Artist Vision Board

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How to Set Up an Artist’s Vision Board

by Alison | Art Business Ideas

Author: Alison Hazel – Last updated: January 2025

Artist Vision Board

Over the years, your creative energy and passion for art will no doubt ebb and flow. Hopefully it will evolve as well. Sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated. You might not have any creative aims, or if you do, you may simply not concentrate on your artistic goals. One simple yet powerful practice to help reignite your creativity and help you stay on track with your art, is to make anart-themed vision board.

Your Visions

I believe that we all benefit from having visions and let’s be clear, I don’t mean seeing ghosts or having déjà vu. What I mean is raising your sights to the horizon and wondering what’s over there? Considering where can your life journey can take you and speculating if there be dragons?

What you could do if you didn’t have to work your day job, work your two day jobs, look after three kids, shop, cook and clean for your family and be a supportive wife to your aging guy who seems to be becoming a hermit himself, not to mention the constant wrangling with your mother-in law…

You get the idea. That if it was only you, what would you aim for in life? That’s what I’m getting at. Your vision for your life.

My Vision Board

I’ve created myself vision boards on and off over the past ten years. Personally, I use a vision board and like to refresh it every year. My current one is a large piece of cardboard (50cm x 90cm or 20″ x 35″) cut from the side of an old Amazon delivery box. It hangs on the wall with some ribbon I had lying around. It used to hang in the bathroom, as I’d see it every day both morning and night, but then my sister said to move it away from all the drains as the energy could disappear literally with every flush. So now my current vision board hangs proudly in my bedroom. It is directly opposite my bed, so I see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. This is a much better placement.

Aspirations

In general, a vision board is a visual representation of your hopes, dreams and aspirations. It can act as a constant reminder of what you want to achieve and can encourage you to stay motivated on your artistic journey. If you have just begun exploring your creative side, a vision board can help you clarify your intentions and reignite your creative spark.

In this article, I’ll take you through how to set up and use an art-themed vision board, especially designed for hobby artists like yourself. I believe these ideas will help you stay inspired, organized and motivated to create more original art this year.

Why an Art-Themed Vision Board

As a third-age hobby artist, your creative expression may be deeply connected to personal experiences, nostalgia and a desire to express yourself in new ways. An art-themed vision board allows you to visually organize and reflect on what you want to achieve in your art practice.

Clarify

A vision board will help you define what you want to achieve. Perhaps you want to start a grid art journal, have a go at artist trading cards, try a new art style, master a different medium, or simply rekindle your joy for painting, drawing, sketching, journaling or creating.

Inspire

A vision board can serve as a daily reminder of the things you want to explore. You create a visual reference for artistic ideas.

Constant

Keeping your goals front and center can help you stay focused and motivated. Even on days when creativity feels elusive, your hand-crafted vision board will be a reminder of your why.

Steps to Create an Art-Themed Vision Board

Gather Materials

Before you start, gather the supplies you’ll need to create your vision board. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

Here and a few things you might need:

A large piece of cardboard, corkboard, or canvas (something sturdy to hold your visuals).
Magazines, newspapers, or printouts of images which inspire you.
Scissors and glue, or pins (depending on how you want to attach items).
Markers or pens for writing your goals or affirmations.
Any other decorative elements like stickers, washi tape, or paint (to personalize your board).
Some of your own mini art pieces that you want to develop further.

Guiding Theme

Before you start cutting and pasting images, take a moment to reflect on your artistic journey.

Ask yourself:

What are my long-term artistic goals?

Do you want to learn a new technique, like watercolor or charcoal sketching?
Are you interested in participating in an art show or selling your artwork?
Perhaps you want to rekindle your love for painting or focus on a particular subject, like landscapes or abstract art.

What themes resonate with me?

Do you love nature, animals, or vintage aesthetics?
Are there particular colors or styles that have always inspired you?
Which art movement draws you in?

What challenges do you want to overcome?

Is procrastination or lack of confidence holding you back?
Begin a daily art practice, see how one artist did this.
Would you like to make more time for art?
Do you first need to build a consistent morning ritual to kickstart your day?

Write these thoughts down in a journal or on a separate sheet of paper. This will serve as your guiding theme for creating your vision board.

Images, Quotes and Illustrations

Now, it’s time to search for images and quotes that represent your artistic goals and dreams. Personally, I have a collage box where I keep all cut outs, tissue papers and words that speak to me and which I can use at times like now. I’ve always been someone who has an art journal and I like to embellish it with images. When I buy physical art magazines, instead of keeping the whole thing. I cut out images, words and process steps that speak to me for later use. I keep my collage papers in an old flower delivery bag.

Please consider the following:

Art Techniques

Find images of art supplies, tutorials, or paintings that showcase techniques you want to master.

Art Styles

Look for pictures that capture the art style you’re drawn to or want to explore. These could be watercolor florals, realistic portraiture, or abstract designs.

Inspirational Quotes

Find or write down quotes that inspire you to keep creating. Quotes like, “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home” or “Creativity takes courage” can be great reminders of why you make art.

Personal Touches

Add personal images or mementos that resonate with your artistic journey. These can be photographs of places you’d like to paint or symbols that represent your creative aspirations.

Arrange Your Visuals

Once you’ve gathered your materials, start arranging your images on your board. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. It’s all about what feels visually appealing and motivating to you.

Group Images by Theme

You might want to organize your board by categories, like “techniques,” “inspiration” and “goals.” This can help you focus on different aspects of your artistic practice at various stages.

Leave Space for New Goals

While you’re arranging your board, keep some empty space for adding new ideas or inspirations over time.

Attach Your Visuals

Images

Once you’ve found the perfect layout, it’s time to glue or pin your images onto the board. Feel free to be creative with the way you position the items. Add interest by overlapping images or layering visuals as this can add a dynamic, artistic feel to your board.

Words

Use colored markers or pens to write down any personal affirmations or specific artistic goals which you want to achieve. For example: “Master watercolor florals” or “Create one new piece of art every month.”

Display Your Vision Board

Now that your vision board is complete, find a place to display it where you’ll see it regularly. Ideally, it should be somewhere near your art supplies or workspace, so it becomes a daily source of inspiration. It could be in your studio, on your desk, or even in a dedicated corner of your home where you relax and reflect.

How to Use Your Vision Board

Now that your vision board is set up, it’s time to actively use it to stay inspired and motivated. Here’s how you can incorporate it into your daily life as hobby artist:

Make It a Daily Practice

Spend a few minutes each day reflecting on your vision board. Look at the images and words and reconnect with your artistic goals. Use it as a source of inspiration before you start your art practice, especially if you’re feeling stuck or uninspired.

Set Achievable Milestones

Break down your bigger artistic goals into smaller, manageable milestones. For instance, if your main goal is to “learn watercolor,” set smaller milestones like:

Watch three watercolor tutorials this week or,
Paint one small watercolor piece by the end of the month.

Update Your Board Regularly

As you achieve goals and evolve as an artist, update your vision board.

Add new images.
Swap out outdated ones.
Add new aspirations as your journey progresses.

This keeps the board fresh and aligned with your ever-changing artistic practice.

Reflect

Every few months, look back at your vision board and evaluate your progress. Celebrate the achievements and take note of what’s still a work-in-progress for you. This will help you stay accountable to your goals and recognize how far you’ve come.

Overarch

Benefits

An art-themed vision board is an incredibly personal and powerful creation that can keep you focused and inspired as a hobby artist. It allows you to visually express your dreams and aspirations while providing a tangible, daily reminder of what you want to create. Maybe you are dying to get started as a hobby artist, improve your art skills, explore new mediums, or simply make more time for your art – a vision board can guide you every step of the way.

