Monday Musings

Hey, there!  I can't believe my last post was Wednesday and here it is almost Wednesday again!  I'm just dropping in to say, "Yes, I'm alive and well!".  I've been busy working on an article for an e-zine (more on that soon!).  I finally completed the article this morning and it's off to the publisher.  Yay! So good to complete a project.



I'm mostly failing at embracing winter, but I am giving it my all.  Keith and I went to the beach yesterday, and I have to say that it really was beautiful although extremely cold.

It's indescribably quiet without the movement of the lake.  She is totally frozen over now, covered by a blanket of ice and snow.

Here's Keith standing in front of a frozen Lake Erie.  One would never even know there's a lake here.

This is about as much sun as we ever get to see here during the northeastern Ohio winter.  It's no wonder to me that I'm all about bright, bold color!



We treated ourselves to brunch.  Eating out is something we rarely do, so it was a huge treat!  We went for a brief ride and went into Fairport Harbor where the sun was beginning to come out and there were lots of children sledding on the hill of the Grand River Lighthouse.



Photo by Keith



It sure brought back memories to watch the children having so much fun! They were all bundled up and flying down the hill screaming with delight.

Photo by Keith



We ended our "day out" by visiting our friends (and my newest clients), in their beautiful new home.  They finally got some paint on their walls, and my creation, "Pair on a Pear" looks fabulous in their kitchen area!  Aren't these walls a luscious color?

We had a fun visit with them and left with our bellies filled with warm cookies right out of the oven and the warm feelings of spending time with friends.  And even though we're in yet another winter storm warning for tonight into Wednesday, I'm somehow not feeling quite so cranky. 

I know there's a lot of winter left, but I also know that spring is just beneath the snow and soon, the sun will shine again.  Remember - "Celebrate, LOVE and Create!"

Wednesday's Word

Today's WORD is "HOME".  What does home mean to you?  I'll tell you what home means to me.  Read more HERE.

All of us would love to see your journal pages created from "Wednesday's Word"!  Have you created any pages?  Please post a link to your images in the comments section!

Tuesday Tips and Techniques

GIVE YOURSELF A HAND!

Give your muse free reign in this fun technique!  Read more HERE.

Monday Musings

I challenged myself to embrace winter this year, and really, it's not working out that well.  It's 10 degrees outside, the sky is gray and dreary, and there's a thick blanket of dirty snow currently being freshened by a light snow shower.  All I can think of is the beach.

Even bundled against the cold, I am no match for the bitter, northern winds from Lake Erie.  Yet she calls to me.  When I am in her presence, it's like returning to the womb.  I feel comforted in her gently lapping waves against the beach.  I feel her knowing of times I've never seen and I hear her quiet whispers of revelation as I gaze at the horizon.  For now, I must find comfort in the promise of spring and my own knowing that she'll be waiting for me. 

Thursday's Child

This Week's Thursday's Child Interview Is

Connie Hozvicka

of

Dirty Footprints Studio

AT:  Connie, tell us a little something about yourself, and please include something quirky!

CH:  My name is Connie Hozvicka. I help women rise above their fears, strengthen their intuition, and grow confidant as Artists through my FEARLESS Painting Adventures and my business Dirty Footprints Studio--which also happens to be the name of my blog too! I was born in Cleveland, Ohio--but five years ago my honey Hansel and I took our three fur babies across the ol' U.S. of A. and traded in snow and grey skies for the sunshine and desert of Phoenix, Arizona. But, as much as I swoon over desert life...my heart is in Costa Rica where I'm planning to move to and open up my Dirty Footprints Studio retreat in 2012. As for something quirky, yikes--I'm a huge quirk ball. Each of my fur babies have voices--which are far from your typical cute pet or baby voices--but instead sound more like years of smoking, drinking, and living the night life has taken it's toll on them. Yes, I have candid conversations with them daily--and their mouths would make even the seasoned trucker blush!

AT:  When did you begin tapping into your creative spirit?
CH:   I was born this way An'Angelia. That's the truth.  When other little girls wanted Barbies and tea party sets--I wanted art supplies and construction paper. I was the little girl making mud sculptures and drawing chalk masterpieces. Creativity and I have been joined at the hip since I can remember--and that's been both a blessing and sometimes a curse!

AT:  Tell us about your "Painting Fearless" techniques.
CH:  I developed FEARLESS Painting as a soulful reaction to when years of trying to be an "Artist" come crashing down on me. Yes, I finally threw in the towel and stopped worrying about getting things right--and instead started painting directly from my heart. No plans, no sketches, no freaking idea even where my painting is even going to go--just listening to what my intuition wants of me--and staying connected to my Creative Source each brush stroke of the way!



