee, for example, can become a still life sketch. Take it further by adding watercolour and recording the process in a note. Not only is this fun, but it trains the eye and keeps the artist appreciative of life's little wonders. There's that gratefulness thing again!

This is an extraordinary book lavishly illustrated and filled with useful content. The author also gives examples of other journals kept by various artists to inspire you further. Johnson gives a clear explanation of why she journals, how it benefits her as an artist and how you can start the process yourself. The author also shows you how to keep up the process so that you do not lose interest. I personally find that sketching and illustrating provides me with ideas for paintings. It is also something that I can share with my family around the kitchen table! Give it a go yourself.

This is no lightweight book. It is extensive and well worth the investment and a resource that you can go back to when you need a little inspiration.

---