inky goodness

Hi there art friends!  I know it has been a lllooonnnngg time since I have been here...sigh...I've been busy teaching, and well, with life! The good news is that because of my teaching, I HAVE been making art...just not posting it...sorry! (To be honest, being on the computer is not my favorite thing.)

Oh well...it's a new year, right?!?  Let's try this again.

Actually the last post that I did was an altered book project...so I thought it might be fun to share my latest altered book "obsession."  So fun!  In the past, I had avoided super wet mediums in my altered books.  The paper is not, after all, art paper.  In other words, it was meant to be printed on and then read, and NOT "mix-media-up'd."  :)  However, Rae Missigman changed my thinking on that in her class Scribblepedia (It is a great class and you can find it on Jeanne Oliver's creative network.)  She inspired me to get out my inks and play around, which is always fun, but also leads to some fun new discoveries.

Here are some of the pages I did...

Aren't the colors yummy?!?  Seriously, this has been so much fun...and quite addicting.  In fact, I decided to use inks as the foundation, or start to all the pages in this entire (altered) book.  Some of the pages, I will finish (add focal images, collage, journaling, etc.) but some I love just as they are.

I encourage you...Get out your inks and play!

altered book pages

Last week-end I taught an altered book class in which we created "tunnel" pages.  I love this project because the pages are so interesting, so interactive.  I thought I would give you a peek at the beginning of my pages.  I will continue to "play" on these pages with my Frida Kahlo theme.  (I HAD to have an excuse to use my NEW Dina Wakley Frida stamps.)

"Altering" a book is a fun mixed media project...if you have never tried it, I highly recommend it.  Try it, you'll like it!

more abstract play

So here is how I finished up the abstract pages, that I shared last time...
...per prompting from Tori Weyers' lesson, I added a little gold (I am not usually a metallic, bright, blingy person, but I have to admit this was fun for me)...

And then I added some journaling which included the definition of abstract, and its significance to me...

This was very fun...out-of-the-box for me...I highly recommend trying something new, something creative...stretch...just for the fun of it!!!

abstract. play.

I don't think I've ever done an abstract before...at least not intentionally.  :)  This was inspired by Tori Weyers "lesson" from Creative Jumpstart 2017.  I love playing with my paints but don't consider myself a "painter."  Tori made this project very "accessible"...in other words, I wasn't intimidated but instead couldn't wait to get my paints out and try it.

When I looked up the word abstract, my favorite definition is from the Latin word meaning "pulled away, detached," and the basic idea is of 'something detached from physical, or concrete, reality'...hmmm...this makes me think 'fantasy.'  Maybe that is why I didn't feel any "pressure"...it is made up...in other words, it doesn't have to "look like" anything other than what I make it...woohoo!

It was super fun to "stretch" my creative muscles with something new.  I am not sure it is finished (like a lot of my journal pages)...In the lesson, Tory added gold metallic paint...that might be fun! Also, since I did this in my art journal, I am thinking I want to add some writing...maybe I will write out the definition of abstract...I'll keep you posted.  :)

WHOLE-hearted

Art journaling hearts...not half-hearted, not broken-hearted, not hard hearted, but...

Happy Valentine's Day!

enjoy the process

Just thought I would give you a peek at PART of what goes on around here as I am preparing for classes...I pull out everything that I think I might want to use, and then begin to put things together.  This weekend I am teaching an altered book class, as well as a mixed media card class so I had lots of ideas, lots of goodies to "play" with...

The process IS a huge mess, but it is a lot of fun to play with all my "toys."

It all came together and here is the result of this particular process...   :)

Create something today...and enjoy the process!

happy new year!

Happy New Year!!!  Every year I choose a Word of the Year...a word (with its corresponding thought, definition, etc) to watch for, to focus on.  It is amazing how significant these "words" become as I live with them over the course of the year...and it is so much F-U-N to see them pop up...like a surprise...found treasure.  I highly recommend giving this "exercise" a try and see how it impacts your life.

