Back Again...

I am back here again.  I have learned how to link this blog to another blog that I have started on Wordpress.  I am going to try to work on both and see what platform seems to work best for me.  Looks like Blogspot has made some changes to make all this a little easier so we'll see.  I so much want to blog regularly but it is difficult given all the stuff in which I am involved in my life.  I also want to participate in more on-line journaling classes and do more of my own journaling and post about it, too.

I have been doing a lot of Pintrest viewing lately and I have found a few other artists that I really like.  One in particular speaks to me.  She is here: http://visualblessings.blogspot.com.  Her journaling references her relationship with God and she is very visual with how she portrays that in her journals.  I was so blessed to find her blog.

I have, of course, purchased yet again more "washi" tape.  I put it in quotes because I don't really consider all the decorative tape that places like Michael's and Scotch Brand make real Washi tape.  It is fun and decorative but definitely not the real thing.  Here are a couple of pages from my daily journal that show the different tapes that I have purchased recently.  One really is a page of Japanese Washi tape and the others are knockoffs.  I also bought some Christmas patterns at Michael's yesterday (all for 40% off through today!) that I'll post later.  Don't know why I bought so many Christmas patterns but they were all lovely and they WERE 40% off!  LOL!

I really like using the decorative tape in my journals.  Here are some pages that I have prepped for journaling on another day.  I really like the first one where I added the paint AFTER I had tipped the tape over the page edge.  I was able to match the paint colors and it tickled me to be able to do that.  LOL!

 Hopefully I'll get the Christmas tape posted soon.  Sorry to be gone for so long.  Maybe I really can make this a habit of at least once per week if I really try!

Rejuvenated!

I've been working to finish up my Moleskin Journal that from the first entry looks like I first started in 2006--almost 6 years ago.  It has a lot of memories in it of all types.  I will start a new one when this one is finally retired.  I have other journals of all types of paper and purposes but I always seem to come back to this one.  I am a writer at heart and my Moleskin is the perfect surface for this.  I don't always add any art or backgrounds or anything else.  I often use it for notetakeing at church and art conferences I attend.  I love the feel of it and have made it mine.  What do you do most of your journaling in if you keep a journal?

I am also trying to use some of my Japanese Washi tapes that I love so much.  They are colorful and fairly thin so they don't add too much thickness to the pages.  They are paper tapes that are very versitile and often transparent.  Here are some of mine:

Here's a little tip.  You can store your Washi tape in those 12x12 scrapbook paper keepers that often go on sale at Micheal's and other places.  They are the perfect depth and I am able to store all but one column of those shown above in one container.  But, since they will continue to make Washi tape, looks like I should go ahead and start another one.  I already have one row to put in it!  If you get the clear storage box you can see all the pretty colors and patterns through the lid.

Black and White

I have been taking Steve Sonheim's class Photo Silly Advanced.  It has been a lot of fun.  I have learned a lot and have learned to take some photos from a different vantage point.  One of those new view points is going back to basic black and white.  It is so simple yet so powerful.  I may post some more later but thought I'd leave you with this one today.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

― Robert Frost

Valentine's Day

I know it is a bit late for posting but as often as I post on this blog I guess I get them up when I can.  Sorry for the blurred words but somethings just aren't meant for the whole world to read!

Closure!

I finally finished my first Zentangle that I started with my friend Taylor last summer!  I know she is probably wondering if I ever would.  I finally finished it over New Years but just now got around to photographing it.  Here it is Taylor!  I hope to finish some in the future a little faster!  :-)

I almost forgot.  I DID finish another one.  It is monochrome (seemes I haven't gotten out of the Valentine's Day mood yet) but the patterns are pretty cool.

 Hope you are having a fine, arty day today!  Go do some Zentanlges and relax.



Aaahhhhh.....

I think spring has sprung as it has been wonderful here this week.  While I sit on the porch preparing this blog post this is what I see:

Oh how I LOVE my back yard and the peace and relaxation that it always offers.  Of course, no project worth doing should be done without some special helpers.  And as per their usual, Frodo and Sasha were on the scene to assist.  (And yes, I do so dearly love my Australian Cattle Dog fur babies!)

Here are some drawings of some faces I did during a recent work meeting.  They aren't exactly great but I am improving--really!  Ha!  Hey, it provided some much needed entertainment during prortions of the meeting that didn't really apply to me.  And some entertainment for those sitting around me as well!  The second photo is of people sitting around a table listening.  Not to great at drawing real, live subjects and the proportions are a bit off for some but it was fun and I will keep trying.  One day I'll look back and see how far I've come and I will be so happy....oh that that day would be sooner rather than later!  :-p

play! 2012

I attended play at the end of January this year again.  It was a great, creative, arty time with friends old and new.  I wish I could go every weekend...just disappear and make art in such a great, safe and supportive environment.  No politics.  No emergencies.  No one to take care of.  No grand responsibilities or work.  Just relaxation and creativity.  This is a good thing on occasion...


