A letter to Hugo

I decided to write a letter to my kitten, Hugo, who died 2 years ago. 

I haven't really been able to look at pictures of him because it makes

me too sad. Last night I felt ready to dedicate a page to him, and to

print out a couple of my favorite pictures. It was cathartic.

And creative :)

Color, Color, Collloorrrrrr

(picture that with a song and dance, please) :)

I am taking Julie Prichard (I can NOT stay away from her classes! Thanks Julie for making me broke!) and Chris Cozen's "Color: Beyond Basics" class. I debated...and debated because funds are limited...and everyone knows how it is in January with money. We have none. BUT, I love color so much and just want to learn and learn, so I say, 'What the hey!" (Yeah I rhyme) and just did it.

Only on lesson 2, and I have learned so much about the paints I already have. Rock on!

Now a picture gallery.

Who knew making color wheels would be so much fun?

The best part of playing with paint, is you get to throw the leftovers on paper and in your art journal. 

These backgrounds will hopefully be the start of another colorful journey.

Art Journal Pages

Still working on trying new techniques....

On this spread, I tried focusing more on my writing...making THAT the interesting focal point of the spread. As you can see, I tried to go for a more "graffiti" style. The yellow page is really one of my new favorites!

Oh. This page. I decided to try and do a prototype of an idea I got from Traci Bautista, a Graffiti Wall. I bought a large (18x24)!! canvas to do this for my room. What am I, crazy?! I think so. The largest thing I've painted on is a 9x12 piece of watercolor paper! The idea of a grungy, colorful, messy painting to hang on my wall really entices me though.

A few things I learned practicing it in my journal.

1. MAKE SURE you use a permanent marker. DUH. I had bought this new calligraphy marker (that barely dispenses any ink) and used it...only to find out it wasn't permanent and spread with my addition of gel medium.

2. THINK ABOUT COMPOSITION EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE! I mean, seriously. I am trying to let go, and enjoy the process of making art..except I just go a little too crazy and come out with stuff that isn't well composed.

3. Focus more on values in color. I realized about 2/3 in that the blue and purple were both dark, and therefore there wasn't any contrast in my painting. I tried lightening up the purple, but I'm still not 100% satisfied.

4. Even though I put "I am An Artist" on these pages...I don't really believe it.

So...the spread, I don't hate...I don't love. I did learn some things, and that is always good, right?

Art/Idea board: FILLED

I have spent the last couple of days compiling all my notes/art journaling magazine/books on my computer to have my Idea Board filled up. (Mostly at work...SHHHHH...) Today, I finished, printed them out, pasted them on sprayed cardstock...and this is the finished product. I love it! I used

(from Traci's website...and quite frankly the most amazing book EVER...filled with ideas and glorious pictures. I want to sleep with it under my pillow.)

 

 

 

ALL of these publications are yummy. Well-written, full of information...but more importantly, glorious, large, glossy pictures. I made this idea art board because I have a problem with going "I don't know what to do!" For me, I need prompts/ideas. This board is directly above my desk, and full of color, so I have no excuse :)

Also, inspired by Traci Bautista, I bought an 18x24" canvas yesterday! (eep!) I plan on doing a "Graffiti Wall" for my room. We shall see how that turns out...

It is a rainy sunday, and perfect for art-making.

Throwing Paint at a Wall

IS FUN! I am sure you all are like "Duh...of course its fun!" I bought a cork board to hang up above my art desk to put up ideas and inspiration for myself. It sat there for a day or so, looking all plain and boring. I decided it needed something...what would it be? Then I just felt like flinging paint at it! So that is what I did.

Of course, lots ended up on the wall.

It was a fun project, except it didn't work out AS well as expected, because it is a dark brown color, and covered in felt..or something similar. Nevertheless, it isn't boring now!

And my tools...

A spread in progress...

I cut out this sun stencil...how awesome is it?! I love it. I am using this new thinner film (I can't remember what it is), and it makes using a burning tool SO much easier. It cuts like buttah. I'm not sure where this spread is going; I am too busy staring at the pretty suns.

