Weekend Journal

I haven't spent a lot of time in my journal this week.  Most of my creative time has been spent on canvases as I have shows coming up this autumn.  However, I do have page to share with you that we did in my journaling class.

We created our pages using a resist process with water soluble pastels.  I had my class apply color with wax pastels (I used Neocolor II) around the perimeter of the page covering as much of the white paper as possible.  Once this layer of random color was applied, a layer of black was applied over the colors.  This process is a lot like using scratch board.  After the black crayon was applied, a design was scratched into the layer of black with a wooden skewer, revealing the color beneath.

I instructed my class to complete the center using techniques and media that appealed to them.  I painted the center of page with a wash of black acrylic.  After that dried, I painted the butterfly and highlighted it with a wash of yellow acrylic.

I hope you're having a peaceful, creative weekend, and let me wish all you dads out there a "Happy Father's Day".

CELEBRATE * LOVE * CREATE

Thursday Journaling Class Part One

I love my Thursday Art Journaling Class!  I can't believe this class just began in May as we have all become family so quickly.  Each one of these special ladies brings something unique and enjoyable to every class.  I am so blessed to share my Thursday mornings with them.

One of the things I like most about conducting this class is seeing the creative growth and exploration of each of my students.  I thought that I would share a couple examples with you today.

Tina has jumped into art journaling with both feet.  Her first journal is an amazing documentary of her rather extraordinary life, and I know I speak for the rest of the class when I say that her insights, wisdom and humor delight us.  Tina told me today that she has forty pages of artwork in her first journal.  She's on the ball!

This journal spread used a wax crayon and resist technique with black acrylic paint.  Tina wasn't pleased with her initial results, so she went back over the crayon with watersoluble pastels.  She photocopied an image of herself and her siblings and Mod Podged them to the pages.  We all love her results.

Her brothers seem to glow in the light of the moon as they linger near the haystacks.  Tina did an effective job incorporating her memories into this technique.  She told us she still isn't finished as she has two more brothers to add into this scene.

Patti surprised us with this beautiful journal today.  It's a labor of love for her daughter's fortieth birthday.  I wish the photo showed how thick and textured the journal is.  She took the (Teesha Moore) 16 page, 1 sheet of watercolor paper technique inspired by the journals we made a few months ago, and made it her own.  She cut her sheet of watercolor paper down even further to make this 40 page, "Forty Ways I Love You" journal.  She used canvas paper for the cover and bound it together with ribbon yarn.  She's going to paint a yin yang on the cover.

Patti gessoed and colored every page in this journal before writing her heartfelt thoughts to her daughter.  What a lovely tribute to her daughter.  I know she's going to be thrilled to receive such a special gift.  

I can't tell you how much fun and sharing goes on in our class, and when I see the wonderful creations my students are making on their own, it's verification to me that I am most definitely in the right place at the right time.  Helping others unleash their own creativity brings me an immense amount of pleasure as I "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Come back tomorrow for "Thursday Journaling Class Part Two", where I'll share today's class assignment and classroom snapshots with you.  Don't forget to comment on this post below, and the posts from Tuesday and Wednesday for my BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!  (TO SEE THE DETAILS OF THIS GIVEAWAY, SCROLL DOWN TO THE "TUESDAY TIPS AND TECHNIQUES" POST.  The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

TODAY'S PHOTO

So I know you're all wondering what "The Princess" received for last night's gift, and the answer is, Bodhichitta Botanicals, Nurture the Goddess Bubble Bath.  It smells really great and contains lavender and sage.  Keith said he couldn't make up his mind  of which bubble bath to get me until he saw the word "Goddess"!  Did I mention I LOVE this man!?

Reflecting on the Weekend

A LOVELY WEEKEND
I spent most of the weekend just enjoying the weather.  I did a little work, like water proofing my new vegetable planter.  We had a unexpected surprise when Nick popped in to hang out with us for awhile.  He enlisted his help with Keith to put casters on my vegetable planter. 

Keith and Nick add casters to my vegetable planter

 Mike and Heather also came over too, and before you know it, and impromptu "picnic" was born with help from our favorite hot dog and ice cream joint, Scooter's. We all had a great time, and as the sun slowly set, the gang headed home and Keith and I headed inside, exhausted.  After a few minutes, some other friends dropped in so we headed back outside.  What a full and joyful day it turned out to be!

