Mandala Doodling on a Rhodia dotPad
These days I work in lots of different kinds of art media but I still consider myself a doodler.
It was about 5 1/2 years ago that I first started doodling mandalas- a circular art form typically represented by concentric circular patterns radiating from the center outward. For the first 4 years I drew them almost constantly in sketchbooks, tablets, notebooks, etc., typically with a fountain pen or marker. Sometimes I’d draw up to ten in a single day just by sitting and doodling one after another… this became my meditation.
Do you doodle? Do you do it just to kill time/keep your hands occupied or do actually you make the time to do it?
Friday Link Share
7 Ways to Turn Your Journal from Whiny to Empowering at Kaizen Journaling
Julie’s Gadget Diary 04-18-12 at The Gadgeteer
12 Ways to Attack Any Challenge at Inc.
Up and Down at Flickr Blog
Courage and Creating at Creativity for Life
7 Tips For Increasing Your Writing Productivity at Business 2 Community
20 Ways to Kill Your Writer’s Block Forever at Lifehack
Getting messy at nordljus
Travel Week: Flying With Fountain Pens (and other options) at The Well-Appointed Desk
My Collection at Plannerisms
How Cartoons Can Jolt You Into Being Creative at Thoughts on Theater
What exactly happens when you send a letter to the L.W.A. P.O. Box at Missive Maven
Altered Book: Things I Collect at Daisy Yellow
graphite archive at La Vie Graphite
Note: Journal Addict has become Kaizen Journaling
Image up top courtesy of Bonnie Jean Woogler. It shows off her new favorite pen from Chance Pens.
Take a Community Art Walk
Since participating in the Lehigh Valley Art Wars last year, (a local live art competition) I’ve met and have become inspired by dozens of amazing local artists including Joey Gourniak, shown here in his Easton, PA art studio.
I had the opportunity to visit Joey in studio last weekend when he opened it to the public as part of the 14th annual Easton Open Studio Arts Tour Continue Readering »
Objects of My Affection in a Carnet de Voyage Travel Album by Clairefontaine
Playing around in one of the new Clairefontaine Carnet de Voyage Travel Albums – not yet for sale in the US. (Soon….) It’s noted as 180g (83lb) “drawing paper” but that wouldn’t stop me nor Sandra from trying a multitude of art supplies on its medium textured surface. Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share – a giant list!
More Along the Boulevard at Urban Sketchers
‘Imagine’ That: Fostering Creativity In The Workplace at NPR Books
How Fountain Pen Highlighter Inks Hold Up During Copying at Ink Nouveau
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen at Cool Tools
Zen-Like Artist Creates Intricate Pencil Tip Carvings at Web Urbanist
Akashiya Sai Brush pens, Clairefontaine Carnet de Voyage at Drawing with a Squirrel
Another sneak peek at Clairefontaine’s Carnet de Voyage travel album at Life Imitates Doodles
Must you finish a journal? at daisy yellow blog
A Little Ink History For The True Geek at An Inkophile’s Blog
Sticky Note Clock Face – But Why? at Office Supply Geek
How to Defeat Writer’s Block at Writing Forward
Handwritten at Notebook Stories
Fountain Pen Nib Comparison Video at The Pen Addict
Rhodia R Pads – Wow! at Field Notes
Western Suede-covered Diary from 1949 at Notebook Stories
6 Ways to Keep on Writing at Creativity Portal
In the Beginning at The Pear Tree Pen Company
Turn Paper Into Pencils With The P&P Office Waste Paper Processor at Office Supply Junkie
A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Creative Clustering at Writing Through Life
Fountain Pens And Collecting Autographs In 1932 at Fountain Pen Restoration
Connecting with Nature is Good for Creativity from Art Asana
Letters in the Mail: from famous authors, to you at The Missive Maven
Old Church Converted into a Modern Bookstore at My Modern Met
6 Ways to Make your Own Luck at Inc.
Where doctors go for their fountain pen fix at Chron.com
Listen to some podcasts from our friend Brad the Pen Addict at 70Decibels
Image courtesy of Seth from the blog Good Pens. He is also one of our Rhodia Journal Swappers.
