Ssearching for the Light

A PLACE TO STORE " IDEAS"

2012-02-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

I saw the new Smash books when I was in Michael's last weekend and while I was there, I said to myself....why would I want to buy a book that already has things on the pages....when I can create my own and have been...from a blank book. So...I didn't buy one. But I went back and looked at them online and decided...just get one. I have to say, the quality of the paper is very nice. And I feel like it's a book that I don't really care...if I mess something up...
I am always dog-earring pages in catalogues and magazines of either color ideas for rooms, or a cool gift idea, or a neat recipe that I almost never get around to trying or I have an idea for a Christmas gift...but it's only February...so how am I going to remember it in December??? Well, that's what I am going to use this book for. Inside the front cover, I glued down a polka dot napkin and on the opposite page I created a pocket for some of those things I've already torn out of magazines this year. I kind of scribbled and just did whatever. The one thing I'm not crazy about is the quality of the polka dot tape because it doesn't stick very well to this paper so I'm adding glue...I think the paper is just too slick for the tape.

THE WOMEN I CAME FROM

2012-01-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

Sadie, Virginia & Ann

Altered Book - Women

I received a really nice email yesterday, from an artist friend that I met 3 years ago, who lives on the other side of the planet. She got me to thinking about the women I know and so I decided to journal about the women that I came from... on my mother's side...my great grandmother, Sadie (Sarah) and her daughter, my grandmother, Virginia...who died before my mother, Ann, was married. My mother told me a few stories about them as I was growing up, but it's not the same as knowing them...and yet...they are where I came from. I wish I knew more about them...what exactly did we have in common besides our DNA? Well, one thing I know...I got the "not so great" math gene from my mother judging from her 4th grade report card. But I also know that I got her creative gene...which I am very thankful for.

The Year of the Dragon

2012-01-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

First altered book class

of the new year...we did the....

"Year of the Dragon"

The little "purse" on the right page involved some origami techniques. The purse opens out and there is a card with Chinese letters that spell out Happy New Year inside. I love the cool things you can do with origami....I just need patience and practice to master...not even master...to achieve the techniques...perhaps a new year's resolution I could keep....learn origami! The little red envelope on the left holds a piece of fake Chinese money. The dragon is embossed on the red disk as are the Chinese letters in gold on the bottom right page. The Dragon is a symbol of good fortune and power that commands respect. Do you know what Chinese year you were born in?

Home & Garden Altered Book

2012-01-08T13:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to try cutting a niche in this book...something I haven't experimented with before and it turned out great. I didn't make it overly deep, just deep enough to hold the brass dragonfly. And I had a nice piece of scrap paper to put behind it that has a touch of metallic to it. These pages are about some of the smaller "critters" in nature....those that fly. Sometimes, in our childhood days...we could be frightened by these critters....they are kind of weird looking...but for some reason I was thinking about the many dragonflies that may have landed on my arm at one time or another and I wasn't bothered by them at all...they are rather fascinating. They move quietly about. If they could talk...what would they have to say about life....what would their observations be?

Merry Christmas, Tom!

2011-12-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

In The Pursuit of Happiness

I have had the best Christmas....I spent it with my son, Tom. Now....crazy as this sounds....my son wasn't home for the first time in 23 years to celebrate Christmas. But being focused on creating this little art piece...he and I were together and he'll be home soon.

I have a few more little "touches" I need to do and I also haven't figured out yet how I'm going to close the flap on the right....it says" Thank you for your service..." but it will come to me, just as the theme for this piece of art came to me....

When I sat down yesterday to do some art....this wasn't at all the direction I was going, but as often happens when you sit and start playing with things...ideas start to form....

And the next thing you know...you can hardly stand to stop working on it because the ideas are coming so fast and you're waiting for things to dry.

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom,

must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it."

---Thomas Paine

Inside the red envelope it says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The Christmas stamp represents freedom of religion.

BECAUSE WE BELIEVE

Look outside: it's morning

This is a day you'll remember

Hurry, get up and go

There are those who believe in you

Don't give up

Once in every life

There comes a time

We walk out all alone

And into the light

The moment won't last but then,

We remember it again

When we close our eyes.

Like stars across the sky

And in order to shine

You will have to win

We were born to shine

All of us here because we believe

Look ahead and never turn your back

On the caress of your dreams,

Your hopes and then,

Turn towards the day that will be

There is a finish line there.

Like stars across the sky

And in order to shine

You will have to win

Like stars across the sky

Don't give up

Someone is with you

Like stars across the sky

We were born to shine

And in order to shine

You will have to win

And then, you will win.

