Andie Thrams: The Illuminated Field Journal: Summer Flora

Summary Description

Bind a pamphlet-stitch journal with Cave Paper covers, then fill it with instructor-guided watercolor, gouache, pencil, and ink studies inspired by summer botanicals.

Detailed Description

The journal is a powerful, portable tool for capturing fleeting images and insights, experimenting with techniques, and privately exploring your creative process. This workshop offers field-friendly approaches to filling journal pages with color, text, and image using watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and ink, all inspired by summer botanicals.

We’ll begin by binding a simple pamphlet journal with artist-quality watercolor paper pages and Cave Paper covers to use throughout the workshop. Through demonstrations and guided experiments, both indoors and out, you’ll learn effective field techniques for capturing botanical form, gesture, color, habitat, and detail. Andie will also share her unique approach to grid formatting, inspired by medieval scribes, for designing quilt-like pages that jumpstart your journal practice. You’ll also explore building drawn, written, and painted layers to evoke summer’s endlessly beautiful complexity.

Participants will be encouraged to use the journal as a place to test and develop ongoing creative themes. Everyone will leave with a journal full of summer magic, inspired to keep exploring within its pages or in other forms.

Skill Level: Intermediate Bookmakers

Painting experience is helpful, though not required.

Required Tools & Materials Supplied by Student

See Andie’s website for details on recommended art supplies. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything below; Andie will have extras on hand.

• Any notebook or journal you already have and use
• Straight edge
• Scissors
• Bone folder
• Awl or hole-poking tool
• No. 2 or HB drawing pencil
• Pencil sharpener
• Kneaded eraser
• Black felt-tip pens, such as Pigma Micron, in assorted small and larger sizes (.01 or .02 and 1.0)
• One pushpin
• Any colored pencils you already have, such as cream and/or light gray, and light and dark greens
• Eye dropper
• Zip-lock or other bag for collecting leaves, twigs, etc.
• 2 or 3 small containers for water, ink, and paint (yogurt containers or jars are fine)
• Small mister or spray bottle
• Rags or paper towels
• Sit-upon, folding stool, or whatever you need to sit comfortably outdoors (Andie likes a small lightweight tarp spread on the ground with a foam pad to sit on)
• Pack or tote to carry your things outdoors
• Clothing to be comfortable outdoors in varied conditions

Optional Recommended Tools & Materials

• Any watercolor brushes you already have
• Any watercolor and/or gouache tube colors you already have
• Drawing/dip pen nib with holder of any type
• Colored waxed linen with sewing needle
• Any type of black or brown ink

Tools & Materials Supplied by Instructor

• Prepared artist-quality watercolor paper for journal pages
• Prepared Cave Paper for journal covers
• Grid/template-making paper
• Large and small watercolor brushes
• Pentel Aquash water brush
• Folding watercolor palette pre-filled with artist-grade colors (for each student to use during the workshop): quinacridone rose; ultramarine blue; phthalo or manganese blue; lemon yellow, cadmium yellow pale, or hansa yellow light; cadmium yellow deep or new gamboge; sap green; chromium oxide green; purple; orange; burnt sienna or burnt umber; and quinacridone gold
• Inks, gouache, mediums, and additional watercolors
• Sample projects and examples
• Local plant materials for subject matter
• Plant holders
• Printed handouts
• Colored waxed linen
• Sewing needles
• Boards and clips to hold journals while working outdoors
• Paint mixing containers

Instructor Bio

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