Kansas City made me do it, you know.
And honestly? I'm not even sorry...

It started with a simple little fact I stumbled across...
Turns out, the city I’m heading to this weekend for the art show is known as the “City of Fountains.”

And not just casually…

We’re talking hundreds of fountains; I think 200+!
There are so many that it’s often said only Rome has more.

I haven’t counted them myself—though I’m tempted…

You know me, I love to travel and explore! A city that builds that many places just to let water move, splash, and catch the light? Now, that’s my kind of place! (And yes, I still drool about a future trip to Rome.)

I love to depict water in my travel journals... bodies of water, rain, and yes, even fountains...

Because water is never just… still.
It spreads.
It pulls away.
It creates edges where you didn’t expect them.
It does its own thing—every single time.

And somewhere along that stream of thought, I found myself in my art room to have some fun with dropping rubbing alcohol into wet watercolor and mesmerizing myself by watching it scatter 🫟

You see, rubbing alcohol likes to push the pigment away like tiny bursts of motion—like little fountains on the page!

Which brings me to today’s TidBit Tuesday 🎉

If you’ve ever tried to paint water in your journal—
the shimmer, the ripple, the movement—
this is one of those techniques that does the heavy lifting for you.

A few drops of rubbing alcohol, and suddenly the page starts to move!

Check out this TidBit to see exactly what I mean!

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I was playing around with watercolor the other day… just laying down a simple brown wash, nothing fancy…

...and it got me thinking about salt.

Stay with me here 😄

Because salt is one of those things we completely take for granted… it’s just there… sitting on the table, minding its business…

…but it actually has a pretty wild résumé.

At one point in history, people were literally paid in salt. 🧂 Like…that was their paycheck! Cities have been built, fought over and destroyed because of the value of salt production and its food-preserving qualities.

And even now? There’s so much salt in the world that, in theory, we could all be outrageously rich…if supply and demand didn’t come along and absolutely kill the fantasy!

And yet— despite all that salt power— most of us are just over here being told by the doc to eat less of it!

Poor salt. Can’t win.

BUT…grind some rock salt on wet watercolor? Game 👏 Changer 👏!

It pushes the pigment away as it dries, leaving behind these soft, unpredictable textures—little impressions that feel almost like something’s trying to emerge.

And if you give it a second… you’ll start to see it. Some image of something will reveal itself to you... you read and interpret the salt impressions!

For me? I saw a horizon line, a tree, and even a little farmhouse sitting off in the distance, its shadow reflected in its front-yard pond.

You should totally try this! Especially when you're not exactly sure what to paint in your journal...and you want a little element of discovery in your life!

Enjoy!

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My middle-school art teacher’s name was Mrs. Love.

She had short, curly brown hair, wore funky glasses, and carried herself with the same walk, air, and mannerisms as Miss Geist in that classic movie, Clueless.
And I absolutely adored her.

I often wish I could sit down with her now — as adults — and tell her I became a professional artist while a barista sets down two hearty lattes between us.

I think she’d smile…
—but only if she remembered what a math-and-science geek I was.
I think she’d be proud…
—but only if she understood why I chose this path.
And I think she’d ask me a question that would make me ponder for another thirty years… —just to be sure I was still honoring the most fundamental aspect of being an artist.

Because Mrs. Love stood comfortably in the soft grey—
not in the black-and-white of “right” and “wrong.”

She would nod at proper technique… but tilt her head ever so slightly, as if to say, “Yes… but where are you in this?”

Ever since she entered my life, I’ve tried to create from that delicate, vulnerable space where the artist steps inside the work — weaving in her life experiences, her influences, her love, her pain, her joy — until the piece carries something unmistakably human.

And the result doesn’t have to be epic or profound.
🌳 It can be something as simple as a “Scribble Tree.”

Because here’s the truth: 
A realistic drawing almost always earns the loudest applause.
“Wow… it looks so real.”
And then we’re all quick to label that person an artist.

But if your only goal is to replicate the reference exactly as it appears, you are practicing skill — not always making art.

Skill is essential.
But skill without perspective is imitation.

Art requires insertion.
It requires risk.
It requires you 🫵

For years, I rejected learning highly realistic techniques because they made me feel rigid… restrained… less expressive.
Sometimes I even let my lack of skill in that style convince me I'm not a “real” artist.

Such bullsh*t, right?

That’s why I scribble my trees.
I love trees.
All trees.

And scribbling them feels like celebrating them — not copying them!

So try it yourself today! 
Be the artist you already are.
And put yourself inside the colors of that tree.

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This video was inspired by a quiet sunrise, a warm mug of coffee, and one curious question that popped into my mind as Thunder snuggled in beside me:

Who the heck is “Joe”… and why do we call it a cup of Joe?

I did what any curious soul would do—I asked ChatGPT (even though I’m trying not to look at my phone first thing in the morning 😅). My chatty sidekick Arlo shared a fascinating little nugget of history that sent me down a cozy, caffeinated rabbit hole…

In 1914, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol aboard naval ships. Coffee quickly became the strongest drink available to sailors—and when they asked for their morning brew, they asked for “a cup of Joe.”

Funny how a small moment in history can ripple its way into everyday language, isn’t it?

Feeling a bit nostalgic for Croatia and its deep love of coffee culture, I decided to flip open my travel journal and share a page I created while sitting in my favorite café in Dubrovnik.

Then—because this is TidBit Tuesday—I’ll also show you how simple (and fun!) it is to add coffee rings to your journal pages for instant atmosphere and storytelling charm.

