South Carolina Low Country Nature Journaling and Art

Daily Journal

2012-05-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Dudley tucked under my arm as I sketch.

This year I purchased a lovely yearly planner by artist Jeanette Jobson. A painting graces the cover and there's one at the start of each month. The weekly pages have good sized daily spaces to record whatever you like.

I'm tired of the days sailing by without even a notation. This year I wanted to start a new leaf. Mind you, I didn't even know Jeanette was selling the planners until late January, but that didn't deter me from making one mine :)

I love having just a bit of space to make a daily note. Sometimes, if the mood strikes, I'll sketch the dogs.

Working in my illustrated journal isn't a daily event. The pages in that journal soothe my painter's soul. I don't have time to create large works of art lately, so I keep my 'hand' active with mini journal paintings. It truly has helped me to not have to reinvent the wheel when I do break out a canvas. However, having a separate place to record and celebrate the day's happenings gives me comfort. Each day is such a gift, I want to honor it in some small way.

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about the Stillman and Birn sketchbooks. They're getting rave reviews. Perhaps I'm headed in a direction that combines daily scratchings with my illustrated journal. The one thing that's stopping me is the ability to scan my pages. Hmmm... research is in order :)

The fur kids are enjoying the sun spots our new home offers. The sun comes through the sliders from about noon till four.... They don't move for anything!

Around-the-Town Sketching

2012-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Back in April, I conducted an Around-the-Town Sketching Workshop in Beaufort for Coastal Art Supply.

On the first day, we started by drawing small boxes of various sizes on a page in our sketchbooks. Then we headed outside with just our Micron pens, pencils and sketchbooks.

My goals for the students included learning how to sketch quickly, how to make color notes and in the end, completing their pages with color and decorative lettering. We started filling the boxes with 30 second and 1 minute sketches. Sometimes we splurged and stayed in one spot for 5 minutes.

After lunch we'd work in the studio and finish our morning sketches using watercolors or watercolor pencils. Check out these results!

The second day, we approached our journal pages differently. We used multiple images to create flowing vignettes on a single page. I picked the subjects and taught them how to decide where to position each item on the page.

This is my demonstration page. The first item drawn was the metal palm tree sculpture on the right side of the page. I chose that spot because of the strong design of the fronds that pointed to the left - and into the center of my page. The second element was the umbrella with the people. Note that the shape of the umbrella points into the center of my page. And the people are facing right, into the page.
The third element was the cafe sign. I made it a size to tie into what was already on my page. The type was added back in the studio. The page was screaming for a border.... type is perfect for that.

After lunch we hit the streets again with another page of boxes - they were a big hit and perfect for quick sketches.... and, what a flavor of Beaufort we captured!!

Here is the colorized version of my top b&w page:

If a blank journal page puts you off.... try a page of boxes. They don't have to all be filled in the same day... perhaps one a day? They are perfect for the travel sketcher. Or even keeping tract of your gardens growth. The possibilities go on and on :) Enjoy! That's what it's all about :)

Day Three - 2012 RBC Heritage Golf Tournament

2012-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

The shadow on the number three tee box caught my eye. Another beautiful day on the links. We stayed here throughout day and watched all the players come through.

This is our last day at the tournament. We always watch Sunday's round on television - a much better view of the entire action :)

While I was working on this page a man came over to me and said "You know, I came here to watch golf, but I'd rather watch you paint." Blush.....

Day Two - 2012 RBC Heritage Golf Tournament

2012-05-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

A new location! Another favorite spot is the green of the 14th hole. It's a par three and the views looking back at the tee box and the 13th green are one of my favorites.

This year the house past the green called to me. Perhaps it was the red umbrella and the potted geraniums..

An all together happy day :)

Day One - 2012 RBC Heritage Golf Tournament

2012-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

We made our way to the number six green. The tree that sits just to the right of the green was calling my name :) Later we moved our chairs to the number three tee box. The stands face number two green. And, as always, the MetLife blimp graced the sky above.

