week 13 for 365-2 (part 2)

March 24-30 - Here's the wrap up for week 13.

#87 - documented life theme for this week is to have someone else draw on your page - hmmm guess I'll ask Dan...wonder if I can get him to scribble, draw or glue something down.......

So, look at this adorable bird Dan drew!  Who knew?  He has real skills! :)  You can see from the journal side of the layout that we had one nice sunny day and RAIN the rest of the week.  Sigh.  Spring in Seattle.... better than the snow some of you are still getting!

#88 - I did about 20+ pages in my restraint journal. This is a simple journal to keep inspirational pics enhanced with a few scraps from my table....quick and no-thought and a great place to turn when I'm searching for a kick start.  These particular pieces are using gelli prints and I'm always looking for ways to use what I make with gelli......

#89 - a couple more 'map' theme cards for MMSA.  I wanted to make more and more but Karen wisely set a limit of 4 per theme so the rest of my map cards will be just hitting other mailboxes because I think they're fun to make!

Hope you're finding time to stay creative - Actually I know many of you are because I read your blogs and find inspiration and motivation and reasons to keep moving forward each time I read them.  What a great community!

clean up

On one of the blogs I follow I saw that she had cleaned up and redone her inspiration bulletin board.  I intended to remember which blogger it was but here, several days later and many blog posts read, I have no idea.  Whoever it was, thank you.  You inspired me to do the same......

Bulletin Board Before

My bulletin board had become so cluttered, it wasn't much of an inspiration any longer.  And some of the pieces had been there for a year!  So, I took everything off and added only postcards or cards that currently inspire me.

Restored Bulletin Board Inspiration

You'll see my continuing fascination with birds and some of the many bird p/c I received.  Color and composition faves are here too.....  

Look at my new playthings!  I ordered the envelope board for a friend for her birthday, so got one for me as well.  It helps making a professional, slick looking envelope super easy so no more white envelopes for me - this will be a great way to use up my huge stash of scrapbook paper.  Also got this pack of acrylic paint - 48 tubes for only $30 and there are some truly yummy colors in there to try.  

Off to the art room I go - paint is calling to me!

week 13 for 365-2 (part 1)

March 24 - 30 - A new week, a new batch of projects for my second year of 365......

#83 - playing in my journal and experimenting with a web-like design over a brayer clean off page.

#84 - turned the webby idea into some mail art - I like the boxes background idea so started a series of those....... boxes drawn & shaded with inktense pencils then smooshed blended with a water brush.

#85 - a couple of my "maps" postcards for MMSA this week.  Want to join in? Postmark to Karen by 3/31.

#86 - wanted something quick and easy to fill in this week so thought of lettering.  Well it was kinda easy but not so quick.....it took all evening and I didn't even add color. Sheesh.  And it's not particularly original...I have to move beyond this curvy line style even though I kinda like it - next quote will be something different.

Go make some 'happy accidents' this week......

week 12 for 365-2 (part 2)

Mar 17-23

#80 - another piece of zentangle (poke leaf pattern) for MMSA swap.

#81 -  some gelli/deli postcards to send out.  Gelli print and deli paper for translucent layers (tissue paper birds).  the text is from a copy of Griffin and Sabine (remember those books?) that I bought at a yard sale to cut up. It's a little tough because they're such beautiful books, but they have such fun art and text to use!

#82 - took some time today for a little more gelli play.....used sheet music for my paper.

We're starting to see a few signs of spring around here (Seattle).  Still rainy, but we're getting a few more sunny days sprinkled in but more noticeably, the cherry trees are in full bloom and the garden bed is starting to sprout and show new signs of life.  AND, Dan had to mow the grass for the first time last weekend.  Sigh. I know some of you are still buried in winter and probably would be glad to have to mow your yard!

Make time to be creative this week - try something new and see where it takes you!  Thank you all for your nice, encouraging comments as I plug along on my 365 days of exploration. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know you're out there cheering me on! :)

mail art!

Some outgoing postcards

I spent most of the evening last night addressing and writing a note on a stack of postcards.  Then I scan them into my computer, then I add them to my mail list in Excel where I keep track of who I owe cards to.  The fun is in the making but the follow up stuff is much more time consuming.

week 12 for 365-2 (part 1)

March 17-23 - this week I got a jump on my Documented Life page and finished up my round robin journal page. I'm finding that this 365 commitment is perfect for me. It's helping keep me focused on creating daily but flexible enough to work on anything that comes my way.  I'm loving my art so far this year....

#76 - the last spread for Peggy's round robin journal page..... a collage of gardeny images from seed catalogs and a garden book set off by a pretty floral flap - under the flap, some lettering.

#77 - Documented Life week 12 - the theme is to cut up a magazine page and ADD stuff.  I opened a magazine 'Destinations', a luxury travel magazine from work and got to cutting..... I don't usually finish my DL layout so early in the week, but it just sort of jumped onto the page..... I doodled here and there....

This is a very different type of page for me. I don't usually write personal notes in my journals, but we've had a stressful week, full of job and financial worries and it just felt right.  It's obviously weighing on my mind because the first words I noticed were Blue and Story - that's me this week. - everything on this page refers back to my worried state of mind this week.....

#78 - I hadn't done anything today; I was tired from work, stressed with personal stuff and tried to talk myself out of making art.  Then I went upstairs to check laundry, walked by the art room, went in and lo and behold, my art journal called to me.  I didn't have the interest to do something very complicated and in fact found a couple of pages that I made last year as I was playing with techniques.  I added circles and circles and circles with oil pastels, a bit of acrylic and black ink.  I'm still searching for 'peace of mind' so the circles are more indicative of how my brain is working these days.

