Things and Stuff: A Studio Update

A new shot of me in my studio, taken by Matt (my husband.)

Hi there. How are you?

I've so much to tell you since we last chatted! First off, I've got a new job! I'm now the Teen and Youth Program Coordinator at the Carbondale Public Library. I program and implement weekly programs for middle school and high school students at the library. I'm just a week in, but so far so good! The students and my co-workers are great.  My schedule is fantastic.....I work Monday through Thursday afternoons and early evenings, which means I have time every morning to work in my studio!

I've still been plugging away at my Every Other Day Sketch project. Do follow me on Instagram to see them as soon as I post them.

My sketchbook drawings have very much been influencing my work in the studio.

"Infinity and Beyond", 8"x8", ballpoint pen illustration.

"Looped", 8"x8", ballpoint pen illustration.

Yep. I've got a thing for yellow at the moment.

"Fruit Loops" 4"x4", ballpoint pen illustration.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these finished illustrations, do get in touch.

Well friends, that's all for now. Stay tuned for some new bird illustrations! Ta-Ta!

The Every Other Day Sketch 2015 - Days 17-26

Hi there. How are you?

As I mentioned on Instagram this week, I like to spend a few minutes during my lunch break to work in my sketchbook.  It feels good to get in a little creative time, even if it's just 10 minutes. After I've delved into a drawing, it can be tough to pull myself away go back to work. Switching off that creative "right brain" is difficult!

Here's what I've been sketching over the last few weeks.

My latest sketchbook drawings have very much inspired some of my newest finished works. Stay tuned for more about that or follow me on Instagram to see what I'm working on in real time.

Ta-Ta for now friends. 

The Every Other Day Sketch - Day 9-16

Hi there. How are you? 

I'm happy to be back here and giving you a glimpse of my sketches for the last few weeks. As my loyal readers know, I have challenged myself to complete a drawing in my sketchbook every other day of 2015. See the whole lot of them here or follow me on Instagram to see them as soon as they are completed.

There are some good drawings in this group, some not so good. I'm just glad I'm keeping up the practice even though things have been busy and my focus has been drawn elsewhere. Yahoo for sticking with my 2105 goals/resolutions!

 

Have you stuck with your 2015 goals/resolutions? What motivates you to keep going? Do share!

Until next time. Ta-ta!

The Every Other Day Sketch 2015 - Days 5-8

Hi there. How are you?  
I'm happy to share another week's worth of sketchbook drawings with you. 

This is a collaborative piece between four year old Mazzy and me. Mazzy drew the unicorn and I embellished around it. Definitely my fave of the week! It was fun to have someone else get the sketch started as that is usually the most tedious part for me. 

If you'd like to see all the drawings I've made this year all in one place, do visit my Flickr page. 

Ta-Ta for now! 

Oh wait...One more thing! I'm about to send out a Valentine's Day gift to all of my mailing list members. Click here if you want in on the action.  

The Almost Daily Sketch 2015

Hi there. How are you?

Happy 2015!! (How can it possibly be 2015 already?? I swear Y2K was just 5 years ago!)

I'm happy to be back here on the blog...I'm hoping to have much to share with you here in 2015. First up, my new sketchbook. 

For the better part of 10 years I have been keeping a sketchbook. It's always in my purse and when I've got a spare moment I can pull out and doodle away. I am terribly brand loyal and have not used anything but a Moleskine to sketch in for years now. This year I decided to switch it up a bit.

I came across "The Daily Sketch Journal" at the local TJ Maxx. (Love that place! Do you ever dig in the papergoods/craft supply section? It can be a gold mine!) I've been wanting to challenge myself to do a daily drawing project for some time now.  This book gave me the impetus to do it...Sort of. By end of New Year's day 2015, I knew I wasn't going to be able to stick with making a drawing every day. My doodles tend to get complicated, and I can easily spend a few hours on each one.  I reckoned that could commit to drawing one every other day. So that's the plan! One drawing, every 2 days.

Here are my first 2 entries. What do you think?

What I like about the "Daily Sketch Journal" is that there are no dates on the pages, just a Day number and a space to write the date. No pressure to draw every day that way. The book actually only has room for 356 drawings anyway, so it's looking like it will take me about 2 years to knock this one out.

On the downside, this sketchbook itself is a little larger than I'm used to, but I can still get it into my purse, so I'll make it work.  The other minus to this sketchbook is the weight of the paper. As it's a little thin, drawings can sometimes bleed through the pages. (Please excuse my dirty fingernails! I was cleaning most of the day. Ugh.)

I really neglected this blog in 2014. Going to try and rectify that in 2015. This sketchbook will give me some weekly material to share. Wish me luck.

Until next time. Ta-ta!

