my new 365

After much thought about whether or not to commit to a 365 project again this year, I've decided YES - the benefits to me are well worth the effort.  Having that mental commitment keeps me on track and moving forward with my artistic endeavors.  The question then became how I would structure my own personal challenge.

Although I absolutely enjoyed focusing on collages last year, I did feel like other artistic explorations suffered cuz I just didn't have the time.  So this year my goal is:  art every day.  Every. Day.  I want to continue my growth in collages but widen my scope to return to working in my art journal, bookmaking, ALAW, painting, mail art, etc.

So, I'm excited about this broader goal and here's a little of what I've done so far the first couple weeks of the year:
A start on my last Round Robin journal page:

Round robin journal work - collage, inktense pencils and watercolor houses.....

I have a moleskin journal that I want to get back to.....this week is all about football playoffs and the Seahawks won!  woohoo!

I spent some time adding a few tuck-ins and putting washi tape here and there so I'm not looking at a bunch of blank pages.

I have a number of pages in my art journal where I cleaned off my brayer.  Here I'm toying with the idea that ended up in the round robin journal.

I made some mail art:

And I did a bunch of pages in my restraint journal.... (still love working in this - it's my second one and almost full of inspiration and simple collage/compositions):

I wonder what this new week will bring???

a little time for art

I've managed to find just a little time for art this week.....a couple of art journal pages....

Then, while on vacation, I was mulling around what to do with my big, WIP canvas.  Toying with this idea and that.  Wondering, speculating, visualizing.  One night as I'm laying in bed trying to sleep, I got a germ of an idea....tossed and turned some more and as I laid there kept telling myself "don't forget this in the morning"..."use this color palette"....."remember this plan".  Finally I just had to get up and sketch the idea, write it all down and get it out of my head.

One of the things I noticed about not having access to a computer and the ability to peruse everyone else's wonderful art is that I started to feel more confident about my own.  I started having ideas and sparks that I feel like are just mine.  It took a few days of NOT thinking about art to have the art come bubbling to the top and my little sketchbook (my new moleskine that I wasn't sure I'd like) has numerous beginnings, baby ideas, and 'what ifs'.

Once home I wanted to try out my idea in my journal and see what I liked or didn't before moving to the big canvas.  Here's my trial pages.....

As a reminder, here's the big canvas when last I showed it - I'd covered up much of the riot of color and added this bold stencil - which I like but wasn't feeling connected to.

So I painted the whole thing gray - shades of black, white, gray but with hints of the former layers and colors still peeking through.....don't know how much, if any, will be there at the end, but that's the joy, right?  And I'm thinking a vertical orientation instead of my typical landscape.....

This weekend I MUST focus on making some mail art....I have so many beautiful cards that I've received and want to respond to.  BUT, I also am feeling the pull to work on this baby.  Will let you know how it goes.

[ed to add] I'm adding this to Artists in Blogland - a great resource to see what other folks are up to artistically.  I often forget this great weekly resource....just link up one of your posts showing what you've been up to in the last week so people can find you -

virtual vacation

Carolyn over at A Colorful Journey is taking an early virtual vacation through June 15.  She's asked us to link up with our own vacation and as I look out my window at another totally wet and rainy day, I'm inclined to leave town! ......Hubby and I usually like to vacation in tropical, hot places since Seattle is so ..... well, not hot!  We need our week or two of sunshine.  This year tropical isn't in the cards so I'm getting my fix by joining in virtually......

AND, Inspiration Ave's theme this week is Wishes.  I wish I was on vacation!

Fiji beach - we found a black sand one but it was TOO hot!  What I remember most about Fiji is that it felt like we were under a broiler.  Though the temperature was only in the low 90s, it felt like 130 and I swear I could see my skin bubbling.  It wasn't the heat so much as the intensity of the sun - it was staggering.  But if you stayed in the water or shade, it was a beautiful tropical place to visit.

Same trip, but this is a Tahitian beach.  This is some different from a Washington rocky beach!

My virtual tropical vacation might include a trip back to St. Maarten in the Caribbean..... (I cropped out the naked people)

You might find me building sand castles on the beach at Surfer's Paradise, Australia (the softest sand in the world!) (this was D's fave beach)

Or you might find me relaxing on Waikiki ......

We enjoyed the sunshine and beaches in Acapulco but I don't know that it was my favorite tropical vacation...

My virtual tropical vacation might take me back to this quiet strip of beach just outside Cabo or watching the boys have more active fun wave-chasing.....

But if I had to choose the ultimate tropical destination, I'd choose Tenerife, Canary Islands - we'd go back there in a heartbeat. Though there's not a lot to do on the island, the food was terrific, the beaches gorgeous and the pace very slow and relaxing.  Again with the topless ladies and I never saw so many piercings!

Sigh - such great memories of hot, lazy days, sand and fruity drinks, sunscreen, wave runners, snorkeling (which I hate!) and dozing in the sun.  Close your eyes, imagine it......