Woohoo, finally got my "off center placement" layout done for Annie's challenge #5. I had fun writing this letter to Lowell. He's come so far this summer. The Autism Day Treatment program he started is amazing! Hard to believe summer is almost over.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Dear Lowell...
Woohoo, finally got my "off center placement" layout done for Annie's challenge #5. I had fun writing this letter to Lowell. He's come so far this summer. The Autism Day Treatment program he started is amazing! Hard to believe summer is almost over.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Halloween in August
Yes, yes, I know...it's only August and here I am breaking out all these Halloween crafts. Well, I've started to get out my boxes (and boxes and boxes) of Halloween decorations and wanted to make something with some of my tiny Halloween curios and wonderful fabrics. So here you are, an old antique printers drawer full of bits and pieces from my Halloween collection. Love how they all look together. Lots of fun vintage inspired pieces....AND you can find it for sale over on my Etsy shop here with several close up pictures:)
Saturday, August 19, 2006
*200th post*
Wow, this is my 200th post! I've had this blog less than a year and try to post as often as possible. I have found it to be such a wonderful way to communicate with all of you out there. The community I have found blogging is amazing and awe inspiring. thank you:)
I wanted my 200th post to be special, so I have some exciting news...I've gone Etsy! I now have a shop. I only have one thing in there now, but hope to add frequently. I made this neat {BOO} banner this weekend since it's never too early to start thinking about Halloween! I'm also working on a shop banner. In the meantime, come check me out!
Friday, August 18, 2006
Little Miss Sunshine
Tonight we saw the movie Little Miss Sunshine. First movie we've seen in a long, long time. LOVED it!! Total quirky, laugh out loud, feel good, indie movie:) Go see it!
Check out the cute web site with lots of fun interactive stuff:) Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Scrappin' frenzy
These challenges are really helping me catch up on my scrapbooking:) I just found out that on 2Peas they are posting challenges from Elsie's book. I couldn't pass it up!
The first one is Work Those Words: whether it's a quote, a list of favorite adjectives or computer generated phrases, journaling on strips of cardstock is a great way to add visual excitement to your page. Be creative and cut a favorite quote into pieces to add to your design. Check out all the others here.
The next layout is challenge #3 from Ann(i)e's challenges inspired by Ali's book. The challenge was to use just a bit of pattern as an add-on to a circle. Choose patterns with coordinating colors, punch and tear them, and adhere them to a punched circle. It's a great way to get a bit of pattern onto a layout. I never use circles in my layouts, so this was a lot of fun:)
The first one is Work Those Words: whether it's a quote, a list of favorite adjectives or computer generated phrases, journaling on strips of cardstock is a great way to add visual excitement to your page. Be creative and cut a favorite quote into pieces to add to your design. Check out all the others here.
The next layout is challenge #3 from Ann(i)e's challenges inspired by Ali's book. The challenge was to use just a bit of pattern as an add-on to a circle. Choose patterns with coordinating colors, punch and tear them, and adhere them to a punched circle. It's a great way to get a bit of pattern onto a layout. I never use circles in my layouts, so this was a lot of fun:)
Monday, August 14, 2006
The Red Book {interview with Sera Beak}
Sera Beak is so cool! I posted here about her new book, The Red Book. I was so intrigued with concept of turning an art journal into a spiritual quest that I did an interview with her. She graciously answered my questions and I am so inspired by what she had to say...
AM: How and when did you know that the journaling you did in your own Red Book became something deeper and more universal?
SB: I was given the red book, as well as a shopping trip to a craft store, as a birthday gift by my older sister the day after my grandfather died. Watching my grandfather pass away broke something open in me, I was pretty raw, and so when I received this new journal I was ready to try something different with it. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but I did know that this would be no ordinary journal filled with daily recaps. To prep the book and myself I made my dedications clear on the first page where I placed 2 photos. One was a photo of an icon of the Hindu goddess Kali that I took while I was living in Calcutta (Kali represents a very strong and powerful aspect of the divine feminine). The other was an old photo of me at about 2 years old, standing on top of a rocking horse jumping and singing gleefully. Naked. My older sister gave me this hilarious photo to remind me of how free I was as a wee one. Glitter and paint and the question *How Intensely Do I Exist* fell around the photos and set the personal and devotional tone for the book.
