I love illustrating, but lately, I've been feeling the need to go without a plan, and see what comes out.

This is also a very relaxing way to approach your art journal...put down some paint and see what happens. The color study started looking boring, but the more I played and explored, the more complex it became!

The right page was me drawing random shapes with one color, then wanting to fill them in...gives you some great time to play with colors and mix a few, One awesome side effect of all my color play spreads is that I have a better understanding of where and how they work.

I really wanted to remember the girl drawing, so I pasted her in. I didn't have a sketchbook at lunch, so my father gwve me the receipt and the Fisher Pen in his pocket (he's had it for 25 years, a present from the guy who invented it! ) . I doodled as we chatted, and when we were about to leave, he slid it around and said, "wow, look at what you can do! When you started, I had no idea where you were going, but this looks great!"

High praise indeed. But it's more...it's my parents becoming invested in my work, comfortable to give advice. I think they were secretly artists back in the day, because they're really good at helping me out!