Also, courtesy of Michelle Ward, I made a binder to hold my stencils. SUCH a great idea.

I am once again in a stencil-making phase. I wish I could draw, but I can't, so I will use royalty free images.

I don't have much else to say, but I will end this post with a couple pictures of my friend's baby. I loveee her. So cute.

Going with the flow

I always read my favorite bloggers say how their art journaling process is intuitive. That has always befuddled me, because my process is not. I think about it as I go, and  I usually need SOME sort of idea to start. A color scheme, lyrics...some basic sort of design idea. I generally just can't sit down, stare at my supplies, and go. This sort of intuitive, going with the flow process has intrigued me. Probably because I can't do that in real life. I am laid back and go with the flow in that respect, but not for big life things.

Anyway...to my point, last night I had a couple of adult beverages, and I think it help release some inhibitions I was harboring. I churned out two pages in an hour, and I am very pleased with the results. They are fun.

I am still harboring DIna here with the colorful spray inks she uses. I L.O.V.E the colors. So bright, and vibrant don't you think? This is a mixture of spray ink (which loves to stay stained on your hands), gesso, neocolor crayons, hand-carved stamps and stencils and patterns. I also tried my hand at calligraphy...an interesting endeavor. I am a lefty, so trying to figure out how to write with one of these things has proved to be veryyyyy difficult. The world is made for rightys!

This page came to me while I was out running. Funny how you have your best thoughts while in the shower/on the toilet/out exercising. I think it is because part of your brain is focused on the relatively menial task at hand, and the other part is allowed to roam more freely than if I were just to sit and think about said idea and get stuck. I was listening to "Pig" by DMB (One of my very favorite songs), and this image of this painting came to me. I just had t do it.

I also messed up on the lyrics, hehe. You can also see my amazing drawing skills, which I also messed up by smudging the ink. Oh well! The final product came out similar to what was in my head...and that never happens!

Too Much?

This spread was done in the most intuitive way possible. I mostly enjoy it, but I think I need to work on composition a bit more. I think it is a bit TOO busy.

These Are Days

That you will remember. These are days that you might fill with laughter until you break.

These days you might feel a shaft of light make its way across your face,

And when you do, you know how it was meant to be.

Never before and never since, I promise

Will the whole world be as warm as this

You know its true that

You are blessed and lucky. 

I channeled Dina Wakely tonight as I made this journal page. I first saw her in  Somerset's Art Journaling magazine, and since then stalk her blog as often as possible. I could stare at her journal pages for days. I can only imagine how amazing they must look in person.

Brave the Elements

Its back!!! Michelle's Crusades have returned for the new year. YAY! I have been waiting anxiously for them. I loveeeeee her posts and ideas about each crusade to come up with. It gives me a project to do. I learn something new. I did have to google how to cut out a snowflake though! lol. I don't think I've done one since I was a kid. This month it is "Brave the Elements." We had to make our own shape (she suggested snowflakes..and that is about right since we haven't seen this much snow since 96!), and use it to make stencils/masks out of.

This is my version.
#1. I suck at making paper snowflakes
#2. I need to learn patience. I got a little paint happy and didn't wait for paint to dry, so its a little muddy.
#3. Boy do I LOVE getting my hands dirty
#4. This isn't completely finished. I'll probably journal on top of it or doodle or something.

(Click to enlarge)
(Anybody know how to fix the picture so that when you put it on "XLarge, it doesn't cut off the right side of the photo?)

Also a spread in progress...

Inspiration from a friend

I had a friend come visit for New Years, and last night we went out...and drank...wayyyyyyy too much. I did jager bombs, and I have never done them before. We stayed up until 6 a.m. talking. Hearts to hearts. Drunken ones, fueled by Red Bull, but poignant nonetheless. She has been through hell and back in her short life, and she inspires me. We talked a lot about things that have happened in her life, and I was just amazed at her bravery. At not merely surviving, enduring; but striving for more. She wants to live life to the fullest, be as happy as she can. To keep finding love, loving whom she does have, participating fully in her life. To me, that is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It is something I hope one day I can achieve.