And.... a funny. Between the 1st and 9th fairways is a spot where vendors can set up tents. It's always fun to walk through and see what's being offered. This year RBC had a blue screen set up and you could get your picture taken. This is a good laugh. It looks like I'm going on safari :)

2012 RBC Heritage Pro Am

2012-05-06T16:19:00.001-04:00

Back in early April, Rob and I made our annual trek to the Heritage Golf Tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island, SC. This year we celebrate new tournament sponsors.... Royal Bank of Canada and Boeing. A lot of work was done to secure RBC and Boeing and in turn, it keeps The Heritage alive and well. Thank you to all who made this possible!

The tag line that goes hand in hand with the tournament is "Get Your Plaid On". I was feeling a bit rusty at journaling and decided creating a plaid page would be just the ticket. Besides, what a great backdrop for players autographs :)

It's so relaxing to putter with paint in my journal while sitting outside enjoying beautiful weather. Getting autographs during the Pro Am is always a treat. The players, for the most part, are very giving. We chose our favorite area of the golf course to park ourselves... the intersection of holes two, three, six and seven. I collected signatures at the third tee box. There were a couple of sets of grandparents with their granddaughters there. After the pros hit their balls, two of the sweetest little girls would step right up with their hats in hand to be autographed. Now who can refuse a little girl??? I stood just after them and had good success with the players I wanted to adorn my journal page :)

One last signature to go and I had to wait a bit for it. This page is entitled 'Waiting for Paddy' - Padraig Harrington didn't pass our way until 4 pm. Well worth the wait.... he such a leprechaun :)

This is the view of the number two green and looking back up the fairway from our seat at the 3rd tee box.

Three more day's sketches to come....

Nature News

2012-03-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

You know I have to have no time at all when I post photographs instead of journal page sketches!

A pair of Carolina Wrens have blessed a potted plant that sits right outside of our front door to build their nest. They must be okay with Rob, the dogs and me since this door is used constantly.

They have fashioned a very cozy bird cave.... Now, how am I to going observe their babies with the side cave entrance.... The whole point, I expect :)

view from the top

entrance

I'm excited to announce that I will be a part of a Wood Stork monitoring group for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). We are very fortunate to have two nesting colonies in Beaufort County.

Monitoring happens on a weekly bases and I am so happy that the SCDNR accepted me as an alternate monitor. As crazy as life is right now with work and moving, I couldn't let this opportunity to be a part of the Wood Stork nesting cycle slip by. Rob will be able to join me. He is the best bird spotter - it has to be his type of color-blindness, as foliage doesn't hide anything from his eyes!

Our training is this Tuesday and monitoring runs from March to mid-July. And, yes.... I will be sketching along with note taking :) I'm so looking forward to sharing what I learn about these amazing birds!

Redbuds Blooming Early!

2012-02-29T16:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Sadie Hawkins Day!

This is the first day in a while that's been nice when Rob has it off :) We took advantage... Off to the driving range we went. Rob with clubs, me with paints.

This little Redbud sits just over a small hill from the tree I painted last March 8th. This year the Redbuds started blooming about 2 weeks early. The leaves on this one are already starting to pop.

I know it's been quite a while since my last post. Please bear with me. We are in the process of packing for a move and my job at Spring Island is incredibly busy. It felt so good to sit a bit and take in the beauty of the day. Every now and then it's good to go on strike!

Wait until you see the Live Oak that lives in the back yard of our new home.... a supreme beauty :)

The Crescent Moon, Venus and Earthshine

2012-01-26T12:17:00.001-05:00

Earthshine... what a lovely word! I probably learned it as a youth, but paying attention to science, history and math really wasn't my thing back then :) Just imagine if illustrated nature journaling was part of my school's classroom curriculum.... ooh, la, la... what fun it would have been to learn these subjects through art!

Best seen during Crescent Moon phases (the one to five day period before or after a New Moon), Earthshine is caused by direct sunlight on the earth that reflects onto the Moon which creates the smoky glow of the shadowed portion of the moon.

Click on the Earthshine link above for great information from NASA including these goodies:
Scientists in recent years have found that Earthshine is most intense during the northern spring months of April and May. I could only see a milky glow even through binoculars. But during the spring, you'll be able to see the Moon's features :)

Leonardo Di Vinci explained this phenomenon nearly 500 years ago!

