I first started keeping an online art journal in 2008, several years after I began taking local art classes in watercolour. Painted Furrows , my first journal, was named in honour of the very first thing I painted that actually looked like it was supposed to. Major victory for someone who hadn't done anything artistically in years. It has everything I posted from Jan 08 through Oct last year.
I keep an art journal for two reasons. Primarily, I find that it's so much easier for me to see and critique my own work if I'm not looking at it directly. Others find using a mirror accomplishes the same thing but that doesn't allow for the second reason. I like having a place to document any number of things - what materials I used, what inspired me at the time, what I would do differently if/when I do it again etc. I have so much to learn about this medium and writing about it helps to cement the knowledge in my over 50 brain.
Really it is meant for my own eyes, but every now and then I get brave enough to let some friends and family have a peek. If you're reading this you must be one of the trusted few so thanks for your interest :^)
* Update July 2014 * After starting Sketchbook Skool I decided to just go for it and made my journal public.