Birthday Cake Flurry - it pays to try something new.  Can you say YUMMY!?

Sunday dawned with clouds and rain that quickly moved out and were quickly replaced by sun and heat.  I headed out to the beach.  It was quiet and misty when I arrived, and I walked the shoreline listening to the gentle waves lapping against the sand.  And of course, I found some wonderful pieces of beach glass.

It was hot by the time I returned home.  I made spaghetti sauce, some lunch, and headed out to the deck to enjoy the day.  I brought the laptop out and did a little work for my journaling class.  Try as I might, I just couldn't get motivated.  I didn't really even feel like journaling, but after a while, I decided that I wanted to play with my sepia and ultramarine colored inks and quill pen.


ANNOYED
I came inside, grabbed my moleskin, newspaper (so I could be messy), my inks, and a cup of water.  I went to get my pen and nib.  OK....nib - right where it should be.  Pen for nib - nowhere to be found!  I looked in every stack of art materials; not there.  I looked in every pen cup; not there.  I looked in the bags I used for class; not there.  I looked EVERYWHERE and still could not find my pen.

I took my moleskin, flipped it sideways and began writing about how I should have "a place for everything and everything in it's place".  I wrote about having to go to "plan B" all because I hadn't taken time to put my pen away properly.  I wrote a lot of things that I decided to cover!

I used water soluble wax pastels and rubbed them into the page with gesso.  I wrote on my pages with black India ink and a brush.  I was so annoyed that I couldn't find my pen.  I haven't looked for it today, but I know that I have to organize my supplies.  I don't like wasting time looking for things.  It's out of control.

I try to stay organized, yet despite my efforts I still end up with piles of art materials.  Some organization has become better, but I still have a long way to go.  Maybe that should be the next workshop I attend - "Organizing Your Studio".  


I hope you had a great weekend, and I hope that you aren't spending precious time looking for items that you want to use.  Enjoy the nice weather as you "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

PHOTO OF THE DAY

"Angel" - Maybe she knows where I put that pen!

Monday Musings

MANIC MONDAY


Hey! Hope all of you are having a great start to the new week.  It's cold and rainy here, and hard to believe that June is right around the corner.  It's been raining almost non-stop for a week and I'm itching to get into my garden area and plant the new lettuce and cucumber seeds that just came in the mail.  I don't think cold mud is conducive to starting seedlings, so I guess it's going to have to wait another week.  


The exhaust fell off of my car on Saturday afternoon when we were headed to a friends' home for a cookout. We were within a mile or so of our friend's house and he came to the rescue with wire and a board (to place on the cold, wet, rainy ground).  Anyway, my son came by to get me this morning so we could go pick up the new exhaust system and he and hubby will put it on this evening.


Meanwhile, I've been busy in Art Land, playing with my new moleskin, taking registrations for my new Art Journaling class which I'm over-the-top excited about, and practicing the new colored pencil technique I learned in a workshop this past Saturday. (I'll be posting more about that tomorrow)

PANIC


I'm not much for panic, but it caught me off guard twice on Friday; first, when I discovered my last post GONE (which Blogger was having issues that seem to now be corrected), and secondly as  I went to the senior center to register participants for my Art Journaling Class.  Sharing my art and journaling techniques is all I've been working towards for the past three years.  Completely unexpectedly, that annoying inner critic arose from slumber and propped herself on my shoulder.  Don't you just hate that?  She was trying her best to fill me with doubt as I gathered my fliers and supplies together to share with anyone who would listen.


"What if no one is interested in your journaling", she asked.  "What if they look at your journal and tell you it's too hard and they can't do it?".  She continued to nag me.  "What if they aren't friendly?"  "What if they don't like you?".  I think I'm pretty secure in who I am and what I have to offer, but it took everything in me to shove her back to where she came from and to tell her to "Shut UP!!!"


What really happened when I got to the center?  I set up my table with fliers, business cards, my registration sheet and a completed journal.  I pulled out my water soluble pastels and started working on my "Panic" page.  I was there for two hours and I had a blast! I made some new friends, saw some old friends, and registered 3 people for my first class.  I later got messages from 2 others who said they are also going to register.


What does your inner critic know anyway except to be annoying?  We all have that inner critic who sits in wait for any opportunity to fill us with self doubt and self loathing.  I hope that you're keeping your inner critic in check, as you "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!".  If you need help getting rid of her, let me know - I'll be happy to help!