AM: What was your creative process for working in your Red Book? Did you use quotes from others, come up with your own quotes?
SB: When I finally sat down to write in the red book I did it, oddly enough, via my computer. One night I lit a few candles put on a favorite CD and just allowed things to get real quiet in my head. I started listening to a deeper part of myself. And soon enough a sentence fell out of me onto the screen. The sentence was *Come forward now. Closer still Till closer has meaning no longer*. I didn't analyze its weirdness, I just printed it out, cut it from the paper, and pasted it at the bottom of a page in the red book. The phrases continued pouring out of me and I knew that no matter what the hell they sounded like to anyone else, for me, the experience of writing them was deeply sacred and new and extremely healing. This was no new agey channeled woo wooness. It just felt like me meeting Me, for the first time and it was incredibly powerful. So I continued to let her rip. And, because I dedicated the red book to unleashing my new voice, I never used quotes from anyone else.
AM: You said you used a lot of magazine images in your collage work, did the images you created become symbolic for you?
SB: The simple phrases, or prayers, became the root, the main art of the red book, but they took up hardly any space on the big white pages, so I looked around my Cambridge apartment and grabbed the only sliceable medium available: fashion and yoga magazines. I used ads for mascara, Gucci perfume, laundry detergent, as well as typical spiritual images.
The media images grounded my obtuse words and my phrases gave mainstream advertising flashes of sacredness. And yes, the images I created did become symbolic for me, as did the process of creating them. I was finally mixing and matching my outer world with my inner voice.
AM: When did you then take the next step from keeping an art journal to writing a book on spirituality? That is quite a leap of faith...literally:)
SB: After graduate school, I moved to San Francisco and took a temp job while I was figuring out what to do with my comparative religions degree. The job afforded me a lot of free time sitting in front of a computer. And one day, burned out from web surfing, I started casually writing about the process of creating the red book and what this form of creative journaling might ignite in other young women. After typing out 25 pages in one day I realized I had a lot to say on this subject and after a few weeks of writing, my boyfriend read some pages and suggested I try a book. By this time, it just felt natural and good for me to continue writing. I always tell people that if I had sat down one day and said "hey, I'm gonna write a book for young women about spirituality" I would have most likely spontaneously combusted due to the pressure I would have put on myself. It was all about baby steps for me. The real leap of faith happened when I decided to try and get my writing published. I was taking my voice, which was very private and new to me, and trying to making it public. I was terrified. But I pushed on because my passion for this material outweighed my fear.
AM: Do you still work in your own Red Book?
AB: No. And I've told myself that that's because I've been buried in the time-consuming book writing process and that I use other creative outlets, but this interview is making me realize how much I miss that interaction and experience. And you know the original red book is only half full, it's waiting for me to continue.
AM: Anything else you'd like to say to us fellow journal artists, spiritual beings, travelers on this path?:)
SB: Thank you all for existing and inspiring others (like myself) to go the distance. I witness your creations and it makes my own spirit wiggle free. It's contagious, and real, and so very powerful. I believe that to create is one of the main reasons we're here. So do it up - no matter what you do or don't believe about spirituality. Redefine that word through your art, through your daily life, through your colorful and honest self expressions. And watch the universe sway in awe of your bold beauty.
AM: How and when did you know that the journaling you did in your own Red Book became something deeper and more universal?
SB: I was given the red book, as well as a shopping trip to a craft store, as a birthday gift by my older sister the day after my grandfather died. Watching my grandfather pass away broke something open in me, I was pretty raw, and so when I received this new journal I was ready to try something different with it. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but I did know that this would be no ordinary journal filled with daily recaps. To prep the book and myself I made my dedications clear on the first page where I placed 2 photos. One was a photo of an icon of the Hindu goddess Kali that I took while I was living in Calcutta (Kali represents a very strong and powerful aspect of the divine feminine). The other was an old photo of me at about 2 years old, standing on top of a rocking horse jumping and singing gleefully. Naked. My older sister gave me this hilarious photo to remind me of how free I was as a wee one. Glitter and paint and the question *How Intensely Do I Exist* fell around the photos and set the personal and devotional tone for the book.
AM: What was your creative process for working in your Red Book? Did you use quotes from others, come up with your own quotes?