Begin

Now it’s your turn to create your own art-inspired vision board. Gather your materials, reflect on your goals and start crafting a vision that will inspire your artistic journey for years to come.

Save this pin to read later.

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you. Read more about Alison’s story. Get her newsletter.

Inukshuk – Pen and Ink

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How to draw an interesting plan/elevation view of an artist’s visit to a friends’ delightful private garden with pen and wash.

Artist Interview: Arwynne O’Neill

by Alison | Living a Creative Life

Author: Alison Hazel – Last updated: January 2025

Artist Interview

Arwynne O’Neill

This week I have something really special for you my dear reader. I was recently honored to meet with and interview an outstanding artist and good friend of mine, Arwynne O’Neill from Vancouver, Canada. Arwynne creates a lot of strong female figurative artwork. She explores many mythical and fantasy themes in an irreverent, pinup style.

She blogs about art, books, movies, nostalgia, sociology and anything that interests her. Her favorite medium is pencil drawings, finished and colorized in Photoshop but recently she’s been experimenting with colored pens and colored pencils for a faster turnaround, with more organic results. Arwynne attended the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore, MD, USA and majored in illustration.

Initial Impetus

Alison: Welcome, Arwynne. What initially drew you to participate in art challenges like Pinktober and Drawcember? Can you tell us a little about your first experience with these contests?

Friends

Arwynne: Well, to be perfectly honest (and I think you know this), it was you! My good friend Alison, dear readers, inspired me to participate in the Inktober/Pinktober challenge.

Dr. Sketchy’s

I hadn’t created any new art since Covid shut down my favorite drawing class, Dr. Sketchy’s, which had been my monthly source of inspiration for nearly a decade. In that time, I created a series of “Zodiac Pinup” calendars starting in 2014. In 2018, I started a series of Badass Goddess calendars. Despite Covid, I had enough material to publish a calendar in 2021, but then I ran out of steam…

Taking Action

In late 2022, a friend discovered my website and gave me a good natured harangue that shamed me into action. I pulled together a few drawings I had been working on but never completed, and added several of my favorites from previous years to publish a sort of “best of” calendar with about five new pieces for 2023. But then I stopped again, until this past summer.

Inktober

When Alison told me about Inktober, I decided to give it a try, and it ended up being one of the best things I did all year! By the end of October, I had 31 new drawings, more than enough material to print a 2025 calendar, and the desire to start up another challenge in December (Drawcember)!

Daily Art Practice

Many artists find it difficult to maintain a consistent creative practice. How has participating in daily art challenges helped you develop a regular artistic routine?

Deadlines

Maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo, but I find I really need an “assignment” or a deadline to get me motivated, until something becomes a daily habit. I can’t just wait until I feel like doing something new because I’m never going to want to do it.

Limber Up

There are all kinds of books that advise writers to do “morning papers” or some kind of journaling, just to keep the writing muscles warm and limber, so I’m coming at art the same way. Not all of my drawings will be good, but I’ll feel good that at least I created something, instead of spending that time scrolling Instagram or YouTube.

Wellbeing Benefits

Many artists speak about the mental health benefits of regular creative practice. What changes have you noticed in your mood and or wellbeing since committing to daily art?

Get Moving

Honestly, drawing every day is a lot like working out every day. I may not always want to do it, I just resolve in my mind that it’s something I have to do every day (or almost every day, because life happens). Then just do it. With exercise, even on days when I don’t want to, I change my clothes and put on my headphones, cue up the latest audiobook or podcast and get moving.

Get Started

With art, I pull out my pencils, pens, sharpeners, etc. and get started. I know I’ll feel better once I’ve done it, whether it’s a workout or a drawing challenge. To paraphrase a quote from Joe Rogan, I don’t know anyone who works out regularly and is depressed.

Build an Art Habit

It’s the principle of creating healthy habits through repetition. If you don’t start somewhere, you’ll never get anywhere. Just commit to making a tiny change, walking around the block or taking the stairs instead of the elevator or carrying a bottle of water with you to remind yourself to hydrate.

Daily Art

Do a quick drawing every day. If structure helps you, do it at the same time every day, right after your morning coffee, or on your lunch break. If you’re a procrastinator, find ways to reward yourself. No lunch break until the drawing is done, or whatever works for you!

Make Space for Art

If you’re a perfectionist, set a timer to take the pressure off deciding when it’s good enough to stop. It’s all about tricking the body/hands into carrying out what the mind wants to accomplish. Don’t think about it, just do it. Set up a space in your home where you can sit down and draw without any preparation.

Reconnecting to Art

You’ve returned to making art after some time away, what role did these daily art practices play in you reconnecting with your artistic passion?

Finding the Fantastical

I hadn’t done any drawing for over a year, aside from a couple of months in 2023, when I attended a drawing class in Vancouver, but I didn’t love the fact that you never know what the model is going to look like. While I appreciate the idea that drawing any model is great practice and all body types, genders, shapes and sizes can be beautiful, my preferred subject matter has always been fantastical women.

Fantasy Inspiration

I really loved the Dr. Sketchy’s concept, where burlesque dancers would pose for three hours in a series of exciting, often heroic poses. They had great themes and costumes, spanning the gamut from traditional pinup outfits, lingerie and feather boas, to famous characters from books and movies, to more outlandish fantasy/sci-fi and horror movie inspired themes.

Take a Risk

One of my favorite models, Little Miss Risk, was always a delight to draw. She’s a bona-fide B-movie actress, having starred in a number of independent films under her “real” name, Tristan Risk. Some of her more memorable costumes were inspired by Mad Max, Aliens, Predator and Quentin Tarantino’s Deathproof. She posed with her pet snake once and those drawings inspired Kadru, the Indian goddess of serpents.

Pinktober in Born

Anyway, this past October, I committed to the Inktober challenge (calling it Pinktober because my pseudonym and website are “Ms. Pink”) and set up my sketchbook with 31 mythological prompts, including goddesses like Eris and Aphrodite, creatures like mermaids and sirens, and strong female characters from popular culture like Elektra and Furiosa.

Accomplishment

Like I said, I didn’t know if I’d be able to complete the challenge, but having an assignment worked so well for me that I found myself drawing every day of October, then turning around and doing it again in December.

Calendar Catalyst

I understand you’ve just created a calendar from your art project pieces. Could you tell us about this thrilling project and how it emerged, like a phoenix, from your daily practice?

2025 Calendar

As soon as Pinktober was over, I decided to print a 2025 calendar from my twelve favorite drawings. I had been disappointed with myself for failing to pull one together in 2024, but I wasn’t sure if these daily challenge sketches were up to my standards for a calendar.

Polish Your Art

My preferred style is a combination of fantasy painting and digital collage, so these new drawings seemed very unfinished to me. But I managed to bridge the gap between the fresh, spontaneous style and a more polished look by scanning them in and cleaning them up in Photoshop.

Time Crunch

The fact that I had a very limited time to produce a calendar between November 1st and the end of the year prevented me from getting too picky with the details. I was able to get all twelve drawings finalized and the PDF sent to my local printer (MinuteMan Press, highly recommended!) and they were ready before the end of November.

Micro to Macro Approach

Some artists feel intimidated by large projects or blank canvases. How have these daily art activities, with their smaller scope and size, affected your approach to creating art?

