More Art Journal Pages

Here are some of those art journal pages that I have been working on. None of them have any actual journaling at the moment but they will in the very near future! I try to keep a handful ready to journal on at a moments notice.
I added one that had not been colored ( or painted) yet so you can see it before all the color work. I draw my inspiration from several different places...nature, source books, people, inanimate objects, animals, my family, dreams...so many different places!
Just look around you and you will see all kinds of really cool patterns and designs. Even if you model your drawings after another person, if you will just keep on drawing you will eventually come up with your "own art". Try it! Email me if you have any questions, I'm always so happy to share anything that I have learned!

Art Journal

Those of you that read my blog regularly(or know me personally) probably know that my (awesome) husband is a college baseball umpire -in addition to being a sales engineer during the day.
Since I love to be with him, I often travel with him to his games. One of the things that I have learned is to carry projects with me that I can work on while riding in the car, sitting at a ball game or occupying myself while waiting on his return. Working on my Art Journal is one of those perfect projects!

I have put together what I call "my drawing/art journal case". It is basically one of those "Art Bin" type cases - except I went to Hobby Lobby to the scrapbook section, armed with a 40% off coupon (you DO know that you can get one of these coupons online, usually every other week, don't you...?

What?!
You didn't know that?

O!M!G!

Listen up dog...
Go to their website - they have wonderful sales every week but usually every other week they have a 40% off coupon on any one item. One coupon per person. I usually make my husband and my son go with me if there is more than one item I want..I mean need.

whoops...

Anyway, I purchased a nice, heavy plastic bin that I can slide the little closure things over in order to lock it closed (since I have so many little things in there). All I have to do now, when it's time to go (since I usually wait until the last minute to get ready...) is grab my handy dandy art case and head out the door.
I've got everything I could need to draw, shade, color and paint an art journal page.
A couple of my favorite things are Pitt Pens. The four pack that has xs, s, f and m sizes in it. I also love the Windsor Newton compact watercolor paints. That is really an awesome little set that has bold, bright colors in it.
The page that I posted was drawn with the above mentioned pens then colored with the watercolor paints.
Hopefully you'll be able to zoom in and see the tiny shading details on it.
I've been doing some more painting it the studio.
I'll try to get pictures of all that as well. Did some really nice background textures and started painting a girl I drew earlier for Paulette Insall's "Faces" class.
Gotta run right now, I'm traveling with my handsome hubby this evening to Western Carolina College in Cullowee NC. It's a nice ride and I'll plenty of time to draw, paint and nap - I mean write - on the way.

Earth Vote

Don't forget to cast your vote tonight!
Remember it's Earth Vote tonight at 8:30.
We (meaning OUR PLANET) are looking for a billion votes...

will you be one of them?

The Eyes have it...

I spent the weekend drawing (among other things) eyes.
Practice, practice, practice!
I'll begin painting them soon...
I have to shoo away a bit of fear first.

Funny how a little bit of fear can keep you from doing the
things that you really want to do, isn't it?
Now, I have always been able to draw..or I should say that I practiced a lot.
But painting...another story all together.
I have this feeling that I can paint
but for years I have stood frozen in front of a canvas.

How silly is that?

So, today I am letting go of that particular fear
and I'm gonna paint.
I'm going to paint like my mom always wanted to but never did
cause SHE was afraid too.
I'm going to paint like I am the bestest,
most talented painter in the world.
My world anyway.

So, what fear is holding you back?
What is it, in your life, that is screaming
to be done, to be drawn, to be painted, to be said, to be created...?
What is it that you know you can do,
you're just afraid to take that first
itsy bitsy step?
Or maybe you don't know that you can do it...
maybe it's the fear of disappointment
or the fear of failure
or the fear that someone will make fun of you...

Maybe you're afraid that you will actually
SUCCEED...


Think about what I've talked about.
Really be honest about what fears you allow to run your life.
Think about what you can do to overcome them.

Let's make a conscious effort to
chase those fears away.
Let's stand tall
and Be Brave.