My Workspace

Our play Room!

It was a wonderful weekend and a good time was had by all.  I will miss everyone terribly until we get a chance to meet again.  In addition to my journaling and personal art creation I learned a lot from Tracy Moore about Lomo cameras and their vast array of qualities.  He knows so much and he seemed to love sharing it all with the group.  We went on a walk around Fort Worden and took photos.  I had a super-wide lens Lomo camera.  He is going to take the film and scan them for me as the photo developer had no clue as to how to print the double-wide exposures.  As soon as he sends them to me I will post some of them here.

Teesha Moore had us to do a collage exercize the first morning to warm us up.  I normally hate collage but the exercize we completed allowed a lot of freedom and no time for judgement.  Here are the QUICK ones that I made during the frenzie.  I plan to finish them out a little more and then take them and bind them together some how (maybe using a Japanese accordian fold spine book format, as suggested by my friend Steve from Arizona who also attended?) as a little memorial from the weekend.

Teesha also encourged us to do a study in values.  A value is a color that has had either black or white added to it.  The strip below is a total of 9 colors that have had either back or white added to them and then painted back into a little square of the same color with yet a different value.  It was a lot of fun and it taught me a lot about color.

It was a great experience.  And until I get a chance to visit Fort Worden and Port Townsend again, I will have a vast pool of wonderful memories upon which to draw and remember...



JournalFest Treasures

While out in Port Townsend for JournalFest, I visited Akamai Art and Glass Supply store.  They are the greatest art supply store and they have everything under the sun.  I heard about the Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 pencils during a class last year with LK Ludwig.  She used them in her journals and thought they were wonderful.  I made a not of them but never went to any lengths to find them.  Well, lo and behold, when I was wondering aimlessly though Akamai, I saw a full set hanging on the wall and I just had to have them.  I can never choose colors so I go ahead and buy the full set when I can and when it makes sense.  A box of 6 or 8 versus a box of 18--it was no contest!  Ha!  They have 1-cm "leads" in them and they go on sort of waxy.  However, like the 3-in-1 pencils, they completely dissolve with the application of enough water.  A very cool tool for the arsenal indeed.

I visited the JournalFest Gallery and found some items that had been submitted by Steve Salik.  The covers are made of polyer clay and the spines are made of leather.  I actually watched him create these at Play a couple of years ago and watched him demo his method of making faux jade and faux ivory.  The handmade books were in my price range so I was fortunate to be able to purchase both of them.  I really like Steve as a person and so that made the purchase that much sweeter.

Always being on the lookout for items I don't find at home much, I saw something I had recently heard about but hadn't had a chance to look for yet:  Inktense Blocks.  These are simply little sticks of the "lead" of Inktense watercolor pencils and allow you to put a lot of color on a page without wearing your pencils out.  I used it to make the background for my little fellow that I posted about a couple of days ago.  Not being an experienced watercolor artist I have a lot of learning to do about watercolor in general but at least I have used them and I will likely use them more in the future.  The other is a box of Derwent Aquatone watercolor pencils.  I have yet to use them enough to comment about them but hopefully I will soon.  Oh, and if you are wondering about the black tape, that is what I use to keep the boxes from popping open in my suitcase when I travel!

During the Vendor Night portion of JournalFest, I purchased this visual journaling class booklet from Juliana Coles.  I'm looking forward to cracking it open and getting started with some of it.

I also made some other vendor purchases from some other artists which I may post about later....if I can ever get some more photos taken.  Time is of a premium these days.

Photo Silly 2!

I am signing up for Photo Silly 2 that is an on-line class offered by Steve Sonheim via his wife's blog, Carla Sonheim.  It is going to be great fun.  I need something to keep me going artistically until I can get back on my feet here at home again and get some arty habits in place.  I love taking photos so I think this could be just the ticket!

You can check it out at:  http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/photo-silly-2-next-online-class-starts-oct-31st/

Some JournalFest 2011

Just wanted to drop by again and leave a couple of photos of somethings I did at JournalFest this year.  In Karen O'Brien's class "Pencil Dreams" on Day 3, I took a back and white copy of a head/neck clip art piece and finished out the rest of the portrait.  We were attempting to learn shading with pencils, watercolor and gauche on clear gesso ground.  It turned out pretty good I think:

We also did some fun faces in attempts to make imaginary faces.  Funny how just altering facial shapes and feature placement and sizes will cause a "face" to look comical.  Mine were a little extreme but they made me smile and even laugh at some of them: 

I loved JournalFest and I learned so much this year with Orly Avineri, Roxanne Padgett and Karen O'Brien.  All three are GREAT instructors and masters at what they do.  I can hardly wait for sign-ups for next year!  However, 2011 will be difficult to exceed....

