The Amazing Race Journal Challenge

I have enrolled in another online journaling challenge hosted by Susan Lazar Wojtkowski   ("Irreversibly Moi") on Facebook.  This one will feature different geographical locations around the world.

The first stop is China.  Susan provided lots of geographical and cultural information, as well as links to learn more about Chinese culture.  I decided to browse the paintings at the National Art Museum of China.  Lo and behold, I fell in love with this lilac painting by Xiao Shufang.

Some of the other participants went all out and made special journals just for this challenge.  I decided to just fill up some pages in the watercolor and mixed media journals that I already have.

I went to my studio to grab one, and this was lying face open on my table.  

The night before the challenge began, I applied gesso over an acrylic painting that I did not like, and then sprayed purple watercolor paint over it.  I decided this was meant to be...and I used it as the background for my version of the lilacs.

It did not take long...the illusion of the light shining on the florets was already there, along with lots of texture.  I added some areas of color, the pottery vase and table, and then darkened the background.  A little time adding some flower petals and foliage, and it was done!

Lilacs, Jeanne Turner McBrayer, 2016.

There have been lots of great responses to the challenge already, including bamboo brush painting and paper cutting techniques.  Looks like this will be an interesting challenge with a variety of creative responses.

Fabulous and Free Art Journal Challenge

Here is a link to sign up for the Fabulous and Free Art Journal Challenge.

The leader of the challenge is Susan Lazar Wojtkowski.  She has a web page called Irreversibly Moi.  Here is the information from Susan:

"The first challenge will arrive, via email, on May 4th (Monday).  You will receive a new challenge twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.

• We will keep the same Facebook Group for this challenge as we had for the last one.  There will be a few new features added, though.

• The challenges will be posted in the Facebook Group files section at the end of each week.

• There will be an album for each challenge for you to upload your work to.

• I will have random giveaways during the course of the challenge

• There will be 30 challenges, in all.  With two challenges per week, this will take 15 weeks.

• We just may have a few guest artists participating in some of the challenges :)"

I hope that some of you will participate in the challenge.  The last one really encouraged me to start making some beautiful pages in my journal.  I have tried some new lettering, drawing, and painting techniques, and found some that I really like.