Mapping Happiness

Sometimes it pays to NOT rip up something that you aren't happy with. Such was the case with this journal page that I started some time ago. I didn't like it in it's original guise and had been tempted to tear it out of the book and toss it. I hadn't even opened this particular drawing pad in a long time but when I did I decided to rework the page. It looked like a map to me and I wondered what it was a map of....

About the same time I happened upon a copy of a poem by John Trudell that I particularly liked. It spoke of things that I have often thought but have not, perhaps, acted upon as much as I should.

 It reads like this:

we are part of the dreamtime

happiness is one of the colors

there are shadow casters who trick us about happiness

we are taught to wish for things to make us happy

we are not taught to wish for happiness itself.

we can't buy happiness

we can't sell it,

we can't steal it

we can't borrow it

and we can't capture it

but we can create it

love can't bring us happiness

but happiness can bring us love

power can't bring us happiness

but happiness can shoe us power

on the line of what is real and what really isn't

dream for happiness

somewhere between heart and mind

the spirit of life can be seen

happiness comes and awaits dream

Perhaps it is a map to happiness after all. I'm glad I saved the page and found the map. Now I just have to follow it.

The Sketchbook Challenge

I have been meaning to post about the very cool New Year's project called "The Sketchbook Challenge. Spearheaded by Sue Bleiweiss, this journey will begin on January 1st, 2011.

Click on the Sketchbook Challenge button in the right column to get to the information about it or check our Sue's website at:
http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/2010/12/06/the-sketchbook-challenge/

There are some fantastic artists that will be writng posting and providing direction. A new theme will be posted for each month ... You have a whole month to explore the theme! If you have considered journaling and sketchbooks this might the perfect opportunity to start the New Year out!

Have a look and join in the fun!

"Masters Collage: Major Works By Leading Artists" Curated By Randel Plowman

When I was young my step-mother's 'thing' was decoupage. For some odd reason I always equated decoupage with collage and, as such, was never that interested in the process. A turn in my artistic path has led to me to become besotted with art journaling however - and with art journaling has come an interest in collage. Yes! Collage. I never saw it coming. Collage has not been an easy thing for me to do - I tend to over think a page, but it is becoming easier and more enjoyable for me as I do more of it - as with anything in life - it's all easy when we know how - and it's all a bit intimidating when we don't know how!

Lark Books has a fabulous series that I love - the 'Masters' series. I was fortunate to have been able to review their 2008 publication "Masters- Art Quilts" I don't know how they manage to get the quality photography and gorgeous paper in these books and still offer them at such reasonable prices, but I am glad that they do! I tend to 'feel' the paper quality of books - and I am also particular about type fonts. I love everything about the Master series of books! I was therefore, thrilled when I was given the opportunity to review this book, the latest in the 'Masters' series.

"Masters Collage" is veritable treasure trove of work by leading collage artists that was thoughtfully curated by collage artist and teacher Randel Plowman. Of more than 200 entries he distilled his selections down to the work of 40 artists. Randel's introduction is excellent; very informative and well written. The styles of collage that are represented in this book vary from minimalist work to jam packed hi voltage pieces.  The represented works include styles that are comic-esqe, fine art, humorous, thoughtful, inspirational - indeed, so many styles are represented that my mind is boggled at how many varieties of art can be included in the term 'collage'. I look at the work in this book and become  inspired. That, to me, is the mark of a great book - a book that moves you to create more of your own art! The artists include men and women. A variety and several examples of each artist's work is preceded by a short, well done biography. 

As you look through this book you just can't help but think about the process that was used,  the content of the image and what you might want to do with a similar subject matter. This is an inspirational and informative book that I think that anyone who enjoys art, collage,  or mixed media work will find it to be thoroughly engrossing. Looking at the work presented in this book is like creativity fodder. I highly recommend this book  - and indeed I think any book in this "Masters" series will not disappoint. Buy this book - I don't think that you will regret it for a moment! 

Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided to my by the publisher for review proposes. No other remuneration  was received. My reviews are strictly my own opinion and are not in any way tainted by the expectation or hope for any monetary compensation.