Art Journal Pages

I have been making art journal pages. I begin with regular sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of heavier weight paper (I'll post specifics later...can't remember it now).
Then I do collage work. The ones I am going to show
today are all made of vintage paper.
All shades of white, yellow and tan. The page above shows my basic layout.
Pretty simple, very haphazard...some paper here,
some paper there.
Actually I do follow a very rough outline. I usually try to do things in three's.
Just to even things out a little. If I have time later (haha, who am I kidding...
if I can TAKE the time later) I'll do a post of step by step. If you really want to know, email me.
Or leave a comment. If I get enough, I'll post it.
Anyway (don't you hate it when I carry on conversations with myself like that?!)
then I add a watered down layer of white gesso.
Then a few washes of color glaze (acrylic paint watered down or mixed with polymer medium/matt medium) (whatever is close by).
Then I begin adding some stamped elements, whether that's rubber stamps
or actual household items that I use to stamp with.
It could be a section of bubble wrap, an old medicine bottle top, drawer liner...
Then I add more glaze, maybe some more gesso...
I might drip paint on the whole thing, or use my hand to tap it from the brush...
I use regular stencils to add some texture with modeling paste -
or my new favorite , a big ole bucket of joint compound that my husband gave me.
You know, to his credit, he doesn't think I'm that strange AT ALL
when I get so excited over
JOINT COMPOUND.
Gotta love a man that lets his wife have his joint compound, right?
Oh, back to the step by step...
I use sand paper to scruff things up a bit...
I use white gesso (or titanium white) to tone things down a bit...
and I love to use Ranger Distress Inks to age things a bit.
I'll add some finished pages (ones without the writing on them anyway)
for your viewing pleasure.
I suppose that you've noticed by now that
my "usual" practice of making the journal pages
is a little of this, a little of that.
The secret is the Layering of all of it.
And letting each layer dry between times.
Or use a heat gun/hair dryer to dry it with.
Practice and experiment.
That is the true secret.

Assembly Control #37570 (or "I've Got Something That No One Else Has!")

Meet "Assembly Control #37570"
or, as i like to call it
"What I have that no one else has"...
My friend Cheryl Prater (you know the awesome
mixed media artist..?)
No?
You don't know Cheryl?!
Where have you been?
Go to her blog, her web page and meet her...
then go to her etsy shop
and greet her wonderful one of a kind mixed media art.
But 'cha better hurry, cause I'll bet those things
are going to go fast!

In case you're wondering...

You can definitely rust fabric outside
in cold weather...
actually in snowy weather!

Meg Manderson and I were scheduled to do a "Rust Dyeing Fabric" demo at the March
Fiber Art Alliance meeting. So I was trying to prepare for it and I wanted
to have a batch of fiber going to take to the meeting so that I could show the women
how we wrapped the fibers around the yummy rusty objects.
I had had a couple of people ask me if you could rust fabric outside in the cold weather...
well, now we know...

Meg and I will take the April meeting to do our Rust Media demo.
I'll try to remember ahead of time to get another batch going!
Won't you join us?

Paulette Insall "Faces"

I've been doing a lot of drawing here lately...
painting on fabric too.
I'm working my way towards making a book.
I want to add painted faces, ephemera, old documents,
transfer pictures of my family...
that kind of thing.
Oh, and room for documenting, for capturing a
moment in time.
Anyway, I've singed up for
Paulette Insall Faces on line class.
Even though I can and do draw and paint faces,
I have admired Paulette's work for a long time.
I'll be glad to add some new tricks to my art tool box!
Here is one of the newest faces that I have sketched out.
Now remember, it's only a sketch!
I have plenty of tweaking to do on it...
and I'm sure it will change as I paint it.

This last picture was before I went back and

did a little darkening of my sketch lines...

you can see the difference in the eyes especially.

The hair has also been worked on a little bit.

Art Journal Pages

I've added a few pages from my art journal.
A couple of them have no journaling at the moment
but I'll add some later as the notion hits me.
I bought a Winsor Newton Travel Set of watercolors.
I LOVE them!
All the pages with color on them are watercolors
from the new set.
It is really easy to maneuver while sitting outside
or even traveling in the car.
I'm going to make a journal cover as soon as I can focus long
enough to spend time in my studio.

