Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Years Eve!

Man, with Christmas and New Years, family, and health, I haven't been artfully motivated at all!
I got some awesome Zentangle stuff for Christmas, a couple books and Micron pens!
But, I haven't used them yet. :(

I am SO excited about 2012! It's going to be a good year filled with learning about art!
So far I am signed up for Life Book with Tamara Laporte which starts tomorrow!
And with that I got Fabulous Faces which I am starting today!
SOOOOOO EXCITED!
I am also getting Mika's Expressive Soul Painting, and that starts on the 15th of January!

For my birthday I have decided I want Jane Davenport's Draw Happy and if that goes well I want to take her I HEART Drawing as well!

There is about a hundred (no lie) other classes I want to take, but those are for starters.
I am also considering becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher! I think it would be AWESOME! But I don't want to go to Rhode Island in February, the cold and the weather keep me at bay.
I am shooting for something in the summer and make a family vacay out of it!

And then there are my resolutions for 2012. Usually I don't have resolutions because I don't keep them long after January, but this is a New Year with NEW GOALS!

One resolution (in no specific order really, all are equally important) is to keep my resolutions! LOL!

Another, to lose weight and become more healthy. I know, so cliché, right?
But really, I NEED to get healthier. The Dr didn't give me good news about my cholesterol and I have other looming medical problems, so, getting healthy may be one of the largest challenges of the year. And losing weight, well, I don't have to be 110 pounds or anything, I'm not really looking to be. But a good healthy and active weight would be awesome!

Of course there is the resolution to spend 2012 learning art!
I have NEVER considered myself an artist or even really able to create art, but I now know there IS an artist inside me. I just have to lock away that pesky inner critic because it is the reason I don't finish many things.

And lastly, the resolution to not forget people's birthdays!
I have been a Stampin' Up Demonstrator in the past and even then when I MADE cards, I would rarely get them made for people's birthdays. What a failure. And I doubt seriously I will make cards this year as I have really lost interest. But I resolve to not forget anymore birthdays, everyone in my family gets cards in the least. Maybe I will make some, maybe I will Zentangle some!

Anyway, off to start my Fabulous Faces work!
Enjoy your New Years Eve, stay safe, warm, and happy!
See you in 2012!!!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

I missed WOYWW!

I just realized that I missed posting for What's on your Workdesk Wednesday.
Oh well, I can still surf it HERE.



I haven't been feeling well since Monday/Tuesdayish and while I have worked in my art journal I haven't completed anything or felt like writing a post. I hope to get one in later today though after Lukie and I bake cookies and wash dishes.

And for the record...
Pandora is REALLY on my nerves today! I keep getting crappy songs that I thumbs down adn they never play a song that I have liked! WTFrick man! Play me some music I actually like!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Hooked Into Machine


We have more than a foot of snow and it is still slowly falling so it's perfect weather for art journaling.

This page is inspired by Regina Spektor's song "Machine"
I feel a little hooked into machines...


Several layers of blues (several different shades) and black acrylic paints.
Once the background was an acceptable shade I took oil pastels to it to draw the gears and do the lettering and then I smudged.
Finished with some lyrics in black sharpie.
Oh, lastly, I took a baby wipe with water and shimmery black acrylic paint and splat it on the page and pressed it until it ran.
I really wished I had ordered the color wash sprays when I had the chance...


Tangled Christmas Tree and S N O W !!!!

I spent yesterday working up a tree and I think it came out pretty well, I am happy with it for the most part!
Last night before bed I wrote on the opposite page, I don't know, I might not leave that alone.
Not happy with it, I may change it or add to it.
But here it is...


And for those of you who don't know, we live in New Mexico and for the past few years we rarely see much snow, but look what we got last night!!!!
So far, I have yet to venture out past our front courtyard (pictured here). But if I do, I will get pictures!!

Isn't it just beautiful!?
My love is out shoveling snow as we speak to get out of the driveway to go to work! LOL!!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Dead cell phone...

My cell phone is dead... AGAIN!
I should have my replacement on Tuesday.
:(

I only report this as it makes getting pictures on my blog much more difficult.
I do have a digicam but I HATE using it.

