Birds on a Wire

Birds on a Wire

17 x 11"

Journal Pages

I've started to work in my new nature journal beginning with this spread, The 140# watercolor paper had been painted with acrylics, mostly in warm colors. After cutting the paper to size I smeared it with gesso on both sides, allowing some of the color to show through in spots. Then I bound the papers into a book. I chose half a dozen colors to add to the spread but ended up using only burnt sienna and burnt umber.

The idea of the birds came to me as I was working. I practiced painting them on a scrap of paper before adding them to the pages, though it wouldn't have mattered because none of them are perfect anyhow. I used my Pentel Brush Pen for the birds and then switched to a plastic squeeze bulb and Sumi Ink for the drawings. I drew a very sloppy wet line on each page and then tipped the book upright and banged it on the table to get the ink to run. Messy fun, that was!  After the ink had dried I sprayed the whole thing with Krylon clear acrylic coating to seal it because otherwise the ink isn't permanent on the acrylic paint and would simply rub off. The photo was glued on before I sprayed.

Now that the book is bound and I've made a start I can hardly wait to work on the next pages, to see what bubbles to the surface as I think about the beauty of the natural world around me.