SB: When I finally sat down to write in the red book I did it, oddly enough, via my computer. One night I lit a few candles put on a favorite CD and just allowed things to get real quiet in my head. I started listening to a deeper part of myself. And soon enough a sentence fell out of me onto the screen. The sentence was *Come forward now. Closer still Till closer has meaning no longer*. I didn't analyze its weirdness, I just printed it out, cut it from the paper, and pasted it at the bottom of a page in the red book. The phrases continued pouring out of me and I knew that no matter what the hell they sounded like to anyone else, for me, the experience of writing them was deeply sacred and new and extremely healing. This was no new agey channeled woo wooness. It just felt like me meeting Me, for the first time and it was incredibly powerful. So I continued to let her rip. And, because I dedicated the red book to unleashing my new voice, I never used quotes from anyone else.
AM: You said you used a lot of magazine images in your collage work, did the images you created become symbolic for you?
SB: The simple phrases, or prayers, became the root, the main art of the red book, but they took up hardly any space on the big white pages, so I looked around my Cambridge apartment and grabbed the only sliceable medium available: fashion and yoga magazines. I used ads for mascara, Gucci perfume, laundry detergent, as well as typical spiritual images.
The media images grounded my obtuse words and my phrases gave mainstream advertising flashes of sacredness. And yes, the images I created did become symbolic for me, as did the process of creating them. I was finally mixing and matching my outer world with my inner voice.
AM: When did you then take the next step from keeping an art journal to writing a book on spirituality? That is quite a leap of faith...literally:)
SB: After graduate school, I moved to San Francisco and took a temp job while I was figuring out what to do with my comparative religions degree. The job afforded me a lot of free time sitting in front of a computer. And one day, burned out from web surfing, I started casually writing about the process of creating the red book and what this form of creative journaling might ignite in other young women. After typing out 25 pages in one day I realized I had a lot to say on this subject and after a few weeks of writing, my boyfriend read some pages and suggested I try a book. By this time, it just felt natural and good for me to continue writing. I always tell people that if I had sat down one day and said "hey, I'm gonna write a book for young women about spirituality" I would have most likely spontaneously combusted due to the pressure I would have put on myself. It was all about baby steps for me. The real leap of faith happened when I decided to try and get my writing published. I was taking my voice, which was very private and new to me, and trying to making it public. I was terrified. But I pushed on because my passion for this material outweighed my fear.
AM: Do you still work in your own Red Book?
AB: No. And I've told myself that that's because I've been buried in the time-consuming book writing process and that I use other creative outlets, but this interview is making me realize how much I miss that interaction and experience. And you know the original red book is only half full, it's waiting for me to continue.
AM: Anything else you'd like to say to us fellow journal artists, spiritual beings, travelers on this path?:)
SB: Thank you all for existing and inspiring others (like myself) to go the distance. I witness your creations and it makes my own spirit wiggle free. It's contagious, and real, and so very powerful. I believe that to create is one of the main reasons we're here. So do it up - no matter what you do or don't believe about spirituality. Redefine that word through your art, through your daily life, through your colorful and honest self expressions. And watch the universe sway in awe of your bold beauty.
Collaborating
What a gorgeous day it is here today in Minnesota. There's a hint of autumn in the air. Crisp and breezy, baby blue sky with white fluffy clouds. I love that it's August!
I did another page in my She book collaboration with Cassondra. I rarely work in black and white, but was so inspired by this picture that I just continued on with the style. It was hard for me to get messy and just let go with this. I like the result. I love the black velvet letter stickers:) I also received the She book Cassondra started and enjoyed paging through it, admiring her art and enjoying the texture and the dimension in her pages. To see her book, look here. She does such amazing work and it's even better in person. I will get mine off for her to work on and get working in the one that she started. I love collaborations. So much fun!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Challenges galore!
I didn't make it to the next round of Last Scrapper Standing. Oh well. Now I just get to cheer from the sidelines:) I have been working on Ann(i)e's fun challenges based on Ali Edwards new book. I'm loving these. They're really getting me motivated to work on my daughters 1st year album. I also am really enjoying the challenge of doing things that I would never think of doing on my layouts. Thanks!
