Art Journaling by Leada Wood

Art Journaling by Leada Wood©

During the Holidays I entered a painting in Creative Catalyst's Paint Out and I was one of the winners! I won Ann Bagby's new DVD "The Grunge Book: An Acrylic Art Journal". The DVD was very inspirational and got me fired up AGAIN to do an art journal.
 One of the things I wanted to accomplish this year was to start an art journal and draw and paint in it everyday....wellll...it hasn't happened yet! I have decorated several journal covers but have not until now started the inside of the book. Today I changed all that...I BEGAN my art journal. There is a little preparation in getting your book started but I think it will be worth the effort.

I keep files of words and pictures that spark my imagination and that is what I turn to when I want to play. It is very helpful and gets me going. Sometimes I add a veil of paint transparently so that I can paint on top of that and the words are not so obvious.

Sunny Days by Leada Wood

Sunny Days © Leada Wood

We have been getting lots of moisture in Texas over the winter and spring which has really brought the wild flowers on strong, especially the pretty yellow flowers.
I just love springtime in Texas!
My mom's favorite color was yellow and she really liked sunflowers, as do I. I Love to see the giant ones heavy with seeds swaying in the wind with their heads bent over. Every time I see some I have to stop and snap a few photos for future paintings. I have done  several sunflower paintings and never tire of painting them, so cheery to look at.
This painting is 8x10 on Arches paper painted with transparent watercolor and it needs a home!

Spring Scenes by Leada Wood

Spring has definitely sprung at Dragonfly Farm! Here are some of our cute kids of Sunnye Brooke Farm with Boot Man admiring the newest kid on the farm. Now that's a Kodak moment!

Baby llamas are abounding! I have seven babies at this time. Sure glad it has been a gentle winter as they came a couple of months earlier than I would like. Very thankful that we have enough wheat for them to eat, as last summer we were having to buy hay and that was getting hard to come by.

Our fruit trees are in all their glory, a beautiful sight. I may see some peach blossom paintings in my future! I love Spring! The earth is reawakening, the promise of Resurrection...what's not to love! I have been busy planting and enjoying the warm days. Too nice to be indoors so not much painting going on...but lots of inspiration all around. I have been soaking up the sunshine as well as the inspiration in the great outdoors. Taking lots of photos for future paintings...love my digital camera!

Hope you enjoyed taking a peek at what I have been up to and my life on the farm! Y'all come back now!

Joy! by Leada Wood

Joy! by Leada Wood©

Another day another journal! I keep a stash of hand painted papers on hand so that when I feel like doing a collage my papers are ready to go. When I don't have a painting going and don't want to start one...I break out the papers and start painting and stamping on them. This releases my creativity and after a bit I am ready to go on to the next painting, or journal.


The colors on this journal were so bright and cheerful that I had to paint "Joy" on top. If you haven't tried collage yet,you really should! It is so relaxing layering all the beautiful colors and designs to create something new. There isn't a wrong way...you just keep layering until it pleases you...or as Gerald Brommer says "until you can't pick it up!"