2015 ART JOURNAL 19

Every now and again I feel compelled to draw Teddy Bears.

Remembering childhood and innocence.

Feeling safe.

2015 ART JOURNAL 18

During this time I was working on a Praying Mantis painting and a Butterfly Zentangle.

This sketch is just an extension of these paintings. 

Believe

in the 

Spirit of

Christmas

xmas balls

xmas pointsettia

xmas pears

xmas snowman basket

JOY ~ LOVE ~ PEACE

2015 ART JOURNAL 17

DANCE

2015 ART JOURNAL 16

I found this vintage photo 

of my very first abstract painting.

2015 ART JOURNAL 15

Time to work and time to develop

2015 ART JOURNAL 14

Opposites Attract

Another trip to the hardware store - another paint sample.

Golden corn and purple paint - opposites.

This made a lot os sense when I was sketching it.

Now - well, I,m not making any excuses for my journal.

2015 ART JOURNAL 13

Love Your Life as an Artist

2015 ART JOURNAL 12

We all buy post cards on vacation. If we actually mail them to someone, we usually get home before the post card arrives.

So I've decided to keep mine, here, in my Art Journal . . . 

along with the teal paint sample.

2015 ART JOURNAL 11

'Til the Cows Come Home . . .

I'm seeing cows in my 2016 paintings.

I don't know why the orange paint sample reminded me of cows. I like the paint samples and what they inspire in me.

2015 ART JOURNAL 10

Harlequin

One of my favorite patterns. 

I use it in many of my paintings.

2015 ART Journal 9

Live Life to the Fullest
It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - 
and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up - then we begin to live each day 
to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. Elizabeth Kubler Ross

2015 ART JOURNAL 08

The Tribe - My Tribe - is a goal this year . . .

2015 ART JOURNAL 07

Lady Bugs or Lady Birds

Another one of my chosen symbols. I love drawing them. 

The red and black and white. So simple.

The white spots on their head that you think are thier eyes - but it's not.

2015 ART JOURNAL 06

Inspired by the book I was reading - 

Citizen Canine - by David Grimm.

If you are an animal lover and advocate - this book is a must read.

2015 ART JOURNAL 05

"If you're not dirty - 

you're not playing hard enough"

In journaling - I call this the "kitchen sink" style. 

I fill the whole page with everything and anything!

2015 ART JOURNAL 04

FINDING MY TRIBE . . .

2015 ART JOURNAL 03

The Raven. One of my favorite symbols. A journal without the Raven would not be a journal of mine. I love this black bird - black being one of my favorite colors. I wanted to incorporate the word NEVERMORE into the page design. The feather is a rubber stamp. Anything can go in the journal 

- there are no RULES - 

2015 ART JOURNAL 02

2015 ART JOURNAL 02

Inspired by a fabulous book about  Cirque du Soleil.

These costumes and the stories they tell are beyond belief. It's hard to imagine that so much creativity exists in one arena. I would love to be part of their process.

2015 Art Journal - 01

2015 Art Journal (01)

Build On It

I know we still have two+ months left in this year. But with the holidays, it will fly by. My art journal is complete. I'm sharing some of the pages here for you to see. All of the entries are personal, some I have chosen not to share. It is difficult to share and bare my art for all to see. Leaving my art and myself open to criticism. I'm not going to explain or defend any of these entries. They are what they are.

The Book Cover

I start out with a black and white ink drawing

of the entire cover - front and back.

I choose the alligator character from the story because it is appealing to the younger readers. This alligator is exciting and says we will find adventure inside the book.

I add a watercolor wash. I need to consider where the title will be. And leave room on the back cover for some text.

After the watercolor, I use colored pencils to finish the drawing.

Here I've added the title and author on the cover.

The BOOK COVER

The Book Cover

The book has been illustrated. Thirty-two glossy pages. Full size illustrations and vignettes. Beautiful colors. Great composition. Months, maybe years, and you think you are done. But oh no - you have to design the cover.

Most books are chosen by the appeal of the cover. The cover should give the reader a sneak peak of what they are about to read. It should whet their whistle and before you know it - your book is on its way to a new home!

Don't we wish it was that easy! 

Here I am working on a story where the antagonist is an alligator and a copperhead snake, his trusty side-kick. The story is filled with kids - but putting kids on the cover compared to an alligator . . . the alligator is much more intriguing . . . especially one dressed like a king .