This first one (above) is to go to your scraps, pull out six pieces of patterned paper that are big enough to be square punched. Punch one square from each scrap. Now punch three photos. Place all nine squares together on a 12"X12" piece of cardstock. Journal around the outside of your square. Voila'-a wonderful example of a completely random pattern assortment.* I changed this a bit and did 5 photos and only 3 patterns and one quote.
The second challenge is instead of cutting everything into squares and rectangles, take an angular approach! Take a large photograph and cut the bottom at an angle (I did the side). Use ribbons to define the edges of the photograph. Stack layers of triangular paper underneath the photo to create a playful look on your page. *After seeing the challenge on the freestyle blog to crop your picture, I decided to do that with the second picture. I like the look:)
This first one (above) is to go to your scraps, pull out six pieces of patterned paper that are big enough to be square punched. Punch one square from each scrap. Now punch three photos. Place all nine squares together on a 12"X12" piece of cardstock. Journal around the outside of your square. Voila'-a wonderful example of a completely random pattern assortment.* I changed this a bit and did 5 photos and only 3 patterns and one quote.
The second challenge is instead of cutting everything into squares and rectangles, take an angular approach! Take a large photograph and cut the bottom at an angle (I did the side). Use ribbons to define the edges of the photograph. Stack layers of triangular paper underneath the photo to create a playful look on your page. *After seeing the challenge on the freestyle blog to crop your picture, I decided to do that with the second picture. I like the look:)
I was playing a little catch-up, so here is the third. Art patterns. I combined Lowell's handprints (which is art in itself!) with pictures of his other artsy love, music!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
LSS Dare #1
Here's my humble contribution to the Last Scrapper Standing contest. Dare #1 was to have all of your journaling ON your photo. This was a challenge, since I don't do this often. I made a layout in memory of our beloved cat, Abba. He was our Halloween cat. Since I'm really into vintage Halloween, I thought I'd give this page a whimsy nostalgic feel. I aged the photo using walnut ink, then wrote out my journaling. I then added a few more words with Portfolio oil pastels. Check out the 2Peas gallery for tons of inspiration from the other participants. Amazing work! This was so much fun:)
Monday, August 07, 2006
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Busy week
Haven't been on the computer much. My hubby's dear grandmother passed away this week and we've been busy with the wake and the funeral today. Lovely service, lovely woman. We sure will miss Lola.
I got my Land of Nod catalog today. LOVE their stuff! I'm really into nursery and children's art lately and came across this artist (above) Maria Carluccio. Doesn't this just make you happy?!! Sure cheers me up:)
I got my Land of Nod catalog today. LOVE their stuff! I'm really into nursery and children's art lately and came across this artist (above) Maria Carluccio. Doesn't this just make you happy?!! Sure cheers me up:)
I'm going scrapbooking tonight. Hope to catch up on my summer pages. Also want to work on my page for the Dares "Last Scrapbooker Standing" contest. Wish me luck:)
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Fanciful August!
This came in the mail yesterday from my lovely friend Cassondra. Isn't it just the cutest banner you ever did see?:) I think she was inspired by the article in the July/August issue of Somerset Studios magazine by Pamela Garrison. I love it! Thanks, Cassondra:)
I also found a step by step here with Pam on how to make them:) Wish I would have seen this episode of That's Clever on HGTV, here's another project she did on making a paper dollhouse. FUN!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Monday morning happiness!
Happy Monday! It is "hotsy totsy" as my son now says here today...88 degrees at 8 am. And to think that when most people think of Minnesota they think of below zero weather. We get the full array here....from 20 below to over 100 degrees! I have already had a *wonderful* Monday morning surprise. I went to check Celine's blog and found that the Artfest 2007 brochure is up HERE! I am beyond excited for this!!! It is hosted by Teesha and Tracy Moore.
Check out the **~amazing~** workshop leaders (LK Ludwig, Pam Garrison, Anahata, Nina Bagley, Traci Bautista, Lynne Perrella and TONS more!) This will be my first year. I hear how wonderful it is each year and awhile ago my hubby and I had a conversation about how the kids are now old enough that we could each take a weekend or so a year and do what we want...away. I AM THRILLED....can't wait for March 2007!!!
Anyone else been or plan on going?
