Old road watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Wandering Camera – Nearby Adventures

The Girl And Her Cat on the Old Road watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

The Girl and Her Cat and I had our own little adventures, right where we live.  Much to my delight, we already had a few bouts of snow this year in the mountains here in the rain-starved California.  That brought rainstorms to the lower elevations.  I promptly bundled up in my waterproof clothing and boots and headed to the park for a walk in the rain.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Ever since I was little, I have always loved playing in the rain, the more torrential the better.  The world gets quiet, and it’s mostly just the sound of the rain and me.  

There is an oak grove in the park.  Standing under that canopy, I listened to the rain sing as it danced on the leaf-covered ground below. 

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

This is normally a narrow and deep drainage gully, but to my imaginative mind, it might as well be a stream that I have to cross carefully.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I wore my big boots, so I could splash along as I continued down the rain-sodden path.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I have made up my own names for certain areas in the park.  I call this area Darcy Field, resembling a certain scene in the Pride And Prejudice movie.  Right around the corner, the path turns hard with rocks and tree roots jutting out of the ground.  That would be the Dinosaur Ridge.  I love running over those protrusions.

I really wanted to continue on with the rain pelting down on me.  It was getting dark though, so I reluctantly decided to turn back.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Rain droplets on these dry stems looked like little crystal flowers.   My camera has a rain jacket of its own, so, just like me, it stayed toasty dry.   I would have liked to get close-ups, but it would have been impossible to change lenses in that windswept rain.  Also, I had to bow to the failing light.  This is the best photo I could take with the lens I had at hand.  Hopefully you get an impression of what I saw there.

 

 

Adventure of the Girl and Her Cat

 

While my kitties stayed warm and toasty at home,  The Girl and Her Cat continued their adventure together in the snow.

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

 

 

 

Not to worry, they are bundled up for their snow walk.  When her cat gets cold, The Girl carries him inside her coat.

 

Wandering Pages Paintings

 

I added all the paintings shared so far about their adventure from the Wandering Pages book at the above link.  I will add to that page as we continue with their adventure together.

 

 

 

Migraing Geese Northern California Nature Journal watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I will leave you with a page from my nature journal.   The day before the rainstorm came,  my husband hurriedly called me outside to see something  he thought I would love.   We saw a flock of geese flying overhead against the backdrop of a beautiful sky that only impending rain clouds can bring.  We watched them slowly dissolve the right arm completely and then recreate the V pattern as they faded to a distant shimmer.   I have never seen anything like it before.   I didn’t take a photo.  Instead, I recreated the scene in my journal.

 

I personally hand-make the journals in my studio.   You can purchase the journals here in my shop.   I have journals for both artists and non-artists.

 

Let me know which photo and/or paintings of our adventures you liked.  The Girl and her Cat, and I would love to know.

 

 

Since next week is a holiday week here in the US, I decided to move Wandering Camera one week up. 

 

Wandering Camera art and photo linky party @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

Wandering Camera is a monthly event that runs on the last Thursday of every month.  If you follow me via email, you will get a reminder.

All photo and art/creative-themed posts are welcome.  You can continue to link up multiple posts.

Please add the badge or a text link back to this site on your blog, or on each post that you link up.  I look forward to seeing your photos and reading about them.

Have fun!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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

 

 

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A stone bridge watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Wandering Pages & Watercolour Books

 

Hello Everyone!  I have been working on so many different things that it has been hard to share all of it here in real time.  I have been painting quite a few adventures of  The Girl And Her Cat, even though they have not been here lately.  Before we join them on their next adventure, I have something special to share with you.

 

Growing up with sketchbooks and watercolours in my hands, I have grown very persnickety about paper.

 

 

Handmade clothbound watercolor journal @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

When I started painting the Lost Pages book,  I decided to make my own journal so I could paint without having to worry about the paper falling apart on me.   I have made quite a few books since then.

 

 

Handmade clothbound watercolor journal @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

This rekindled the love and awe I felt toward bookmaking as a child.   Most of these books are about the Girl And Her Cat but there are also a couple of other stories somewhere in them. 

 

 

Handmade clothbound watercolor journal @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I even reorganised my Atelier to have all the supplies at hand.  I also realised that I am making more books than I can use.  In the end, I decided to add books to my shop. 

 

 

 

Snowdrops Watercolour in handmade watercolor journal @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

It drives me insane when paper pills or falls apart when I am painting.  I should be able to layer paint as well as lift it off without the paper starting to disintegrate.  I could not be happier with the paper choices in these books. 

 

Here are a few detail photos. Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

 

A little about the books –

 

The books are encased in covers made with high quality book cloth.

They are made with paper vetted by me.

I hand stitch them the traditional way with special strong thread, then additionally use glue and other methods to secure the spine.

They are also bound in a way that they stay flat.   There is almost no gap in the middle, so a painting can be done spanning both pages.

The end papers are made with card stock.  My logo is on the back for authenticity. 

 

 

Wandering Pages

 

It all started with the Lost Pages book and the Girl And Her Cat.   It is time for them to return here.   This time, the adventurous girl and her cat decide to take a walk past the little bridge that they can see over the wall and see where it takes them.

 

So without further ado, let’s see where they go in the Wandering Pages Book. Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

 

 

 

Aside from exploring with them,  I have also been making the new books in these colours.  They are all clothbound, which I have always found to be very special.  Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

Purchase Journals

 

I want these books to be available to both artists and non-artists.  So I have created two kinds.  Other than the paper, the two kinds of books are identically made.

 

For artists – The pocket watercolour journals are made with 140lb cold press artist grade 100% cotton watercolor paper.

For non-artists – The pocket journals are made with 140lb high quality paper great for pen, ink and gentle watercolor.   I use them for any kind of notes such as gardening, travel and nature. 

 

At 4″ x 3″ (4” x 6” opened) the books are the perfect size to carry around everywhere.  You get the exact journals that I make for myself.   This way, I can share the joy of using traditionally-made clothbound journals filled with wonderful paper with you.   You can purchase the journals from my shop.

 

Since I make them personally, please allow me a few days for making them, especially if you are getting them for gifts. 

 

 

 

I hope you liked the beginning of the new adventures of the Girl And Her Cat, as well as the books I made.   Where would your journey begin, I wonder…

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.  Also, you can still link up on Wandering Camera.

 

 

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