Here are some covers I like . . .
I am showing my age here, but a Nancy Drew cover is iconic. All 64 books are recognizable as a Nancy Drew mystery even if the title was removed..

Another oldie but goodie. We know this story will be about a girl, a pig, and a spider. An odd trio, so we want to find out what their relationship is.

I have not read this book. But isn't this illustration great - that bear eyeing up the sandwich. You just have to know what's going to happen.

Christmas Cards

My New Collection of Christmas Cards . . .

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JudyGruppStudio

I will be exhibiting at the York Book Expo, 
Oct. 17th, at the York PA. Fair Grounds.

My table will be full of my new book, "Key Lime Lullaby", Original Christmas Cards, a few matted prints, mugs, some original art, and give-aways, like book marks and post cards.

Wish me luck!!

Christmas Cards

My New Collection of Christmas Cards . . .

this card is not for everyone - but I love it!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JudyGruppStudio

I will be exhibiting at the York Book Expo, 
Oct. 17th, at the York PA. Fair Grounds.

My table will be full of my new book, "Key Lime Lullaby", Original Christmas Cards, a few matted prints, mugs, some original art, and give-aways, like book marks and post cards.

Wish me luck!!

Christmas Cards

My New Collection of Christmas Cards . . .

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JudyGruppStudio

I will be exhibiting at the York Book Expo, 
Oct. 17th, at the York PA. Fair Grounds.

My table will be full of my new book, "Key Lime Lullaby", Original Christmas Cards, a few matted prints, mugs, some original art, and give-aways, like book marks and post cards.

Wish me luck!!

YORK BOOK EXPO

Next Saturday - 10/17! Choose from hundreds of books by 

local authors. Free story time, crafts and face painting for the 

kids by York Libraries. Adoptable dogs and cats from York

 Co. SPCA. Free admission. 1-5pm. York Expo 

Center.   http://yorkbookexpo.org

Oh, and stop by to visit me !!

smile emoticon

Christmas Cards

My New Collection of Christmas Cards . . .

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JudyGruppStudio

I will be exhibiting at the York Book Expo, 
Oct. 17th, at the York PA. Fair Grounds.

My table will be full of my new book, "Key Lime Lullaby", Original Christmas Cards, a few matted prints, mugs, some original art, and give-aways, like book marks and post cards.

Wish me luck!!

Christmas Cards

My new collection of Christmas Cards . . .

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JudyGruppStudio

I will be exhibiting at the York Book Expo, 
Oct. 17th, at the York PA. Fair Grounds.

My table will be full of my new book, "Key Lime Lullaby", Original Christmas Cards, a few matted prints, mugs, some original art, and give-aways, like book marks and post cards.

Wish me luck!!

Art Journal - Magical pages

My second Harry Potter postcard - with paint strip - and my own ink drawings.

MAGIC

BELIEVE

CURIOSITY

Here are the two journal pages side by side. 

I incorporated my drawings on both pages.

 I like tying them together.

Art Journal Drawing with Ink

My 2015 Journal is completed, stuffed full of things important only to me. That's the way Journals should be. 

This year I visited The Harry Potter Theme Park at Universal Studios in Florida. I love the Harry Potter books and this theme park was just as magical! I bought a couple post cards, cause I am a big spender - and glued them in my journal. I added the paint strip because I can't leave the hardware store without selecting at least one of these. Then I filled the rest of the page with my own drawing.

The page makes sense to me - and that's the only thing I care about. 

The journal is mine. It is not supposed to make sense to anyone else. 

I am sharing my journal pages to show that you can put absolutely anything that you love in your journal. It is not for sale, it is not for an exhibit, it is only a repository for things you want to keep and remember.

Art Journal - Matching the Couch

Art doesn't have to match the couch!!

Art Journal - Home Sweet Home

Game Night Painting

The deck of cards are collaged on the game board. 

I've made some laser copies of the cards, 

these are easier to collage around the edges and sides. 

I've also made a few cards in smaller sizes for a variety.

After I found a composition that I liked, 

I drew some multi-colored checkers to help the visual flow.

And because I just can't leave things simple -

 I added a few of my Jokers to spice it up.

Done

time to play cards