Day 67 - Hotpress???

Or in search of a new watercolor journal and not wanting to make one

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The old journals

Last nite I got out all the watercolor journals I have laying around either not started or a page or two done.  I was looking for a new journal because I really do not like the paper in the handprint journal the same size as my old moleskine I filled up recently

Ferns at Midnite

Four or five years ago I made a journal out of hot press Fabriano Artistico. I handdyed the fabric cover and did alot of fancy embellishments to it.

In April, I mistakenly painted a floral painting on a piece of leftover hotpress Fabriano, and I absolutely HATED it.  Once the paint is on the paper, the paint does NOT move...you can't wipe it off with a Mr. Clean eraser or wash it off  like you can do with the Kilimanjaro or the Canson that I usually paint on.  

Handprint journal (8x8") on left, Hot Press Fabriano Journal(8x10") on right

So this journal has sat on the shelf too precious(or maybe because it was full of hotpress?) collecting dust. And the paper is so luscious- thick and creamy and feels so lovely compared to the moleskines or the Handprint journals.   First thing I did was paint squares of color on it and another larger handprint journal I have that seems to be of better paper. Always a litmus test to see how paper behaves.  They both did well.  

My old Fern painting

The only thing ever painted in the Fabriano journal was a TERRIBLE fern painting I did 6-7 years ago.  By now it was 11 pm...and no good idea usually gets painted at 11...it might seem like a good idea but rarely is.  I got the bright idea to paint a fern and I couldn't.  Now I can quilt great ferns endlessly without ever a mark on the fabric so WHY couldn't I paint one? HMMM...

Ferns at Midnite

I kept trying...and this is what I came up with...lots of free loopy ferns that I eventually decorated with my black Wink of Stella brush marker and my Pentel brush marker both of which I just love.  

I slurped lots of piemonite and cobalt on the background.  Then I spattered it with ultramarine and cobalt.  And was in general having lots of fun...and finally painted a decent fern...the small ones in the middle. I JUST LOVE the background on this page...lots of great swirly watercolor doing its watercolor thing as Charles Reid says!

 For some reason around midnite I thought it was a GREAT idea to write FERN on it...NOPE...don't like the word...might glue something over it ...but calling it quits for today!!


Tomorrow I hope I will have time to paint more ferns in the Handprint journal..same colors to see how it performs! Stay tuned!!!!

Thanks for looking!!