"Journal Junkies Worshop. Visual Ammunition For The Art Addict" by Eric M. Scott and David R. Modler

 I posted about this book on book blog but decided that it might be of interest to all of you who graciously read my blog here too.

I have kept written journals for more than 20 years, but at some point I realized that I wanted my journals to contain more images and color. I always had added copies of photographs to my journals - but I wanted to learn to make art in my books. Art that make me remember my feelings at the time more completely when I went back to review my journal books years later.

I have been doing visual/art journaling for several years now. Oddly enough I still keep a more private written journal but my visual albums are just as I had wanted them to be. I am still learning and growing though so I am always on  the lookout for new books about journals and art journaling. 

There  are so many wonderful techniques out there to learn! I learned about "The Journal Junkies Workbook" from a recommendation on Amazon - after all of the years that I have been using Amazon they have found some real winning titles that I have been glad to hear about from them.

I am a book sniffer and paper 'fondler'. If I am planning to use a book a lot I like to enjoy the feel of the paper, the scent of the paper and the typeface used in the book. This book utilizes a great quality paper with a smooth, semi-gloss finish. I have found that most titles published by North Light Books are really well produced. Great quality and very attractive.

 What I especially like about the techniques in this book is that they are, for the most part, simple techniques that are well executed and exceptionally well illustrated. A fast look at the Table Of Content
will give you a good idea about the scope of this book.  Check out the forward on page 7 written by Kathy Eldon - very moving. Most of the included techniques are pretty straight forward and not overly labor intensive - illustrating great ways to use generally easily available tools in inventive ways. I am truly enjoying this book and I think that you would like it too - if you have an interest in art, visual journals, art, journals, collage or mixed media design. 

Happy Spring - and a few experiments in my journal

All of the images are "double-clickable" for a larger and more detailed view

SPRING

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 

The flowers appear on the earth; 

the time of the singing of birds is come, 

and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with 

the tender grape, give a good smell. 

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away"

Song of Solomon 2:11

Well, despite the rain and winter storms we have had recently here in the the Spring holidays surely mean that Spring has truly arrived - somewhere!  The other day I was remembering how, when I was growing up on the East Coast, we would buy new Easter clothes that were invariably warm weather oriented - light colors and short sleeved or sleeveless. The weather, also invariably, was never warm on Easter ! How is it that every year we hope that it will, indeed, be warm enough on Easter to wear summery clothes?! If I was - or had been- more of a fashionista I could say that it was an excuse to buy new clothes - but alas- here I sit in my comfortable clothes with not even an Easter ham to cook. The holiday slipped my mind this year some how!

These are some experimental journal pages that I have recently been playing with. I seem to return to the Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin for new techniques to try. They all work quite as well in journaling as they do on ATC's. This technique is using embossing powder as a resist with acrylic paints. I would never have considered this method unless I had read about it. I had bought some embossing powder years and years ago - and had never used it - nor had I thought that I would ever find a good enough reason to use it ! Wrong! The embossing powder works like any other resist and, when heat is applied after fixing the powder - it allows the background to show through -- lifting the powder and leaving the color. It's a very interesting technique that I know I will use more in the future. I used some of the verbiage from the Song of Solomon to highlight the images.

I have never been very facile in using light or pastel colors. The unfinished journal page below is an attempt to force myself to use the soft colors of Spring and also an experiment is using gaffer's tape to create a grid. I interspersed some of my favorite short quotes in some of the block. My plan is to use some more pale on pale in some of the areas. I still seem to have issues with pastels! 

I think this aversion stems from when I was in high school - a private all girls school. For dances and deb parties everyone always seemed to wear pastels - which left me uninspired even then! I used to choose things like a moire silk in deep burgundy - or a slinky black gown. That being said I truly wish that I could learn to use soft colors more adroitly since they do now hold a certain fascination and beauty for me. I plan to try more and more experiments with soft colors.  Anyone else have "pale aversion"?  What have you done to overcome it? Or did you even want to?