FEARLESS Painting has literally changed my life. I'm serious. When I finally got real with my Artist heart--I stopped working a job that didn't fuel me and started focusing on a life that nourished my complete being. I'm so blessed as well to share my FEARLESS Painting process with women from all over the world in my FEARLESS Painting Adventures!! Thank you for asking--because I feel that this is my gift ....what I am meant to do.

AT:  You recently gave up your art teaching career to become a full time artist.  How are you feeling about     that?
CH: I finally feel 100% me. There's no other way to explain it or describe it. 100% me.
 

AT:   Who are your favorite artists?
CH:  Oh my goodness--if you would have asked me this a year ago I would have rambled off a long list of masters.. I was really good at that. But the honest truth is my favorite Artists are the FEARLESS Painters I paint with in my FEARLESS Painting Adventures. Totally. These women have heart. Have soul. Could give Picasso a run for his money for sure. And wow!! I'm just so lucky to say that my favorite Artists are these beautiful women I run with--paintbrush in hand!!



AT:  Do you have a favorite quote?
CH:  I'm a quote junkie!! But I do have one quote that I adore that hangs on my studio wall and it is by the singer Neil Young. It says: "I work for noone but the Muse."


So true! So true!

AT:  When and where do you create most of your work?
CH:  All the magic happens in my tiny little studio in our tiny little 2 bedroom apartment. Even though I'm an Artist that loves to paint BIG--believe me, I am always grateful and fully aware to have a life so abundant that I am blessed with a space of my own to let my creativity flourish and have a home. As for when--well, I'm starting to learn that my Muse is a tiny bit of a maniac. She loves to keep me up all night for weeks--then all of a sudden hit the road with out a peep for weeks. I used to struggle with this. I used to get down on me thinking I need to harness her whims and find "balance" in my life. But it is what it is. We can't do much about the way our Creative Source likes to dance with us--except either join in or sit on the side!



AT:  What do you want everyone to know about creative expression?
CH:  That it's not as hard as we make it out to be. Just have fun. Breathe. Push paint around or play with color. If it turns out awesome call your friends over for champagne. If it looks like crap--do the same! We're human--not machines--and that's the beauty of Art, including our big, ugly mistakes.

AT:  When and what inspired you to blog about your art journey?
CH:  I started Dirty Footprints Studio because I was looking for an Art community to share with.  I was new to Phoenix, and working as an Art teacher in an elementary school--which does not lend itself to much Art talk that doesn't involve scribbling or Elmer's glue!  So I started blogging to find kindred souls...and almost three years later I have made deep friendships and found a soft and supportive place to share my thoughts.


AT:  What are your other interests and hobbies?
CH:  Basically Yoga and FEARLESS Painting define my world. I am so dedicated to my Yoga practice that I've decided to commit to a year long Yoga Advance Studies & Teacher Training this year--and I can't wait to see how it will influence my painting practice as well!!

AT:  Where can we find you on the Internet?
CH:   BLOG and  WORKSHOPS: Dirty Footprints Studio
         FACEBOOK
         TWITTER




YouTube: Kitchen of the Soul

Thank you for your most inspiring interview, Connie!

Wednesday's Word

Today's word is WORRY.  What are you doing to your spirit, psyche and health when you participate in this activity?  Read more HERE.

Tuesday Tips and Techniques

PAINT WITH YOUR FINGERS!

Ahhh....there's nothing like getting your fingers a little messy once in awhile.

Change things up a little bit and put those brushes aside for a minute to paint with your fingers.  Read more  HERE.

The Future of Art

I must deviate from art journaling to share my Saturday with you.  Once again I had the privilege to be a judge for the 2011 Lake/Geauga Student Art Show.  It's always one of my favorite events and this year may have been one of the best years for artwork.  The mere scope and volume of work that we were presented with was amazing.  Our junior high and high school art teachers should be proud of the quality of work that their students submitted to this year's show.

After driving through blizzard-like, white-out conditions to get there, it was comforting to see the beautifully prepared table of coffee and pastries waiting to be devoured. (Of course, I had the chocolate muffin!)

Judging began bright and early at 9:00am.  We judged the 7th, 8th and 9th grade work in the morning, and there were ink dot drawings (left), print making (right) and 2D design (middle floor),  all very well executed.

There was mixed media collage,

And there were scads of delightful artworks in the "Colored pencil/crayon/colored inks" category.

This is a sampling of work from the 8th graders (if I remember correctly)

I'm disappointed that I didn't get more photos, but the morning grew long and the coffee wore off!

This amazing little acrylic painting caught my eye and was in the right place at the right time for a photo opportunity - as was this beautifully rendered drawing from the colored pencil category.

After the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade judging was completed. we had lunch and were able to socialize and recharge before judging the 10th, 11th and 12th grade art.