I continue to recover (is that the word to use
for what I'm going through?), maybe I should say
I continue to go through the stages of grieving,
realizing too late that several
days have passed and I don't even know what I did
during those days...
have any of you ever felt that way?
I have a few more journal pages that I have done
but because they deal with some issues
that I am having with anger...at a family
member, I will not post them.
I'd rather handle that anger personally -
with the one that I feel the anger towards.

Faces

I love DJ Pettitt's art work.
I love the beautiful, peaceful girls that she creates.
I have been told that one of the best ways to learn to draw
is to copy the masters...
well, for me, that would be DJ.
Here's my rendition of one of DJ's faces.
She measures about 1 1/2" x 2".

Cloth Paper Scissors Issue 23

Do you have your latest copy of CPS? Issue 23?
Well, run and get it!
I was reading through my copy
(it's one of the three magazines that I read every word of)
and got to the "popping the question" section on page 12.
I had forgotten all about responding to this question a while back
and was very surprised to see my answer on page 13!



Cool!

I have just written an article about using Kimwipes
in the Fibre&Stitch online magazine.
I use them in a lot of my mixed media pieces.
(and on our lettuce leaves in the spring!)
I sell them in my etsy shop, very reasonable price
for a very versatile product.

This is another great magazine (one of the ones that I read every word of!).
I was so sad to read that Sue & Terri (Two Creative Studios)will not be offering the zine
after the next issue.
It's so understandable, since they are both so incredibly busy
with a ton of other creative endeavors.
But I sure will miss it!
You could run over to the web site and purchase the issue though.
It is packed with all kinds of great articles
by a host of creative people.

Emerging...

I am slowly beginning to emerge from the fog of my mom's passing.
The past two weeks seem to have surrounded me,
enveloped me and drew me away from the rest of the world.
I have been hanging out with my husband and son...
reading some...
journaling and drawing some.

You know, when I first tried to journal about my mom,
I couldn't find the words.
I suppose that I was just overwhelmed with grief at the time.
So instead of writing, I just drew in my journal.
I doodled and made marks.
Healing Marks.

I'm feeling better now but that
grief is still clinging to my skin...
and I suppose that it will be my constant companion for a while yet.

Thank you to all of my wonderful friends that
sent me condolences, virtual hugs
and said a prayer for my family.
There are no words worthy of the thanks that I feel in my heart.
So I just say a simple

"Thank you so much for being there for me"

I've been away for a few days...

Haven't taken the time to blog
or really felt like it.
My mom was taken to the hospital last Tuesday,
unconscious and near death.
She had emphysema and COPD.
She had just recently caught a cold or virus or
something like that...
and within 4 days she was
in the ICU, so very ill.
Her lung health was so poor
the past year that she just couldn't
fight one more illness
and I am so sad to say,
that after 6 days in the ICU,
she passed away on Monday.
What a sad day for my family...

Her memorial service was today.
My mom kept a journal, off and on.
At the service today, the pastor
read excerpts from it.
I'll post them in a few days when I get it back from my sister.
What an awesome legacy the journal left to us!
To actually read about the faith, the firmness of belief that
your loved one had...
we knew this, that my mom was a faith filled woman
but to have it in her own words to share with others...
what a measure of grace for us.

So, please join me in raising a toast
to my precious mom...

ArtFire

Did you know that ArtFire plants a tree for every new community member?
Isn't that so cool?
Check it out today.
No fee's.
Buy Hand Made.
Here's your link.

Silly Floppy Headed Heart For A Nose Bear

I've been playing with the new camera here at home.
These are "candid shots" of one of our house mates.
This silly old bear came to live with my family
several years ago, after being created by loving hands
at my old sewing machine.
I had a stack of fluffy brown fabric
that I "inherited" from my grandmother
that was constantly bugging me
to take shape...
this silly bear is the shape it took.
Gotta love a silly old bear with the floppy head...
and a heart for a nose...

Her Awakening

Well, I can finally post a few pictures of "Her Awakening",

my latest mixed media fiber art.

I used a lot of rust media that my husband and I rust dyed.

All of our pieces have this wonderful depth of color, don't they?