Sketchbook

I bought a small (6″ x 6″) sketchbook for Inktober and Drawcember, which was not only perfect for posting to Instagram but also kept me from getting intimidated by a larger blank page.

Reference Images

In addition to using some of my previous drawings and photos of myself and my mother as inspiration, I combed my Instagram feed for great images of burlesque dancers and other heroic babes as a way of finding much-needed reference models.

Modern Inspiration

The big difference between now and a few years ago is Artificial Intelligence (AI). When I was creating my list of prompts for December, I asked ChatGPT to provide some inspiration with a list of winter-themed goddesses.

Extended Repertoire

It returned a lot of names I was familiar with, and had drawn in the past, like Sedna, Marzanna and Yuki-Onna, the Japanese Snow Woman, but also a number of goddesses and creatures I never thought of, like Winter Dryad, Skadi, the Norse goddess of winter, and Perchta, the winter goddess of the Northern Alps.

Art Prompts

Even better, when I found myself staring at an empty page and not knowing where to begin, I could ask Meta AI (the free one that is now bundled with WhatsApp) for inspiration. I would start out by saying something like, “imagine the goddess Arachne in comic book style” and it would create an image for me.

Refined Reference Images

It usually took at least three or four refinements, and about half the time, it failed to return anything I liked. But other times, I got a great reference image, and the AI is getting better every day.

Technology

AI is already a huge game changer in so many aspects of our lives, and art is no exception. There are pitfalls and controversies to be sure, but if artists can use it to generate ideas, we can at least benefit from this technology that is throwing so many creative industries into chaos.

Imaginarium

My advice is to experiment with the free AI tools as much as possible. Ask it for ideas, reference models, different poses, different costumes, backgrounds, whatever you struggle with imagining on your own. Brainstorming is one of the things it does best.

Pay it Forward

What advice would you give to other hobby artists who might be hesitant to even start art again or participate in daily art challenges?

Promise

Just do it. Commit to doing something every day, no matter how small. When I started the Inktober challenge, I thought I would have trouble drawing every day so I set myself a 20-minute time limit. I never actually needed it, but that was a way of tricking myself into getting started. Who can’t commit to 20 minutes?

Muscle Memory

Draw something… anything. Draw your pet or a plant, or anything you can see out your window. Copy a drawing by a favorite artist or a picture you like in a magazine. Ask AI for inspiration and reference material for your drawings. Get your hands moving every day (or once a week, whatever works for you). Once you trigger that muscle memory, your body will remember what it’s like to create.

Enter The Void

In time, just like any form of exercise, it will get progressively easier and easier. You’ll start to feel a strange guilt or emptiness when you don’t do it. On those days, you can brainstorm for ideas and write them down as prompts in your drawing journal, which will make it easier to start your next drawing.

It’s Never Too Late

This applies to any medium, by the way. My grandmother was a gifted artist who drew and painted all her life. In her 60s, took up clay sculpture and filled her home with tiny nude figures and familiar celebrities. I would open her fridge to find half-finished fairies and elves between the eggs and yogurt cups being serenaded by the torso of Jimi Hendrix. So it’s never too late.

Arwynne’s Contact Details

How can my readers find you and support your creative work?

Website

I invite your readers to find me at www.mspink.net.

Newsletter

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, which I publish every Saturday.

Shop

Visit my RedBubble art shop to find Badass Goddess prints, coasters, clothing, stationery, notebooks, home decor, phone cases and more.

Book

My Badass Goddesses book, which explores the art and myths of 50 of the fiercest female deities from around the world, is in full color and available in paperback, hard cover and digital format from Amazon.

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you. Read more about Alison’s story. Get her newsletter.

Inukshuk – Pen and Ink

How to draw the Vancouver Inukshuk with black and grey scale drawing inks. Nature Journal. Hobby Artist

Sketchbook Flip Through

Sketchbook Flip Through Abstract Sketchbook Welcome to the vibrant realm of my latest abstract sketchbook, where colors and shapes intertwine in a dance of imagination. In this flip through, we will embark on a journey through abstract art, a world where the ordinary...

Meditative Art Coloring Pages

by Alison | Coloring Pages

Author: Alison Hazel – Published: January 2025

Welcome

Introduction

This Meditative Art Coloring Pages: Neurographic art inspired for self-care represents the initial release in a series of coloring pages and created by artist Alison Hazel.

Self-care

These artworks are carefully designed to support your mental well-being and personal self-care journey. As a part of your self-care routine, consider coloring one image per week. By incorporating these pages into your artistic activities alongside other projects, they can be a valuable tool to explore and refine your preferred color palettes.

Explore

Search the images for inspiration that ignites your unique artistic expression. These pages can serve as springboards, propelling your imagination towards new and exciting ideas on your personal creative journey.

Artworks

Within the coloring pages, you will discover a collection of 52 unique artworks skillfully crafted by Alison Hazel. This equates to one stunning piece of art for every week of the year.

Display

From these pages you can print individual art pieces and frame them to create a wonderful piece to adorn your walls with your favorite artworks.

Teachers

For educators working with children or adults, you have the flexibility to print one page for each child in your class or provide one image to each person in your adult teaching sessions.

This approach enables everyone to engage with your artwork individually and make it a versatile resource for both teaching and learning.

Get Your Coloring Pages Now

Neurographic Principles

Several of these images incorporate principles of neurographic art such as:

The neurographic line.
Circles.
Connectors.
Lines extending from one edge to another.

In fact, some of these images symbolize the synapses which form when you forge new pathways in your brain through creative expression.

For more on neurographic basics watch this video.

Printing the Pages

Print Single-sided

If your printer will only print on one side, then you can pick and choose each page that you wish to print.

Print Double-sided

If you have a printer that prints double-sided (on both sides of the page) you can print the main image on the front page and you can print a smaller version of the artwork as the backup page on the reverse. Here you can personalize the page by adding your name and the date of your artistic endeavor.

Front

Back

How to Use This eBook (Pages)

Coloring

Color the images in the order that speaks to your preference. It’s worth noting that certain images are more intricate, so they may require additional time and attention to complete.

Color Palettes

Before you start your coloring journey, take a moment to contemplate your color palettes. You might consider employing a strict palette as a creative challenge. For instance, you could opt to complete one page using only three colors, like red, blue or yellow.

Alternatively, you could immerse an image entirely in shades of green. Give yourself the freedom to explore the rich and vibrant realm of colors to allow your artistic exploration to flourish.

Hobby Artist

For those pursuing art as a hobby, these pages can serve as a valuable resource. You can incorporate them into your creative repertoire, using each artwork as a warmup exercise to flex your artistic skills before you plunge into your main projects.

Children

These coloring pages are designed to be enjoyed and engaging. While they were initially crafted with adults in mind, they can certainly be appreciated by children too. Feel free to involve your kids in these pages, offering them a chance to join in the creative fun.

Layout Painting

Once you’ve discovered an artwork which truly speaks to you and have colored it in to your liking, consider using it as a foundation, a kind of preliminary sketch for a larger painting you wish to craft in dependently.

Medium

You have the freedom to choose your preferred medium, whether it’s colored pencils, markers, watercolors or acrylics. The choice is entirely yours. This allows you to explore your creativity in the way that resonates most with you.

About the Artist

Alison Hazel Art

Alison is on a creative journey which blossomed from a love of colors and the meditative power of art. As an aspiring artist and hobbyist, Alison found solace and inspiration in the world of visual expression.

Her art is a testament to the beauty that can be found in simplicity, making it accessible and captivating for both beginners and seasoned artists enthusiast alike. Alison’s art is a reflection of her inner world, where she explores the therapeutic aspects of the creative process.