Yesterday a friend and I went to a great local quilt show on the mainland - I came away from it really energized to get back to some fabric works. Tomorrow I will be posting photos from this fun day. When we returned to the island we found snow and hail oiled a bit on the sidewalks! First snow of the year and we missed it !  What did my hummingbirds do in this cold? I gave them fresh, warm solutions in all four quart feeders this morning as a treat.

Note: as far as the doctor went - I have surgery scheduled in June. Since Lauren and I had some time before the appointments we did a little shopping. While I waited for Lauren to pick me up from one of the shops I wandered into pet store. I have a special fondness for white cats - always have. We are down to one resident kitty now - a hardy 16 year old. As I went into the store I thought "wouldn't it be funny if I find a white kitty here" - well, sure enough, there she was- with a heart warming story attached to her. We did not have time after the appointments to go and get her - but she is being held for me to come and get. I can;t wait to be able to introduce you to her when she comes home!

Another Journal Page and A Spring Note

 First the important thing! The hummingbirds arrived at my feeders this morning. Right now it appears to be about 5 at the feeders - but I suspect that the crew will be along any day now. I'm glad that I put my feeder up when I did last weekend! Must go buy another 20 pounds of sugar this week. Spring is almost here!

This is the last journal entry for the traveling journal "love" that will ultimately be auctioned for a children's charity. Kim Owens is the master mind behind the idea.  Have a look at her group, Blissfully At Journaling for more information. It's taken from one of my photographs that I over-painted. The edges are a quarter inch pieces of silk threaded through the pages.

Hope by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

My Morning Visitor & Journal Pages

Last night we had some of the coldest weather of the winter - as odd as that may seem! My feathered friends were really busy this morning trying to take in some calories. We have a pair of Downy Woodpeckers (this is the male) that come to feed generally 4 times a day. They are particularly fond of suet. I remember the first time I found Downy Woodpecker feathers on the forest floor. I was in awe of the lovely rows of white dots - and did not yet know what bird they were from. The Downy's have since become one of my favorite birds and I so pleased that they enjoy visiting us! We had 8 finches on one feeder this morning too and the Juncos literally looked like a moving ground cover! I hung the first of our many hummingbird feeders up this past weekend. Generally they arrive on or near St. Patrick's day, but this year, with everything else happening so early, I think they may show up early. I wanted to be ready for them.

These are two of three journal pages that are in a 'traveling' journal. Ultimately, the journal (which is one of three different ones going around) will be auctioned off and the proceeds will benefit a children's charity. The idea was the brain child of Kim Owens  (with Jennifer Maroney) on her Yahoo group called Blissfully Art Journaling. There are three journals that are making the rounds with themes based on love, friendship and an open category. These are for the 'love' journal.

The page below includes the Albert Einstein quote that says 'There are two ways to live your life; one is as though nothing is a miracle- the other is as though everything is a miracle'. Makes sense to me!

The page below contains an ee cummings poem that I have always rather liked. At first glance the words mean little but if you say it over and over the meaning becomes more apparent - at least to me it does.

Love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places

yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skilfully curled)
all worlds

Journal Pages: My Introduction

 

I am doing a journal swap with my buddy Kathy. I am, as usual, just a bit behind schedule but this weekend I had the luxury of playing a bit and getting caught up. We decided that the beginning of the journal would be an introduction page made using  a silhouette. this is my page. I did another spread too but want Kathy to enjoy seeing something first. I'd hesitated about posting this age - but decided that she would not mind too much - after all she will see it "in the flesh". I have another two pages to get done this week before I ship this off to her and await her journal in the mail . Journal swaps are fun and  this particular one is magnificently managed by Kim at BlissfullyArtJournaling. Kim's site is a great group and she arranges wonderful swaps - there is always something happening and always some wonderful art to see!

I just got a quilt commission today - making a memory quilt for a woman that I like a lot. It's going to take some time - the shirts that she wants used are poly and cotton -  all knits.... lots of stabilizing in my future. Hummmm do I mean that literally or figuratively d'ya think?! I will enjoy the sound of wonderful sewing machine again .... still not sure how best to charge for this. Anyone out there have any suggestions?