The distinguished panel of judges.

Did I say distinguished?  What can I say, we're not without our fun moments!

The thought and creativity expressed in the work of the high school students was exceptional.  I was thrilled to see altered books and an impressive amount of functional pottery and sculpture from this group of talented students, and I regret that I didn't get photographs of them.  There were almost 80 pieces of functional pottery this year - the most I've ever seen.

Judging ended around 4:00pm.  It was a long, tiring day, but it was a good day.  It was also a difficult day choosing the "best of the best", but it was also a heart warming day to see that when I am long gone from this earth, there will be others following in my footsteps.  It was evident in the quality of work to see that for most of these students, art isn't a project, but a way of life.  I could feel it in their concepts.  I could see it in their skills.

These students are the future of art, and after having the honor of viewing their precious works, I can say that the future of art looks bright.  Many thanks go to the recruiting staff for allowing me the opportunity to participate as a judge again.

Have a great day, and remember to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Thursday's Child Re-Deaux

Whoops! Apparently there were some file/compatibility/user ignorance (me) issues with Ro's photos for the Thursday's Child Interview.  Her pics were showing up fine for me but others were kind enough to contact me to let me know they were showing up as black rectangles with question marks. 

This is one of the lovely spreads from Ro's journal.  Hopefully you can see it and the problems are resolved.  Please take a look at her other photos and interview HERE.  Happy Day!  Remember to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Messin' with the Masters: Klimt Part Two

The examination of Klimt's work has been both a revelation and an inspiration to me.  READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE.

Thursday's Child: Ro Bruhn

This week's Thursday's Child is Ro Bruhn

Ro is a mixed media artist whose many talents include journal and jewelry making.  Read her interview HERE.

Journal Page by Ro Bruhn



Wednesday's Word

Today's Wednesday's Word is TIME.  What exactly is tiime?  READ MORE HERE ...

Tuesday Tips and Techniques

Today's Tuesday Tip and Technique is "Save Those Containers!".  Read the entire post by clicking here.

You can always find my Tuesday Tips and Techniques by clicking on the "Tips and Techniques" logo on the side bar.  Have a great day and remember to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Playing with Colored Pencil

My art goodies that arrived last week included Prismacolor Premier colored pencils and Verithins.   I've tried different brands of colored pencils, and I have to say that for the money, I like Prismacolor hands down.  They are richly pigmented and go down very smoothly.

I left my jammies on and piled into the bed with a new journal, my pencils and hot, steamy coffee.  Armed with my supplies, I watched a couple movies beginning with Gorillas in the Mist and ending with another favorite, Good Will Hunting.

I didn't have anything in mind except to play with colors. I felt like a little kid with the "big box" of Crayolas!  I really splurged and bought the box of 72.  My first box of Prismacolors had been a gift of 36.  The first thing I had to do was sharpen them.  I love that the tin included a sharpener.  I bet I can keep track of this one - maybe!

I randomly began sketching in the leaf.  From there, I drew the eye at the bottom and the page evolved from there.  I experimented with layering different colors for skin tones, and I included about 5 different colors for the eye.  I continued with the stripes and glass reflections and ended with the fish.

It's not complete and perhaps never will be as I've grown bored with it already.  What I haven't grown bored with are the colored pencils.  I really liked using the Verithins for details such as the eyelashes and I think they would also work nicely for adding fish scale too.

I hope you're inspired to pull out your colored pencils or other supplies that you haven't used in a while.  Let your imagination run free and embrace your creativity!  As always, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Playing with Oil Pastels

I treated myself to some new art supplies last week and they arrived in the mail a couple days ago.  I wanted to try something new, so one of the things I ordered was Pentel Oil Pastels.  I also stopped by my local craft store to pick up some more of my new favorite Canson Mix Media pads (on sale!), and some odorless turpenoid.

 I've had a good time experimenting with my new oil pastels.  The first application was with a mixed media piece.  I had the next spread in my journal already prepped with acrylic paints.  I also had a black and white photo from a 2010 calendar that begged to be cut apart and included.  I discovered that these pastels are a little too transparent for my liking in using on top of acrylics - especially the yellows.  I really thought they would be more opaque.  I did like the way the black and white worked on my spread.

I liked the mystical feel of the spread, but I was eager to start with a white background.  I wanted to experiment with blending multiple colors together and I wanted to see how the turpenoid worked to blend the colors together.

Applied to a white background,  I discovered the colors to be vibrant and easily blended with the turpenoid.  I liked that some of the application marks remained even after blending with the turpenoid.  (Note to self:  brush-up on perspective!)

I continued my experimentation by completing a landscape inspired by a photo I'd taken at Headlands Beach on New Year's Eve.




