Everyday Bullet Journals with Fluttering Spring Cherry Blossoms Cover in Teal Green @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

Twirling and Fluttering

Everyday Bullet Journals with Fluttering Spring Cherry Blossoms Cover @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

Hello everyone!  I have a lot to share with you today.   The trees around here are full of white blossoms.  The little flowers look so lovely when they twirl and flutter in the breeze.  I have been working on a couple of paintings of these flowers.  I also want to make a new quilt, so I wrote a quilt pattern as well.

 

 

Spring Blossoms in the rain in Napa @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

One day, when it rained and pollen was not so bad, I went outside to take a photo of this delicate flower holding onto a gentle raindrop.  It’s one of my favorite photos. 

 

 

Fluttering Spring Blossoms quilt pattern @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

Fluttering Blossoms quilt pattern

 

Blossoms come in so many different colors.  Instead of the usual pink, I picked white for mine because of the white blossoms blooming around here.

 

 

Fluttering Spring Blossoms quilt pattern @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

After I finished the flower, I wrote the pattern for a single petal.

 

 

Fluttering Spring Blossoms quilt pattern @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

This is the design of little flowers and petals twirling and fluttering in the wind that I will be making into a quilt.

You can get this Fluttering Blossoms quilt pattern from my shop.  It includes both the flower and petal patterns.

 

 

 

Spring Blossoms in the rain in Napa @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

That rainy day, I took a photo of this flowering branch as well.  I love the contrasting green background created by the large tree that was behind it.

 

 

Fluttering Spring Cherry Blossoms drawings for everyday journals @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

It all started with a simple drawing of these dainty flowers in my sketchbook.   As usual, as time passed, I started to expand on the original drawing.  I couldn’t really decide on one, so I made two.

 

 

Dragonfly sketch @InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

Before I copied the drawings onto the papers that I would be using for the paintings,  I must have practiced at least 50-60 dragonfly wings.  In order for me to draw a continuous curve with the pen,  I had to find the correct angles of both the paper and my hand.  Those arrows on the paper are to remind myself of the start and end points.

 

 

Everyday Bullet Journals with Fluttering Spring Cherry Blossoms Cover @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

Fluttering Blossoms everyday journals

 

Instead of going with traditional colors, I chose a couple of stylized color combinations.  I couldn’t say no to that vibrant red,  and teal is my favorite color.   Once I had the colors for the flowers, the colors for the dragonflies came naturally.

I named this one Fluttering Blossoms.

 

 

Everyday Bullet Journals with Fluttering Spring Cherry Blossoms Cover @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

Twirling Blossoms everyday journals

 

My husband recently requested a bullet journal.  He chose this drawing with the petals for his book cover.

This one is called Twirling Blossoms.

I drew and painted all four of them individually.  There were a couple of accidents which required me to restart.  I will refrain from mentioning the words that were uttered at those moments.

 

Here are the four everyday journals with the paintings on the cover.  Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos –

 

 

The journals are also available in my shop, as well as the quilt pattern.

 

Now I am off to make the journal for my husband.  I may end up making a bullet journal for myself as well.  I will share them when I finish.

 

A dear friend loves watching the spring blossoms and autumn leaves fluttering and twirling in the air.   It’s very peaceful to see him enjoying the simple and ephemeral moments of nature.  These little flowers always make me think of him.  I hope you like them!

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please consider paying a visit to some of them.

 

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Joy In Imperfection

Handmade book @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

Hi Everyone!  During the last few days,  I took some photos and happened to come across a few paintings that are far from perfect.  They are, however, perfect examples of how letting go of perfection often provides a playground for learning and honing skills without pressure.  I would love to share a few of these with you today, along with my approach.

 

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos –

 

 

 

I always keep a stack of small pieces of inexpensive watercolor paper on my desk.   I paint simple things on them whenever I need to warm up before working on something larger.  I also use them to try out new art supplies.  There is never any pressure with these practice pieces.   These were just floating about, so one day I decided to put them all in a book.

 

 

 

Scrap drawings @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

 

I keep cuttings from drawings that have not worked out.  I pulled a tiny piece of pen drawing from that stack.

 

 

 

Handmade book @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

For the cover, I used washi tape and boards that were leftover from books that I had previously bound.   I inset the little pen sketch in the middle and finished the book by making a grey frame from another piece of scrap paper.   Improvising while creating this book let me hone some of my skills further.  I need a place where I can play, and this book is the perfect playground.

I continued in the spirit of the experimental paintings that were already part of this book and painted these two next.

 

 

Cottage watercolor painting @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

I love the idea of a cottage overgrown with shrubbery set by the edge of the woods.  The green paint I was using for the forest dried much darker than I had anticipated.  I put it aside and went to bed.  I sometimes have trouble falling asleep, and that night happened to be one of those nights.  Finally, I gave up on sleep, and started fiddling with it at 3:00AM.

I put a coat of titanium white on the area to cover up the dark green mess.  As I  started to paint the green back again, the white kept on diluting the green.  So I changed my approach and daubed on the green in places instead of painting with brush strokes.  It worked.  I like the mix of light and dark in the green now.

 

 

Tree on a misty rainy day watercolor painting @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

I wanted to learn a little more about this particular green paint that I mostly use for shadows. So I set out to paint a tree on a misty, rainy day.

The green paint is in every part of this painting.  I added yellow and red to the green to create the other colors.  This particular green paint is very textured and opaque.  If I used even a smidge extra, the area looked very dirty and mucky.

I wet the paper first.   As I added paint, I let the water on the paper pull or push the pigment around.  That avoided the dirty look and kept the edges soft for a misty day look.

 

 

North Bay Area California Sky photography @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

Last Saturday it was raining off and on.  I love to be outside on days like this.  While My husband and I were driving to Japantown in San Francisco,  I took this photo from the car.   Not a clean photo, but few raindrops on the windshield only added to the drama.

 

 

Japantown @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

After browsing, getting a few books from my favorite book shop, and having dinner at the most wonderful udon noodle restaurant, we went to a Japanese convenience store to pick up our favourite snacks and drinks.  I always find something there for my journals and this time I got this A5 size case.  A wonderful fit for my sketchbooks, plus a couple of pencils and erasers for traveling.  Sometimes things just work out!

 

 

Bowers Museum Photography exhibit, Ted Crone Taxi New York @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

Back at Bowers Museum, I was completely smitten by Ted Croner’s Taxi, New York at night photo.  If you are interested, you can read more about him on  this Howard Greenberg Gallery page.

 

 

The Golden Gate Bridge in the rain inspired by Ted Crone Taxi New York photography @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

Inspired by Ted Croner’s Taxi, New York at night photo

 

On the way back, as we were driving on the Golden Gate Bridge, rain started to fall.  I asked my husband if he could hold off running the wipers, and quickly snapped this photo of the bridge through a rain-spattered windshield.  Not quite as brilliant as Ted Croner’s photo, but it will do for now.

 

 

The Girl and Her Cat drawing @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

Work in progress teaser:  The girl is watering while her little cat patiently…

 

I have been doing a lot of book binding lately, experimenting with new techniques and materials.  I had just started sketching a cover for an experimental book when I noticed two tiny 1.5”/2.0” scraps on the desk.

 

 

Little purple wildflowers drawing @ inktorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

 

I couldn’t resist painting these little flowers on them.  I painted them completely outside the lines quite intentionally.  Hubby already claimed one of them, so we will each have one for our journals.

 

I really hope this gives you some ideas and encourages you to play and make.  There is sweetness and joy in imperfection.

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please consider paying a visit to some of them.

 

 

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