#79 - So here's creativity in progress - :) - I spent a good part of the day figuring out my book format for my ALAW project.  Originally I was going to do a flag book but I decided it wouldn't work with my alphabet. So, back to the drawing board (literally) and some cutting and folding while I worked out how things might fit.

That's my week so far.....hope yours is going well!

week 11 of 365-2 (part 2)

Finishing my week out with this bit of creativity (Mar 10-17):

#73 - the Documented Life theme for this week is to use a bird on your page in some way - that's an easy one.....I love using birds in my art.

#74 - I've joined another round robin with the great ladies of the first journal round robin I did. This time we're just sending a single folio created on watercolor paper to be bound into some type of book when the swap is complete. My first pages are for Peggy who chose "nature" as her theme.

The starting point is a photo I took of a park in Savannah - I used acrylics over collaged text papers to extend the image.  In reality the paint colors are a bit more vibrant......

#75 - another page in Peggy's round robin journal - thought the bird and flowers carried her nature theme....

Also, finished up my letters for the ALAW "place" theme......I'm going to present them in a flag book so that's the next step.  I haven't made one before so I'm planning on making a practice one since my letters are done a bit early....

O-Oregon; P-Philadelpha; R - Rabat, Morocco; S - Suzhou China; T - Tenerife (Canary Islands); U - Utah

V - Vermont; W - Washington; X - Xian China; Y - Yellowstone; Z - New Zealand; J - Jamaica

I'm looking forward to another week of creative endeavors - and to seeing what you all are up to!

RRzine

I got my completed round robin zine back and it's just gorgeous. This is my second round robin 'event' or swap or whatever.  I think they are SO much fun and it's just a delight to see such different art work in something I get to keep!

Though I haven't organized a swap myself, having watched Leslie and Carroll organize one so successfully, I can see that the challenge is to be organized and on top of reminding the participants that a mailing deadline is approaching, etc. but also to find like-minded people who will honor the commitment and produce the art (whether a journal page, zine, or postcard) in a timely manner and not drop the ball.  These two swaps have been filled with ladies who are talented but also who are wonderful at keeping their commitment.

With that lead in, here are the pages from my zine.  We agreed on an oversize format, all used watercolor paper so it would hold up in the mail, and the zine was mailed 'naked' (no envelope).

I started mine:

Dori added her wonderful collage touch:

Christie added her charming art work:

Finally, Carroll worked her magic and it came home to me:

Amazing, right?  I'd definitely encourage you to participate in a round robin if presented with the opportunity - it's a chance to share and receive some great art and forge even stronger artsy connections.

something in the air

I have been looking back through old issues of Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Somerset Studios, etc.  There are some REALLY fabulous ideas in those magazines and I totally forget them after I've read the issue.  I'm trying to figure out some way to remind myself of particular issues or subjects or images for future reference.


There must be something in the air because as I was browsing, I came across an article that reinforces the 'reflections' on being an artist that I shared last week.  These quotes and articles seem to be catching my attention lately and I know it's often an ongoing thought/issue for many of us.....when or if we should call ourselves the "a" word (not THAT "a" word - artist!).   :)

Somerset Studio, January 2012 issue, The Shadow of Excuses by Quinn McDonald:

"An artist does not have to make a full-time living from producing artwork. An artist does not have to know how to draw a horse from memory. [thank goodness!] An artist does not have to perform on the spot to prove that she can sing.  And, an artist does not have to have an art degree....

It's not the art degree that makes you an artist, it is the practice, the learning - the study itself. It is not earning money from selling your art that makes you an artist, it's doing the art. (emphasis added)"

Of course, there is much more to the article - its focus is to help you develop an artist statement - a single sentence that you can say when someone asks you about your art - and DON'T use those words "just", "only" or "simply"!  The sample sentence is something like, "I use (tools) to (verb) in order to (result)."  Her example, "I use paper and pen to write and draw book pages to explore my purpose here on earth."

I find these inspirational words affirming and encouraging and a reminder that, although still a beginner in many ways, my art has value; it has a voice; it has purpose and meaning.  So does yours.  Celebrate it.

week 11 for 365-2 (part 1)

The year moves on (so darn quickly!) and my artsy efforts for this week, March 10-16, are shared below:

#69 - finished the last installment of my round robin zine swap.  This one has tons of transparent layers - tissue, vellum, etc. and all with a springy theme (it's not too early to wish for spring, is it?!) The bird is on a little pocket of goodies for Dori.

#70 - some more birdy sketches - from my imagination and reference photos.....

#71 - zentangle mail art for MMSA theme

#72 - playing in my art journal which I promised myself I would do more of - the base is a gelli print from my art day last week, then painted the negative space leaving my "lotus" flower.  So fun....think I need to add a quote somewhere though.

Check back in on Monday for the completion of this week's artsy projects.

more reflecting

week 10 for 365-2 (part 2)

Wrapping up this week's (Mar 3-9) artsy endeavors:

#66 - I had a lovely first art day with a friend (Kathy) and finally got my gelli plate out again.  It's been so long I've forgotten most of what I had figured out so it was a very 'beginner' session.  I did end up with some pretty cool prints though.

#67 - some play in my art journal - this is a gray/black smoosh 'print' on deli paper ala Jane Davies, glued to the journal and stamped over with a found lid from my walk a couple weeks ago.  Love the possibilities here.

#68 - purple and green mail art for the next MMSA theme

Hope you had a marvelous, relaxing weekend and are ready to creatively tackle whatever comes your way this coming week.  Make time to enjoy art!