My Art Store Addiction
I will admit that I am one of the lucky ones because there is an honest to goodness art supply store (Blick) not to far from my house and I go there all the time. In the past 5 years, I have probably spent more money in that store than in any other. Except food. (I think.) I buy sketchpads, markers, paint, canvases, artist crayons, drawing pens… you name it. Continue Readering »
Pen Test Book
Gentian Osman is one of our favorite calligraphy artists from the blog Drawing with a Squirrel where she can often be found creating the most amazing ink and watercolor art. In this image, Gentian is using the last page of a Rhodia Unlimited pocket book to test a few Hi Tec C Coleto pens. Continue Readering »
A different kind of Rodia
Sabato “Simon” Rodia (April 15, 1875 – July 16, 1965) was an outsider artist who built the Watts Towers – an infamous Los Angeles landmark. Simon began construction of the Watts Towers in 1921, but did not finish them until 1954. Continue Readering »
Meet a new dotPad artist: Bonnie Jean
Bonnie Jean Woogler is using the dot grid of a dotPad to create this amazing art. Continue Readering »
Vintage Rhodia
I wonder when this image was taken. 1940′s maybe? I’m specifically eyeballing the cahiers on the right – the ones that look like composition books. Seeing the rounded corners on each of the products above makes me so happy – rounded corners are kinder on the palm of your hand when you reach the bottom of the page.
See anything you like? If there were enough interest, maybe we could convince Rhodia in France to reproduce one of their vintage designs…
First Friday in Bethlehem, PA
Many towns have some kind of First Friday events. In Bethlehem, we have a celebration of SouthSide businesses with music, food and wine tastings scattered throughout the shopping district.
Tonight at the Banana Factory where I am a current artist in residence, there will be 4 exhibit openings, including the resident artist “White Works” show. There will be live music, glass blowing, ceramic, and jewelry making demonstrations and much more! It all happens from 6-9pm – so if you can, be sure to stop by my studio #249 to say hello!
My 10×10″ acrylic painting on canvas above, “Hayden’s Adventure” was inspired by my friend’s young son and is also the piece I submitted into the White Works exhibit .
© Stephanie Smith All Rights Reserved.
Journal Swap Soon to be Underway!
Thank you to everyone who signed up for our 1st ever Rhodia Journal Swap! We had quite a few entries and it wasn’t easy to chose 12, but we did. Once I confirm their participation, the swap will commence!
You might like to know that since we had so many people sign up for this first swap, we are considering implementing a second one in 6 months – stay tuned!
Pinteresting?
Okay yes. I’ll admit it. I am slightly addicted to Pinterest. What is Pinterest? It’s a virtual pinboard that allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things we find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.
I love browsing to find new ideas for patterns color combinations to use in my art. I find so much inspiration there…
Are you using Pinterest? How do you like it? Pin any Rhodia lately?
Official Call for Entries for the 2012 Rhodia Journal Swap: “Favorite Things”
It’s here! Time to roll our our first ever Rhodia Journal Swap: “Favorite Things.” Interested in participating? Read on, then please fill out the form below by Jan 18th. We’d love if you would share this opportunity with your friends! Questions? Please submit via comments. Continue Readering »
Gearing up to start the 2012 Rhodia Journal Swap!
It’s happening!!!
I am putting together the final details surrounding the 2012 Rhodia Journal Swap and expect to start searching for our 12 participants sometime next week. If you haven’t heard about the swap, we are going to be providing 12 large dotWebbie journals to a dozen creative people to utilize for a few weeks at a time, who will then mail the book on to the next person, and so on, until it reaches the last person who in turn, mails it back to the person who started that book.
The dozen participants will be sharing their creativity via a group Tumblr Blog for us all to see.
You do not have to be an “artist” or a “writer” to participate, You should however, be creative and willing to share. This swap will be open to US residents age 18 or older. An international swap may happen at a later date.
More details, including the *Theme* of the swap, to be announced soon!
