Taking It on the Road (and a Toad!)

I have never taken my art journal in public to work on.  I shrink from the idea that someone might walk by me, look over my shoulder, and see a sub-par work in progress!  And I don't feel prepared to chat about my art-making, even though I write about it on my blog all the time.

I had the opportunity to ease into public art-making this weekend, when I worked on my second ICAD for Daisy Yellow's challenge at a coffee shop while a good friend was in town visiting from Texas.  With Christina there, we could chat as I worked, and somehow that made me feel less conspicuous.  She took my picture at the Seven Stones coffeeshop in Media, so you could see my on-the-road art space:

I have my index card, along with my water brush and a set of watercolor pencils.  Later in the evening, I completed the card on the back patio, where a rubber stamp and a bottle of wine were additional art supplies:

I have to tell the story behind this little frog card:  The night before, we had a rain storm, and my husband came up from his basement workbench to tell us that a little toad was trapped in our window well, and was looking at him through the window:

With that priceless expression, this little toadie clearly earned a spot on a daily index card!  Christina and I made up a haiku together:

late night visitor

seeking the light of our home

refuge from the rain

We felt like we were back in our high school English class!

(By the way, we all went out to rescue the little guy from the window well, and set him free in our yard.)

I even bullied Christina into playing around with my water brush and markers in the little Moleskin notebook that I carry around in my purse.  She thinks she might have enjoyed herself, but she wasn't willing to confess!

Tammy provides us with some great prompts for the ICAD challenge, but it's also fun to use the cards as a kind of daily diary of something interesting that has happened that day. 

Wishing you an artful week!