The use of vibrant colors is a signature element of her work, drawing viewers into a world of emotion and imagination.

Each stroke of her brush or pencil is a deliberate step in her artistic journey, an exploration of the self, and an invitation for others to join her in this meditative experience. Meditative art is at the heart of Alison’s creative journey.

Her pieces are not just beautiful to look at, they also serve as a form of visual self-care. Every color choice and each composition is carefully crafted to induce a sense of calm and tranquility.

Her art becomes a sanctuary for those seeking solace in a chaotic world, a reminder that the act of creation can be a meditative practice in itself.

She wants to share this with you.

Save this pin to read later.

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Get her newsletter.

Inukshuk – Pen and Ink

How to draw the Vancouver Inukshuk with black and grey scale drawing inks. Nature Journal. Hobby Artist

Sketchbook African Violet Ink Wash

https://www.alisonhazelart.com/

Sketching This weekend I had planned to go to the beach. It's a short bus ride from my home and very pleasant to spend time there on one of my precious days off. Unfortunately, it continued to rain which seemed to be set in for the whole day. My original idea was to...

More Resources

Website

Visit AlisonHazelArt.com.

Artzlife Newsletter

Get hobby art tips and behind the scenes ideas in Alison’s Artzlife newsletter.

https://alison-hazel-art.kit.com/profile

YouTube

Visit the Alison Hazel Art YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/c/alisonhazelart

Art Shop

Get stickers, greetings card and more at my art shop.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/AlisonHazelArt/shop

Other Books at Amazon

52 Herbs Coloring Book: Self-care for plant lovers by Alison Hazel.

https://amzn.to/49OHsLN

Fun at the Rock Pool with Sandy Sea Star (children’s 3-7years) by Alison Hazel.

https://amzn.to/3BvifcE

GRID ART JOURNAL: African Violets

by Alison | Grid Art Journal, Sketchbooks and Journals

Author: Alison Hazel – Published: December 2024

Grid Art Journal Page: African Violets

Preamble

Earlier

I had an idea about six months ago about creating some artist trading cards for my African violets. Now typically with artist trading cards you do twelve cards. It then occurred to me that I could do a grid art journal page of African violets with six images. So, last week I created a six grid African violet grid art journal page and then it occurred to me, “Why don’t I do another one and video it for you guys? This is what we’re doing today.

Grid Art Journal Page: African Violets

Grid Layout

Today I’m using a Peter Pauper Press A5 sketch book. My grids are 5cm or 2″ square with half an inch or 1cm between them. You can find out more about how to layout an A5 grid art journal page in this video. I have lightly penciled in the squares using a 2H pencil.

Pencil Sketch

One of the ideas, if you’re working with grid art journal sketch pages, is that you can look at one topic. And draw multiple images of the same topic. It’s a way to get your hand in or rather get your eye in on the actual topic. Now generally I would sketch out some concept art on subscript paper first, but because I had already done a 6-grid last week, I’m just going to use that as my template for this project.

Top Left

So, starting at the top left, I sketched in three blooms of the African violet. In this square one there’s no leaves. I’ve put the three blooms together. You will need to pay attention when you’re drawing flowers to how many petals each flower has because some will be different. You can get two petal 3-petal 4-petal, 5-petal and multiple petals. African violets have 5 petals and ideally you want 5-petals on each of your blooms.

Top Right

I chose one particular leaf to try to get a bit of a close up on the leaf of this plant. African violets have rather round leaves. They are quite a dark grey-green and quite furry and soft. Their edges are also scalloped and there are visible veins that curve out and upwards from the main stem.

Middle left

This sketch is one bloom by itself is more of a close up. I’m going to be doing this one bloom in a different colour (not violet) later on. I’m sketching in lightly the five petals. Here you can see the middle yellow bits as well so I make a note of that.

Middle right

In this grid box, I’m drawing a little part of African violets. There is a little yellow pot and it’s standing on a surface. I think there’s four or five little blooms and some leaves sticking out. Here you get a general idea of the silhouette of this plant.

Bottom Left

For the bottom left I also did a plant standing by itself, but this time the angle slightly different, so we’re looking down almost into the pot. It’s a bit of a closer view than the other full plant one. Here you can see a little bit more about how the leaves fall out of the pot horizontally and that the flowers stand up quite straight.

Bottom Right

In the bottom right, I was initially decided wanting to do a swatch of the colours I was using. Then I thought why don’t I write the word “Violet” and swatch the colours in from there. Because there are six letters I divided the block into six divisions. I wrote “V-I-O” on the top line and “L-E-T” on the lower line. Each of the letters will be colored in one of the shades that I was using, almost as a “swatch word” if you will.

Colors

The coloured pencils I use are Faber Castell polychromos in a selection of greens, purples, pinks, blues and yellows. You can buy them one-by-one at art stores, but I was gifted the 72-color tin by my daughter a few years ago which I’m using. I’ll provide the full list of colours here.

Greens: Leaves

Earth green yellowish
May green
Chromium green opaque
Olive green yellowish

Violets, Pinks, Blues: Petals

Purple violet
Mauve
Middle purple pink
Magenta
Rose carmine
Pale geranium lake
Ultramarine
Prussian blue

Yellows: Centre

Cadmium yellow
Dark Naples ochre

Greys: Shadows

Cold grey II
Cold grey IV

Colored Pencil

Top Left

I use two shades of purple on the petals with the lighter in the middle and the darker towards the edges, making sure that all the strokes flow towards the centre. I colored in the centre yellow.

Top Right

I used the darker greens and worked from the outside colouring in the edges and then also where the veins were on the leaves. Choosing dark green colors, I left the light bit above the vein. I came in with the lighter greens and gently went over the veins. Nothing is actually white on the leaf, but the veins are definitely lighter. I gave it more depth by blending the two greens together.

Middle Left

Not all African violets are actually violet, you do get them in pinks and blues as well. I coloured in a two-tone pink African violet again with the darker pink on the outside and the lighter pink coming from the centre. The centre I coloured in the yellow.

Middle Right

I put it in a little yellow pot, ideally it looks like it’s a brass or gold type of pot because I was picking up the yellow from the centre of the African violet plant as they all they all have a yellow centre. I then gave some deeper blue on the table and continued to colour in the rest of the plant.

Bottom Left

With this grid square I colored the plant pot in soft steely looking greys. I worked the petals with a two-tone violet color as well. Again, when colouring the leaves I used two shades of green.

Bottom Right

Because I had intended this “violet” word to be the swatch, which was the original idea, but clearly there’s only 6 letters and I had used multiple colors. I just chose one of the colors from each of the main color families which I was using. So, the “V” is in mauve the “I” is in earth green yellowish, the “O” is in rose carmine, the “L” is in magenta, the “E” is in middle purple pink and the “T” is in dark Naples ochre.

Overarch

Grid Art Journal

This is just me sharing with you how I created an A5, 6-grid art journal page of African violets. Now clearly, you can use any plant in this way. You can pick out bits of the plant like the petals, the leaves, the roots, maybe even say if you did an onion or something, you would be able to do the roots as well.

What I love about grid art journaling is that each one is a very small artwork. Only two inches or five centimetres across. Grid art journaling is a way which I can continue to build my daily art practice. It’s a way that I can work with my coloured pencils in this particular case.

Hobby Artist

I am a hobby artist. I’d like to be better at art. I’d like to paint like Picasso, but at the moment this is the best I can produce. I’m enjoying myself doing these hobby art practice pages in my grid art journal.

