Another sketchbook I like to use, besides my leather-bound perpetual journal, is a moleskine art sketchbook. Though I use it for swatching and for anything that catches my fancy, every month I create a spread in which I document my highlights throughout the month. That can range from anything like the types of full moons for the month to art supplies, tchochkes, clothing, books, travel, etc. Typically, I include images along with some writing and I don’t limit myself to any specific materials, sometimes incorporating pencil crayons or watercolour pencils. On occasion, I’ve also included a sticker or two or different colours of inks, and, at other times, I write more or not at all. I am drawn to this process as it involves such a small amount of time, it captures my month in images, which is perfect for a visual person, and is a wonderful memento of that month.

Prunus virginiana, commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry, and western chokecherry (also black chokecherry for P. virginiana var. demissa), is a North American species of bird cherry (Prunus subgenus Padus).

Forming a tree generally up to 6 metres (19+1⁄2 feet) tall, the leaves are oval, green, and smooth, with racemes of white flowers and red to black drupes. The unripe fruits are toxic, as is the stone and much of the plant, but the ripe fruits are edible, being part of Native American cuisine.

Last week, I received a set of 60 acrylic markers from Arrtx, and I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised! The colours are wonderfully vibrant, the ink flows smoothly, and the flexible brush tips make it easy to create a variety of line widths, from fine details to broader strokes.

I also love how the markers are packaged and presented. That said, I may eventually rearrange the colours to better match the way I organize my paints on my palette, making it easier to find just the right shade when I’m working. I also find the shape and size of the markers to be more comfortable as they are not so bulky in my hand.

So far, I’ve experimented with the markers on paper, canvas, wood, and even a paint-by-number project, and they’ve performed beautifully on all of them. Since they dry with a satin finish, pages in my sketchbook/journal don’t stick together, unlike many acrylics. I also find that they dry fairly quickly, but that if I choose, I can still blend colours together using a paintbrush. They’re also designed to work on a variety of other surfaces, including glass, plastic, and metal, which opens up even more possibilities for creative exploration.

Another bonus is that they’re odourless and are advertised as non-toxic. Much like traditional professional acrylic paints, most of the colours offer excellent opacity. The few that are less opaque still provide good coverage with a couple of coats.

I’m really enjoying getting to know these markers and discovering their potential. I’m looking forward to experimenting with different surfaces, techniques, and projects to see where this creative adventure takes me!

Thank you Arrtx!

The Old Ash Tree

Thou beautiful Ash! thou art lowly laid,
And my eyes shall hail no more
From afar thy cool and refreshing shade,
When the toilsome journey’s o’er.
The winged and the wandering tribes of air
A home ‘mid thy foliage found,
But thy graceful boughs, all broken and bare,
The wild winds are scattering round.

The storm-demon sent up his loudest shout
When he levelled his bolt at thee,
When thy massy trunk and thy branches stout
Were riven by the blast, old tree!
It has bowed to the dust thy stately form,
Which for many an age defied
The rush and the roar of the midnight storm,
When it swept through thy branches wide.

I have gazed on thee with a fond delight
In childhood’s happier day,
And watched the moonbeams of a summernight
Through thy quivering branches play.
I have gathered the ivy wreaths that bound
Thy old fantastic roots,
And wove the wild flowers that blossomed round
With spring’s first tender shoots.

And when youth with its glowing visions came,
Thou wert still my favourite seat;
And the ardent dreams of future fame
Were formed at thy hoary feet.
Farewell–farewell–the wintry wind
Has waged unsparing war on thee,
And only pictured on my mind
Remains thy form, time-honoured tree!

~ Susanna Moodie

Awhile ago I received a mint green Bijou Box from Case for Making, filled with my 8 favourite Ultra-Blend watercolours: algae, monarch, hibiscus, lupine, lagoon, tidepool, topax, and mermaid (my fave!). I had the opportunity to use 12 colours in the Art Toolkit Demi palette (1/2 the size of a business card) in England in Feb/Mar and loved the colour palette. The paint reactivates well when I wet them and dries quickly so that I can sketch on the go and pack up easily. They probably don’t act like a traditional watercolour, but I love it as I tend to use a sketchbook rather than a watercolour book in a soft ivory colour, so the colour and marks left on the page suit me very well. Having a nice selection of colour means that I don’t need to do much colour mixing, so that isn’t an issue for me either, and also hastens my travel sketching time. I may add some sponge or a piece of Swedish dishcloth in the center well where I store the paintbrush to make painting on the go a bit simpler and, though I will probably stick to the demi palette when travelling, I will be able to use this palette when I’m out and about in my community.