A few days ago, I signed up for ANOTHER Craftsy class, Illustrated Nature Journalng with Gay Kraeger. I LOVED it. Gay starts out by having us tear a full sheet of watercolor paper into 16 5.5" x 7.5" sheets that we can later arrange and make into a finished journal. I usually work in handmade bound sketchbooks, but I know Marc Taro Holmes prefers using single sheets so that he can work on more than one at a time (especially useful while one has watercolor that needs drying before continuing).

Gay also stressed striving for imperfection and also using simple "machines" to create landscape elements like clouds, waves, rocks, grasses, and dirt. These "tricks" such as using salt, a cut flat brush, rolled up papery towel, and wax resist we're all things I had at the ready and were surprisingly effective.

Gay also taught us a bit about designing a page using borders, lettering, and color unity. She really opened up my eyes for subjects and pleasing pages! I highly recommend this class!! Especially during one of Craftsy's many sales - like its Labor Day half off all classes sale.

Here are my pages from my illustrated nature journal from my 3 day camping trip to Steep Ravine, one of my favorite places in the world. I posted a quick video of the sketchbook that I bound with a stab stitch at the end.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the artwork, the sketchbook, or the Craftsy class. Thanks!!