Roz Wound Up

Puppy Breath: There is Nothing Like It

Above: Tucker, an 8-week-old male German Shepherd Dog, all set for adventure. Photo ©2009 Roseanne Carbone. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

"Be sure to breathe some puppy breath for me," called out Nan as she got into her car Saturday. We had finished tracking (I laid tracks for her 2-year-old Australian Shepherd Zeke, who tracks with joy, enthusiasm, and accuracy!) and chatted for a couple hours about matters dog and human. She knew I hoped on Sunday to visit our friend Roseanne who had just picked up her new German Shepherd Dog puppy, Tucker.

What is it about puppy breath that is so wonderful? The warmth, the sweetness, the rhythm of it. 

Irodori Antique Watercolor from Holbein

Left: Swatches made in 2006 in an Aquabee spiral sketchbook. (That's a pink Post-it Note at the bottom right that I forgot to remove before scanning.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

I was talking about using limited color palettes in watercolor a week or so ago (actually I'm always talking and writing about this) and someone asked for recommendations if only three tubes of gouache paint were to be purchased. I can't find that note and the person's name, or where I addressed it in the comments, but what I can say is that when I shut down the computer that night I got out an old sketchbook to check on something and I found this yummy chart of a test of three Irodori Antique Watercolor paints from Holbein.

Whoa—I'm not suggesting you run out and buy these paints. I'm posting this chart as an example of one of the many experiments you need to do when you are testing out new paints and trying to ascertain where they will fit in your palette (if at all). 

Before you buy this or any brand please make sure that the pigments used in the paint meet whatever standards you have for lightfast properties and other component characteristics.

If you paint transparent watercolors you'll find that the three colors selected here will all be too heavy for most of your applications. Also these paints don't rewet well at all (there are warnings about only putting out what you need for a session in every sales brochure on them) so they aren't a useful candidate for making your own pans of color. But if you like to play with different textures in your watercolors or work in the studio or field from tubed paint you might want to look at the Irodori Antique Watercolor line from Holbein. (The colors in the line are colors used in "ancient" Japanese and Chinese art, hence the use of the word "antique" in their name.)

Regardless of what brand of paints you're using you need to take some time to explore the blending possibilities and see what you really can do with simply 3 paints—in this case a red, blue, and yellow. I would be quite happy working with this lot in the studio as I can get my Malamute Gray.

Another Weirdo Journal

Left: Page spread from the next weirdo journal (3.5 x 8 inches approx.). A sketch of a pear using Stabilo Tones. I have scanned this narrow book with the covers visible so you can see the decorative paper on those covers: decorative paper I made with metallic acrylic paints. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

After I finished my last weirdo journal things didn't "normalize." I elected to work in a very oddly shaped journal, 3.5 x 8 inches, that I had made in 2001 as a class sample. (The goal of the class was to make two books: a larger 8-inch square book and then this smaller book with scraps.)

The paper used in this book was the original Folio paper I love so much. Of course I didn't want this book to sit idly on the shelf, even if it did have an odd aspect. Also, lugging the weirdo journal around became quite a trial at the end as it got heavier and heavier with more collage material—and it was never a light volume to begin with. A small, light book seemed just the solution.

And it was, in a way the solution—less neck stress because of a lighter pack. In another way it was a challenge as the page spread was so narrow that placing a point of interest so it didn't fall in the gutter or so the rest of the subject didn't disappear off the side of the page became an interesting game, not always successfully played. Such was my reaction to the book that I whipped through the 54 pages (left after I'd cut pages out to leave room for collage material) in 10 days and sighed audibly when I closed the book finally.

I'm glad I worked in this book because the paper is too yummy to pass by, but I'm also glad I was able to work through it quickly and return to my preferred size 8 x 8 inches or so. I'll post more pages from the journal as time goes by. Meanwhile I'm left to ponder how to refer to such "oddities" I recently dubbed weirdo journals, in a transitional time (and when isn't one in a transitional time?). Especially when weirdo is definitely the norm and not weird at all.

I Never Have Any Wrapping Paper

Left: The final birthday wrapping for Diane's gift—I went a little nuts on the doodling as I was on hold on the phone and the package was in front of me. (Approx. 7 x 9 inches.) Click on the image to view an enlargement and read below for info on this package.

Well I don't know about you but I never have wrapping paper around when I need to wrap a gift. I have tried to save paper from received gifts, and also saved gift bags, but then I just end up with a mound of shiny papers and bags that never get used, finally get recycled (if applicable), and tossed (if not recyclable). About 6 years ago I gave up on the whole wrapping paper thing. Now I use whatever is at hand. This can be paper scraps, sections of the Wall Street Journal, fabric scraps, grocery bags, whatever—even bond paper from the photocopier recycling pile!

