21 Secrets 2 is in Session! Drawing Happy!

The second set of mixed media journaling workshops in the 21 Secrets playground opened yesterday. They are hosted by Connie Hozvicka of Dirty Footprints Studio (see the badge on the left sidebar). I had so much fun in the fall session, and learned so much, that I've been on pins and needles to start this one. I looked over the classes and worked on my profile page yesterday. I also tried to decide which of the 21 workshops to take first. Not an easy decision!

This morning I decided to go with the "Draw Happy" workshop with Jane Davenport. It's a class about, well, drawing happy. :) She showed us how she draws and doodles, and the different tools and surfaces she draws on in several very upbeat informative videos, which also starred her cute-as-a-button dogs and happy music.

The first exercise was to show her some of the things that we automatically doodle when we're on hold on the phone, in line, etc. I shared the doodle below.

I call these heart people my little Hearties, and I love them. The lower left corner is a series of connected dashes, and I tend to do them when I'm very nervous. I used a Pitt marker pen in my Moleskine pocket journal.

One thing I love about these workshops is that we're encouraged to feel free to explore and experiment; that it doesn't have to be perfect, and if we don't like what we've done we can always cover it up with something else. I love it! :)

The second exercise was to do a test page with some of our drawing tools over different textures and to share what we liked and didn't like about them. Below is my chart, and I know it's wonky. That's because I'm wonky. :/

I used white cardstock with  strips of Quincidrone violet fluid acrylic, white gesso, and clear gesso to test on. The acrylic proved to be too slick for most of the pens/pencils to write on. I am loving my new Pitt pens though. I'd never tried them before until I did a zentangle atc last night.

The third exercise was to do a finished journal page using our doodles and tools and to upload it to share. Here is what I wound up with.

This is a page in my Moleskine large sketchbook, and I used fluid acrylics, my Pitt marker pen, and gellyroll metallic pens. I wish the metallic and white pens showed up better in the scan, particularly the gold in her hair. I'm happy with it. :)

Well, I've completed my first workshop and I've spent a beautiful Saturday inside doing it, but I've loved drawing happy. Jane is a delightful person, a good teacher, and I appreciate her teaching the workshop and sharing her knowledge with me. I will continue to draw happy. Thank you so much, Jane! :)