Friendly Tennis-Art Journals

Tennis-art journal

This is the way Naieva Bookist travels. I load up all the latest things that my pals have produced and shove them in the suitcase.

When it's a tennis trip, which it usually is, I also carry an art tote to work on a tennis-art journal. This one started about four years ago and with just a few more touches it's done.

I've grown accustom to it like you would an old car, a dog or donuts. So, I'm actually a little nostalgic about it, and worried about that brand-new clean one.

There are absolutely no rules to this art - impossible to make a wrong page. The pages are anything from gluing in a pocket for ticket stubs or colored-pencil sketches of my husbands hands as he's driving (the steering wheel looks like a tennis ball).

I take photos of famous tennis players, glue them down and then paint over them, and if lucky enough to meet them at WS&F, I'll have them sign the piece.

Photo of Ferrer, painted and then I had him autograph it.

Painted portrait of Mimi

Photo of ripped ball, Gonzo and painted.

This year, thinking of getting more autographs, I carried my art journal to WS&F Tennis Open, which is a heavy task since we do tons of walking.

During Teen day, we heard speeches so invigorating that the two teens sitting next to me were doodling on the information sheet, and then one pulled out her art book to show her friend.

Should I show her my book tucked in the tote? Knowing that no teenager wants to speak to the old, I thought NO.

Ah, what the heck. I whispered, "I have an art book too." We stopped listening to such questions as, "should we drink more water?" Duh. 

I asked if they wanted to add something to my pages. They took out their colorful markers and made me a tennis art page and signed it (we don't have to just have the rich and famous sign the pages!)

Well, that was kind of fun, plus they gave us a free lunch of Skyline Chili, which was really the only reason we were hanging around. Then, I went to the tennis match because Fernando Verdasco was playing.

So, looking both ways before crossing the security people, I snuck into the better box seats right behind where the players towel off. The place is empty so what's the harm? Just before the match begins, a lady and her husband want to sit in this same row. Shucks, there goes my plans on getting better photos of Verdaso. Turns out their seats are a couple over and they don't care if I'm sitting there. As they're settling in, I notice her bag is lovely. She had it hand-made by Flash Bags from flashbagsonline .com. Their motto - carry a conversation. A friend made the art, she sent it in, and it costs less than the one I just bought at the tennis tent.

     Well, I had to take a picture of that. 

Rhonda Carpenter displays her unique art bag.

I mentioned my tennis art journal. Well, she journals too. Get out! She does water colors. She has a blog. We blah, blah, blah for so long her husband had left and returned and he was amazed we were still talking. We vowed to visit each others sites when we got back home -  rhcarpenter.blogspot.com.

This artwork is as great as everything in Somerset Studios, Cloth Paper Scissors, Artful Blogging and all the other magazines in my luggage.

The players are coming out, and oh forgot, we were suppose to come here to see some tennis.

These young ladies have purposeful art of their own to share with the crowd and especially Verdasco.

Translates: You are Hot Verdasco.

This is what the fuss is all about.

Perhaps this helps you visualize better.

Well, it was a great trip, we saw everyone from Roger to Roddick. Got some art signed, took pictures with a few fabulous tennis players, and worked on some pages on the long ride home.

Few days later, after getting everything unpacked and settling into routine, I was thrilled to get a post from Rhonda! I checked out her site, like we said we would, and she has wonderful watercolors.

Artful Blogging magazine discusses how folks make new friends through blogging, and I wondered, how that happened. Just a few months later into blogging, and it's happened to me. Rhonda would have even given me a vote for the Murfreesboro Magazine most beautiful article!

The only regret is that I painted over that  Verdasco private cell-phone number - what a shame, I could have passed it on to those girls. Ah, well, they should have purchased box seats.