This sketch by Leonardo is part of the Codex Leicester, written by Da Vinci between 1506 and 1510! Oh, the mind this Renaissance artist had. Leonardo's journals and notes show what an "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination" he possessed.

Wouldn't it be marvelous to give each child a sketchbook to call their own. A place for them to discover their world, make their own observations and conclusions. What a way to learn :)

This is my quest. Step by step I'm making in-roads into schools: Visiting Artist at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville last April and last week, leading a Beaufort County School District Teachers Workshop: How to Integrate Nature Journaling into the Classroom. But more on that for my next post :)

After sunset tonight, take a peek at the sky to see Venus, the Crescent Moon and Earthshine for your very own. Venus will be to the lower left tonight. Happy viewing and hopefully painting!!

A Wedding Day Walk

2012-01-21T22:21:00.006-05:00

Today, I happened upon a co-worker with his girl friend. They were especially dressed up and I just had to ask what was going on :) "We were just married!!"

Well, I thought a watercolor sketch of where they first walked as husband and wife was in order, so I used this image as the front of a card that was produced through iPhoto on Apple. Now, I anxiously await delivery of the card so I can give it to them :) I love surprises!!

Full Owl Moon

2012-01-11T17:07:00.001-05:00

I've been tickled for weeks as January's Full Moon falls on my birthday this year :) How great is that.... a present from the cosmos!

The morning started off with total cloud cover, but the forecast called for clearing. Sure enough, when I took the dogs for their late afternoon walk the sky was beautiful and the temperature in the mid 60s. I knew the moon would rise over the trees around 6:45 so I happily assured myself of a clear moon rise.

Jumpin' Joe! Where did all these clouds come from! Geesh, you go inside for dinner and all kinds of things happen outside!

This was the scene when I arrive at 'the chosen spot.' The moon was peeking out behind a huge pine with nothing but clouds overhead.

But, as I painted, I was rewarded with the most beautiful light show on the clouds. So, it was a two painting night! As the moon climbed the clouds departed. I'm very happy for the extra gift of the clouds for my birthday moon :) Not so happy with the mosquitoes that were biting..... in January!!!

The traditional Native American name for January's Full Moon is Full Wolf Moon. Hungry wolves would howl during the snowy, cold nights of January. Well..... luckily there's no snow here in the lowcountry of South Carolina! That's why we live here :) And, unfortunately, we don't have any wolves. I love the whole concept of naming moons after what's happening in nature. January and February are very active months for our owls... Great Horned, Barred and Screech. They are busy in their territories and it is the time of nesting. Eagles are also very active. I was going to call the moon Full Raptor Moon but decided to go with just the owls as they are a big favorite of mine. What's going on in your neck of the woods? What would you name the moon?

Birthday Beach Trip

2012-01-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

click to enlarge

I love having birthdays. It's a day when I can do anything I want :) Breakfast out is a favorite. Done! Then what does the mind and body feel like? A trip to the beach!

Today's bonus was a newly washed up tree. The regular beach walkers let us know it just appeared today. Oh goodie! Another birthday present :)

Christmas Commission

2011-12-27T16:15:00.000-05:00

Now I can share what filled a chunk of my pre-holiday elfin magic :)

This lovely home is located in Colleton River Plantation. The view of the river from the equally large back porch is outstanding.

Thank you Linda and Nancy for the opportunity to surprise your folks this Christmas!

Bear Tree

2011-12-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

I've been walking by this interesting Live Oak for a year and a half, and finally, just the right day arrived to sketch it! I don't know if I achieved the look of a bear face in my drawing, but in real life it really does resemble one :)

The tree stands along a sidewalk in our neighborhood. I had to set my chair right in the middle of the walkway to capture the entire tree. When I stood in front of the bear face for the close up, a delightful Fox Squirrel peeked from behind the tree. It was quite curious about the human standing there. At one point I thought it was going to leave the tree and inspect me up close!