I am so darned reliant on my little phone for everything from pictures, to music, to internet (especially when I am Zentangling and the kids are on the computers).
UGH!

Yes, and Friday's news at the Dr was not great news, not even good news. But meh, what can I do about it? Nada. Just keep on truckin' and we'll see where it takes us.

I am just happy I have found some art and color in life to entertain me!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Raise Your Glass and the process

Today's A Year in the Life of an Art Journal prompt was Pink's "Raise Your Glass" which is hilarious to me because I had just been sitting here listening to music on Pandora this morning before I looked to see what the prompt was that was posted and this song came on. It's always been one of my favorites, I identify a lot with some of Pink's best music.
So, I was moved to go find the video on YouTube.
I decided then I would make a journal page to go with it!

THE PROMPT: Lighten Up
THE SONG: Raise Your Glass by Pink
Written Lyrics HERE
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: Confetti

Step one, pick the song. MOST of the songs I pick have some meaning to me. Though I have been known to use a song just because I like the beat, lyrics, group(singer), or video.
Step two, of pretty much any one of my lyric pages is writing the lyrics on notebook paper and picking out what is important/useable/needed.


Next I figured out where I was going to put the lyrics on the page. Usually I use a lot less of the song than this one. I used the whole song, almost.


Then I painted! I knew I wanted bright colors for fun and I even used some of my shimmer acrylics.


Then I wrote all the lyrics on the page again in Sharpies.
And lastly I covered the page in a layer of silver glitter acrylic paint because I don't have confetti and my hole puncher died when I tried to punch a bunch of confetti for this page.


And there you have it!
I had a TON of fun with this page!

Raise your glass with me!

Jar of Hearts



Backdating a challenge for A Year in the Life of an Art Journal
because I found the blog and art journaling late in the year.
And because I find their challenges to be SO inpsiring and right on my wavelength.

The PROMPT: Scars
THE SONG: Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri
Written Lyrics HERE
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: rips and tearing

You can expect to see a few more pages from their past challenges.

I just adore this song.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The girl with the tangled hair...

It's finished!


As I posted earlier, I started on the left and meant to draw the girl with fire for hair, it didn't turn out so well so I covered it and I am pretty pleased with the results.
We will save miss fire head for another day.

My two other Zentangles are in the works, as are my two other backgrounds, and to that I have added two more pages that I am currently working on.
It's alot of bouncing around, really.

Today is not such a great day for me.
Getting what I can do done when I can do it and letting the rest slide.

On a super positive note!!
My lil Ari took to standing in her play pen today!
Just had to share my little ray of sunshine.



What's on YOUR Workdesk? Wednesday 132


Welcome to my second Wednesday post for the coolest blog hop around.
Click the icon above and you'll be whisked away to Julia's Stamping Ground where you will see all the wonderful links to other crafter's pages.
It's a sneak peek into people's creative spaces and what they are working on today and it's very nearly my most favorite thing to spend my extra time on on Wednesdays and often into Thursday.


So, here's mine!
I am getting some quality art journaling in today amidst taking care of the little ones, cleaning the kitchen and, well, being sick.

Got Pandora going, coffee, working on a Zentangle I started last night.
Still have TWO more Zentangles swirling in my head.
Also working on two other journal pages as I go, layering backgrounds.

So, here I have a girl whose hair is a Zentangle.
Originally she was meant to have flames on the top of her head to represent my awful headaches, but I couldn't work it out, she just looked like a character from Dragonball Z. Hence, the black page on the left. It was where I started and I covered it with black acrylic paint. I am going to do a white on black Zentangle on that page now.



At some point in the near future I NEED to start gift wrapping and baking. OMG, baking. I am going to have to spend like, two days baking. Snickerdoodles, No Bake Cookies, Pumpkin Bread, and I am even going to try my hand at pumpkin pies.
I can't wait... to bake.
It's the cleaning up of the messes that I really despise.
: /

Happy hump day everyone!