I am still reveling in my re-instated creativity. Tonight I decided to try out hand-stitching on paper. I bought some embroidery floss, some needles and tried a simple pattern on one of my pages. I like it! I like the added texture and element it provides. How fun!

 

Happy (almost) New Year!!

I hope everyone is safe and brings in 2010 with people around them that they love. My roommate and I are throwing a party, and we have college friends coming into town, so I am VERY excited. It should be a good time. I am not a resolution type of person, but I just want 2010 for me to let go a little. Of my fears, inhibitions. I made a journal entry spread with that in mind.

Happy New Year folks :)

 

Sometimes you just gotta force yourself...

To sit down and put paint to the page. This is what I did tonight. I had everything a girl could want: Awesome music set up, a glass of wine, paint and paper ready to go, a video from Carmen to inspire me, and yet...I did NOT want to do it! I'd rather stare into empty space apparently. I decided that I have had enough of this creative, apathetic slump! I put on Bill Withers-Live at Carnegie Hall (SO GREAT), grabbed my wine and picked out some of my favorite blues and greens. It does feel good to be creative again. I don't know if this will hold, but I am glad I made myself do it. Apparently its just like going to the gym, most of the problems with me is the getting there. Once I'm there, I usually am ok.

I miss the days when I used to come home from work, bursting with energy at all the possibility! Now the possibilities seem overwhelming, so the easiest thing to do is avoid them. This is a trend in my life. Hmm...

Anyway, this is my first spread in the journal I made in Julie Prichard's class a long time ago. I am using this journal just to experiment new things. I hope, anyway.

 

Its almost 2010!

Crazy, eh? I hope everyone has had a joyful and peaceful holiday! I traveled up to NY to visit family. Ate too much food, exercised none and enjoyed the company of my extended family. Not too bad. Santa also treated me very well. Today I slept in, spent all my christmas money (plus some), cleaned/organized my apartment...and rocked out to this bad boy that my dad so awesomely  bought me.

That's right, vinyl is coming back! I have been wanting a record player (and more specifically, THIS record player) for a few years now, but could never pull the trigger. I have had some vinyl my dad gave me (amazing music taste!) and some I had already bought knowing I would someday own one...and on Christmas morning...****HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH** I opened this.

My dad is the best. I spent today listening to such classics as:

 

 

 

 

So glorious. There is nothing better than listening to your favorite music, dancing, and feeling like you are THERE in the studio with them.

I am hoping that this break home, and excitement over music again will help spur my creative slump. I brought with me a travel kit to do art journaling with, and didn't even take it out of my car! Bad me!

I also bought this book by Traci Bautista:

 

that I hope will help inspire me. I LOVEEEEE her bold, colorful work. I could drool at her website for hours if I felt like it. She has tons of wonderful ideas in here that I just need to try. It is just the TRYING that gets me. I just don't feel like sitting down and doing it.

What I think what will really get me moving is Ms. Carmen Torbus. I have been wanting to take her Spill It! workshop since it came out in October, and finally took the plunge. Hurry up, because there are only THREE more days left to sign up!

http://carmentorbus.com

My money has been over-spent, but I can not wait to be inspired by Carmen's work.

Winter Wonderland, Part II

Today's efforts were aimed at un-burying our cars. Thing is, we didn't have a shovel. My roommate fashioned one out of two baking sheets, a broom and duct tape! Very clever, except the broom handle busted about 5 minutes in. The rest was just trying to shovel with a baking sheet. Luckily, some VERY kind neighbors laughed at us, and then shoveled out my roommate's car. My car though has a pile of plowed snow behind it about 5 feet high, and 3 feet wide. I attempted to dig out the snow on my car with the baking sheet, and realized the fruitless effort and gave up. I took pictures instead. My work will be closed tomorrow, so my plan will be to beg, borrow or steal a snow shovel!

More pictures...I hope everyone who got blasted with this storm is safe!

(My car is under there somewhere!)

My car from the right side.

Me attempting to clear snow off my car with a baking sheet. Haha.

Where car ends and snow begins are as one

When I gave up.