Work week begins again for me in the morning - I wonder if I should visual journal how I feel about that?! More soon!

 

Journal Pages: End Of August

Here are two simple journal pages I made during the last week in August. "WHY" was because of the loss of Senator Kennedy and Dominick Dunne - both in a week or was it just a day in between? Both of these men were people that I respected and admired. They will be missed. It was also a 'why me whine" for the limitations that some physical issues have caused me to have - limitations that I absolutely grapple with and, from time to time, want to scream 'why'??? Then, in the next moment, I realize how blessed I am to be fairly healthy and not have life-threatening health problems - and I take a moment to say a prayer for those who do have such terribly agonizing things to contend with.

This page, "Only Birds Fly Free", was just a fast spur'o'the moment thing with a Joseph Campbell quote that has always rang true - for me at least. " You have to be willing to give up the life that you planned for in order to have the life that's waiting for you". This bottom photo is most true to color though the pages really are a bit less bright than that

I'm back to work in the morning - so I need to go read "The Virgins Daughters" by Jeanne Westin - and hope for some fairy tale Tudor sweet dreams.

The New Issue Of Art Journaling Is Out & Stampington/Somerset Studio Does It Again!

"Art Journaling" is one of the newer titles from Somerset Studio/Stampington Magazines. The first issue WoW-ed me and I couldn't wait for the next issue to come out - and now it has! Editor Christen Olivarez does a wonderful job. Each issue is filled with articles written by well known journalers and there are plenty of tips'n'tricks. Hurry out to your nearest store or to Stampington.com to get this latest issue. BTW - also available now is the Fall issue of 'Artful Blogging'. I just ordered my issue and I have pre-ordered the Winter (due out in November) issue already . I have included a couple of 'teaser' peeks at Art Journaling.

Also in the mail was my favorite catalog from Blick!!! I can spend hours wandering through the pages in this catalog - marking pages of things to add to my wish list as I go. Fun in mail. Yeah!!

Consider The World Light

The page above was made using some of the "shibori dyed rice paper" I made, an image on organza, gold leaf and, of course inks. The poem reads:

Consider the world light,
and the spirit is not burdened;
consider myriad things slight,
and the mind is not confused.
Consider life and death equal,
and the intellect is not afraid;
consider change as sameness,
and clarity is not obscured.
Lao-Tzu

This is one of six ATC's that I recently made. The theme is Self-Portrait. Unfortunately I did not read the directions thoroughly enough to see realize that these will not fit the bill. So, if anyone has a card they would like to swap, let me know. They are not all exactly alike - the silks behind the image are somewhat different...but they are similar.

My New Favorite Magazines

PS: double click on these photos for a much better view of these magazines

I have said before that I am a magazine junkie. In fact I think that my first post ever on this blog was about the lure of glossy magazines. I am still a faithful subscriber to 'Quilting Arts' (have been since their first issue) and to 'Cloth, Paper, Scissors' as well as to a host of strictly quilting magazines, History, Archaeology, and various knitting magazines. The two magazines shown here are my two most favorite new magazines. Both are published by Stampington.

PS: A new Stampington title will premier in June!

'Art Journaling' is one of those mags that you can devour page by page. Interesting, beautifully produced - total eye candy. It is not a regularly published title yet but there will be another issue coming out on September 1. You can even pre-order it prior to July 9th with no shipping fees (if I am reading their blurb correctly that is!). My other new favorite is a regularly published Stampington magazine called 'Artful Blogging'. I have each issue as it has come out - though not by subscription as I can never seem to afford the subscription rate - but have managed to get issue by issue. It's lushly illustrated, has articles that will be of interest to nearly every 'artful' blogger in cyber space and, once again, just plain wonderful eye candy.

Below: magazine at the top of the photo if from 'Art Journaling'; on the bottom is a page from 'Artful Blogging'. Pick up your issues of these great finds and I know that you will enjoy them - and that they are magazines that you will want to hold on to!