Headlands Beach Photograph Inspiration





Experimental Journal Page



I don't like it, but I try to show you the good, the bad AND the ugly!  At any rate, I got a better feel for how much turpenoid to use and how thickly or thinly to apply the color.

My final page was this logo I did for my "Messin' With The Masters" series.  I used the pastels without the use of any turpenoid and applied them in short strokes as I imagined Van Gogh might.  I used my fingers to blend a few areas and applied more strokes on top of that.  I had a lot of fun with this project.

So - what's my verdict on the Pentel Oil Pastels?  I'm glad I bought them and I'm happy to have them in my  arsenal of journaling supplies.  I think they're a good value for the money and I think you'll enjoy using them too if you haven't already tried them.

Until we meet again, snuggle in from the cold and remember to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Thursday's Child

"Thursday's Child" is a new feature that I'm really excited about.  I was thinking about all the wonderful people I've met through "Angelia's Art Journals" over this past 9 months and how much I've learned from each of them.

We all have so much in common, the least of which is creativity.  "Like attracts like", and the evidence that those of us who embrace our creativity eventually find one another through this wondrous Internet is amazing to someone who grew up with rotary phones and transistor radio.

Those of us driven to express ourselves through creativity also share a need to communicate what we have learned with anyone else who will listen.  The need for self expression lives within each of us, and I think that as we discover the value that this expression has in the quality of life, we want everyone to embrace it.

"Thursday's Child" is a way for you to get to know more members of our creative Internet family through interviews.  It's my pleasure to introduce Kelly Watts as my first interview.  You can read Kelly's interview by clicking on the "Thursday's Child" icon to the right of this post.  Thank you, Kelly, for being my first Thursday's Child!

Artwork by Kelly Watts

Thanks to all of you for joining me here on Angelia's Art Journals.  I'm so happy to have you as a member of my creative family.  Until next time, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Wednesday's Word

I love words. (pun intended!)  Words are the fabric of communication. We toss them about, often times without thought to what we're saying.

"Wednesday's Word" is an exploration of a word and it's meaning; not the Webster's definition, but what the WORD means to you.  "Wednesday's Word" will always be easy to find by clicking on the "Wednesday's Word" icon to the right of this post. 

I hope this feature will be food for thought and an inspiration to you in your creative endeavors.  Until next time, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Tuesday Tips & Techniques

Today begins my new weekly feature, "Tuesday Tips & Techniques".  I will feature a tip or technique to help you with your own journaling.  I'll be sharing my methods of journaling including tips on color, paint, and my own thought processes. 

You'll always be able to find my tips and techniques easily by clicking on the "Tips and Techniques" icon to the right of this post.  Today's tip is about journals.  Until next time, "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Messin' with the Masters: Klimt

PART ONE

For some inexplicable reason, I became obsessed with the artwork of Gustav Klimt during the Christmas holiday season.  I've admired his work for a long time, and years ago, I created a series of paintings inspired by his style.  At that time, I didn't really "study" his method of painting, so I decided to take a closer look at his compositions.

I found this wonderful website, IKlimt.com, and read about his life, and studied his paintings and drawings. (CAUTION: His drawings contain explicit sex imagery).  It's been said that he was quite a womanizer, but what I saw as I gazed at his paintings, was a respect for women as creatures of great beauty. As I studied the patterns in his work, I suddenly remembered seeing this stunning photograph of the model, Iman, (David Bowie's wife) taken by Mark Seliger for Harper's Bazaar Magazine.

Inspired by this photo of Iman and Klimt's, "Tree of Life", I began my own journal spread in the style of Klimt.

I began with pages that I had coated with paint left over from my previous spread.

First, I roughed in the Iman inspired figure using a medium shade of ultramarine blue.

Then I took ultramarine, red, yellow and white to mix a rich brown.  It had a little too much blue, so I warmed it by adding more red.

I lightly sketched in the tree trunk and a few of the main limbs with a pencil, and then I painted it in with the brown.

I then began adding details to the face and hair. I decided that I didn't like all the yellow, so I toned it down by adding pink to the background.  I used the same red and white that I used for mixing the brown.

I decided that the tree was too dark, so I put a layer of orange on top of it because I knew I would be adding more blue to the spread.  I added the details of the bird and then the flower shapes.

I really enjoyed exploring Klimt's style as a journal spread, but his style is so detailed that I would enjoy this exploration on a larger scale.  I'm thinking I might try a 30" x 40" canvas.  Painting the little flowers in my journal is very tedious, so I haven't quite finished this spread.  I actually started a second Klimt inspired spread to give myself a break from this one.  I will show you this finished spread and the second spread next week in "Part Two.

Until next time, put your records on, pull out those art supplies and "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create"!