Weedy Sea Dragon Ink and Watercolour pencils Anna Warren Collaboration
The art in this post is from an artistic collaboration I am lucky to be part of with the fabulous Anna Warren. In mid January, Anna posted a drawing that she had done in a little Moleskin Booklet she had collected some time ago. She wondered if anyone would like to join her in filling up these little books and as they came with a folder they were just made for posting. I jumped at the chance as I love Anna’s work and how much fun to work with her on a project.
Anna’s Page Anna Warren Collaboration
Anna accepted my offer and Kylie Fogarty (a great artist from Canberra) is joining us and we will each work on a double page spread in the booklet and each contribute to a picture on the front and back pages.
I was so excited when the first booklet arrived and I have kept to the sea theme of Anna’s drawing. I decided to draw a Weedy Sea dragon, they have always fascinated me and they live in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, not that I have seen them in real life, they are very illusive. I used my new Derwent Graphitint pencils. I have found them a lot of fun, they have such lovely muted tones and work well with my other water colour pencils.
Kelp Ink and watercolour pencils Anna Warren Collaboration
On the first and last page I have drawn some kelp and barnacles in a slightly abstracted manner, leaving I hope enough room for the others to add their magic. Can’t wait to see what they add.
Barnacles Ink and watercolour pencils Anna Warren Collaboration
I will keep you posted as we exchange and work on the three different books between us. What a lot of fun!
Karen
Karen Bailey Studio 
Fabulous Karen! This is SO exciting – I love your drawings, all of them, can’t wait to add a bit to the first and last pages. The weedy sea dragon is such an extraordinary creature, almost unreal but very beautiful and you have done it full justice. Now for Kylie to do her bit …
So glad you like the drawings, was a little nervous, didn’t want to let the team down. It is on its way back to you, can’t wait for the next one.
I think yours is great – makes me want to develop mine a bit more. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from Kylie.
Yours is fabulous in its simplicity, isn’t it funny I thought mine overworked.
I’m just about done! I’ve had so much fun, the sea is such an inspiration! This time I’m adding colour with pen and wash. I’m just writing a blog post about it now.
Can’t wait to see what you have done and a finished book.
Looking forward to seeing it Kylie!
Just rereading our thoughts about each other’s works. I love how vibrant yours is Karen, and Anna your work is simply beautiful and elegant, being the third in the book made me nervous I was going to ruin such a gorgeous book of work. But like Karen I just focused on the story line and away I started, I can’t wait to show you the results!
I feel the responsibility too Kylie, all the people I am working with are so good, but I think the results will be worth it!
What fun and such a good idea. I love the interaction it creates between artists, but I think I would be a bit daunted to begin with. I am really looking forward to seeing it all unfold.
It is fun Chris and I thought ‘yah lets do this’ and when Anna said yes there will be three of us I went ‘oh no what have I done’, then looking at the blank page of the first book with Anna’s beautiful drawing I didn’t want to draw at all. But I had committed so away I went. Sometimes it is not a good idea to think to much, just jump in and do. Karen
Oh Karen! What a gorgeous contribution to the books. Hopefully Anna can do some sort of visual tour of the finished books. I for one would love to see it! 😃
Thanks Gale, I am sure she will and I will link to her posts so that everyone will see. Karen
This project looks so much fun! Enjoy.
It is great to do some faster, smaller work, and the booklets are so cute.
Yes, it looks very exciting. I love illustrations and these are terrific.
Judy
Looking forward to my next book Judy, it is exciting. Karen
I love seeing what you and Anna did in the booklet. I love how everything works so beautifully together and as individual images they are delicious to look at. So rich and engaging. I too am doing one of the booklets with Anna and a third person and had some of the same concerns you mention in your post. Your work is outstanding! You and Anna are wonderful artists, I’m so inspired!
Thank you, I am so glad you liked what I did, I look forward to seeing what you do with your booklet. It is such a fun project to be apart of. Karen
I very much appreciate the sensitivity you have shown to Anna’s work. Your sea dragon shapes beautifully respond to the shapes in Anna’s double page drawing. Seeing the two together makes me think of two musicians making music together. Wonderful.
Oh Julie, that is such a kind comment, thank you. I am pleased to think my work fitted in with Anna’s and did not let the team down.
It has just arrived! I am so excited, your page is just gorgeous Karen – you have put so much work into it. Wonderful to read all the lovely comments above. Can’t wait to add some bits to the end pages …
Yeh, don’t you just love getting exciting parcels in the post! The feedback from the collaboration has been lovely, it is nice that others are also enjoying our efforts. Can’t wait to see what you add.
Love your drawing, Karen! Beautiful work. What an excellent collaboration!
Thank you, just wait and I can tell you about my next collaboration, such fun. Karen
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I’ve hopped over from Anna’s blog to catch up on the collaboration of art in the little moleskin books .
Gorgeous delicate work !
Thank you for hopping over, a friend of Anna’s is most welcome. I am glad you liked my work, the collaboration is a lot a fun. Karen
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Hey Karen, finally got a chance to sit and read the comments and posts. I knew you had written about it as I follow your blog, funny I didn’t want to read about it until I’d finished the first booklet. I completely related to your comments because that’s exactly how I felt too. Anna, I agree with Karen and Karen I agree with Anna, hopefully I meet somewhere in the middle. I have so much imagery dancing around in my head for this one that I’m having a hard time choosing what to create, plus I don’t want to ruin these gorgeous works, sorry for being a little slow, I’m so excited for this week as its what I am working on – I have it all decided on, hopefully you will enjoy it too. I can’t wait to see what you do with the first booklet Karen. ~ K
Hi Kylie, I am looking forward to adding my pictures to yours in the next book. I was tempted to do it next, but wanted to get through this harder one first. Lots of ideas for yours as soon as I saw your post. Looking forward to see what you add to the sea themed one. Karen