Won't You Be My Valentine?

winter rains and spring-like temperatures have made getting out with my pochade boxes a delight

(I've even added picnic items to my day kit)

Well, I've been off the grid for the past two months -- communing with Nature, prepping for this year's adventures, and working on the second book in the North Cascades series (and having a grand time of it all.)

the warm sunshine has rendered my free-range subjects very cooperative

(after the sketch is completed I can even indulge in a little light reading... or snoozing)

But, while I've been completely unplugged from social media I haven't forgotten my friends. And, with February 14th this weekend, I thought this might be a nice time to send everyone a little Valentine's Day "gifties."

join us as we explore "our" river, or for our grand adventure in Ireland

So, if you haven't had the opportunity to read/experience all of my enhanced ebooks, this week is your opportunity to get a FREE copy of one (or all four!) If you own an Apple device (iMac, MacPro, MacBook Pro, or iPad) -- or, for that matter, if you know someone who owns a Mac device -- and have internet access you can go to the iBooks Store at iTunes and download any, or all, of my titles free beginning Saturday, Feb. 14. The offer ends Monday, Feb. 16, so don't delay.

find words and images that inspire, or join me for 6 weeks in the Cascade Mountains

If you like what you read and see you can even extend the Valentine's gift to your friends too. (And. if you'd like to post a review of your experience, that would be most welcomed too.)

Cabin Fever and the Call of the Wild (Tools of the Trade #13)

Well, it certainly has been fun turning my hand to creating and publishing enhanced iBooks (and, with 2 new books already in the works and one very special project in the planning stages, I'm definitely not done with this "new" medium). But, after four books in as many months, I'm feeling a bit of the artistic "cabin fever" and am longing to answer the call of my favorite muse -- Nature.

On top of that I have a new adventure set for the new year (more on that in next week's post) and it's time for me to begin my annual reevaluation of my "kit" (to make certain that old favorites are still the best choices for the field work ahead, and to see what new materials may have come out since my last round of field tests).

So, for the next few weeks I'm going to be taking advantage of the mild autumn weather to pack up my day bag, stretch my legs, renew my relationship with nature, reawaken my observational eye, and test some papers/journals/pens/pencils/etc. And, with your permission, I'll share my findings and observations with you here.

Lanaquarelle 300gm HP 10,5x14,8cm Watercolor Block

Rather than do a superficial treatment of an overwhelming number of papers I thought I'd do an in-depth write up, replete with illustrations and the odd demo, of 2 or 3 papers each week and give readers an opportunity to savor each.

We begin with my go-to paper for postal art from the field -- Lanaquarelle's 300gm 4"x6" (that's 10,5x14,8cm to the rest of the world) HP watercolor blocks! The French Lana company has been making artists' papers since 1590 and this paper reflects all the knowledge and expertise the company has accumulated over that time. It is heavily sized both internally and on the surface, has a texture that is a delight to the touch, and handles mark making (and repeated corrections) without complaint. And, due to its size, the block fits perfectly into jacket or cargo pants pocket.

with a Lanaquarelle block in one pants pocket and pencil box or small w/c set in 

another I'm always prepared for every sketching opportunity

While this is technically not a sketchbook/journal (and that's perfect for me since these very stiff sheets usually head out individually via the postal system to friends and family) the paper takes marvelously to being bound as an accordion structure -- should you end up creating an interesting series during your next travel adventure, or should your spouse wish to put a collection of postcards together as a keepsake. (If this sounds appealing to you but you're not familiar with this simple bookbinding technique leave a comment and I'll see about doing a future post on accordions and cover options.)

Clairefontaine 90gm 14,8x21cm Journal ("Douceur de l'écriture", "Papier Velouté")

I'm not sure that this paper by the famous French stationary maker is technically intended as a drawing paper, but I am so in love with its silky touch, how pencil and pen glide across it effortlessly, and how it handles fountain pen without feathering or bleeding through.

even vintage flex nibs glide across this paper without scratching or feathering

This is probably the thinnest paper I use but is absolutely perfect for longer hikes afield (when your back and legs are going to feel every gram by the end of the day) and you want to be certain that you won't run out of paper while you're still miles from base camp. (This soft-bound volume is just 1cm thick yet contains 96 sheets/192 pages!)

red arrows splint out the location of faint show-through from the next page

This paper is also the brightest white of any paper I use, providing both a delicate foundation for pencil studies and dramatic contrast for pen and ink. And, for such a thin paper, it handles light watercolor washes particularly well (all-in-all a marvelous choice for my finely detailed botanical and entomological field studies).

show-through (but not bleed-through) is most evident when looking at the back of a page

Note: show-through is not necessarily a bad quality (unless you wish to work on both sides of every sheet). In fact, I find it useful as it allows a line guide to show through and facilitates my writing in straight lines. (And, of course, I can simply dispense with the guide when I want my writing to follow a more serpentine course.)

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Next week I'll add two or three new illustrated paper tests. (I hope you'll join me then.)

the papers in this test series (minus 2 specialty papers I couldn't squeeze into the photo) -- 

upper row: Stillman & Birn (Epsilon and Zeta Series), Exacompta Sketch Book, Strathmore (400 Series Softbound Watercolor - Landscape & Imperial 300gm)

lower row: Strathmore Softbound Toned (Gray & Tan), TWSBI Journal, Clairefontaine Douceur de l'écriture, Lanaquarelle

A Sense of Place, Part 4 (Installing the Show)

Central Library in Fort Worth, Texas, has the most amazing exhibition display case I've ever come across. I spent a few hours on Monday of this week installing the exhibition for A Sense of Place. And the Central Library case is the first one that has allowed me to display an entire Moleskine Japanese accordion structure opened from first page to last (with enough space left over for a partially opened accordion on either end).

the library's glass cases are massive!

my journals come in all sizes (and I frequently carry a variety of sizes at any given time)

positioning one of the partially-opened Japanese accordions

place-based sketching need not be limited to a sketchbook (my trusty little pochade sketch box with an "WIP" panel)

selecting nature studies in a handmade journal

The exhibition consists of 28 journals and a number of panels and other "loose pieces". If you'll be in the area please drop by and take a look. (And I'll be in every two weeks to turn the pages, rotate the Japanese journals, and switch out the panels. So, you might even want to visit two or three times to take it all in.

And be sure to join us for the first of four journaling workshop (this one at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens) on Friday. (You can phone 817.392.7323 for free registration and additional information.)

Cheers!

a quick flip through the first volume from our European adventure (you can 

drop by the exhibit to see it opened end-to-end)