Charles Dickens was born 200 years ago today (or yesterday, depending on which part of the world you are reading this in). He is buried in Poet’s Corner of the Westminster Abbey cemetery. One burial plot holds a man who filled our world with stories of Nicholas Nikleby, the Artful Dodger and Tiny Tim. Today’s journal page wishes Charles Dickens a Happy Birthday and to think, he did it without blogging and without an internet connection. I started todays journal page with Dickens in mind but was unhappy with it until I added the marker lines. Then it all became clearer and the vision that I began with appeared before me. I am trying to use some different colours as I am noticing that some of the colours in my 16 pan set are getting used far more often than the others. Time to look at the watercolour tubes I think! Suggestions are welcome on your favourite watercolour brands! By the way, my Dickens favourite: A Tale of Two Cities. Enjoy, rediscover a Dickens novel and keep making art.
Happy 200th Birthday Charles! Copyright 2012 Lorelei Walsh Park
Tale of Two Cities Copyright 2012 Lorelei Walsh Park
I was oriniginally going for that smoggy industrial look but love purple and couldn’t resist! Copyright 2012 Lorelei Walsh Park
incidentallearner 
Hello Incidentallearner!! Fun, informative post and I really like your watercolor! I adore watercolor, but pastel is my medium of choice right now. As a matter of fact, I am taking a w/c workshop with an artist pal of mine on Thursday and Friday of this week. Can’t wait! I am in an art class on Mondays where I have been working in pastels as I mentioned. I seem more comfortable with them for some reason. I am 55 and on a creative tear. I really appreciate you visiting my blog, leaving such a wonderful comment AND subscribing! What fun. A new blogging bud. I will look forward to getting to know you. Off to see more of your space here! Yippee!! Margie
Hi Margie, I love your blog and really love your description ” on a creative tear”. I’m from the east coast of Canada and we always would say that we were out ” on a tear” when we were having the time of our lives. It certainly seems like you are. Keep doing it!! I love pastels and used them as a kid but started back at drawing, then watercolours and acrylics about a year and half ago. I am taking a class that only has the one evening left now but I think I’m comfortabe enough with it to strike out on my own! I’m looking forward to seeing more of you and thank you so much for your very thoughtful and very fun comment. I think we’d have a grand time going on a creative tear togehter! YeeHaw!!
oh I love the free way you use the medium and how you express yourself with such abandon. That is a gift to be cherished above ALL others! You have a marvelously fanciful way of doing as you feel it through your fingers. That’s usually lost in childhood, and painters such as Picasso were always in the business of reclaiming it. As for watercolour tubes vs. pans–I’ve always been a pans fan. Tubes are a device to make more money for the paint companies, because a great deal of what you’re buying is water. Once the tube contents are squeezed out, they harden as hard as the pans, only you get less. I go for Grumbacher pans (if they still make them). I have some that are over 25 years old and still in use by me.
Thank you so very much for you wonderful comments! I do love to express myself and I really try not to think too much, I do just as you said, feel it through my fingers. Tonights page really has to do with memories of childhood and recaliming what we liked to do as kids. Your uncanny prediciton of tonights work is amazing and magical (it was actually the assigned work at my class tonight, so I didn’t know it was coming either). Thanks so much for the advice on the paints. I prefer the pans too as I’ve seen people in my class use the tubes and I haven’t been fond of the extra work and cost involved. I’m on the hunt now for the Grumbacher pans and will let you know if I manage to find them. Thank you again for your very thoughtful and encouraging comments. I’m off now to have a look at your blog for today!
I love the way you have worked with the colors… Beautiful
Thank you so much Savira..I always have so much fun with colour!
Thank you for visiting my blog, I am so glad to meeet with you now. How exciting watercolour painting.. It would be so nice to be your follower, with my love, nia
Go ahead, I’d love to have you follow me as I believe I already follow you. Your phtography is so inspiring! Nice to meet you too and I’ll look forward to hearing from you and seeing your work again!
The Dickens series is super.
Thanks so much! I had fun with that one.