Our lowcountry weather has been so absolutely balmy this November and December as compared to the last two years. We really need a freeze. Our early spring wildflowers are thinking it's time to bloom!

Happy Waxing Moon

2011-12-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

I so love it when the Moon smiles in the sky.

No Full Moon painting for me this month. Our sky was socked in with clouds.

I've two more sketches to do of the convergence of Jupiter and the waxing Moon. Right now they are just hen scratchings on a piece of scrap paper and laying in my 'to do' pile :)

The 2012 LowCountry Sketchbook Calendar is Ready!!

2011-12-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your patience. It sure has been an adventure to publish this calendar. Please click this link to preview and purchase my inaugural LowCountry Sketchbook Calendar. That's just in case the video link below doesn't work.... ha ha, I'm so confident with my tech skills :)

2012 Calendars Will Be Available Soon!

2011-12-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

I've had such a good response to the calendars I made as gifts from Staples, that I'm very busy downloading my most popular journal pages into Lulu.com's calendar publisher. I hope to have them ready to order by late next week. The cost is $20 plus any applicable taxes and shipping.

Unfortunately, unless you have them shipped by ground, they won't arrive for Christmas. If you'd like to give this as a Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa gift, let me know and I'll send you an image you can print and put into a card..... Yes, I've been last minute with gifts before :) But, I find a preview of what's to come really goes over well. Sometimes, I've even wrapped the preview in a box... making it real special! In this case, just blame it on the artist..... she has great ideas but an issue with timing... ha ha!

Lulu.com offers very high quality printing. The wall calendar opens to 17 x 11 inches and contains US and Canadian holidays. I've added Full and New Moon dates and other fun celestial events.... what a surprise, huh?

Stay tuned for the release date announcement! I will provide a link directly to my page on Lulu.com.

Back to the studio I go! This elf is busy, busy :)

Moon Convergence with Planet Venus

2011-11-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

One of the many reasons I love our dogs is that they have to be walked. So many sights I would have missed if not outside with them.

This is a memory sketch of yesterday's celestial happening. You can see it this evening, too :)
Look in the western sky not too long after sunset. The new Moon is a little over two days old and is only visible for a short time around sunset.

And the Winner Is....

2011-11-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

Kate, from Letterplay :) Congratulations, Kate!! Please email your snail mail address to pjbartstudio(-at-)hargray.com.

Thank you everyone for inquiring where you can purchase the calendar. I originally made a few up for Christmas presents at our local Staples and decided to offer one here. I'm now working quickly and will offer 2012 calendars either through Zazzle or Lulu. Please watch for updates!

2012 Calendar GiveAway

2011-11-20T14:02:00.001-05:00

click to enlarge

Oh, what fun! This 11 x 17 inch wall calendar contains all my favorite journal pages :-) It's printed on heavyweight paper with a mat finish that's perfect for writing on.

I've titled it, 'A Low Country Sketchbook', and hope that the lucky winner loves it as much as I do!

Along with traditional holidays that come with the base calendar, I've added Full and New Moon monthly dates as well as other celestial events. In doing so, I've found that I have a full moon on my birthday! I'm tickled pink :-)

Just leave a comment that you'd like to be entered into the Thanksgiving Day drawing. The winner will be announced on Black Friday.... shop 'til you drop day :-)

I'm very grateful to all my faithful readers! Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

An 11.11.11 Thank You

2011-11-11T13:58:00.001-05:00

Please click to enlarge

This shell will always have a special place on our bookshelves.
It's a memento from my Dad's Basic Training days at Parris Island.

He wrote the date on the shell. I can see him walking the shoreline of Port Royal Sound and finding this treasure as he contemplated his next steps into WWII.

I've been wanting to preserve the shell as a journal sketch for the longest time. I can't think of a better day... a more special day than today... to honor it forever :)

Black-crowned Night Heron Juvi

2011-11-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

click to enlarge

It was a sunny, crisp morning. The wind kicked up a bit and the dogs were frisky in the cooler temps. On the way back from our morning walk I spotted five Great Egrets and a couple of Black-crowned Night Heron juvi's roosting in the trees along the pond near our home.