Sharpie Ghost Comes Alive

So, days later, I am playing in my journal and I realize...



The sharpie has lifted up much more than it was.
The Red has come up to pink!
Love it!!!

And this picture doesn't even do it justice.
:D

I am happy!
I am also working on a Zentangle original for me and have another floating around in my head for tomorrow.
Pictures soon to follow!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Zendala and junk...

The latest entries in my journal are Zentangles.
I tried my hand at a Zendala (Zentangled Mandala)
And then I tried Zentangling my hand!



The mandala side features a watercolored background.
However, I figured out the pens I had picked up to use were NOT waterproof.
It's a shame, but it could have been worse by far.

Then I found this video on You Tube through Motley Soul and decided to give the hand tracing a try. It was awesome. I think I need a little more work to steady my hand, but it really was just to have something to do to get me through the headaches.
It really does help with the headaches, and the focus.
It also didn't help that in the middle of the page I ran out of ink in my pens and had to go back to the ultra fine tip sharpies, which are waterproof, but are nowhere near as smooth as a pen.
: /

I have actual Sakura Micron pens on the way to me as we speak.
Does anyone know if they are waterproof?
I have heard they are, but I have yet to find anything in print regarding the fact that they are or aren't.

Friday, December 9, 2011

New Journal, Sharpie Ghosting, and Stricles!!!

I got a new art journal!
*dances*

I still have my big one, my first one, of course. It is a large 8.5"X11" sketchbook and I do love it but as a new art journaler I find it difficult to always fill the pages. I am often left with a lot of "empty" space. So, amidst short exchanges of comments on YouTube with Less Herger from Comfortable Shoes Studio she made a comment pertaining to smaller journals being a puddle as compared to an ocean to fill. Well, now I have a lake. :)

A midsized hardbound sketchbook. I would have gotten a moleskine but I take what I can get locally for the time being, plus there will be more. And, I will still use my large journal, mainly for playing around and seeing how things react and for my attempts at drawings.
The new one will be more of my day to day art journaling.
I love it to pieces already.

And so, for the first project in it, I re-did a page I have done before.
But, I attempted some sharpie ghosting!
You can find Less' How-To video on this technique HERE.

It's the lyrics to Pink's "F****ing Perfect" written in four different colors in four different directions. This was the most fun! I love writing song lyrics on paper. And honestly I think I might have liked to leave them this way, but I didn't.
Next, a layer of gesso.

You can see some of the marker color coming through, I wasn't super happy with the turn out on this but I think it comes down to sharpie colors. I want some more vibrant colors. I used red, orange, blue, and green. And after a watercolor wash of blue the blue started lifting up more.
But yes, more vibrant colors to test...

And finally, the eh pretty much, finished page.
I may doodle on it more, I don't know. I am not liking blank spaces... much.
I had hoped the sharpies would have lifted through the gesso more.

I had drawn in my larger journal with the blue sharpie once and failed so I covered it with gesso and made a page on top of it and for my life I couldn't cover it.
I don't know what happened here, exactly. But will try it again soon.

Then I started a page of Stricles last night and finished it this morning.
I <3 Stricles.


And lastly, when my little guy sees me working in my art journal he wants to paint too.
This is his work of art. I think I will keep it and put it in his art journal, it makes a nice background.


:)

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

What's on your workdesk Wednesday? 131



I know, not even remotely interesting, or busy.
Today was wiped clean for Christmas cards, however, Walmart misprinted them and I find myself waiting, waiting, waiting.

So, this morning I blacked out several pages in my journal and I am going to work up some backgrounds when I get time (should be doing that instead of this but meh).
This particular page is going to have all my saved fortunes from fortune cookies on it.
Yes, I have more than 2. Those are just the two I got yesterday and they read...

Even the greatest of whales is helpless in the middle of a desert.
(How awesome is it that I get that one? I was thoroughly entertained!)

Because of your melodic nature, the moonlight never misses an appointment.

I LOVE fortunes.
LOVE!

And so, because I was bored, procrastinating, and inspired by pictures of workdesks...
I decided to toss mine up there to.
Hope it doesn't un-inspire anyone!