Check out the **~amazing~** workshop leaders (LK Ludwig, Pam Garrison, Anahata, Nina Bagley, Traci Bautista, Lynne Perrella and TONS more!) This will be my first year. I hear how wonderful it is each year and awhile ago my hubby and I had a conversation about how the kids are now old enough that we could each take a weekend or so a year and do what we want...away. I AM THRILLED....can't wait for March 2007!!!
Anyone else been or plan on going?
Sunday, July 30, 2006
She book collaboration
I finally got started on my SHE book collaboration with Cassondra. I used an old 45 record album. It's fun and challenging. A different format for me, but neat to have little round "windows" to work with. It's inspired by the book She by Kobi Yamada. I first found out about the book and She philosophy from Heidi Swapp. It's full of wonderful quotes to use in your art, or to just be inspired by:) After doing my inspiration book last week, I felt a renewed sense of energy in my art. I feel like the top page really depicts my art aesthetic. The colors, the use of fabric and vintage beads, old sewing notions, the Victorian "rosette" thing I figured out how to make on my own from vintage crepe paper (inspired by Pam Garrison), the clothes in the photo, the models hair, I love it all. So glad I was able to bring it all together in one piece!
Speaking of inspiration, does anyone else watch Project Runway? I never thought I'd like the show, but I do get enthused by the projects that they have to complete. It always gets me more interested in fashion. Two very young designers with a wonderful vision are Vena Cava. The combination of art and fashion intrigues me.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
~Inspiration~
Yay...Blogger seems to be working again. This week I've been working on this fun little pick-me-up project to beat the heat. I was feeling a bit uninspired, so I decided to gather a bunch of fun stuff that really gets me going and make an inspiration book. I love it and know that I will continue to add to it. It's great fun gathering lots of little pieces, bits of fabric and pictures and color combinations that inspire me to create. Here are a few of the pages I worked on.
As you can see, these last few pages are Halloween. I *love* (I mean really love) Halloween. I think about it year round. Once July hits I start planning my annual party. I adore the vintage, primitive, folk art Halloween look!
As you can see, these last few pages are Halloween. I *love* (I mean really love) Halloween. I think about it year round. Once July hits I start planning my annual party. I adore the vintage, primitive, folk art Halloween look!
This week I've been hearing about a lot of new products coming out of the summer CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) show. If you'd like a bit of eye candy, check out this link with pics of some of the goodies:)
Not new, but new to me, I used my Basic Grey Notch and Die tool on this project. What fun. So many uses!!
P.S. I'm totally gonna do this...
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Happy Birthday Mom!
I love my mom~ I love that I get to see her almost every day~ I love that we like so many of the same things ~ I love that my kids love her
I made my first strawberry pie ever from scratch for her birthday. Yum!!
It's so easy. Here's the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 package strawberry flavored jello, 4-serving size
1 cup water
2 pints strawberries, hulled
1 9-inch baked pie shells, cooled
Preparation:
Cook sugar, cornstarch, jello and water until thick; cool. Place whole berries the baked pie shell. Pour sauce over berries and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve with whipped cream or whipped topping.
Then in the mail came two new books by Elsie and Ali. *Love* these books! They are chock full of inspiration. Such different styles, but I get so much from each of them. Love their attitude!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Friday organization
I'm lovin' my new apothecary style cabinet. Kinda reminds me of an old library card catalog. It's helping me get organized with all the little goodies I like to use in my work and have stocked up on with the recent ephemera swap. By the way, all the swap packages are in the mail and should be reaching your mailbox soon!
I recently saw the idea of writing with chalk on blackboard painted furniture here and here and thought I'd give it a try. I didn't even need to use the blackboard paint. The chalk goes on great and can be easily wiped off without leaving a trace. Viola!
Happy Friday!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Intention
Anybody looking for a good read... a good book to work with? I came across this book last night at work. It was just published last month by Sera Beak. "A deliciously unorthodox approach to igniting your divine spark". Love that! It turns out the author, at 30, has had some amazing life experiences and is really inspiring. She has a fab web site and says her blog will be up in a couple of weeks. The Red Book idea started when she was 26 and kept a journal for her personal creative "prayers". She used phrases and collage to express her divine spark. This book is full of wit and humor and I think I'm gonna dive right in. I'm going to turn this book into my "red book" and work through it.
The first step is to state your intention, so here's mine.
I intend to live my life with creative abandon
Footloose and fancy free!
