Tinsel Santa

Oh what fun it is to paint Santa with glass pen and ink, and a little water for gradation! This Tinsel red ink is another from my Inkvent calendar - a rich, bold red shimmer ink that sparkles in the light!  It sure stirs up the magic of Christmas with each drop!  I have a collection of glass dip pens, and don't remember where this one came from - but it's tip is lovely and it holds plenty of ink for script. Can't wait to try all of Diamine's Inkvent Calendar inks, as I'm just a wee bit behind this year!  Painting number  4000 in 4000 days!  Could this be true?  I'll need to check my numbers because I've been at it for nearly 11 years daily, now! 

Fortune's Gold

I'm so excited to open the first door of this year's Diamine Inkvent Calendar!  Fortune's Gold is rich and shimmery - and perfect for painting this antique Shiny Brite ornament on my tree!  It's been a while since I've penned and painted with ink - so the process is most of today's journey.  My glass dip pen was too fine for the watercolor paper, so I ended up using a brush to avoid scratching into the paper.  The wet ink also soaked into the paper a bit.  I'm using an old watercolor paper I don't ever remember using, so that is also a fun new adventure!  For those of you who don't know, I have never liked 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper.  In fact, that paper is the whole reason I avoided watercolor for most of my life.  But now, I'm up for all challenges, so let the exploration begin!  Painting number 3979 in 3979 days. 

Serendipity at Home

Diamine's Serendipity ink is on my pen today!  I just HAD to take a break and get out there on such a gorgeous day!  I am taking a few liberties with my landscape, using my Artistic License with this rich blue ink.  It makes a lovely nocturne color, and I'm remembering the snow of just two days ago.  They never last long enough, and if I can't have snow to paint, a December day in the 60s will totally compensate!  Painting number 4138 in 4138 days. 

Inked Butterflies

After a full day of Easter celebration with family, I work in a little play time with my fountain pen inks.  I am playing with the inks, trying new things to explore just how the different colors mingle. I feel more expressive somehow, untied to the strict lines and angles of my ink and watercolor work.  It's liberating how this media simply takes off - like another personality jumping forward to play with reckless abandon.  It's all about the creative process, and I LOVE it!  Painting number 3392 in 3392 days.

Goldfield Mountains in fountain pen ink

I sketched this lovely place in pen and ink yesterday, for my first entry in my travel journal.  Wanting to explore the vibrant color of this place, I am experimenting with fountain pen inks. I first sketched in the landscape with a half dry India ink pen.  Laying a bead of color with a dropper at the darkest part of a mass, I then went in with juicy wet wash brush, allowing the ink to spread at will.  To those very wet masses I added more color with my glass dip pen, letting the inks mingle. These inks are all from the 2021 Diamine Inkvent Calendar, and I chose the ones nearest the actual colors.  Some shimmer and sheen, so each mass has unique properties.  I even added a tiny bit of bleach water to a couple of areas, to see the reaction, just like a science experiment!  There is something about the strong color that is very appealing to me!  I so love the process of art exploration!  Painting number 3381 in 3381 days. 

Inky Landscape

Tonight,  I was in the mood for exploring the depths of a few of the new inks I got at Christmas.  Part of Diamine's Inkvent Calendar, I am using Winter Spice, Thunderbolt, Seize the Night, and Brandy Snap, the inks closest to the colors I see in our stormy landscape right now.  I dropped these inks in where I saw them, with a dropper!  I then took a very wet wash brush, and ran it along the edge of those lines, adding water and blotting as needed to describe the landscape.  As the gloss was off the paper, I added in a bit more ink with a dip pen. The magic all happens in the wet wash - and it's completely uncontrollable!  I love using these inks in such a cool way - and there is a wonderful glistening to the Brandy Snap ink, and some intriguing chroma to the others!  I think more exploration is called for!  Painting number 3368 in 3368 days. 

Thunderbolt Creek

I love the rich violet blue of Diamine's Thunderbolt ink!  It is free flowing with the addition of water, washing out to a pinkish hue in the sky a bit.  I sketched the whole drawing with only one dip in the ink, and that pen left a nice line.  It is another of my new glass dip pens.  Last month, I was frustrated when I could not locate my other lovely dip pens - only the older, lesser ones were found.  Since I was preparing for my exciting Inkvent Calendar, this was unacceptable! SO, I ordered nine new ones with different shapes and nibs, to both experiment with them AND ensure I wouldn't run out, lol!  I'm sure I put my other ones somewhere safe during my lockdown time of organizing everything!  It's so fun to try these new inks during the holidays - even if I didn't have time each day to get to them!  Painting number 3266 in 3266 days. 

Stargazer Creek

This lovely bend in the creek that feeds Cleveland Lake is right off the main walk. Easily accessible, it's a great spot for a quick pen and ink drawing.  I'm using a new ink from Diamine's Inkvent Calendar - Stargazer, a rich, warm blue when wet.  It is very dark in the line, but a light brush of water releases the extra chroma.  I can see how wonderful this could be for a snow covered nocturne, with the night sky inked heavily this shade of blue.  I've been very busy getting paintings finished and shipped out.  I'm hoping to get one done for myself, too - if the stars align!  I'm currently behind on my ink doors, but I plan to catch up over Christmas break. Things are bound to slow down!  Painting number 3259 in 3259 days. 

Winter Spice

I love experimenting with the inks of Diamine's Inkvent calendar!  I was SO JEALOUS in 2019 when I learned there was such a thing - only to find it was sold out before I could order one.  So imagine how wonderful it is to open a little door to a new ink adventure, each day this month!!  I must admit, I am getting a little derailed from my schedule, lured away from my work by the sweet temptations.  Creativity does feed the soul, and I love pushing the limits of each ink.  I really love the pinks that emerge with a little water on this one, and the rich brown color.  Maybe I'll start using a brush to lay that ink on heavy, too.  So many options, so little time.  Painting number 3246 in 3246 days. 

Seize the Night Ornaments

I'm so excited to open the first ink of Diamine's Inkvent calendar!!  "Seize the Night" is a rich velvety violet that moves a bit with water!  I have not yet marked on wet paper, but I see blue separating from the violet in the more saturated masses. I have wanted this calendar ever since the first year's one sold out - before I found out about it.  I think tomorrow I'll try dropping a drop of this ink on wet paper, allowing it to bleed out, just to see what kind of magic happens.  There is so much more that can be done with ink than writing.  Painting number 3239 in 3239 days.