Photobucket

Roll Away Your Stone...

Worked on my challenge for A Year In The Life Of An Art Journal today.

THE PROMPT: Open up
THE SONG: Roll away your stone - Mumford & Sons
Written Lyrics HERE
PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE: texture photo/image
I have to admit, it's not my favorite Mumford and Sons song, but I did come to like it better than I had previously.
:)

I did find a verse that fit right on in with life.

So, this is a background I had already completed here.
And I wanted to use my oil pastels again, so I made some bubbles.

I really need to get some new supplies.
My black sharpies are in such a bad state, even though I have been careful to write on dry paint.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Perfect to me.

I am back online, somewhat.
We are still suffering pretty serious disconnections which makes playing World of Warcraft or any game on Xbox live problematic. I knew a new modem wouldn't fix that as it only started after Century Link took over Qwest.
: /

Now to get a technician who understands that it isn't the modem.

So, I am not going to go back over everything I did in my journal while I didn't have an internet connection. I thought I might save it to show off if I ever do a journal flip video.

But the page below is the one exception. It is the page I was working on right before I got cut off and I wanted to show what came of it.

The challenge can be found here.



I would not say I am ecstatic about how the page came out, it really doesn't do what I had in my head justice. But this is what came out, and I just hadn't come up with anything to "fix" it.
Then I realized maybe it doesn't need to be "fixed". I will be doing a page similar to this page as the first pages in my kids art journal scrapbook thingy and I will just take the lessons learned here and apply them there. That way, I remember what I learned instead of covering it up.

Those are my kids (pictured), whom are always PERFECT to me and I always want them to remember that.
I LOVE this song by PINK and I adored this challenge.

There is also a picture on the lower right.
It is a recent clipping from the newspaper, a little over a year ago now, we lost a local teen to suicide. To mark the year anniversary of this loss her best friend asked friends to write "LOVE" on their arms to show remembrance.
Well, it spread across the whole school, almost everyone had written "Love" on their arms to show support, also to remind other people that no matter how low you feel someone, somewhere does love you and to remember that.
From this has come a Non-Profit Organization called She Wrote Love On Her Arms.
It's a really great story.
I used that story, torn up as the newspaper accents on the page, and then the picture but unfortunately I didn't water down the paint I washed it with enough and it covered the picture more than I had anticipated.
:(

Well, even though there are issues with the page I like it and will always remember what it means to me.



Thursday, November 24, 2011

-Interuption-

Well, my 30 day self challenge has been challenged!
My modem decided to start having issues and at the same time my cell phones external buttons and touch screen stopped working. So, I've been without a reliable internet connection of any sort of days! I have been working on my art journal almost everyday and keeping the faith of Art Everyday Month, with the exception of a day or so over the weekend where I had family visit. I have been unable to take pictures of my works in progress without a working phone so I will just have to start catching up on Friday. For my sanity's sake I am not going to start trying to back date posts and try to remember what I did when. I will just start day 8 on Friday and go on from there because it is my challenge and my rules. :P
Plus, it will make for some fun surprises when I do a journal flip in the future if friends haven't seen all the pages already!

I sure hope all you out there have a wonderful, safe, and warm day with your loved ones!

HAPPY THANKGIVING!!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 7

Today's Challenge...
Working on a prompt from A Year In The Life Of An Art Journal



There is something under there.
I will scrape and wash it down tomorrow. :D

I did this and I have a page of half done Zentangles...
Yes, I slacked. I am a video game addict and my son bought Skyrim last night, so I spent most of the day playing it while he was at school.
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Monday, November 14, 2011

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 6 - Zentangle Challenge

Today's Challenge...
I am the diva's Zentangle Challenge #48



This is, like, my fifth Zentangle!
I tried some new ones that I saw in a video on YouTube and I enjoyed it but it took me almost all day because I kept getting interupted. Ah, the joys of motherhood!

Later this evening I am going to try and get a notebook going with Zentangles in it so I don't have to keep referring to blogs near and far and tanglepatterns.com, which is a WONDERFUL resource, I just hate having to be attached to my laptop to complete a Zentangle. I am also considering putting the pictures of the samples on my phone as I always have it with me.