Be present
Be aware
Know my true self and celebrate her
Answer the question, "is that all there is?" with NEVER--there's always more!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Tales
Here are the first few pages of an altered scrapbook that I started on my trip. Just before leaving I received my Spare Parts Vol. 2 from Anahata. It was fun to break into that on my trip and use some of her goodies. I also used some wonderful things that I received from the ephemera swap, which, by the way, will be mailed out in the next couple of days:) I collected a lot of found objects that I've attached here and there throughout. I started this book the night we were having a really hard time with my son adjusting to his new surroundings. He is autistic (see other blog) and we weren't sure what to expect. I wanted to let out some of the emotions and frustrations I was having into my art. At that time I thought it may be a "curio" book of sorts into him and his unique perpective. Still not sure where I'm going with that, but I had fun nonetheless and here it is!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
What I did on my summer vacation...
Hello again!! Well, I'm back from "up north" and am happy to say we had a really nice time. We were up every day from sunrise to sunset. We started out with a lot of driving. Driving down to Milwaukee and then back up through the Twin Cities and up to a lake cabin near Brainerd, Minnesota. The kids fared pretty well:) 
I got a bee bite on my hand right off the bat. Ouch! My initiation to the north woods.
Here's Chloe and Lowell on the beach at about 6 am. My dear parents got up with the kids each morning at 5 am and let Joe and I go back to bed. What a treat! We swam in the lake quite a bit. It was wonderfully clear and very few weeds and such. The weather was quite warm, so a good soak a couple times a day felt delightful.
We also took a boat trip out on the lake and watched a lovely sunset.
And of course, what's a trip to Northern Minnesota without seeing some Loons?! We came back to the cabin, had a campfire and roasted s'mores. A "traditional" Minnesota summer cabin experience:)
I read about half of my Holy Cow book. What a great read! I also started a new altered book. I will share pics shortly. Check out this funky scrapbook store in a nearby town. Unfortunately it had equally funky hours and we never were able to visit when it was open.
We came back to the a HOT HOT HOT 100 degrees in the Twin Cities today. All in all a wonderful getaway with my family.
I got a bee bite on my hand right off the bat. Ouch! My initiation to the north woods.
Here's Chloe and Lowell on the beach at about 6 am. My dear parents got up with the kids each morning at 5 am and let Joe and I go back to bed. What a treat! We swam in the lake quite a bit. It was wonderfully clear and very few weeds and such. The weather was quite warm, so a good soak a couple times a day felt delightful.
We also took a boat trip out on the lake and watched a lovely sunset.
And of course, what's a trip to Northern Minnesota without seeing some Loons?! We came back to the cabin, had a campfire and roasted s'mores. A "traditional" Minnesota summer cabin experience:)
I read about half of my Holy Cow book. What a great read! I also started a new altered book. I will share pics shortly. Check out this funky scrapbook store in a nearby town. Unfortunately it had equally funky hours and we never were able to visit when it was open.
We came back to the a HOT HOT HOT 100 degrees in the Twin Cities today. All in all a wonderful getaway with my family.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
On keeping a journal
I will be offline for the next 10 days, no email, no blogging...yikes!!:) I'm taking a trip, first to Milwaukee for a wedding, then a week with my hubby and kids, my parents, sister and her family at a cabin "up north" as they say here in Minnesota. Should be a fun time!
I was packing up my bag with books and such. Thinking about what kind of art I may want to do while I'm there. I picked up a book at work this week that they were withdrawing called Zara's Tales by Peter Beard. It's a wonderful scrapbook of "Perilous Escapades in Equatorial Africa". His memoir told as a tale to his daughter. I was thinking of altering it and making my own tales out of it. I *love* what he had to say here about his journals. I love the langauge he uses, the images he conjures up. Definitely going to journal my family adventure:)
"For years I'd been keeping journals, saving mixed-up scraps and clippings, dawdles and dipsy doodles, in daily diary layouts for the sheer pleasure of it, escapism: snapshots of buddies from school, snakes eating rats, rampaging rhinos, old photos worked on by the passage of time, bits of cloth, dry things, Captain Marvel and the Phantom, clipping from the Nairobi Standard, Picayune cigarettes, hog hairs, my hair, teeth and claws, run-over toads, fish scales, elephant tales, lizard tails, bits of bullets, bugs, twigs, seeds, plants, scorpion carcasses, snakeskin sheddings from lakeside lava rocks- all manner of minuscule jottings, scraps for a scrapbook- a homework assignment that nobody asked for. All glued down by the chronic scavenger. The pages would fill and fill and wrinkle in the gluing. It all meant nothing to anyone else but me, myself and I."