I hurried the dogs into the house as I knew I needed to give myself a treat before I spent this beauty of a fall day indoors....

Today is the day I get to purge and reorganize my studio to make way for an elliptical. I'm so looking forward to exercising but really not in the mood to go through my ever growing pile of papers. I think I inherited the piling syndrome from my Mom. The art of procrastination.... well, I developed that all by myself!

A few minutes later, art bag, bins and chair in tow, I found only a couple of night herons and an Anhinga left in the trees. No matter. Plenty of visual goodies to choose from.

I added the pen work and white feather dots after I moved the furniture around in my studio. Now I'm taking a break from the purge.... a girl has to have some fun :)

Have a great weekend and don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight!

Playing with Watercolor Ground

2011-10-23T20:59:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to try Daniel Smith's Watercolor Ground (DSWG) since it first came out. My subject.... a cigar box :) No, I'm not a closet cigar smoker! Gag!

It's all about repurposing, and now that the smell from the little devil's finally faded, I'm quite excited about the possibilities. Tip: if you have a cigar store in your town, check them out. They sell their boxes for very, very little... Our local store asked $1.00 for the cardboard boxes and $2.00 for the wood boxes!

I decided I liked the red cover on this box and chose to tape off the foil stamped illustration and used this area for application of the DSWG.

Once applied, the DSWG has to cure for 24 to 72 hours before applying watercolor or acrylic. It can also be thinned up to 10% with water. You can see in my second image that the ground looks thin in some spots. My intuition was telling me to add a bit more to even out the first coat, but my adventurous side wanted to see if the uneven coating really mattered. I had several cigar boxes that I applied the DSWG to. My studio was filled with the essence of gesso..... it was a bit too strong from my nose.

You can see in the upper and lower left corners where the ground was applied too thinly. Could I make this work?

Well, yes and no. The lower left corner was a bit too thin and when you view the box in person you can tell.

Painting on the DSWG was similar to the feel of painting on watercolor canvas. It was necessary to dry each application of paint with a hairdryer. Lifting paint is easy and I didn't see any wear on the surface. Truth be told, my lifting was more like scrubbing.....

Almost done! I'll let this sit for a couple of days and no doubt tweak the image a bit more. The last step will be to spray it with Golden's MSA Archival Spray Varnish to seal the surface.

This will be home for my Garden Journal - a collection of single watercolor paper sheets... but more on that later :)

My Current View

2011-10-18T21:14:00.000-04:00

In April, I could see out of my right eye better without my current glasses. Now... it's the same with and without glasses.... Sketching has become increasingly difficult and for the last month I've only sketched twice. Haven't bothered to add color. My left eye is tired. I'm sooooooo looking forward to a better view!

Fish Haul Creek Park

2011-10-03T23:03:00.001-04:00

At long last a few hours away that made me feel like I've had an entire weekend getaway!

Fish Haul is on Hilton Head Island and borders Port Royal Sound. It's a birder's paradise and an ecological wonder. Every SC Low Country Master Naturalist class gets a field trip here and is warned not to get stuck in the pluff mud.

When Rob and I arrived just before 5 p.m., the tide was on its way out. I set up my chair facing east and reached in my bag for my supplies when I discovered I'd left my travel watercolor palette at home! Luckily the Pentel pocket brush, Micron pen and waterbrushes were there. A black and white page was not what I had in mind on this beauty of an autumn day, but it did give me a chance to finally play with the Pentel brush.

We spent about an hour on the beach. The receding tide moved out quickly and shorebirds that had settled on the highest ground at high tide took flight several times, moving farther out into the Sound, landing on newly visible shoals. Pelicans, gulls and skimmers filled the sky! Great Egrets started to collect just past the large rock eddy. They know there's good fishing in shallow tidal pools :)

I love the time of the 'long shadows.' The colors of the marsh grass, ocean and sky were incredible... so many shades of green and blue. But, oh the bugs! AT 5:45 p.m., it was as if someone turned on the bug switch. Boom! They were everywhere. No-seeums, mosquitoes and whatever... Dang. Driven off by insects.