Daily Art Practice

I encourage you to start a daily art practice with grid art journaling.

It is pretty simple.

It doesn’t need to be complicated.

It’s something you can do with your kids as well, which I think is a total bonus. Let me know if you’re going to be doing a grid art journal page and which plant you would draw first.

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Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you. Read more about Alison’s story. Get her newsletter.

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How Many Sketchbooks Do You Need?

by Alison | Sketchbooks and Journals

Author: Alison Hazel – Published: December 2024

Sketchbooks How Many?

First Sketchbook

I’d like to talk about how many sketchbooks you actually need as a hobby artist and let me be quite clear, when I started out, I didn’t have even one sketchbook, but that was a few years ago. I picked up my first sketchbook when I happened to be in Walmart one day. I found myself going down the art supplies aisle and I saw a Strathmore sketchbook nestled on the shelf. I thought, “Let me take that home and see how I do.” This was the very first sketchbook I had ever owned in my life. Ever…

I joined Vancouver Urban Sketchers, group and I went to a couple of their meetings with my brand new shiny sketchbook in hand. The other people there had their sketchbooks. They began sharing and thumbing through each other’s sketchbooks to look at the type of work that each of the artists were doing. All I had was blank pages. It was weird. I felt quite behind with my art.

Field Sketchbook

I carried on for several months and then decided to do some what I’m calling “on location” sketching where I went outside and down to the beach. For this coastal adventure, I purchased an A6 sketchbook which is a size that you can put into your pocket as I traveled on the bus down to the beach. I didn’t want to take a big sketchbook because it’s quite windy and the pages can flap about, so I grasped my small A6 sketchbook in my hand.

Watercolor Sketchbook

As the months went on, I realized that as I started to work with both watercolor and coloured inks that these mediums needed a sketchbook with more robust paper in the pages. That’s when I purchased myself a watercolor sketchbook where the leaves are almost like cardboard. They’re very thick and can absorb all the extra moisture so the sheet doesn’t buckle as much when you paint.

Grimoire

I started my grimoire probably three years ago. A grimoire is a sketchbook, or journal if you will, to do with more spiritual practices such as paying attention to seasonal shifts looking into New Age topics which interest me like crystal readings, Moon phases, the Tree of Life and things like that. A grimoire is more of a way to tune into the unseen in life with a little bit of Wheel of the Year and astrology thrown in as well.

Annual Sketch Journal

The next journal that I thought about getting was one which I’m calling my annual sketch journal. These annual sketch journals are wonderful for each year. I started one in 2024 and there’s going to be one for 2025. I use my annual sketch journal for casual sketching here and there. With this sketchbook I don’t necessarily fill all the pages, but I will have the opportunity to go back and see how my art skills have evolved from say, five years ago. My annual art journal is A5 because this is really the size that I love.

I’m currently working towards the end of the annual sketchbook for 2024. This year I’ve not only got sketches in it, but also ideas about where I want to take my art journey, layouts for artworks or some concept art, as in the grid journaling or artist trading card layouts, for example. I also make notes of hex color and Pantone numbers for specific shades that I want to work with in the future and general things like that. In this book I list the artists I admire and some creators whom I follow on YouTube.

Nature Journal

Two years ago I started my nature journal and this is actually a perpetual nature journal, which means that you can use it year after year. My perpetual nature journal is divided into twelve months, and the idea is that you track what happens in nature during the course of any month each year.

The concept is to note, for example, when the first cherry blossoms bloomed, when the first fruit came, when the ice melted, what the high temperature was or things like that. If I had a garden, I would be able to use this nature journal a little better and follow the development of some plants over the course of the year, but I don’t have a garden. I live in a high-rise apartment and when I look for nature, I go into the city to visit the beaches and walk in the large public parks here in Vancouver.

Perpetual Art Journal

Now my perpetual art journal is something slightly different. This is a larger A3 size sketchbook. What I’m doing in this one is that it’s more of a sketch journal where every day, or at least once a week, I do a mini sketch. Each double page spread covers one week of the year of the 52 weeks. For example, December basically has four weeks and the first seven days of December will have their own double spread.

I’m just drawing what you would call a daily sketch journal piece. This is where I sketch what I did in my day. I’ll add maybe what I had for lunch, coffee I shared with friends, a new book I bought, a movie I saw, where I went, or even art related exercises that I practiced. I don’t always have something for each week, because I mean, one is not busy every minute of every waking day.

This is a sketchbook which I began in January 2024 and so far, not every page has a sketch in it yet…

In the future I can, because of the perpetuality of it, go back over the years and see what I was doing that same week in years gone by. When we get into 2025, I will be able to go back to the beginning and look at the first seven days of January and create a sketch of my daily life, what I was doing, whom I met, things we did, what I saw and things like that.

Now this is the biggest sketch journal I own and it is the one I am least likely to complete a sketch in each week. I do get to circle around to it often, but not all the time. The sketches I put into my perpetual annual art journal are usually small, four inches, or 10cm, square. The mini sketches are just little vignettes, if you will, of what I did as I went about my day. It’s really nothing special. It’s more of a memory of how I live my life and what I found interesting that week.

Art Business Journal

Somewhere along the line, I got myself an art business journal. But let me be quite clear, I am a hobby artist, I’m not technically an artist running a business. However, once I started putting some of my artworks for sale through my art shop, it then made sense to have an art business journal where I pay attention to money coming in, money going out and that sort of thing. And to be honest, there is way more money going out then there is coming in. Overall, the software and systems you have to have in place, such as website hosting, Procreate and tech things like a laptop and pencils and what have you are where the money goes.

Let me be quite clear that I’m not an artist in business. My art business journal is more a point of tracking micro, nay nano, growth which may happen as my art gets better. Perhaps in five- or ten-years’ time this will make more sense, but at the moment I want to make sure that I am paying attention to what it is really costing me to do my hobby art.

Travel Sketchbook

The most recent sketchbook that I set up is my travel sketchbook. This is one where, if I go and visit someplace, I do a drawing and some sketches of the area and the experiences I had and mention how much fun it was. So far, I think I only have two sketches in this book, one was a visit to Victoria, BC and the second one was a visit to Mexico earlier this year.

This is not a sketchbook which I’m using all the time, obviously, because I don’t travel all the time. And honestly, I’m not much of a traveler either, so I don’t know when the next time is going to be that I’ll use this sketchbook, but it’s nice to have. It’s a great way to remember where you were, what you did and travel sketchbooks are fun.

AHAtober

I like to do art challenges of which AHAtober is but one. In AHAtober, the AHA is the initials for Alison Hazel Art and then the “…tober” is just because Inktober occurs in October. AHAtober is like Inktober for hobby artists, and for a few years now I’ve been creating my own prompts for AHAtober. I usually have one small sketchbook for each year of AHAtober, and they’re piling un on my shelf.

Grid Art Journal

My grid art journal is the latest one I have in my collection. I have one which is an A4 size and this is my larger one and then the A5 size which is the one I do prefer. You can see more of what I’ve been creating in my grid art journal in this video and some inspiration for your art practice.

Overarch

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you need to go out and create yourself multiple sketchbooks. What I am saying is that as I started to lean into my hobby artist journey three or four years ago, I realized there was a place for different sketchbooks and journals with diverse papers, dissimilar sizes and where each of the sketchbooks have their own special purpose.

If you are just starting out as a hobby artist, I urge you to work with what you have at hand today. If you just have some plain paper at home, start there.