TODAY'S PHOTO

"Cat Bird"

This is a Cat Bird.  They also love grape jelly and frequent the feeder just as much as the Orioles do.  They have the cutest little "Mohawk" on top of their heads, and they have a brick red spot just on their underside just above the tail feathers.  The most amazing thing about them though, is that they "meow" like a very loud cat.  When I hear them from inside the house, they sound convincingly like a cat.

The Black Keys

I've continued playing in my new moleskin, and I have to say I'm really enjoying myself!  Now that the weather has broken, there's a lot of yard work and garden prep to complete- not to mention prepping materials for my new art journaling class.  The smaller scale of this moleskin journal is perfect for my springtime journaling!

I began this spread by randomly scribbling over both pages with water soluble crayons.  At this point, I didn't have anything in mind to journal.  I just wanted to play.

I blended the colors together with a little water and let the pages dry.  Meanwhile, I was listening to the radio and heard a song that I really like.  I didn't know the artist or the name of the song so I researched the lyrics.
It turns out the song is "Why I'm Here" by Oleander.

I also researched lyrics for two other songs: "Tighten Up" by The Black Keys, and Placebo's "Keep Running Up That Hill".  I incorporated imagery related to the songs using black India ink.

I used watercolor pencils to add darker tones and cooler tones to my pages.  I thought about the black piano keys and how I've been feeling a little "flat" and "sharp" over the last couple weeks.  

I'm not feeling so overwhelmed as the week winds down, and I'm looking forward to sitting at the senior center for a few hours tomorrow to recruit students for my class.  I'm also looking forward to taking a colored pencil drawing workshop on Saturday with John Smolko and a cookout at a friend's house afterward.  

Here's my finished spread, and I'm happy to say I'm hitting more white keys.  But the black keys are good, too.  After all, life would be really bland without them!  Here's to a hitting a perfect blend of keys in your life as you "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"


PHOTO OF THE DAY

"Gosling" Taken at Mentor Headlands Beach

Anatomy of a Journal Spread

I'm still in a "play with lots of stuff" mode, and I decided I needed to use some of the images I've torn from magazines and the scraps of paper I have stacked in messy piles.  As usual, I didn't really have anything in mind aside from just having fun and letting the page evolve on it's own.

I began with paper randomly painted with left over acrylics from previous projects, and scrapbooking paper.

I continued with more torn paper - this time I used images torn from magazines and catalogs.  I applied all the papers with Mod Podge.

Using colors in the torn paper as my color cues, I scribbled on water soluble crayons in all of the white areas and over some of the torn paper.

Then I looked for an image for my main subject.  I remembered this image of an ancient sculpture that I had torn from an old National Geographic.  It seemed to fit perfectly with the colors and feel of the torn paper.

I moistened my fingertips with water and began rubbing the crayon into the pages, blending the colors together without obliterating all of the marks and lines from the initial application. 

I applied the face and added a bit more water soluble crayon to add further depth of color.

Then I took an old CD and loaded it with a watered-down mixture of black craft acrylic. (I saw this trick using watercolors in a Milliande video)

Using the CD like a stamp, I applied it to both pages in a random fashion, reloading the CD with paint as necessary.  This technique produces lots of yummy, textural marks.  I lifted the right hand side of the page before it dried, and got a horizontal run.  Not planned, but I liked it.

A few words of wisdom from "the ancestors, and a few more brush strokes and markings were added.  I used the CD to make a few random circles and mimicked the design on some of the magazine pages.  I added the number 3 to add more visual interest to complete the spread.


I hope you've had a great week, and as always, I hope you're finding time in your busy life to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

Playing with Layers

These are some pages that I completed last week.  I haven't done any more pages since these because I've happily been involved with other activities involving real people (yes, I have to go outside of my own mind occasionally!), and sadly, I've been sick!  Keith had a birthday on Sunday and we enjoyed the day with Nick, Heather and Mike.  It was our first 80 degree day and we enjoyed being outside to the fullest.

I've been sick all week with a horrible head cold.  Yesterday is a vague memory of sleeping and coughing dispersed with The Waltons and various other sitcoms and "Girl TV".  I made it to my colored pencil drawing class this morning.  My instructor was out of town last week and today and asked me to take over the class in her absence.  It's been fun and I'm happy to say that my classmates eagerly and gratefully enjoyed what I had to offer.  I was a little anxious as I had big shoes to fill.