----Andrea Bocelli

HOME

2011-12-24T05:34:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

NAKED TREES

2011-12-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

NAKED TREES IN WINTER

Trees in winter are really more beautiful than they are when they are clothed with leaves....in winter you can really see their shapes...they aren't camouflaged. It's not that their seasonal colors aren't beautiful....but somehow in winter...their soul is revealed. Haven't painted in weeks...felt good to sit down with the paint brush today...and because this is in my Red,White & Blue journal...I added the flag....I could have put a cardinal in a tree, but I didn't want to take away from the starkness of the trees...

What is Christmas?

2011-12-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

I've been away from blogging....just couldn't seem to get here. I haven't created anything either....after the nor'easter on Halloween weekend....I just had other things on my mind. How do we roll so fast from Halloween to Christmas week? Retailers kind of push the plate on that...I wish we could restore Christmas to what it truly is....and it's not finding the "big deal" at 4:00am on Black Friday....that I am sure of.

I fee like I've already celebrated Christmas...my sister and husband were here to celebrate her birthday and we exchanged gifts; and I and many others helped to spread the word about an injured Marine in my son's unit that resulted in many generous people giving their time and making a donation to help get his life back on track. God bless him! So....I don't really need anything else except to go to church and give thanks and pray for those who aren't as blessed as I am this Christmas.
Here are some photos from around the house....

There's something special in each of these photos for me....

Thanksgiving Grace

2011-11-24T04:34:00.000-08:00

photo by T. Sand

This photo was taken during the recent storm that knocked out the power in many parts of Connecticut. I love pumpkins...they look "happy". They are whimsical. They come in so many shapes and sizes. They are colorful. And they make delicious pies. So today, when you're sharing your meal with family and friends....don't forget all of the things you are thankful for...even pumpkins. I have a wonderful little book of Graces so here is one for today...

This is a day for thanks.

A day in which we

see or hear or feel

the wonders of the

other moments of the year.

This is a day for time.

A day in which we

think of pasts that make

our presents rich

and future bountiful.

This is a day for joy.

A day in which we share a gift of laughter

warm and gentle

as a smile.

Above all, this is a day for peace.

So let us

touch each other

and know that

we are one.

For these and other blessings,

we thank Thee, God.

A PAPER BEAST!

2011-11-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

I found this wonderful "beast" on etsy...love the artist, Emma Kidd....wonderful imagination. All I had to do was cut him out and assemble. I think I'm probably going to put him in a frame....he's not what you normally think of as a "paper doll"... Even the envelope he arrived in is a treasure...from Australia, so I now also have two great Koala bear stamps....he're's the "beastie"!

PAPER SANTAS SPELL "HOPE"

2011-11-12T04:09:00.000-08:00

He starts like a little book, folded up.....

and becomes an accordion book that spells out "HOPE"

...a closer look....

....and the back of them is covered in paper napkins!

The "Hope" is a napkin that I tore and placed a letter on each Santa chest...sort of like a winter scarf....slightly hard to read in the photo because the letters are black. I used paint, rubber stamps, napkins and gold pen to do these, tied together with jute string. I need to make them out of stronger paper than drawing paper because the wear and tear on the "fold" is not going to last long...thus the jute. His shape came from my favorite, tin cookie cutter that I've had forever of a gnome. The holidays are coming....

Playing with Dolls

2011-11-12T04:08:00.000-08:00

Before the recent storm, I was playing with paper ...dolls. I think she's kind of cute....I can't tell you how long it took to cut out all of the pieces, put it together and embellish it. Maybe because it's my first one...it took me longer...I do think they are fun....there will be others. I'd like to make a couple and frame them...I have ideas....

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS!

2011-11-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

The word "God" makes some people uncomfortable , but I believe in the power of prayer and it was important for me to share this for our past and present service men & women, today and always.... godspeed.

Thank you to my friend, Kathy, for sending it to me....

Friday, November 11, 2011

Service

With admiration, I honor those who serve others.

To those who have answered the call to serve, I say, "Thank you." I appreciate your sacrifice and accomplishments. I am grateful for your strength, courage and perseverance in the face of great challenge. I respect your dedication. I honor you today and offer this prayer: May the light of God surround all who are serving or have served this country. May Divine Love enfold them; Divine Power protect them; and may the presence of God watch over them now and always. Amen.

In silent tribute, I pause and remember those who, in service to humankind, have sacrificed their lives. I pray for goodwill among people and peace on earth as a lasting tribute to their sacrifice.

Pay to all what is due them, ... respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.--Romans 13:7

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, brother BILL!!!!