Probably one of the first things you will purchase on your hobby journey is a sketchbook. If you do, I recommend the Strathmore A5 size sketchbook because they’re just great. To have a sketchbook will encourage you to start being creative on a regular basis in your life.

As far as I can tell, all the great artists of the past, had sketchbooks. Even today, the modern artists whom we know and love, work from sketchbooks.

The sketchbook tends to be a place where ideas originate. It is where you get your first strokes down on the paper and the first mark-making occurs, Your ideas may survive, to become something great later on, or they may just end up being part of you practicing your techniques, shading, colouring or whatever. Either way, I do think as a hobby artist, you will benefit to have at least one sketchbook if not many more.

I’d love to know how many sketchbooks you have and whether you have sketchbooks which are designated for different types of sketching, such as I mentioned in my every expanding sketchbook collection.

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Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Get her newsletter.

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Artzlife Newsletter

by Alison | Artzlife

Author: Alison Hazel – Published: December 2024

Artzlife Newsletter

Creative art journal inspiration for hobby artists

Welcome to a Place for Passionate Hobby Artists

Are you a hobby artist seeking inspiration, connection and gentle guidance on your creative journey? Hi, I’m Alison a hobby artist in Vancouver, Canada. My Artzlife newsletter is your personal invitation to explore the wonderful world of art, nature, travel and sketch journaling.

What Makes Artzlife Unique?

Artzlife is my heartfelt exploration of creativity from someone who is right there with you, navigating the exciting and sometimes challenging path of artistic discovery. I came to art pretty late in life, but now I’m trying to make the most of it and I want to encourage you wherever you are to be creative every day as well.

Personal Artistic Adventures

I’ll let you know about my art techniques, media, experiments and discoveries I’m experiencing. This can also include just going into my local art shop and browsing through all the fascinating equipment of the art world.

Inspirational Artwork

Regular features that showcase diverse artistic styles and approaches. There are a few art pieces by the masters that truly draw me in and I’ll be happy to let you know how difficult it is to interpret artworks and understand what they artist meant in the first place. But rest assured this will not be an art history class because I’m not the person for that, but I do want to let you know If I come across something that inspires me as I go about my day.

Practical Insights

Mastering art techniques in general is something that I’m working on. These are mainly through different mediums such as coloured inks, watercolors and coloured pencils. I have a love of journaling for artists like sketch journaling and perpetual art journaling which I hope to share with you soon. At this stage every piece I create I think it’s a masterpiece, ha-ha, no but really, each artpiece is one step forward on my artistic journey.

Share the Struggle

As a new hobby artist myself, I’m still trying to find my feet in the creative world. There are many things that I don’t know and I hope to share my explorations of them with you. Included in this will be the struggles I may have with some of the media or techniques along the way.

Why Join the Artzlife Community?

Inspiration

I’m at the beginning of my own art journey, which means I understand the mix of excitement, uncertainty and passion that comes with exploring your oen creativity.

Artzlife is about:

Inspiring the artist in you
Embracing imperfection
Celebrating small victories
Learning together
Finding joy in the process of creating
Thoughtful, consistent communication

Newsletter Frequency

Welcome Series

In the first five days you will receive a warm, introduction to my artistic offerings.

Regular Updates

I’m hoping to get fresh newsletters out every other Friday, just in time for the weekend and packed with inspiration for you to keep the art conversation going.

Past Issues

Get a peek at some past issues.

My Promise to You

To be clear what I’m about:

No spam, ever
Easy unsubscribe at any time
Transparent, genuine communication
Content that respects your time and nurtures your creativity

What to Expect in Your Inbox

Each Artzlife newsletter may include:

A spotlight on a recent artwork or creative technique
Sketching tips and challenges
Insights from journaling in nature or travel that can spark your artistic imagination
Personal reflections on the artistic process
Occasional recommendations for art supplies, books or resources

Join Me

Your artistic journey is uniquely yours and Artzlife is here to provide gentle companionship. If art is your jam, then there’s a place for you here. Ready to Begin?

Let’s create, explore, and grow together – one sketch, one newsletter at a time.

Check out some past issues of Artzlife newsletter.

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you. Read more about Alison’s story. Get her newsletter.

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Grid Art Journal Page Setup

by Alison | Sketchbooks and Journals

Grid Art Journal

Page Setup and Flip Through

This time I’m sharing with you some of the types of things that I’ve been putting in my grod art journal pages, as a hobby artist. I believe this will inspire you to get started. I’ll show you how to set up a grid art journal page in an A5 sketchbook.

How it Began

Earlier this year, I came across a couple of videos about grid art journaling. And the main idea for grid art journaling is that you have multiple small blocks on your page. So, you can do several different mini sketches of the same topic.

Watch the Video

Words

For instance, when I first started with my grid art journal page, I just put some simple words in the first few blocks.

Coast: English Bay

My next attempt I drew the coast near my city of Vancouver at English Bay. This is a subject I’ve frequently painted and on a side note, I’m beginning to think I might just be a seascape sketch booker but we’ll see. But within the six images I drew, each one showed a different mood for the actual subject, but really the topic was the same. In my early grid journaling art pages, I did watercolor washes first on the page and then went back over with the pencil sketch and then the black pen.

Grid Art Journal: Shells

I’m really quite keen on nature journaling as well. I like working with shells. I drew six different shells on my shells grid journal page. I do have a small collection of shells, so this is always an inspiration for me. Then I colour them in with coloured pencil as well.

Sayings to Live By

On the next page I only have three blocks. And I wrote some sayings that I like to you have about me as uplifting words to look at during the course of the day.

The first one is, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune”. This is a quote from Shakespeare.

The second one is, “Don’t live someone else’s dream.”

And the third one is, “Fortune favors the brave” which my father used to say.

Seed Pods

My next grid sketch was of seed pods, and I had a few selections here. I don’t know all the names of these seedpods and I did draw them from memory because I do have a bit of a collection of seeds and pods, and I’ll show that to you one day.

Fruity

Next came “Fruity”, which is watercolor. First, I penciled it in, then I did an ink over with a black pen, erased the pencil marks, and then went in with watercolor. And finally touched it up with a little bit of markers.

.

Sunflowers

On my sunflowers page, I drew many drawings of sunflowers looking at them from different angles. Some are single heads some are side on views and others are close ups zooming in on the actual sunflower seeds.

Tarot Cards

When I divided my grid into four rectangles, it occurred to me to draw some tarot cards. I just selected for the Magician, the Empress, the Star and the Sun. Once more with pencil, then going in with a black pen and these were then coloured in with markers.

The Creation

For my creation spread, this is the double page spread where I have eight grid segments. The first being the title which is Genesis 1: 1- 28. This is the first writing in the Bible starting at, “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth.” I then go on to show the seven days of the creation with mini sketches of what happened on each day of the creation.

More Shells

At this point I was gifted a book from my son-in-law called, “The New Beachcombers Guide to the Pacific Northwest” by J. Duane Sept. This is a book that has lots of images of shells and other interesting creatures that actually live here on the coast in Vancouver.

This was brilliant because it gave me different shell shapes to draw. And on this particular page, I have named the shells because I happen to know what they are. They’re not just my imaginary shells that I’m working on. A lot of these shells have what I would call fancy names, but my favorite is the Money Wentletrap which I believe is a great name for a shell!