Frightful Halloween Post

Well, I'm peeping my head back in again.  It has been a LONG summer with LOTS of changes.  Terrible deadlines at work almost this entire year, ArtFest in April, mission trip to Puerto Rico in June, trip to WV in July, taking into our home my husband's 85-year-old father of minimal abilities when I got back home, pneumonia and a broken hip, rehab, medicare, dealing with the VA.....but I digress....oh, yeah...what I did this summer....trips to a few beaches in GA and FL and just recently a trip to Port Townsend, WA again to attend JournalFest.  I actually have a photo of one of my projects to post later and a few new supplies like Stabilo Woody 10-mm lead pencils and clear gesso and acrylic ground.

Just felt like posting something.  I did three different portrait classes at JournalFest this year with Orly Averin, Roxanne Padgett and Karen O'Brien.  They were all fantastic and I learned a lot.  I'm still jet lagged from the trip but I'll be back soon to do some show and tell.

Silly Stuff

Sometimes we all need a break from the very serious lives we lead.  That is why I signed up for Carla Sonheim's Art of Silly 3 on-line class starting on January 5.  It is a really cool way to loosen up and have some fun while doing a little sketching and a lot of laughing.  You should join me and the Squeen as we have some silly fun for the next 30 days.  Trust me.  With all I have going on at work this month, a little levity is warranted!

http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/silly-iii-registration-is-open/

New Challenge

OK.  As anyone who follows this blog knows (all 2 of you...), I don't post very often.  I have a very busy life and seldom get to do "just for me" things.  And, as my DH knows, I'm not very fast so even when I get an opportunity, I seldom get much of any consequence accomplished if I don't have much time.

SOOOO......I am going to try to participate in the Sketchbook Challenge (notice the new badge posted in the right sidebar).  It should help me to do SOMEthing at least once per month (even though I think it is an everyday challenge...I do what I can).  Several very talented artists are going to be hosting the challenge and I am excited to see what they have to show us as the year progresses.  Hopefully it will result in me doing more art/sketching/journaling this year and maybe even some more posts to this blog.  I haven't given up on this blog.  I just haven't found a way to work it in more regular.

Apparently, just like my opportunities to do any kind of art.

I do have some things I can post from my latest trip to Seattle for JournalFest that was held the last weekend in October.  Maybe I can get something up on that soon.

Out and About Again

I'm trying to do better on my posting frequency. And I'm trying to do more sketches/drawing so hopefully I will improve. Here's one I did at lunch yesterday.

It was SO nice out. I'm enjoying spring here for a change. We usually don't have much of a spring--just straight from winter to summer!

Artfest 2010

I went to Artfest in Port Townsend, WA again this year.  I had a great time as always.

I had some really good classes and got to see some of my "arty" friends that I only get to see when I go out west.  (Amy, Lorraine, Renee, Taylor and Lisa) 

Artfest is the creative event hosted by Tracy and Teesha Moore (Tracy, me and Teesha)(http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/artfest/classes.html) near Seattle.  I have had a great time everytime I attend one of their events and I ALWAYS learn something--even if it is not what I had intended to learn to begin with.  It is such a creative atmosphere and it is so freeing to experience that environment.

My first class was with Jill Berry--Artfest Journal.  It was pretty cool.

It was an accordian spine style book that was designed to allow you to work on the pages outside of the book before it is constructed.  Then you fold your papers in half and put the book together.  We got lots of helpful journaling tips as well.  We even went "out in the field" and did wax rubbings of things we saw around us.  I got some from the restaurant where I ate lunch that day (the Asian Noodle?--it's on Taylor and it is delicious...always try to go there at least once when I visit).  I got the door handle to the restaurant and also some paneling on the walls.  The others came from memorial plaques around the Parade Grounds flag pole at Fort Worden.

My second class was with Misty Mawn--drawing faces.  It was the one I was really looking forward to and was by far the most difficult for me.  Here are my creations:

I still am making my eyes too large but considering this is the first "face" drawing class I've ever taken (and I've never really tried to draw portraits before) I don't think it is too terribly bad.  I have hope that lots of practice will help!  :-)

My last class was with LK Ludwig--Open Doors Journal.  This journal design has two sets of signatures sewn into both the left and the right sides of the back base.  The pages open from the middle to both sides.  We did some backgrounds on some of the papers we put into the journal. I loved making it.  It was a wonderful class and LK is FULL of tips and tricks!

I used canvas board for my covers since we weren't going to have to sew through the covers.  It is an awesome sew-n-glue binding.

Yes, well I've already broken my rule from earlier--quick posts, not marathons!  :-0~  Oh well.  It is a big subject and I'm not a big one for suspense.  Hope you enjoyed!