Aftermath of the nor'easter...

2011-11-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

A beautiful, sunny Sunday...here's what Mother Nature did...these are shots of my neighbor's yard.....I was more fortunate. And the 2nd photo from the top shows a tree that broke in half by our mailboxes on the road. These are just a small glimpse of the havoc that Mother Nature wrought, knocking out power to 830,000 homes in the state, most left without power for a week....the clean-up will go on for weeks...definitely a major inconvenience, but it could be worse....always have to keep things in perspective. So...no art the last couple of weeks....

A "Trick" from Mother Nature

2011-10-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

The pictures say it all....the snow is really coming down....the trees are sagging under the weight. Boomer was just groomed this morning...there was no snow when I dropped him off! It was white knuckle driving when I went to pick him up. I never expected the storm to be as bad as it is this early in the day. My lights have flickered once, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed....this is really an early "trick" from Mother Nature on this Halloween weekend....

Here Comes The Groom....

2011-10-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

Home & Garden Journal

Mirabeau Bonaparte & Virginia Swanson

c. 1920

When I was looking for things for my "pear" pages, I came across the wedding photo of my maternal grandparents. And it is so lovely, I had to journal it. I never knew my grandmother... as she had passed before I arrived on the planet. I don't know the wedding date either...still searching for that, but I've left room under their photo to add it. And I don't know what I want to put inside the metal heart either....I do love that I found the music "Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh!" The lace is from an old mantilla from my Catholic days... And on the opposite page, I found the wonderful drawing of the man...it was part of an old advertisement...but he's dressed just like my grandfather....serendipity. So I just embellished him a bit with a little white paint on his bow tie and flower and I painted the candlesticks silver and I "upholstered" the chair....I just altered the page a bit here and there. The clocks on the left of the groom...just to indicate the passage of time....once upon a time....

"In The Pursuit of Happiness"

2011-10-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

Rhinebeck, NY

My friend, Jan and I, took a beautiful day yesterday to visit the town of Rhinebeck, NY in the Hudson River Valley area...a little over an hour from our homes. We wandered the streets, visited the local shops and had lunch at a very old inn, catching up on our daily lives which we have so little time to share...Now...you may be wondering what is the story behind the above photos...as always, sorry the quality isn't better...but Rhinebeck has some really beautiful architecture which we were admiring on our stroll. We stopped in front of a building that had a very interesting front door, and a young woman came out and asked if we'd like to see the inside....of course we would!!! As it turns out, it's a restaurant that has just barely opened it's doors...I felt like I was walking back in time as I stepped into the dining room with all of the American flags, the red banquettes, the pewter ware on the rustic, old tables. It felt like the kind of place you might celebrate after an important treaty was signed... I could imagine soldiers here catching a brew and sharing a hot meal; the room on the opposite side of the entrance is the bar. I didn't take a photo of it...but it is indescribable, the attention to details that make this room so amazing...you would just have to visit. AND...of course I loved the whole place because of the use of our American flag....so if you ever get to Rhinebeck, you'll have to stop at this place, aptly named, "In The Pursuit of Happiness."

The Little Book of Pears

2011-10-24T05:03:00.000-07:00

These are the next two pages in my Home & Garden altered book. I painted, used napkins, stamps, different papers and created a pocket for the "Little Pears" book. There are 16 pears in the accordion book, each one is different. I even painted one to look like a nun from my youth...and named her... Sr. Poire!

The Colors of Autumn

2011-10-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is how Autumn looks in my Red, White & Blue Journal.....

WITCHY WOMAN-altered book, Femme

2011-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Having an altered book to work on that is all about females....is so much fun. It's October, Halloween, etc. etc. So I had to have a "Witchy Woman", Eagles lyrics on left side. Her face is from a Vogue magazine....

"Raven hair and ruby lips ...sparks fly from her finger tips...echoed voices in the night....she's a restless spirit on an endless flight...wooo hooo witchy woman....". We've all got a little bit of "witchy woman" in us....

Red, White & Blue Journal

2011-09-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day....I Labor

2011-09-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

I know it's still summer on the calendar, but not being at work today, I can get things done at home...so I changed my kitchen cabinet into Fall mode...it is my favorite season. Pretty soon I won't have time to do the indoor "stuff" because the outdoor chores will be calling....the leaves, small painting jobs and odds and ends. I'm into closets and getting rid of all of those manuals for appliances I no longer own, found lots of batteries...they would have come in handy last week had I known....and I have more of those outlet strips....I'll probably never need to buy another one. I found my First Communion prayer book! I'll add that to my mini book collection. I can't dawdle here...there's more to do!