Anyway, time to run errands!
Catch you all tomorrow!

I love this background...


I had to share the background I created last night while we watched TV!



Craft acrylic paint, and oil pastels.
This page just makes me smile and feel all warm.
I can't wait to think of something else to do with it.

Inspired by two pages I have seen so far, one by JournalArtista on Ustream and one by Samara Gugler on YouTube, though, I know the techniques differ I just had to try to replicate it.
Now I have a fun base to do something with!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 5

Today's chellenge:
More Zentangling.

So, I asked myself, what would happen if I Zentangled on an acrylic paint background.
It's a little difficult, because the surface is not super flat and my sharpie pen has been giving me headaches. It's supposed to be a permanent pen but halfway through the ink started wiping away.
What's up with that?

Here's the page. I love the colors of the paint on this page. It's built on a background I created yesterday. Just some Zentangle and personal ephemera. I am having a picture of my husband and I from my cell phone printed, will be a few days and it will be complete...



Close up of the hearts.

Close up of the words.


The pictures aren't the best, I know. It's REALLY overcast today and I just can't seem to get some good lightining even near a window.

Will update this page again once I have the picture and I am going to dig out some more personal ephemera, maybe Zentangle some more.
We'll see where it takes me.

What are your thoughts?

I spent some time today watching videos on watercolor how-to and I experimented and gave it a try on my own.
No, you don't get to see the results.
They look like a 5 year old painted them.

So, my question is...
Can a person who doesn't have the natural ability to draw be taught to draw? To paint?

I know, seems like a silly question.
But, I am curious!
I have grown up thinking, not really as a result of anything I was taught, just a self formed opinion, I guess.
That if you don't have the natural ability to draw and paint then maybe it's just not for you.
So, I have never invested much of myself in anything other than stamping and always joked that I can't even draw stick figures.
When I was a little girl, my daddy bought me a set of pastels. I can remember using them clearly, but I cannot remember if I ever drew anything good with them, or whatever became of them.

And so I looked up classes in art at the local college and it would cost me over $200.00 to enroll in one class just for tuition. I may be interested if it's something I can learn, and I feel like I could... maybe.
I know I don't NEED to draw for art journaling, but I sure would like to be able to!

However, I am also supposed to be starting the last of my nursing pre-requisites next semester.
Decisions, decisions...

So, yeah... post comments, please.
Can a person who doesn't have the natural ability to draw be taught to draw? To paint?

Saturday, November 12, 2011

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 4 - Just Backgrounds

Today's challenge:
Do something, for the love of God, just do SOMETHING!

Can you tell I was in a panic?
Mildly.
Today was filled with family and "to-dos" and to add to that, I had no good ideas for any of the backgrounds I have done or for anything new.
I am starting to collect personal ephemera, newspapers and such.
But, I really want to collect a little while so I have a good selection of stuff to go through and I also want a good quality moleskine journal, perhaps. This spiral stuff is for the birds.

Today I knew I just had to get SOMETHING done and get some pictures, because if I missed a day and said "What the hay!", and then it would be no big thing if I missed more and mroe days and the habit formation here would fail.
So, I got some backgrounds layered amidst my chores, kids, helping family with computer problems, and hubby.


This one is ready for... something.


This one needs more layers, still a work in progress.


And this one is actually being worked on still, or set up, rather, but it is technically tomorrow's project!
I am setting it up for some Zentangle that I can do while watching football tomorrow.
The page idea came to me after I had finished everything and was taking pictures.

Did you know...
My husband's team is the Bears. Mine, the Saints.


Friday, November 11, 2011

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 3 - "Lest We Forget"

So, today's challenge...

I have two challenges to complete.
The first is a Zentangle for the I am the diva challenge!