My Word of the Year (WotY) for 2017 is SHINE.

I will now begin to incorporate this word and its various meanings and what I am discovering about this word FOR ME during the year into my journal pages.  This is the cover of a composition book that I altered.  I used an S dictionary page (S is for shine!) and then used my acrylics, a stencil, and cut the star...easy peasy...cheery and fun!

2017...I'm ready!!!

joy to the world

Art journaling...

Joy!!!
Merry Christmas art friends!!!

a party on the page

Here is a peek at an art journal page that we did at Play on the Page at the Stamp Art Shoppe in Roseville. Tis the season to be jolly...with lots of celebrating happening, so we created a party on our page.  Our journaling prompt was what gift has this past year given you, which we tucked behind the gift box.

I hope you are finding time for a bit of creativity...as you enjoy all the festivities.  :)

faithful to the process

Art journal page...reminder and declaration...

Keep processing, playing on the pages of your art journal.  :)

catch up

I can't believe it has been a whole month since I last posted...and I suppose that this upcoming month will be even crazier with the holidays...sigh...oh well...it is what it is...and I DO so love the holidays!!!  :)

I just thought I would catch up with just a few of the things I have been working on, playing with lately...in/for/around teaching classes...all very fun...

Finished up Ink-tober....

Lettering as background...

Oh...and then a little of this...not "play on the page" but fun anyway...and just look at colors...yum!!!

 And now this...

So much to be thankful for!

Blessings!

a fun opportunity

I have mentioned before that I teach a variety of art classes (to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen). ;)  Seriously, I just love it. And last week I had a wonderful opportunity to teach a mixed media lesson to an awesome group of young adults at Phoenix High School in Lincoln.  Here they are with their mixed media pieces (that will be used later as part of a different project).

Our project was creating a "master board," following step by step instructions with an emphasis on incorporating "found objects" (credit cards, paper towel tubes, sequin waste, dictionary pages, etc) as art tools...I am always super inspired by my students work when I teach because it is so fun to the same supplies, the same instructions "interpreted" so differently from individual to individual.  And young people create so freely...I think that they aren't worried about what is right or wrong or what people think...they just jump in and PLAY...did I say I LOVE it!?!  I am so thankful for this opportunity!

Follow their example and play at something creative today!  :)

inktober

I love inktober!  The challenge to do something inky everyday in October.  To make this "do-able" for myself, I chose to make one inky "thing" instead of creating an entire piece each day.  For example...one doodle, one lettered word or quote, one simple sketch, etc...and all of these go in my planner.  My "take" on the DLP-Documented Life Project- is that on the back of my month-at-a- glance is where I usually art journal for the month...and you guessed it...this month, this is where I am inking my inktober daily entries.

 

I love this challenge!  And while I don't think my drawings are "skillful" I do think that as I stretch myself to do a little something everyday, I enjoy the process more and more...Also, it is really fun to see what the final total page will be the month is over. 

Jump in and join the fun!  Happy Inktober!

cheer up!

In the class I taught today we looked at the art of Teesha Moore, the amazing artist who introduced me to art journaling over 20 years ago.  We talked about what we observed in her style and these are the notes that I made, highlighting the things I want to remember...

It is not a great photo but you get the idea...I used a craft tag...created little journal boxes for the different points that I wanted to note...used a variety of "fonts" to letter in my notes.  (I used my trusty Sharpie Pen for this.) Then I added a bit of embellishments with my Prismacolor colored pencils. Finally,  I added little pops of color with the Sakura Gelly Roll gel pens in fun neons.

Then this is one of the pages that I created Teesha-style...
(watercolored background...plain and simple since I knew I would be adding lots more to this page...)

Then came the collaged borders...and the girl (I couldn't resist her cranky little face!)...and her autumn dress...doodling...shading...and journaling...

So, so much fun!!!  It is so good to look at other artists and their work...really study them...find out what resonates with you, and then experiment, play, and learn new things!