"See" ya in a week!!
I was packing up my bag with books and such. Thinking about what kind of art I may want to do while I'm there. I picked up a book at work this week that they were withdrawing called Zara's Tales by Peter Beard. It's a wonderful scrapbook of "Perilous Escapades in Equatorial Africa". His memoir told as a tale to his daughter. I was thinking of altering it and making my own tales out of it. I *love* what he had to say here about his journals. I love the langauge he uses, the images he conjures up. Definitely going to journal my family adventure:)
"For years I'd been keeping journals, saving mixed-up scraps and clippings, dawdles and dipsy doodles, in daily diary layouts for the sheer pleasure of it, escapism: snapshots of buddies from school, snakes eating rats, rampaging rhinos, old photos worked on by the passage of time, bits of cloth, dry things, Captain Marvel and the Phantom, clipping from the Nairobi Standard, Picayune cigarettes, hog hairs, my hair, teeth and claws, run-over toads, fish scales, elephant tales, lizard tails, bits of bullets, bugs, twigs, seeds, plants, scorpion carcasses, snakeskin sheddings from lakeside lava rocks- all manner of minuscule jottings, scraps for a scrapbook- a homework assignment that nobody asked for. All glued down by the chronic scavenger. The pages would fill and fill and wrinkle in the gluing. It all meant nothing to anyone else but me, myself and I."
"See" ya in a week!!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Read any good books lately?
Happy Independence Day!!
Check out Anahata's post today with her own twist on Independence Day....love it!!!!
I'm heading out on a family trip in a couple of days. We'll have plenty of time in the car, I'm looking for some book suggestions!!
I think I'm going to bring this one along. Sounds great and was highly recommended by Anahata as a crazy, funny book:) I'm very intrigued with Indian culture and the spiritual experience.
I think I'll bring this one too called Seeing Past Z. I'm in the middle of it now. Awesome book about nurturing the imagination and creativity.
I'd love to hear more! Thanks:)
I'd love to hear more! Thanks:)
Monday, July 03, 2006
Christmas in July!
Ok, these aren't all for me...but aren't they lovely!! The packages for the ephemera swap have been rollling in pretty steadily. Then today BAM! 4 packages came at once:) The postman had to come to my door with a big box full. Fun! Everyone's goodies look fabulous. Thanks so much for participating. We're still waiting for a few more packages from international players, before I can swap them out. I'm so excited to get some ephemera from all over the world. You guys are the best!!!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Artist Palette
Except for the blatant spelling error, I am pretty pleased with how this turned out. Lately, I have been intrigued by the concept of each artist having their own symbolic alphabet. I think that instead of having another formal "challenge," if you are interested, you can start an art journal with me and we can explore this concept together.
What I'm beginning with and following Anahata's inspiration, is to follow your impulse. She states that:
All you need to in order to create is to follow one impulse to the next. Like a game of connect the dots. One foot ahead of the next. To me creating artwork is a matter of impulse reactions to what is before you. Make one word, one brush stroke, one splatter. React to it. And then act on the next impulse you have. You needn't know what you are working towards or even what you want the outcome to be. All you need to do is react to each addition. This is how you will come to conclusions in your work you didn't know possible.
So that is what I did with this piece. I tried to follow each impulse without putting much thought into it and not let my censor in. It definitely evolved into what I am showing you here. I love all of these colors together. I have always been drawn to them. I have kept an issue of Elle magazine with Scarlett Johansson (love her!) on the cover for 2 years now, just waiting for the right time to use the photos of her in my art. I love everything about them. I finally challenged myself to use them here and love the feeling they provoke. I decided to use this as my cover for my new art journal. It is an old Better Homes and Gardens "Garden Book". I love the binder format so I can stick lots of bulky stuff in and I love that it has neat tabs.
Let's explore our individual colors, symbols and moods together and see what comprises our Artist's Palette!!
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