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!

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!  :)

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.

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!  :)

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!

time flies!

Whew!  The days certainly fly by quickly!  I can't believe it has been so long since my last post...it has been very busy these past weeks...I have been blessed with lots of fun teaching opportunities, meeting so many new creative friends, playing on the pages of our journals together...Here is a peek at a page or two...

The above two pages are still in process since I will still add my journaling, and maybe a little "pen work"... always lots of mixed media fun!

Hope you can add a bit of creativity to these last days of spring...as we move into summer.!!!

onto the page

I L-O-V-E art journaling for so many reasons...but you know that already don't you...I love it just for the joy of creating, but there are times when I am working through "something" and the processing is screaming to be expressed on the pages of my art journal...this is what happened with this page.  As I was "struggling," a picture of a cherry pie came to mind...hmmm...and so I hunted through magazines till I found just the right picture...and I propose that even that "hunting" helped with the processing...anyway, here is the process as it developed on the pages...

First, I "spilled" what needed to come out all around the edges, creating a border...

Then, since it wasn't "pretty,"  I covered over parts of the journaling with dictionary text and strips of a magazine page...

Then came the "antidote"...one of my favorite Scripture verses, written big and loose, some of the letters ending with an upward swoosh and some with a long finish line...

Next, I added some swipes of gesso over some of the journaling and the collage elements, plus some texture paste through a stencil, to unify the different elements... 

  

Since I knew I was using a cherry pie I decided to sketch some cherries over the verse and watercolor them with Tombow markers and a waterbrush...kinda scarey, but so much fun once I just committed, and did it...I had fun with the doodled leaves too!   :)  I also added a bit of shading around the sketches with a Distress marker (Antique Linen) and waterbrush...

Finally, I outlined the pie with a Fudeball pen-all squiggly-plus a Stabilo pencil and the same Distress marker and then blended with a waterbrush...

That's it!  I had worked it all out right there in my journal...it is hugely significant to me and the page will serve as a reminder and encouragement to me to engage and be faithful to the process. Once again, our art journals serve us well!  :)  Hi Ho Cherry-O!!! 

shine.bright.

In my last post I showed the "beginning" of this journal page...

I played around on this page some more and this is what happened...
First I gathered some things that I might use...

 

Did I mention that the sunflower picture is a "tip-in" attached with washi tape as the "hinge"?...

(I think I have "hinted" at how much I L-O-V-E interactive pages)  :)

 



I used the dictionary page strips to "frame" the sunflowers...

Next I added a die cut piece that I wanted to journal on...and I used my Kuretake Zig Mangaka markers and a yellow Tombow marker to jot down a thought...and also to outline the journal piece...

 

 

Oh, and I added the bird (crow, I think) sticker looking down at what I wrote...    :)

This is the page with the "door" open...

 



That's it...at least for now...a fun summer-y art journal page...
Well.come.sun...shine...bright.

oops!

Oops!

My last post got "published" before I got the pictures posted...so here they are...this is the result of playing with stencils and acrylic paints.  This is the envelope I referred to in my last (incomplete) post...

 

 

And this is a "print" made from a stencil with the acrylic paint...

 



 

 

Playing and experimenting with supplies is a great way to get to know what supplies can do.  Art journaling is such a great "place" for this kind of play because it is great for creating backgrounds for journal pages...let the journaling fun begin!

borders

When was the last time you got out your crayons and just played?
I decided that I wanted to do a watercolor wash over crayon...I just love the resist effect.

Love!!!

Then, inspired by the Documented Life Project prompt of "Borders," I cut strips of clip art from Teesha Moore and bordered the page. (It was at The Original Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, CA many years ago that I heard Tracy and Teesha Moore speak about art journaling, and so began my art journaling journey.) Next I cut my memorial stones and "stacked them in the center...added some pen work and journaling ...done...(at least for now. I'm trying to decide if I want to add a bird sitting on the top stone...)

Simple! Basic supplies and a simple lay-out and you are set! (And when you open that box of crayons...it HAS to be Crayola...take a deep whiff...it will take you back to your most creative years...kindergarten...truly!  I just love how they smell!)
Have fun!!!

playing!

Last month I had the chance to go to a workshop at Kuretake, a company that makes amazing pens, markers...things that make my heart flutter.  :)  (Thanks Sandy @ the Stamp Art Shoppe)

I was able to get some of the products that we used in the workshop and have been "playing" with them for fun...AND for new class ideas...can I just say...too much fun!!!

I wanted to try a "watercolor" technique using the Kuretake Zig Wink of Luna brush pens.

I always start by making a sample swatch to check out colors and "personality" of new supplies.

I thought it would be fun to show the "process" of one of those projects.  I started by wetting the watercolor paper then applying the blue, green, and light green inks to the page. Then I blended the color with a large flat brush...the pigment is so rich and I just love the hint of metallic in these.  I didn't like how "crisp" the edges looked so I spritzed the edges with water, and loved how the ink splattered and softened.  Then I journaled across the page using a medium blue ink that would show but not draw attention to itself.  I decided that I wanted some texture on the page but not collage, so I used the Zig Embossing Pen with a circle stencil and put circles here and there and embossed them...very subtle, and just what I wanted.  Next, I grabbed a Tim Holtz stencil and stenciled the wildflowers over the writing with black ink.  Since I had so much fun with the embossing pen, I drew some swirls on circles cut from dictionary pages and embossed that. Finally, I "grounded" the flowers with text paper and washi tape...outlined the text circles with the light green Luna ink...

 

Here is a slightly different angle...can you see the texture of the embossed circles?





Well!  That was fun!  I can't wait for my next "play date" with my new toys...I'll keep you posted.
By the way, Have I mentioned how good for you it is to "play" now and then...therapeutic even...try it...do something fun, I mean, good for you this week-end.  :)

art

I read this quote and have been thinking about it. (It is always interesting to think about why we are compelled to create-at least for me it is.)  :)  And then Joanne Sharpe showed this flower in Artfully Inspired Life 2015 and I figured I could do that.  So I decided to create a journal page...

I sketched out the layout...the lettering and the flower...in pencil first then I inked it all with my trusty Sharpie pen. When I was sure that the ink was dry I erased all pencil lines.  Now for the fun!  Using my Tombow markers I "loosely" applied color.  Then I took my waterbrush and "moved" that ink around, filling in and softening lines.  I love having the control of a marker, yet the look of watercolor.  I decided I needed just a little something else so I put a blue marker in the Tim Holtz Spritzer and spritzed here and there.  (It is a little hard to see this in this picture.)   Finally, using a Kuretake waterbrush filled with sumi ink, I brushed ART.  I absolutely love how very rich and bold that black-black-black sumi ink is...I definitely want to "play" with it in more projects.

Have a great day!  And go ahead...create something, make your soul visible!  :)

just because...

A little gesso, a few pieces of tissue, a spritze of acrylic paint, a stamp turned into a stencil, a rough attempt to sketch that stamp big...just because...  :)

Just because I LOVE "playing" in my art journal!  And why not?!? 

I'm back!

Here I am...I haven't been here...and I haven't been on vacation either...It has been a very busy past few weeks...My baby graduated from high school, so there has been lots and lots going on around here...
I have still been arting...as I can squeeze it in...and I will always squeeze in a bit...even if its only a few minutes in one sitting...it really, really does add up...and that little bit does wonders for my outlook on things.  :)
Here is just one of the pages I have been playing around on...

 

 

It's amazing what paper, a little glue and ink can do to refresh you...   :)  try it, you'll like it!