I can't say that I am pleased with it. Doing a Zentangle in something other than a grid proved to be my undoing.
No matter, it just means I need to practice.
It also means that the Zentangle kit I asked for for Christmas would be a good investment AND so would the books (incase the hubby reads this).
:)

It's supposed to be in the shape of a poppy, loosely. : /
There are little poppies inside in honor of Canada's Remembrance Day and the poem In Flander's Field, also in honor of Veteran's Day here in the U.S.
I thought a lot about my dad when I made this.

Next is a page that I completed, well, if you call it completed, for the Motley Soul Monthly Journal Group second challenge.


I'm not happy with this page. I feel like I slacked off or something.
Started with picking a word, the prompt: One Word, One Thought.
I picked music because it is immensely important to me at all times but especially during my creative process.
Then I had picked up some cheap watercolor paints and tried to use them, I am a novice at it, can you tell?
:)
It was boring so I slapped some silver glitter acrylic paint on top and when it was wet I loved it.
But it dried. :(
Once dry I wrote my thought on it, which is just a quote.
My favorite quote that has to do with music, mind you. I always find myself doodling that quote when listening to music.

And there it is.
I'm just sharing those for honesty and good measure.
And to see what it turns into in the future because it will get worked on some more, just not right now.
Moving on...

Lastly, for giggles.
This is my very first page painted with the watercolor paints.
It will probably get a coat of gesso and some paint over it but it was fun to play with and you never know what it will turn into, I guess.
:/


One thing is horrifyingly clear... I need to learn how to use these watercolor paints!
I have planned on getting crayons, but my trip to the city keeps getting pushed back.
Boo!

........................................................................................................................



Music page updated.
I bought a new metallic red acrylic paint today and happened across some scrapbooking stickers for $1.00 a pack.
It's still not my favorite page, but I feel better about it and it is done.

Off to gesso a bunch of pages in my journal!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 2

Today's Challenge...
Zentangle!

I present to you, my very first attempt at the Zentangle!



So, last night I went to Zentangle.com and looked over EVERYTHING there including the past newsletters. I just ate it all up!
Then I ended up on tanglepatterns.com where I found instruction on many tangles and had to try a bunch, so I made a page with 2" X 2" grids and tangled my heart out!

I had so much fun with this that I asked my husband for the kit for Christmas!
And BOOKS! I must have books!

I fully expect to Zentangle everyday.
So... relaxing and calming.
It kept my mind occupied.
Ahhhhhhhh!

Now, off to work on the I am the diva challenge and my Motley Soul journal group project, which I may have to sleep on another day to really think about which word I want to use since this prompt is One Word, One Thought.

A secret about me...
I usually wake up with a head full of ideas.
In fact, often, since I have started art journaling, I wake up before the alarm and either lay in bed like a kid on Christmas morning waiting for the proper time to run to the tree!
Or I just give in and hop out of bed and start working!
I actually had to move some of my supplies to my bedroom (especially while being sick, trying to seclude myself and the also sick baby to the back of the house) so that I could hop out of bed and work on something without going to far from the baby, and I had to get an idea book to keep on hand for those late night thoughts that I don't want to lose.

Who else has done that?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I AM THE DIVA AWESOME ZENTANGLE GIVEAWAY!


I was just considering Zentangle this morning and am giving it a try, it's already so addicting!Link
I came across this awesome blog while surfing this morning and Laura is having an AWESOME GIVEAWAY!
She has three different but equally awesome prizes to win and
you can enter up until the 30th of November!

I am so excited! (Not JUST about the contest but about learning Zentangle)

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 1

Today's challenge...

Pick a lyric from one of your favorite songs and illustrate it.



So, we've covered the fact that I cannot draw... well... yet.
But am working on it.
The earth is a free clip art I found on the internet, glued down, covered with gesso, traced, and painted with craft acrylics, pretty much.
Funny thing is, I covered it with so much gesso that I could hardly see the lines so it really forced me to become creative with line placement.
But the exercise got me really comfortable with my sharpie, not like the coffee cup a few posts ago. I stressed over that cup and not getting the gesso too thick, that I couldn't see lines, and just getting things right.
This one was much more loose and my attitude was much more "eh, whatever."
I even tried lettering and I fought the urge to cover it up with something printed!
Go me!

