The Spring blooms and warm weather had me feeling inspired yesterday. I took my boys to Elmwood Park for a picnic & to gather some reference photos for my next project, my 2026 Calendar! The theme - Parks & Gardens of course! I started gathering reference images last Christmas but hadn't started painting until yesterday.
We saw lots of people having picnics and kids playing. Seeing everyone enjoy the weather makes me so happy. Leo was in a good mood too, despite his ear infection. He's my happy baby.
We walked down to the area where wedding ceremonies are hosted. I don't know what this area is called but I thought it would be the main reference for my painting since it seems to be the most iconic. Shawn wanted to go through the tunnel.
I forgot how many little water features were in this area. I wished the fountain was working but it will be a good excuse to come back this Summer.
Since moving my studio home, my kitchen table has become my drafting table. It's a little more work to keep tidy but it works for this season of my life. I've been playing around with crayons because I think they're having a bit of a glow up. We've been using crayons in my classroom at Abraham Lincoln & watching lots of crayon tutorials. They feel so nostalgic & make me feel like a kid again. I used crayons at the playground to create a little thumbnail & then for my underlying drawing once we got home.
After a rough crayon sketch I blocked out color with gouache - a medium I haven't used in awhile. I want to go for rich opaque colors for my illustrations this year. I've also been inspired by watching some sketchbook tours on YouTube from other artists. If you're feeling artist's block, I recommend watching some. I show these videos to my students to get them motivated to work on their sketchbooks on Fridays and sometimes it motivates me too.
I love how gouache can be transparent like watercolor if enough water is added but also very opaque if desired.
I started using some of Shawn's Ooly watercolor gel crayons I purchased at Oak & Acorn. The texture is so rich and satisfying to draw with.
When Shawn woke up he wanted to paint too. I told him we were being inspired by our trip to the park. He mainly wanted to squeeze Mommy's paints onto the paper but we embraced the expression!
I then painted a little illustration from a photo I took last December on Christmas Eve. The Skate rink in Heartland of America Park looks like so much fun. It's hard to skate when you have small babies, but one day I'll get out there!
I'd like to gather reference photos from each season. If you have a reference photo from an Omaha park, preferably Fall or Winter - I'd love to use it to inspire my new Calendar project! If you'd like to share them you can email photos to julianicholemason@gmail.com or send them to me on Facebook.
Looking forward to sharing more process photos with you!
With love & peace,
Julia