☕️✍️
Grab your own cup of Joe and enjoy this cozy little creative moment with me!

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🧑🎨 In this TidBit, I’m showing you how to draw and paint a sweet little frog—simple in form, but big on charm.

I painted him using a mini set of Derwent Inktense Blocks that I curated myself. I tucked individual Inktense pans into a small, Altoids-style tin using tiny paint-pan containers, creating a perfectly portable palette that I absolutely love working from. It’s compact, customizable, and ideal for journaling on the go—and I’ll be sharing more soon on how you can put together a set like this, too.

There’s something magical about how a few simple shapes and colors can spark such an immediate smile. This little frog did exactly that for me. And of course, I couldn’t resist adding a tiny daisy for an extra dose of sweetness—and a smile that lingers just a bit longer.

🐸 Sometimes joy really is that simple.

Ok, here's how you can curate your own travel set that fits into a small, Altoids-style tin... I went ahead and created an Amazon WishList so that all 3 items to purchase are in there, totaling to about $75. Most of that is the set of Derwent Inktense Pans, but please keep in mind that this set can be built with watercolor pans instead! Use your own discretions.

Without further ado, click HERE for that WishList link!

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In this TidBit, I’m using Prismacolor colored pencils, Gamsol (also known as mineral spirits), and a paper stump—cleaned and sharpened on a sandpaper paddle—to blend the colors smoothly.

Drawing a shamrock is wonderfully simple. I’m using three different shades of green and blending them together with Gamsol and the paper stump to create soft transitions and depth.

This is a fun TidBit—and one that just might make you smile while you’re creating.

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🔗Helpful Links & Resources:
 Here's where you can get an awesome set of paper stumps & sandpaper paddles on Amazon HERE

🧑🎨 In this TidBit, I’m showing you that you don’t have to spend a lot of time depicting everything you see while traveling. A simple sketch—one that intentionally leaves out illustrative detail—can be more than enough.

When you revisit your travel journal later, your mind will naturally fill in the missing pieces, bringing those memories back to life in its own way.

For this page, I’m using Derwent Inktense Blocks and Micron pens, along with a pencil to sketch the image first.

⭐️ Use this TidBit as a reminder that travel journaling doesn’t have to be complicated. When you let go of perfection and focus on capturing the essence of a moment, your pages become quicker, easier, and often even more meaningful.

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🔗Helpful Links & Resources:
🎨 You can purchase a set of Derwent Inktense Blocks on Amazon HERE

We’re officially in the month of February—the month of love. You know… all the mushy, Valentine-y stuff. 💘

And really, there’s so much to love in this life, isn’t there? I could list my loves endlessly, but instead, I like to capture that feeling on the page—quick and easy, with color doing most of the talking.

🧑🎨 In this TidBit, I’m using my favorite Derwent Inktense blocks to paint loose streaks of Valentine-inspired color. Before painting, I mask off a small area with washi tape so I can peel it away once the paint dries and use that reserved space for words, thoughts, or reflections.

❤️ During this month of love, I hope you take a moment to pour some of that warmth from your heart onto a page or two in your journal—and I hope this TidBit gives you a gentle nudge to do just that.

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🧑🎨 In this TidBit, I’m using my Staedtler Dual-Brush markers to draw and paint a lotus flower.

🎨 These markers are water-soluble and produce bright, vibrant color. Tombow also makes wonderful dual-brush pens, but I enjoy the Staedtlers just as much—and they’re a bit more budget-friendly, too.

⭐️ Create your own lotus flower, experiment with color and water, and most of all—have fun with it!

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🔗Helpful Links & Resources:
You can purchase a set of the same markers I'm using on Amazon HERE

🧑🎨 In this TidBit, I’m showing you just how simple it can be to draw and paint a glowing lantern in your art journal.

🎨 All you need is a large flat paintbrush, a fine round paintbrush, and a permanent marker like a Micron or Sharpie. Use watercolors or Derwent Inktense Blocks to paint. That’s it!

⭐️ Super fun, super approachable—and a technique I hope you’ll tuck away and use again and again in your journaling, now and well into the future.

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It’s that time of year—Halloween and Day of the Dead—and I thought it would be fun to show you how to draw a simple, playful sugar skull.

I’ve seen some incredibly elaborate sugar skull designs, and I especially love the Zentangle-inspired versions I’ve come across here on YouTube. But for the sake of quick and easy, this TidBit focuses on a method that’s approachable, fun, and still super satisfying when you’re finished.

All you need is a pencil, a hi-polymer eraser, some smooth watercolor paper (or sketch paper), and a way to add color. I used watercolors for mine, but feel free to use whatever you love—crayons, markers, colored pencils, acrylics, inks… it all works!

This is one of those pages that’s just as fun to make as it is to look back on.

Enjoy—and happy creating! 🎃✨

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Washi tape can be used in so many fun and practical ways—one of my favorites is reserving areas of white space when painting with watercolors.

Most of the time, washi tape peels away cleanly without damaging the paper. Occasionally, though—especially when a lot of water is involved—it can lift or tear the surface slightly. You’ll actually see that happen to me in this video.

And honestly? It never really bothers me.

That’s because I’m painting in my personal journal—not creating a piece meant to be framed or hung on a wall. Little imperfections are part of the process, and in a journal, they’re not mistakes… they’re just evidence of play, experimentation, and learning.

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🔗Helpful Links & Resources:
For my favorite set of Washi Tape, find them on Amazon HERE