(Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Newbold)
Using a warm and colorful palette, Jacqueline Newbold’s watercolor paintings often depict the dramatic skies over the Oregon Cascade Mountains, fields of red poppies, or charming European café scenes. Much of Newbold’s inspiration comes from her travels. She takes along a few painting supplies and her art journal, exploring imaginative ways to combine watercolor with mixed-media. Spending time creating in her art journal is her favorite artistic outlet.
“Art journaling to me is not so much about making art but recording my life in a colorful way. My journals are a place where I can experiment with different art mediums, sort things out, write about my life, my emotions, my adventures, and travels. I play with color, sketch, doodle, take notes, make lists, add inspiring quotes, and write about my day. The process is fun, and I love it when the result surprises me.
In 1991 I started taking a watercolor journal and a few art supplies when traveling on family vacations. I found it was an expressive way to document my journey. Over the years my journals have evolved from a collection of simple watercolor paintings to complex pages filled with artistic imagery, mixed media, and paintings. The mixed media is how I develop textured backgrounds for sketches, paintings, writings, mini-collages, photos, and poetry.”
Jacqueline is the president of the High Desert Art League, a member of the Red Chair Gallery, and the Oregon Watercolor Society. She shares her passion for watercolor painting and art journaling by teaching at her private studio in Tumalo. Her paintings and journals have been featured in national art publications and she has written many articles about the fun of recording life in an art journal while traveling. She has conducted watercolor workshops in France and Italy. Her next overseas workshops are in Orvieto, Italy, September 2018 and Provence, France May 2019. If you are interested in joining her on a watercolor adventure, email her at newbold0505@bendbroadband.com.