A Couple of Journal Pages

The little page that's up above here developed as I played with a new kind of tranfer. The transfer was only partially successful so I decided to enhance the tree with paints. I have always loved Robert Frost's Poem " Two Tramps in Mud Time" and this page just reminded me of it.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,

A wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March.

This page just developed from playing with some gel medium and gold leaf. More playtime!

You can double click on these and get a super close up view if you want to!

Something To Caw ABout

I had a "to do" list this past weekend and I surprised no one more than myself when I actually managed to finish the list! One of the things I had wanted to was to add more pages in the new journal that I started. I have a new journal partner now whose name is Judy. The journal swap program is from the Yahoo Group Blissfully Art Journaling. Once you are paired with a partner you swap your journals out once a month for a year. I knew that a journal page or two a month for a year was something that I could commit to. I am really looking forward to seeing the results! I know I will learn a lot and, although Kim (BAJ's list mom) could not have known it when she paried us, Judy & I actuallly share many common experiences. Very interesting! We will be sending off our journals to each other next week & so I have wanted to do some introductory pages about myself. I'll finish the pages up this coming weekend in time to get the "little black book" sent off in the post early next week. Of course no introduction of myself would be complete without a page that honors my love of Corvids (crows & ravens).

I found a new technique that I wanted to try in a book I have been browsing through about Book Binding. I used a candle to drop wax "droplets" onto paper, applying paint coats in between. The wax becomes a resist. I really liked the effect that I got but, as with anything, I need some practice. I also think that soy candles might be easier to remove than the old candle that I had on hand - that had been languishing in a drawer awaiting the next power outage. I think the technique - which could not be any simpler really - bears some further experimentation. Of course this technique is now making me think about seeing what encaustics is all about. There is always something new to try isn't there?

Body Armour

A while back there was a Prompt on Blissfully Art Journaling called Body Armour. I couldn't think of anything that this meant to me and certainly could not visualize my own! Sometimes things must take awhile to percolate in one's sub-consciousness because as I was doodling a day or so agao this is what popped up. I realized that it is a good rendition of what I think my armour might look like. Unfortunately I was using plaing colored pencils - it might have looked better with paint, ink or water color pencils but on the other hand it now has a certain rough quality that somehow does seem to fit the concept!

I have a few book reviews coming up - hopefully I will start posting them tomorrow. Time is just whipping by. We are still enjoying a full range of weather from hail and snow to a perfectly good "November" wind and rain storm today. The humming birds will be back soon - I hubg their first feders today as they start returning around Saint Patrick's day usually. I will blink again and it will be full summer ! Happy Sunday to all.

Where Have I Been? Down The Rabbit Hole !

Just when I thought that the coast was clear and that I might get away from Winter without a bout of the usual bronchitis or whatever - zingo - last Wednesday I fell like a gnarled old tree. I began to feel rather faint at work. Got up and took a bit of a walk-about, sat back down & felt it again. Decided that I better skedaddle. I left work, went home & went to bed. It's a different cold bug this time and I am cautiously optimistic that I will not have bronchitis from it - which would be a first in my life actually with a cold. I have, however, been feeling rather under the weather.

Speaking of the weather - we have have had some seriously odd weather gris-gris going on here in the Pacific NorthWest. Yesterday we had hail (the photo above is a picture of the skylight covered with it), snow, sleet, rain and sun. All within a day. Sometimes twice in a day! March is most assuredly coming in like a lion. That must, surely, mean that Spring is close at hand! I am on Hummer watch - they generally return to the fold cold and hungry by Saint Patty's Day.

Aside from sleeping and some reading I have been doing little else. Yesterday, however, I finally finished a couple of journal pages. One that I like and one that I don't. Bet you will be able to tell which is which here ! After a nap (I woke up at an ungodly early hours this morning) I am hoping to paint some more. I also have a commission piece that I need to get going on as well. That should, by rights, be my priority, but I don't like working on things that are going to new homes when I am feeling somewhat off kilter .. that just does not work for me! Of course, there are those who consider me to be seriously off kilter in general!