Gigapanning With Tom

Above: A short video made inside the main dome area of the Como Conservatory, while my friend Tom used his Gigapan. (Tom thought I was taking a still photograph when I pointed my camera at him—boy he can hold that smile well!) See it on YouTube if the embedded version doesn't work. You can view Tom's panorama of this area of the Como Conservatory here.

Last week I went over to Como Conservatory with my friend Tom. The goal was to find areas for taking  detailed Gigapan panoramas. In our short 90-minute outing he was able to shoot three panoramas while I occupied myself taking short little videos, chatting, generally being obnoxious, and also sketching. (You can see my Como Town sketch and a link to Tom's panorama of the same site here.)

It's Thanksgiving Day today in the U.S. and it's the perfect time to reflect on great friendships—people who let you participate in their life, their creativity, and oh, yeah, don't mind if you're lippy and obnoxious.

Below: Another short video made at the Como Conservatory, while Tom created a Gigapan of the Koi pond area. See my video of the Koi Pond on YouTube if the embedded version doesn't work.

Films for the Holidays

It's time to revisit holiday movie choices and after giving it some thought I decided to make my post from last year about this topic a PAGE (see the "Pages" list under "Categories" in the left column), so that it can be easily located. Also, I find that I'm sticking with my list. I hope you'll check out my holiday film recommendations here.

The Weirdo Journal Completed

On October 22 I posted a short video of my weirdo journal in progress. I thought it would be fun for people to see how the pages were being built, while they were under construction.

I finished that visual journal on November 12 and made the above video of the completed journal. (The video runs for about 8 minutes.) The video is low visual quality as I'm working with my small digital camera and taping in 60 second increments, but I think it shows you enough to get the pace and feel of the journal. Additionally you can see stills and read discussions about various page spreads by going to Weirdo Journal: Posts which Cover this Journal, which is a PAGE on my blog, found under "Pages" in the left column of this blog.

In the above vide, which shows the completed journal, I use the words "other journal" at the beginning of the video when I am actually talking about the other "video," but from context I think this is clear, and almost immediately I make the correct statement. I hope this clarifies things. If not, well just enjoy what you see.

If the embedded video doesn't work please go to view the Weirdo Journal Completed on YouTube.

If you haven't been reading the various posts on this journal and wonder whether you would enjoy going back to check them out I'll just say that I think that what is most fun for me in this journal is the mix of sketching and collage I did, as well as some gouache paintings and some Stabilo Tone drawings. There is as usual a lot of Pentel Pocket Brush Pen work. If those things interest you then you'll enjoy those posts.

Wendy Hale Davis' Latest Journal

My friend Wendy has posted photos of her latest journal on her blog Little Ray. She is a fabulous bookbinder and artist and you really need to see this stunning journal!

Also in her post she writes about the process by which she created this stunning book. It is always fun to read about how people make their creative ideas come to fruition in tangible form. You will be inspired by her ingenuity.

And you will enjoy her first journal entry in the new book, which she also posts. A mutual friend asked her about her hyphenation system, visible on the page. Wendy explained breaking words in odd places used to bother her, "…But they do it in all the old manuscripts. They also abbreviated the heck out of stuff. I usually try to use a dot when I break a word in a really really weird place, and a dash when it's a conventional hyphen like thing. But then I can never remember where the hyphens are really supposed to go."

Given that I have been writing about text treatment in journals (writing in columns or not writing in columns), I had to share Wendy's additional take on line breaks because it is perfect: a continuation of tradition while going with the flow. Something we can all learn from.

After you've read her blog you can go to Wendy Hale Davis' website and check out more of her beautiful visual journal work. Her work will inspire you to look more closely at your own life. Go read her blog now!

My Prized Possessions: Episode Two—Gert

Continuing my series of videos of my prized possessions (Episode One can be found here)—Gert. If the embedded video doesn't work click to see Gert on YouTube.

Gert has been with me for almost 10 years. She is particularly pleased that her portraits are included in Danny Gregory's "An Illustrated Life."

If you browse through the journal selections I have placed at Rozworks.com you'll find many (but not all) of the journal entries I've devoted to her. She makes an excellent life model. (While I enjoyed drawing her from the moment I purchased her, her career took off after Dottie died.)

Everyone should have a Gert.

Como Town, St. Paul

 Visit Urban Sketchers—Twin Cities today  to check out the mischief my friend Tom and I got up to on Tuesday