Field Trip Friday

Journals

Happy New Year! I don't know about you, but I am very happy to usher in 2010. I like the symmetry of the numbers and the optimism of a new decade. Besides I like all new beginnings – a time to begin, again. I thought I would start off my new year with something new on my blog – almost 2 years old. And so I bring you – Field Trip Friday. I will try on most Fridays to post from my travels. I have a stack of travel journals that I don't have featured on my blog, so I'll share bits and pieces of them on Fridays. In all fairness, and in a spirit of full disclosure, I was inspired to do my own Field Trip Friday by the wonderful ceramic artist Rae Dunn. She has a lovely blog and really, really great Etsy Shop. I own several of her pieces and she's one of my favorite go-to artists for gifts on many an occasion. Thank you Rae Dunn, I hope you don't mind.

Jap-cover

In 2008 my family and I traveled to Japan. This is the cover of the travel journal I kept, with little cell phone charms attached. It was amazing and I would go back in a heart beat. At the drop of a hat. On a moments notice. You get the picture. The food, the people, the clean, efficient transportation. The art. The craft stores. The buddhas of Koya San. Loved it. All of it. 

Lantern 

Someday I hope to be able to be a little more artsy and more art journal like with my travel journals. Like two travel journalers that I really admire, here  and here. But until I'm not traveling in a herd, I mostly journal to remember what I did and where I was. With a little art thrown in when I can. A glue stick, a pen, some tiny scissors and some watercolors are pretty much all I need. This page features a candy wrapper, a Japanese flag sticker, lots of writing about what we did and a little watercolor of a lantern in the Meiji Garden in Tokyo. I painted it and cut around it to make a little cut-away, flip-page piece. People always ask me, "how did you attach that?" Instead of "attaching" it, I just cut away the outside of the drawing. I really like this little lantern watercolor and have copied it and used it in other pieces. 

Future Field Trip Friday posts will be less talking and more looking. Have a great Friday and an inventive, prosperous and contented New Year!

9 thoughts on “Field Trip Friday”

  1. oh, great!! i’ll be tuning in every friday. lucky us. . .always exciting to see your style, the details, little touches, alive colors, and bits of script…..
    all the best to you and yours and the house and your travels and art…..i’ll miss seeing you this year, but will be visiting here very often. love, neva

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  2. Fridays to look forward to! I love ushering in the new, being receptive to whatever comes and able to recognize it….

    your latest trip looked like the perfect way to spend the holidays.

    happiest of new year wishes to you Fran!!

    x..x

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  3. Hi Fran, I’ll look forward to your ‘Field Trip Fridays’. Your travel journals are so beautiful and inspiring (having seen the one from Oaxaca in person). Hope your New Year is full of lots of creativity, travel and journal keeping.

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  4. Love the talking!!

    Here’s the deal: you seem to put interactive elements on a lot of your work. This ROCKS!

    I just have one question:

    would you ever go back to Japan?

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  5. Your journals make me want to toss mine into the bonfire!

    I love the calligraphy, the sketching( especially the sketching) and all the details.

    Okay, kidding about the bonfire. More like inspired!

    Keep traveling (with me in the suitcase) and journaling! Do people know that you teach killer classes??!!!!

    Reply

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