Rock Pool Adventures

The next page I attempted I called my Rockpool adventures. Here I drew six different views of an intertidal rock pool that I would imagine would be in the coast here at the beach. A rock pool is created when the tide comes in, it fills up a pool and the tide goes out and some animals get trapped within the water and they can’t get out again until the next tide comes in. These are called intertidal rock pools and. I ended up drawing this sea star to which I added a face.

Now these sketches became the beginning sketches of a children’s book which I recently published. Before I did this grid sketch, I had no idea that I was going to create a children’s book. The idea only came to me once I’d done the drawings of the rock pools on the sea star, but I’ll tell you more about that project in in another video.

Leaves and Vines

For my next grid sketchbook page, I penciled in the actual box, but I didn’t draw it in ink. Then when I drew the leaves and vines with the black pen, they are in the shape of a box, but there is no line holding them in. This was a different way of working with the space.

Prayer

The next page in my sketchbook I gave over to a prayer. I was feeling a bit low as I was having some surgery that week and I wrote these words down to let me be able to concentrate on this prayer.

Autumn Pods

This next one I had six blocks, but it was a combination of squares and rectangles in a sort of windmill shape on the page. I was trying to break away from just straight up grid of two blocks by three blocks and going with a different kind of shape of grid. Within these squares and rectangles, I have some more seeds, seed pods, peapods, acorns and whatnot.

A Well Woman

When I sketched this page, I was doing some recovering healthwise and it was taking a long time. This saying popped into my head, “A well woman has many wishes, an ill woman only one.” And this really did hook into how I was feeling at the time that really all I wanted to do was get better.

We’re seeing it was a well woman so I thought, well, I might as well draw a woman at a well although the image it really is slightly different to what the actual saying is about, but there it is. Of course there’s always a cat somehow creeping in.

Grace

Next, I have a page with grace because I was struggling still, as I say, with some medical issues, struggling to eat and just about managing to get down some bone broth. At this time, I started to appreciate what I was eating, so I wrote a page for grace.

ABC

This ABC page is still a work in progress. I’m not very happy with the number two and the number three. I don’t think it’s working, and this is still in pencil, so I’m likely to erase it and not take it further. And that’s fine.

Lambis Lambis

Next up I have a single page with one grid box, and I drew the lambis lambis shell, which is a shell that I actually own. It’s very tricky drawing shells with all the curves, but I do enjoy them.

Sea Seahorses

Next, I did a six-grid page with some seahorses. This was the time when I’d published the Sea Star book and was considering the second book in the series, which would then introduce a seahorse. Now I found this was a particularly difficult animal to draw. I did give it several ways of working with it because there are many curves and the nose itself is quite tricky, but anyway. I created six different ways of looking at seahorses. This page I haven’t taken any further, but it’s still something that’s percolating in my mind.

Down the Garden Path

With this image I started with one large frame and then decided it would make a good window. So it becomes a window frame and I lightly shaded walls in cream to give it prominence. I’m calling this one, “Sown the garden path” because from where we’re standing, we’re looking out of the window down the path to endless possibilities.

There are some birds in a birdbath and a bench to sit on, there’s a pond with ducks and then you can go through the gate, continue on up into the mountains, past the sheep and to who knows where.

It’s one of those drawings where it’s taking you somewhere, but you don’t quite know where it’s going to take you, so I quite enjoyed drawing that one as well. And yes, I see there’s another cat snuck in there.

Vines

The one with vines is a grid drawing that’s going across several of the grids. I’ve got five or so vines rooted in the two bottom squares and they are developing and unfurling as they go up. This sketch is still just in pen and I may or may not colour it in.

The Plant Cycle

In my grid sketch for, “The plant cycle” I’ve got a narrow ribbon arrow running behind to show you which way to go. You follow the arrow as the plant develops leaves, grows, buds, flowers and so on and then eventually the leaves drop off. It depicts a plant cycle. This one is still in a sketch. I haven’t quite finished it yet because it’s an imaginary plant and I’m not quite sure if I’m happy about the two middle drawings, but that is something I can still think about and mull over.

Draw Your Grid

Now I’m just going to tell you how I actually draw these grids in my A5 sketchbook. My sketchbook contains pages are 14cm by 21.5cm (5 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches.)

From the right-hand edge, I measure 2cm in and put a mark and then count 5 centimeters across a put another mark, and then 1cm and another mark and then over to the last five-centimeter marks.

If you are doing this is in inches, my squares are about two inches wide with half an inch in between.

So, if you start with the ruler 5 inches on your right hand edge, you would put a mark at 4 1/2 inches, 2 1/2 inches, 2 inches and 0.

You would then get two columns of two inches wide with half an inch in between, and then coming down the page from the top you would measure it down 1 inch and then have a 2-inch square, half an inch for the gap, two inches of rthe middle grid block, half and inch for the gap, and two inches for the bottom squares.

I draw my grid squares lightly, usually with a 2H pencil, although in the video I’m using an HB because I want you to be able to see what I’m doing. Once I’ve lightly sketched out the squares, I will go from there.

Your Turn

This is how you set up an A5 grid art journal page.

Now you can get started on your grid art journaling.

Watch the Video

More on How Many Sketchbooks You Need

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Send Alison a quick message.

AHAtober 2024

Art Challenges

Author: Alison Hazel - Published: July 2024 AHAtober 2024 Welcome to AHAtober 2024! AHAtober is a special event for meditative artists, inspired by the popular Inktober challenge. This month-long journey is designed to bring calmness and creativity together,...

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You can read her story and see her beautiful artwork.

Read my journey on Art as Self-care. Get some tips and ideas on how you can add some journaling processes to your day.

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AHAtober 2024

by Alison | Art Challenges

Author: Alison Hazel – Published: July 2024

AHAtober 2024

Welcome to AHAtober 2024!

AHAtober is a special event for meditative artists, inspired by the popular Inktober challenge.

This month-long journey is designed to bring calmness and creativity together, providing a space for artists to explore and express themselves through gentle and reflective prompts.

Acknowledgement

Inktober is an art movement devised by Jake Parker way back in 2009. To do Inktober you draw one ink artwork for every day of October. At the end you have thirty-one artworks.

What is AHAtober?

AHAtober is an annual event that takes place throughout the entire month of October.

Unlike traditional art challenges, AHAtober focuses on mindfulness and meditation, encouraging artists to create with intention and serenity.

Each day in October features a unique prompt, making a total of 31 prompts for you to enjoy.

Why Join AHAtober?

Many artists choose AHAtober over Inktober because it offers a softer, more introspective approach to daily art challenges.

The prompts are thoughtfully designed to inspire calm and meditative creativity, allowing you to connect deeply with your artistic practice.

Get Ready for AHAtober 2024

We are excited to announce that the AHAtober 2024 prompts will be released on September 1, 2024.

This early release gives you ample time to prepare your materials, set your intentions, and get ready for a month of peaceful artistic exploration.

How to Participate

Check the Prompts

On September 1, 2024, visit our website or social media channels to view the complete list of AHAtober prompts.

Gather Your Supplies

Prepare your favorite art supplies and create a cozy, peaceful space for your daily practice.

Create Daily

Starting October 1, follow each daily prompt and allow yourself to create with mindfulness and intention.

Share Your Art

Join the community of AHAtober artists by sharing your creations online using the hashtag #AHAtober2024.

Previous AHAtobers

AHAtober has been inspiring meditative artists for several years now, offering a unique and calming alternative to traditional art challenges.

Over the years, many artists have found joy and peace through participating in AHAtober.

You can explore my past AHAtober posts.

One inspiring story comes from a dedicated participant who completed the entire AHAtober challenge. Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of mindful creativity.

