Pattern Play

I've started a new journal that I'm calling Pattern Play.  I've been inspired by other bloggers such as Mary Ann Moss & Pam Garrison and I decided that I needed to play with markers & pencils & paint to make some patterns of my own.  No rhyme or reason to what I'm doing here, although I am going chronologically in this book.  Often I'll jump around in a journal, but I thought I'd try this method.  Now...while I may draw a pattern one day I may not color it until later...and I may not color it at all. 

The book I've chosen is one I've had for years.  Bought it at Borders back in CA...I loved the shape, being long & sort of skinny...but fat & chunky with it's handmade paper inside.  The pages have great texture & heft...perfect for Sharpies as they don't bleed through.  Perfect for watercolors, too...which I'm rediscovering as a favorite.  My watercolors are all very inexpensive ones...but they're still fun to play with. 

I started with this spread...I did the smaller pattern first & then the larger one.  The colors added are from some Adirondack markers I've had for years & forgot about.  Here's a closer look...

I like not coloring the entire pattern...and I still haven't decided whether or not I'll color the larger one.  I did buy some metallic Sharpies yesterday...might be fun to make this a metals page.

I sat outside on Tuesday August 6th...and while it was a cloudy day, I decided to summon the sun by drawing some.  It worked...for about 10 minutes!!!  My lack of love for Ohio is reinforced each day.

I also had to vent here...the lyrics from Neil Young seemed appropriate.  When I was in college at Kent State, my return address on the letters I wrote to friends often started with "everybody knows this is nowhere...".  Yep...we wrote letters...way before the email days.

I haven't decided if I'll write in those stripes...might or might not.

Some patterns & leaves were what I could dream up on 8-7 & 8...these will most likely get some color soon.  Kinda zentangle-ly on those leaves...they were fun.

And one last spread...drawn on 8-9 but water colored yesterday & today.  I especially like this harlequin pattern...the watercolors are metallic...very cool.

So...that's what I've been up to lately...taking time to PLAY in my new journal..I hope YOU are making time to be creative each day, too...it's good for your mental health!