The 'Prompt' for this page was Mandala. I can't think of anything that I like doing more than mandalas but this one came out a bit more personal than most of them. I think I stretched the strict terminology for mandala a bit too.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines a mandala as:

1: a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe ; specifically : a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation
2: a graphic and often symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections or bearing a multiple projection of an image

As such, I suppose that this does fit the bill more or less since it was a meditation as I drew it and is, if nothing else, graphic in design!

This next page is the 'black sheep' in my book. I considered tearing it out but decided I should not do that. There were, actually two prompts that I thought applied to this page. 'Family' and 'Release & Receive'. My idea of a family is one that is rooted in strength, patience and love. Trees also symbolize releasing your negative feelings or thoughts into the ground where they can be cleansed - allowing you to, once again, receive. I wish I had made the page nicer. I was experimenting with Golden Fiber Paste over Gesso and was not really sure how to manage the medium....so I think, in this case, the medium managed me instead! I'll give it another, more light-hearted, try when I am feeling chipper again!

It's odd how making visual journal pages is helping me in in other areas. I am busting out to get a quilt on canvas for something that I have been working out & on for some time. I wanted to use primed linen - until I caught sight of the prices. Ye Gads! Primed linen is right up there with gold in price! I will probably settle for a 3 yard roll of primed duck cloth.... anyway I am really excited about some quilt ideas that I am getting from making these pages. It all works together. A happy confluence of mediums & hope. Hope everyone has a day that includes just a little touch of magic!

Art Journal Pages

As some of you already know, I have been journaling for many years. It is only recently, however, that I have decided to add visual or art journaling techniques to my journal. Until recently,I had been separating the two types of journals - keeping one for the more personal , written pages & one book for the visual, art pages. I have decided that I rather like having them all in one book though- so that's what I have been doing. Thanks to the magic of cropping I am able to separate the personal written journal pages from the visual ones. I still use my other notebooks for larger more involved paintings. Some of you may also remember that I am new to painting & that I have taken only a cautious "toe-dip" into the collage aspect of visual journaling. I am woefully inadequate in understanding the requirements of collage, unlike my friend Kathy Zieben who took to journaling like a fish takes to water. She is a mosaic artist though so I can see how this transition is a fun one for her. Have a look at her journal pages and see how great she is!

I have joined two groups recently that have really inspired me & that have made my attempts at visual journaling easier. Both groups are comprised of terrific, amazing, talented women who have no axes to grind & who offer the gifts of help & inspiration. The groups are : Soul Journal & Blissfully Art Journaling. Typically there are daily, weekly or monthly 'prompts' & quotations to spark your creative instincts. I am finding that these groups are very instructive, stimulating, a lot of fun & I have been learing some things that I believe will help me a lot in my art quilting.

This prompt was 'Birds - what's your favorite?'. I cannot begin to name my absolute favorite bird since I have many of them. Since I make full sized felted crows though I decided that I needed to honor my intelligent, beautiful corvid friends.

This prompt for the pages below was 'Miracles, Have you ever experienced any?'. You bet I have! I know that my Guardian angels work over time on me & I am grateful that I have no second thoughts about their reality in my life. Indeed, I have experienced miracles on a very personal basis. This page took on the aspects of the end of a sunset - just over the mountains. I have tried to use a bit of collage in each page that I do since collage is the area that I need to bectome comfortabel with.... or maybe not - but I DO need to try it just to be sure! One of my step mothers used to do collage & my memories of her & her work are what I consider "typical" collage. Painstakingly cutting out small images and gluing them onto furnitue, quirky bags etc.

I really HAVE been continuing with TAW- and I am hoping that I will post about the next chapter tomorrow....I know, I know, I have said that before haven't I ???? Enjoy a miracle today!

Milliande's Art Jornal Background Hints

I found this link on Pentamento's blog and thought it was such a good, idea inspiring little tutorial that I would share it too. Check out Milliande's website too - lots to see there!