I encourage you to dive into these stories and artworks from previous AHAtobers, as they offer a glimpse into the serene and reflective nature of this unique art challenge.

I hope you join us for this unique and enriching experience.

AHAtober offers a wonderful opportunity to slow down, reflect and create art that resonates with your inner calm.

Save this pin to read later.

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Send Alison a quick message.

AHAtober 2024

Art Challenges

Author: Alison Hazel - Published: July 2024 AHAtober 2024 Welcome to AHAtober 2024! AHAtober is a special event for meditative artists, inspired by the popular Inktober challenge. This month-long journey is designed to bring calmness and creativity together,...

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Get your 52 Herbs Coloring Book – Self-care for Herb Lovers with original artwork by Alison Hazel Art available from Amazon.

Travel Journal Pages: Mexico

by Alison | Sketchbooks and Journals

Author: Alison Hazel – Published: June 2024

Mexico Travel Journal Pages

I recently went to Mexico with my daughter for a week in May.

We stayed at an all inclusive resort on the Riviera Maya, that is the Caribbean sea side of the country on the east coast.

I had been to Mexico twenty years ago and at that time I had four kids and a husband so it was quite hectic.

This time it was grown ups only.

There was a steady cadence to each day.

Breakfast

Around 7am we went for breakfast with lovely fresh fruit and cooked eggs, meat and pastries.

The coffee was excellent.

Poolside

After breakfast we moved to the poolside and chose a different spot each morning.

The pools were sparkling and cleaned every day.

The water was warm and inviting.

Lots of lounging around…

Lunch

For lunch we could take a walk back to the restaurant.

Alternatively, we could choose from a cheeseburger and all the fixings tomato, lettuce, chili, pickles and a side salad.

That was available at the poolside burger grill kiosk so you didn’t have to walk far.

Dinner

For our evening meal we chose a different restaurant within the resort each night.

They had Mexican, Thai, a steak house, Spanish, Teppanyaki, American Country and Italian.

Each eatery was its own experience.

Entertainment

The after-dinner entertainment was varied.

Some evenings were singing and dancing and on others, jugglers and a fire show.

I was not up to the late-night events every night and I frequently turned in early at around 9pm.

My daughter stayed out later for some shows, but that is youth.

There was a fabulous Full Moon gracing some of the early evening skies.

More on Sketchbooks

Travel Journal

I took my travel sketchbook with me as I had plans to make a sketch journal of the trip.

The book is an A5 size that’s about 5 by 8 inches.

The pages are plain with no lines or dots.

Travel Art Supplies

I took a few art supplies, but not too many.

These days I never check a suitcase and everything I need for a week’s vacation fits into my cabin overhead bag.

Pencils and Pens

I had tree pencils an HB, 2H and 4H.

Eraser

A small eraser.

Faber Castell Pitt Artist brushs in grey, beige, light blue, dark blue and a dull green.

Travel Paint Set

A travel watercolor paint set by Schmincke. It has twelve color pans.

Paintbrushes

Three paint brushes:

A fat number 16 for water only.
2 x number 4 brushes, one with a red handle (for warm colors) and one with a blue handle (for cool colors).

Layout

For my sketches I wanted to simply capture what went on in the day.

The drawings did not need to be everything we did, but just the essence of what happened, the mood and the highlights.

I thought I’d do about five small sketches on each page which then grew into three two-page spreads.

Each page has a little story block with a small sketch.

I like this idea because then you can do micro and the macro views.

First you zoom in for a closeup of something and then pull back for a wider landscape view.

Subjects

I tried to have one sketch for each of the seven days that depicted what we did, ate and experienced.

Wildlife

There was far more wildlife that I had expected.

So, a few animals popped up in the journal.

I’m not good at drawing animals, or humans for that matter.

The creatures we saw were:

Cats.
Coatis.
Lizards.
Alligator signs, but thankfully no actual snappy sightings.
Woodpeckers.
Big birds.

Foliage

In the gorgeous rolling gardens were planted forests of palm trees.

I believe they were coconut palms, but I’m not sure.

The flowers on the shrubs were bright red and pink, bold and huge. This was a hot place and the plants reflected their environment.

No wishy-washy pale blues and pinks here as we often see in Vancouver.

The broad leaves were tropical, shiny, emerald, large and flat.

Weather

It was hot with around a high of 32C each day. On one scorcher it went up to 34C.

The UV (ultraviolet) index was through the roof at UV12.

I’d not paid much attention to this number before as back home it is only ever UV3.

The days were filled with sun, sun, sun and not a cloud in the sky.

Sketch Spreads

Below are the sketch pages I made.

I am simply a hobby artist and my goal is to capture some of my life through my art.

I hope this inspires you to make a travel sketch journal for your next trip.

Left Page

Top to bottom.

At the airport, the swim-up rooms at the pool, a map of Mexico, temperature 32C and a coati.

Right Page

Mexico name, rooms they moved up to, ice cream, poolside, thermometer, drinks and burger lunch.

Left Page

Blue drink, lizard, lazing by the pool gazebos and palm trees.

Right Page

Evening’s entertainment a Fire Show, Mayan sculptures, we watched an online stream for a friend’s graduation at UBC (congrats Marco) and the Air Canada airplane tail logo.

Left Page

Teppanyaki dinner show with my daughter and I, a blue sticker from resort, a stray cat we called Senor Pickles and another Mayan sculpture.

Right Page

Large leafy palms, fancy cocktails, the UV index number and the Caribbean sea beach with a “beware of the alligators” sign over the river.

Final Thoughts

I’ve done a few travel journal pages before.

The thing is that I don’t travel much really.

But now, as I develop my hobby art lifestyle whihc includes a sketchbook almost every day, I’m looking forward to capturing some more memories in my travel sketch journal.

Extend Yourself

If you are interested, you can make some travel journal pages too.

In your travel journal please do the following.:

Prepare a two-page spread for your next weekend away or vacation.
Write the name of the place you visited at the top.
Draw a map of the city, country or how you got there.
Draw the transport that you got there.
Write the to and from dates for your trip.
Draw a circle and write in the high temperature.
Draw an animal you noticed.
Draw a plant or tree you saw.

Extend Yourself Further

Continue adding and embelishing your travel sketch jurnal pages as follows:

Draw a meal you ate on the plate. Perhaps add the name of the restaurant.
Draw a drink you had. It could be coffee or a more exotic concoction.
Write the name of the hotel or guest house or retreat that you stayed at in fancy lettering or use their own logo.
Write the name of some people you casually chatted with in passing.
Write the names or draw the faces of the good folks you went with, your travel companions and anyone who shared the experiences with you.
Sketch your luggage.
Draw your sun hat and sunglasses or snow goggles and skis.
If there is any space left on the pages create a themed border for the page. This can be a full margin or just a partial edging to show off the inner doodles.
Write one word in bold lettering which represents the whole experience.

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you.

Send Alison a quick message.

AHAtober 2024

Art Challenges

Author: Alison Hazel - Published: July 2024 AHAtober 2024 Welcome to AHAtober 2024! AHAtober is a special event for meditative artists, inspired by the popular Inktober challenge. This month-long journey is designed to bring calmness and creativity together,...

Art for Self-care

Read my journey on Art as Self-care. Get some tips and ideas on how you can add some journaling processes to your day.

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Meditative Art Coloring Book (Blue) I am delighted to announce that I have published a meditative art coloring book with 52 original artworks crafted by myself. I have enjoyed creating each artwork for you and this has been a labor of love. This is now available at...