My husband is the one that does the good job there...

I'm much too, ummm, well,

let's just say that he is much more organized and methodical for that job.

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop for some great

fabrics.

I'll be adding Rust Media packs soon...just keep checking.

Or, better still, email me and ask about them!

Lots of yummy rust fibers such as vintage lace, kimwipes,

tyvek, drawer liners, fabric, sheers...

lots of really cool items that we have rusted.

And at a very economical price!

Here she is, with some close ups.

I drew the face on rust dyed Kimwipes,

which are low lint wipes used in industry.

They are so durable and strong...

we dyed them (in a wet environment), machine washed

and dried them in a lingerie bag. You can see that

it has a few areas that washed out

but is still intact and quite vibrant.

I use these wipes for so many different things in my studio...

anything from general clean up to

the main element of a mixed media fiber piece!

This is a close up of the hand dyed cheese cloth on the left hand side.

I don't usually do hand stitching but this piece insisted on it.

I found that I really liked it too...

kinda like a kitty "making bread", the stitching is a calming, stress free activity for me.

I'm sure I'll be adding more to my work.

Here is the small mixed media heart on the lower right hand side.

It is gilded with a gold pen.

Behind it is a piece of the paper fabric that I made

with the word "believe" adhered to it.

The fabric behind that was sent to me

from Pokey Bolten.

I won a blog give away and have

been hoarding the fabric

for just the right project.

This happened to be one of the

"perfect projects".

Thanks Pokey!

This is a vintage doily that we rusted and I

did some hand beading on.

And yes, I sewed a bead at each little

intersection of the doily.

From a distance, it looks like there is

just some type of shimmer...

but when you get closer,

you are rewarded with

a slew of teeny tiny seed beads!

Random Arts Journal Page

Random Arts is hosting another "Journal Page" challenge

in order to make a book that will raise money

for a local charity, "Arts For Life".
The last one that Jane did raised $500.00 for the local Senior Center!
Wow, what an awesome effort from everyone!
I took my page up to the shop yesterday and forgot to take pictures
(even though I have a NEW CAMERA!!!)
(I am SO excited about that!)
so I snagged pictures from Jane's blog.

I had begun a collage that was inspired by DJ Pettitt's work.

I was trying to learn the technique that she uses for her fused collages

but didn't have exactly what I needed...

and didn't have the time to wait until I had the correct supplies...

so, being the kind of artist that i am,

I just proceeded with what was on hand.

I had small pieces of canvas (cotton duck canvas or fabric)

that I had painted with gesso a while back

(actually in prep for a Katie Kendrick class!).

I had tried a couple of techniques

from Kelly Rae Roberts book on it

before going to a larger, more stable canvas

after I felt comfortable with the techniques.

I keep these little pieces of canvas

to use for collage or other mixed media work.

I was at Jane's on a Friday "Unfinished For Free" day

and wanted to show "the girls" what you could do with a piece of "scrap canvas".

I added a few torn pieces of tissue paper,

cut out the flower shapes & stems.

I used gel medium to collage each piece on (under and over the tissue).

Then I added the "sketchy sewing".

This was the part that I had got so much inspiration from DJ on...

her work is filled with this awesome sketchy sewing,

it looks so random yet it

"fits" each piece so perfectly!

I began sewing when I was a young girl

then taught myself to quilt...

needless to say my sewing was usually fairly even, followed the lines and all that.

But THIS sewing...I'm lovin' it!

It made such a difference in the small piece after adding the black thread outlines.

Jane suggested adding the black paper,

a couple of inspirational words...

and wa-la

my journal page was born!

I used a scrap of college canvas from another experiment

to make the other side.

I added Random Arts address label (that was in the journal page packet)

and printed out my address label,

then added the line

"Sending some LOVE your way" in a nice script font

to complete the "postcard journal page".

When I lined up the pieces of canvas,

I made sure that the stitching lines would sew both pieces of college down.

I really enjoyed making it

and am so glad to be able to participate in raising money

for such a worthy cause.

And I'm really loving the sketchy sewing...

it keeps coming up in my work now.

Love, love DJ Pettitt's art work...

you should go and see it!