Weekend Journal

Well, it's the week before Christmas and all of the final preparations and festivities have been kicked into high gear.  The tree is up, the lights are lit, and somewhere the aroma of cookies baking in the oven fill the air with that holiday aroma.  Personally, I haven't baked one cookie yet, but the tree is up and the lights are lit, so in the words of Meatloaf,  2 out of 3 ain't bad!

I've been working feverishly on a painting that needs to be finished before Christmas Eve, so there hasn't been a lot of art journaling.  I have, however, gotten a good start in my 2012 daily art journal, by prepping some pages with left over paint.  Here are some of the pages that I have prepped with paint.

I just chose pages randomly throughout my journal and using a one inch brush, I randomly smeared my left over paint across the pages in no particular fashion.  I don't know why or how it works, but I do know that when I get to each of these pages, they will be perfect for what I want to express that day.  Synchronicity and intuition are marvelous creative tools!

I did find a few minutes to play with some backgrounds that I had in a smaller journal that I've been working on the last couple months.  I finished the backgrounds intuitively using left over paint from the painting I've been working on and a couple markers.  They were a lot of fun after a tiring, structured day.

I'm teaching myself piano, so it's no wonder to me that I see musical notes wherever I look!  These journal spreads are nothing to write home about, but when you're creating at an intuitive level, the outcome isn't the goal.  The goal is to let your inner child come out and play.  Have you let yourself create some pages in this fashion?  Do you let your inner child just play with your paints, markers, and inks?  

2010

I thought it would be fun to take a look back at what I was doing this time last year, so I took a look through all the images I have stored on my computer.  I noticed immediately that it looks like we already had some significant snow.  We really haven't had any significant snowfall this year although it is lightly snowing as I type this.

I was doing a lot of walking at the beach, and I have to say I really missed it this year.  I was so devoted to walking in 2010.  It's sad that it only took four cold, snowy months to get out of the habit and loose the devotion.  We'll see what 2012 brings.

Here's an intuitive painting from this time last year.  Apparently, "intuitive" is popular with me this time of year!

I did find some time for experimentation though.  I noticed a lot of birds in my pages from last year.  It seems like there were many more birds here then.  I'm realizing that I haven't seen any birds in a couple weeks now, and I miss them.

Take a look at what you created in 2010.  How does it make you feel to look back at what you were creating a year ago?  What new techniques have you tried since then?  Do you feel like you've grown artistically?

I hope this post finds you in the holiday spirit, and I hope you're on your way to making lots of cherished memories with your friends and loved ones.  I hope you're feeling happy and healthy, and I hope you're finding plenty of opportunity to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

TODAY'S PHOTO

A snow covered Headlands Beach - December 2010

Weekend Journal

Gathering Loose Ends

I've been spending some time gathering loose ends.  When I finish a journal I always decorate the cover, and my last finished journal has been laying around with nothing but a gessoed cover.  I finally applied a colored pencil drawing and some acrylic paint to the cover, and now it is ready to add to my growing stack of journals.

You may remember the gardening journal that I began at the beginning of the growing season.  Well, I've added quite a lot to it since I last shared it with you. I have to admit that I've also been procrastinating.  I still have multiple pictures to print out for my pages, but I should be finishing in another couple of weeks.  I still have my last peppers and green beans to pick, so that means more photos, too.  Here are some of the pages - most still incomplete.

Prepping Pages

I feel like the squirrels I see, running around gathering nuts preparing for the colder days ahead.  I've been prepping lots of pages with backgrounds in anticipation of major art journaling endeavors.  Here are some of the pages I've prepped in my current journal.  Some of them are gessoed, and most have multiple layers of artist acrylics.

Even a single color applied over gesso offers lots of possibilities!

Another New Journal

I've had a book called, "Creative Wildfire", by L.K. Ludwig for quite some time.  This book included a recycled blank journal, and for all this time I refused to use it for reasons unknown to even me.  Well, I finally pulled it out and have begun prepping pages in it, too.    I used some of the imagery that was already on the cover, and added gesso and a photocopy of a bird that I drew.

You can see I've used some of the same paint in both journals.  I've also added some Mod Podged images and papers into this journal.

So that's what I've been up to - what have you been doing in your artistic endeavors?  I have to say I'm feeling quite defiant as the days for warm summer walks along the beach, and cool summer nights gazing at the stars are behind me. I know, too, that these beautiful, dramatic, autumn days will soon make way for a long winter and far too much snow.  I say, "Bring it on, winter!"  I'm prepped and ready to go for artistic expression as I "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

PHOTO OF THE DAY

"Harvest Moon" Photo:  Keith Thompson

I've been obsessed with watching the moon the last few weeks; maybe because it remained hidden beneath clouds and rain for so long.  We didn't get to see the full moon, but here it is the night before.

Tuesday Tips and Techniques: Using Previously Prepped Pages

Using prepped pages has always been an intriguing exercise for me, and I think if you give it a try, you'll get some of the same results.  One of the most profound things anyone ever said to me was, "your subconscious doesn't have a sense of humor".  I've found that statement to be quite true.  


Last week's "Tuesday Tips and Techniques" was about prepping pages in a random fashion.  You may remember the first pages that I prepped.

When I looked at these pages days later, I could see the rough shape of the United States as soon as I looked at it.

I sketched the outline of the country in with a marker, and I sketched out my state of Ohio and the state of California.  I added blue to the water areas and green to my Canadian neighbors.  What's all this have to do with the subconscious?  For the last 2 weeks, I've been coming to terms with our youngest son headed west for an adventure.  It's been a roller coaster ride of emotions.  The four of us have remained within 20 minutes of each other for almost 30 years.  This is a significant family event.  

I found an image of a California map in tones of red, green and gold, and a piece of mail arrived that had this Love stamp in shades of blue and gold.  Coincidence or synchronicity?   Either way, they fit the page and the entire spread allowed me to face my emotions instead of burying them in my usual fashion.

When I looked at my second set of prepped pages, I noticed what looked like a hand blocking a face so I sketched it in with a marker.  Beyond that, I wasn't sure where to go with the pages so I looked through the items torn from magazines that I have tucked into the back of my journal.  The Prismacolor pencil and the words "shine on" seemed to fit.

The left side reminded me of a flower garden so I sketched in some floral shapes.  I thought about how blocked I felt creatively and suddenly realized that by trying to block my emotions, I was also blocking my creativity.  I wrote, "Embrace and accept the emotions or they will block the flow of creativity".  Once I came to that realization, I've been much more creative.  I spent all of yesterday afternoon journaling from one journal to the next.  I couldn't get things on the pages fast enough!

I finished the spread with colored pencil and also wrote "Comfort is in the sanctuary of the garden and the connections of the heart".  When I initially prepped these pages, I had no idea that they would become a significant source of healing and dealing with my deepest emotions.


Prepping pages ahead of time doesn't always lead to such profound journaling.  Sometimes the results are much more playful and the pages become a catalyst for using some of those magazine treasures that you have tucked away, or for experimenting with new techniques and materials.


My posts have been few and far between in the last month or so, but my plan is to get back on track in the next week.  I'm having a great time with my new Creative Art Journaling class, and this past week has been filled with lots of family time as our days with Mike nearby draw to an end.


Whatever's going on in your life at the moment, I hope you always take the time to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Honeysuckle

This is the one time I really wish you could click a button and get the full, intoxicating  fragrance  of these Honeysuckle blossoms.  I don't know who's enjoying it more - Keith & I or the hummingbirds!