Thank you Teesha Moore...for sharing your authentic style and for so much inspiration.

a day at the museum

One of the items on my summer bucket list was "visit a museum."  With all the busy-ness of life, I had all sorts of "good" reasons why I shouldn't go...BUT with Labor Day marking the official end of summer, last week I decided it was now or not...and so my daughter and I ventured downtown to The Crocker Art Museum.

As we wandered and talked about what we saw...what we liked and didn't like...I made a few interesting discoveries...I mostly liked works of art that include people...there is something interactive, engaging about looking into the face, the eyes of a "person"-even a painted person.  wink

Some of the other pieces I enjoyed...
Abstract is not usually "my deal"...but I think I love these colors...

This (flat!) painting was totally engaging...the dimension was so "real"...

This was HUGE so its size alone got my attention...and it reminded me of a mixed media piece...duh, no wonder I like it...  :)

It was a super fun outing!  I can't believe I almost didn't go. It really didn't take a long time and wasn't very expensive...it was SO GOOD  for me (and such a fun time with my artsy daughter)...my art-heart got all full...AND the discoveries I made have been thought-provoking, probably not life changing or anything but I think that they will definitely inform my art...kinda cool!

Soooo....I encourage you...make time, take time to work on your bucket list...every now and then do some/one of the things that fill your heart...

yummy texture!

One of the things that I LOVE on my journal pages is texture...

This page included texture paste, crinkled and glued tissue, textured cardstock, a doily, a kraft paper (brown paper bag) scrap, a manila paper die cut (with a Tim Holtz layering texture die), dictionary paper-of course!  :), and the perforated edge of a spiral page.  (You can "play" Where's Waldo and hunt around to find and identify these different elements :)...)  I glued all these down, "embracing" any wrinkles.  Then I applied the texture paste to overlap and touch the different elements.  When the paste was dry I applied a thin coat of gesso which really enhances the texture of the cardstock and the wrinkles in the tissue and kraft paper...YUM!!!  For color I used watered acrylic paint...

I now have a great foundation for my art journal page.  I could add my focal image at this point, or continue to layer on collage elements and more color, or...well, the possibilities are limitless!  Too much fun!

Time to play!  :)

joys of teaching

I have shared before how much I love teaching...sharing this art journaling adventure...art plus journaling...woohoo!  The new class schedule for Sierra College Community for fall just came out and look what I found...

What a fun surprise...what a blessing!

Thank you to everyone who takes classes with me...love, love, love!

summer bucket list

August!?!  Already?  Can you believe that summer is winding down already?  Didn't it just start?

One of the things that we have done in a couple of my art journaling classes is create an art journal  page documenting...declaring? our summer bucket lists...you know, those things that sing of summer to you...the things that would make your heart happy to do this summer...

Here is what my page looks like...

I share this with you to encourage you to enjoy these summer days and do something "summer-y" that makes your heart happy.  :)

Enjoy!

peeking

I love interactive books...and so I am always looking for ways to make my own (journal) pages interesting and interactive.  I also love the symbolism of windows and doors. So when I saw the Tim Holtz 4-paned window die, I knew that I wanted to use it in my art journal to create a window that peeks through to the page behind.  This is the result...

I shared this at a few of my art journaling classes and everyone had a fun time with it.
I'm thinking of journaling: "perspective...looking out, looking in" What would you "journal" (write) on this page?
Hope you are enjoying the view from where you are.  :)

playing around...

Playing around is all part of the process...and so I experiment with my supplies, and with different color combinations...here I wanted to try a "neutral" background.  I layered gray gesso, black gesso, and white gesso with a variety of circle themed stencils...

Then I smeared bright acrylics onto a dictionary page, and decided this would be a fun pop of color on this background...I wrote "art" and cut it out...

Then I tore strips to create a frame...what to use as a focal image?  I decided to use one of my own sketches (a Juliette Crane inspired owl)--sketched on deli paper with a Stabilo ALL pencil and then "activated" with matte medium...

That was fun!  Engage the process!!!
Have an art.full. day!