P.S. If you'd like to see more of my sketchbook, do follow me on Instagram. I post there much more frequently than I do here.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 24

Hi. How are you? We're back in Carbondale after a weekend away.

I'm not feeling the drawing thing right now, so I've been lettering my "daily drawings" instead.  I'm also a little annoyed with my new Moleskine. It was one that I picked up at Target on clearance, and I guess I got what I paid for. The paper is really thin and you can see yesterday's drawing peeking through the blank page. It also doesn't seem to absorb the ink very well. I end up smudging all the time! Grrr.

To check out all of the Month of the Moleskine drawings, make your way here.

I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday! Ta-Ta for now.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 21

Today is a special day!

This is the first drawing in my new red Moleskine and.......It's my birthday!  I'll be spending the day with family and friends in Rockford.

Hope you are enjoying the Labor Day weekend and last throws of summer.  Ta-ta!

To see the Month of the Moleskine series in its entirety,  click here.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 19

Happy Friday friends! Last day of August.....What the heck happened to summer?

September is also going to fly by.  I've got 2 shows this month! Do check out my events page on jenniferjohansson.com to see a list of all my upcoming shows.

I've archived the entire Month of the Moleskine drawing series here.

Ta-Ta!

Month of the Moleskine - Day 18

 

Happy Thursday friends! 

I'll be posting from the road the next few days. Matt and I are heading up to Rockford for the Labor Day weekend.

Ta-Ta.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 15 - Halfway!

I'm halfway there! Wahoo!

You can gaze upon the whole of the Month of the Moleskine collection here.

And have you seen my new prototype illustration?  Please take a look and let me know what you think. 

Ta-ta!

 

Month of the Moleskine - Day 14

Have a spectacular Sunday!

Take a gander at the entire  Month of the Moleskine collection here.

Smooch. 

Month of the Moleskine - Day 13

Happy Saturday! Happy Weekend!

Day 13 is pretty funky, but I like it.

I've archived the whole Month of the Moleskine drawing set here.

Stay tuned for some Etsy shoppe update news!  Ta-ta.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 12

Hey! Happy Friday!

It's a big weekend in Southern Illinois......The DuQuoin State Fair starts today! I'm a little confused about the whole thing.....Last time I checked DuQuoin was not a state and the Illinois State Fair takes place in Springfield. Hmmm.

I like the calm and simplicity of #12.  You can tell I was in a good mood when I drew it.

To see the entire Month of the Moleskine drawing set - make your way here.

Have an exceptional weekend friends! Ta-ta.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 11

Hi. I have a secret to tell you....

I didn't actually make this drawing on the 22nd. (Gasp!) Tuesday was a really slow day at work, so I did it then. I added a kind of wood-grain pattern to these goofy looking "1's".

Take a peek at all of the Month of the Moleskine drawings here.

And if you haven't yet seen my new prototype illustration, please take a look and let me know what you think.  Gracias.

Month of the Moleskine - Day 5

Hi. How are you?

I hate to waste a page in my Moleskine. This drawing covers up a dorky looking "3" that I attempted to draw a few days ago. I think I was pretty successful in recovering the page. What do you think?

I guess the use of the number of the day is sticking around. It's nice to have something to start from.

To see all of my daily Moleskine drawings, head over here.

I'm looking forward to spending a day in the studio tomorrow.  I'm working on a chair that I shot in the Tinker Swiss Cottage.

Ta-Ta for now!

Month of the Moleskine - Day 2

I don't know if I'll do all 30 days of drawing with the number included, but that's what happened today.

Check out my Flickr photo stream to see yesterday's drawing.

Ciao, ciao.

I Never Leave Home Without my Moleskine

February is an insane month in the Art room, when art shows and registration wreak their havoc.

There are two big local art shows that we submit student artwork to, and of course they both happen within two weeks of each other. My students and I are scrambling to finish up work for submission. At the same time, we are beginning the registration process for the 2010-11 school year. I have to spend part of every class signing students into courses for next year as well as recruiting for my Art History program. I really love teaching Art History, and if I don't get a certain number of students, I can't offer the course. On top all of this I've got to teach.....keep kids making and learning. Can we say stress?

In times of stress, I find myself spending more time in my trusty Moleskine sketchbook. It feels good just to draw, with little thought about what it will be. There is something comforting to me about creating on those 3.5" x 5.5" pages. I steal a few minutes here and there during the school day while my art babies are working and often continue those sketches at home while half-watching TV.

I've now got two Moleskines filled with these organic "doodles" crafted with a black Bic pen. I would like to turn them into a "saleable" product, but am not sure what that will be quite yet. Artists, do you ever sell pages out of your sketchbooks? I don't know if I am willing to do that, but I'm considering making prints and adding hand-colored elements with colored pencil or watercolor.

What is your favorite way to relieve stress?