OK...enough of my rambling. Last week,  I was in the mood to get messy and play with layers in my journal. I concentrated on adding texture and collaging papers to my background.

 I was watching the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love" while I was working on this spread.  I really enjoyed the movie and have watched it twice.  Although it was a little long in parts, it was beautifully filmed and I think it's worth the watch.

As is typical for me, all of these spreads were intuitive; meaning I had no plan when I began other than to collage paper to the background.  In this case, I used an inexpensive, unmounted rubber stamp and acrylic glazes.  I sketched in the fish and face.

This is my favorite of the 3 spreads.  I began by using Mod Podge and magazine images collaged on the pages.  I dug through my portfolio of images, words and phrases and chose items that seemed to fit well together.  I used water soluble crayon for color, layering them like watercolor washes and then coloring heavily in areas like crayon.  I then scratched through those areas to add more texture.

Using different methods of journaling keeps your pages fresh and prompts you to think in ways that are different from your norm.  Experimenting with your usual mediums will also allow you to discover new ways in  which they can be used.  Whatever you're doing in your journal this week, I hope you're able to do it without coughing, sneezing and sniffling, and I hope that even if you are feeling under the weather, you still find a way to "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"

One Summer Dream

The SUMMER party continues with 2 more fabulous entries from Phoenix Peacock.  Her first entry was inspired by the Day 1 Prompt, "Sodas, Pretzels and Beer", and her 2nd spread was inspired by the prompt, "Go fishing or go swimming".  You can see both fabulous pages by using this link, and in addition, check out her night pages inspired by last week's "Night" prompts on my blog.  Phoenix submitted both pages as one link, but this will still qualify her for 2 more entries into the *ARTastic Giveaway!

I created this spread, "One Summer Dream", also inspired by ELO's song.  I painted the background by swirling Reeves Water Soluble Wax Pastels onto the pages and then rubbing white craft acrylic into it.  I created a "voluptuous me" on a separate page with the same acrylic into pastel technique, cut it out and applied it to the spread with Mod Podge.

One of the things I'm really enjoying about this journaling party is that it's given me a new appreciation for where I live.  We're creatures of habit and tend to take everyday things for granted.  We take the same routes week in and week out and barely notice what we see.  I've been looking for picturesque, summer views to share with you, and I'm seeing things from a new perspective.  This week, I've started a walking program at the beach.  Lake Erie was amazing yesterday.  It had stormed the night before and the lake was choppy and the beach was filled with gulls. I took lots of photos, and altered one of them  in "Paint". I was thinking about the prompt, "Bird on the wing goes floating by".

I hope you're enjoying the SUMMER party here at Angelia's Art Journals, and if you haven't had a chance to create some SUMMER pages, I hope you'll get a chance to do so this weekend.  If you've never shown your work before, don't be shy - you're among friends here.  To find out how to participate and be entered for a chance to win the *ARTastic Giveaway, go HERE.  No matter what else you do, have a wonderful, SUMMER day and "Happy Creating!"

"Let Your Art Shine All Over The World"

Activities and Inspiration

How are your creative genes flowing? Are you finding inspiration in the daily prompts or in the gorgeous weather we've been having? Have you visited some of the wonderful artists in the Blog Hops?  I'm in inspiration overload! I have lots of new projects in the works that I can't wait to share with you, and some old projects and spreads that I also want to share. I have really enjoyed playing with my water soluble crayons and know that I'll discover even more, exciting ways to use them! 

As you've seen, I've also been experimenting with making art videos.  I'm in the process of working on a 5th video featuring the music of my friend, Scott's band, Drunkdude 69.  It's a really fun, uplifting song so it will be a little different than the four I've previously posted! LOL

I'm behind on posting my next "Journaling Outside the Book"!  Thanks for waiting patiently.  I'll get that posted tomorrow.  It's the letter, "I". 

I hope you're having a wonderful summer, enjoying yummy grilled foods and the company of good friends and family.  I hope you're taking time to look up at the sky and watch the "cloud parade" go by, and I hope you're sitting outdoors in the evening and listening to the gentle breezes through the leaves.  Most of all, I hope you're finding inspiration in all of these things.  Until tomorrow - Hugs and Happy Creating!