The page is based on the song "Blue Lips" by Regina Spektor. It's one of my favorite songs and the baby does the cutest dance when she hears this song!

Other things I did last night...
Three backgrounds







That last one is my favorite. I think it's going to turn into a page on which I journal about those things I cherish. Yeah, seems like that would fit.


Things I am currently considering...
[Zentangle.]
[A trip to Albuquerque in search of new supplies.]
[Heat embossing in my art journal with the Joseph's Coat Technique.]
OH And!!! - A new monthly art journal group on Motley Soul!
I am particularly excited about this because I just love Mika and her art!


I am quite happy on my art-filled journey.
It makes me smile, I hope you are smiling too!
If not, go work in your art journal, or start one if you don't have one!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

For Dad... And my Art Journal Self Challenge

I played last night in my art journal and I didn't want to go to bed, but I wasn't feeling good and I knew the baby would be up early. She was, aaaaaaannnnnnnnnnd she's sick (so am I).

So, the below page was created with inspiration from two places.
The inspiration for heart and the words about the pieces not fitting right came from somewhere... I venture to say from a page I saw by Less Herger at Comfortable Shoes Studio, at the very least someone at ArtJournaling.Ning. Alas, I cannot find the picture or post any more to provide a link and credit.
And the words about taking for granted came from a page I saw on guttergirlz, Becky, I think.

I try not to copy things, especially word for word or picture for picture, and this isn't an exact copy of either page. But both of the pieces really did inspired me, touched me, and they just fit my feeling so exactly. And I thank both people for that inspiration and I hope that neither is offended that I copied sentiments.

It's a personal journal anyhow, and this is a snapshot of how I have felt since July for my daddy.
I miss him.



So, I played with a background in coloring that fit my mood as I thought about Dad, in acrylic craft paints, as usual. It's a yellow and orange background, and I grunged it up with a black acrylic paint color wash. I drew and painted the heart, go me! And I tried the lettering but it just didn't come out the way I wanted, so I covered it up with printed words. Though I haven't given up on practicing faces and lettering, I have a section of my journal for practicing drawing but I am not prepared to share that with anyone yet.

I REALLY like how it came out, I am immensely happy with the finished page.
And I expect you're gonna see A LOT more grunged stuff in the future, so much fun!

Next is a page that, well, I am not sure if I am done with it, in fact I am 99% positive I am not done with. But I wanted to share anyhow. I joined the Motley Soul community recently and Mika has been so very nice to me and super helpful with getting creative juices flowing and some confidence. I confided in her that I could paint backgrounds but beyond that I was blocked. I didn't want to ruin a nicely painted background with junk. She gave me a little challenge, some instructions on a page I should try, a prompt if you will... a sort of billboard for myself where my inner critic didn't get a voice.
The below page is a result of that, but like I said, it's not finished.


Again with the printed fonts... I would have preferred to cut letters and words from magazines but my magazine selection is really small, so I am going to work on collecting magazines, old books and sheet music!
I do like printed fonts though, I found a BUNCH of free, fun fonts on the internet at http://www.1001fonts.com/.

And the next two pictures are of backgrounds that I painted last night. I haven't decided what I will do with them yet, if anything, but I REALLY liked these two.





I think it will be fun to see what they turn into with inspiration in the future.
:D

And so, I have decided to challenge myself. 30 days of art journaling/blogging. I just must do something everyday for the next 30 days AND blog about it, WITH pictures.
I have a bunch of prompts and have found a few websites and blogs with more ideas than I can ever use, so for the next 30 days I challenge myself to do SOMETHING in my art journal and blog about it.
This is mainly to form a habit of blogging and art journaling.
I am so bad about it that I can go months without touching my blogs, but I really think I could benefit from a creative, colorful burst of art in life.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Coffee

I do love coffee.
I used to not drink it much but it has gotten to where I wont start my morning without it.



Anyone who knows me knows I can't draw for my life.
The cup is free clip art I found on the web, covered with gesso and colored with sharpies and acrylic craft paint.

It's simple, but I like this page.