I bought this sparkly crow and tiny pumpkins that fill this cupcake holder and... I picked up a mini book at our library book fair this weekend...The Raven and Three Tales of Horror by Edgar Allen Poe. This isn't about Halloween...I just think crows are interesting...

SWITCHING GEARS...

2011-09-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

I made a couple of wreaths to go on the front doors of our church. Time to switch to Fall!

These are grapevine wreaths and I used a lot of eucalyptus...that holds up well. And some other funky things that Mother Nature provides...and Michael's craft store!

Mother Nature Got Creative This Week

2011-09-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

...by way of Hurricane Irene. Posting a couple of photos from the neighborhood....multiply these by the hundreds and you get an idea of what it's like here. Once we were finally able to step out of our homes, we were driving under power lines that sagged under the weight of trees. There are still many "sketchy" trees still standing and some that have huge limbs hanging high up, not yet ready to come down....
This was taken right around the corner from my home....on a deadend street. The power lines are down and the houses on the other side of this....can't get out....this is a street where I walk my dog.

This photo goes with the one above it...it fell down across the road.

ART - Just Do What You Like!

2011-08-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

I really like having different altered books to work in at the same time, because if I'm not in the mood for one subject... I can just pick up another book and work on ...that subject.

HOME & GARDEN

Here is what I did this weekend. I love my art supply cabinet, which I have photographed on earlier entries on this blog, but I decided to do a drawing of it and put it in this book....well, it had to be there, because I love this cabinet and isn't "home" all about putting things in it that you love?

The Gift

2011-08-14T05:10:00.000-07:00

I received a gift in my email yesterday....a belated birthday present and a great one! My friend and artist, Morna, created a new banner for my blog...something I've wanted to change for quite awhile, but technology doesn't come easily to me...so I love it and it's more special because it came from her.
Her blog is http://www.mornacrites-moore.blogspot.com/

My Altered Book Class

Yesterday I had my altered book class and we learned a new technique...encaustic...working with wax. We worked on special boards designed for encaustic work, adding our collage elements and then putting the coating of wax over these materials. Suffice to say, that this is a technique that takes practice and sometimes the wax doesn't "take" the way you think it should....which happened on my collage. The background paper resisted in several places. Not being a patient person, I don't think encaustic work is for me. You could create a beautiful collage and then not have the wax work well....and there goes your piece.

When I got home, I decided to do the theme I intended for the class in my altered book since I already had the background pages prepared and I really love the result, love the colors.

ATC Card

done with napkin using the encaustic technique

Backgrounds

2011-08-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have my monthly altered book class next weekend and we're going to learn how to do an encaustic technique. We're supposed to bring our own collage materials for this particular class and I was struggling to come up with a theme....and then I decided it's going to be Sunflowers. I don't know if you can actually do this technique in an altered book, so I also prepared a background on a stretched canvas.
The two pictures above have the identical colors, but you can see that in spreading the paint out....the canvas took the paint differently than the paper. I spread the paints with an old credit card. The colors are Night Sky, Basil Green and Quinacridone Azo Gold, with a little bit of matte medium mixed in. I've been gathering "sunflower" themes/colors..a packet of sunflower seeds, a yellow felt button, some dried leaves, a poem called Bring Me The Sunflower by Eugenio Montale, nature stamps...bee, butterfly, dragonfly...somewhere in my art room I have some tiny sunflowers on floral wire but I'll be darned if I can find them....

Special Things...

2011-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

You see a lot of things on my blog about my son being a US Marine and how I love the American flag and that I have a Red, White & Blue art journal....well, yesterday was a great day.

I have a colleague who was in the military once upon a time and he still does great things for our soldiers stationed in the Middle East....but today, I was the recipient of a special gift from him...because I am now a Blue Star Mother...a mother of a son on active duty in the Middle East. So he gave me a blue star pin that I will treasure and wear every day as well as a window cling and a small banner with the blue star that I will hang. People who don't have a relative or close friend in the military....have no idea what it's all about... My son is the only one in his high school class who was interested in the military...or at least the only one who has pursued it. I would never overrule my son's calling in life....after all, it is his journey. So, above is a picture of the small pin that I will proudly wear. Also in the picture...is a Red, White & Blue bracelet...I went on ETSY in search of one...and it arrived yesterday in my mailbox with a handwritten note from the artist..."Please thank your son for protecting our freedom." It doesn't get any better than that...so that's my week.

Home & Garden Altered Book

2011-07-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

I have several altered books I'm working on at the moment...one on Females, my Red, White & Blue, the Word Journal and this one....Home & Garden. So I painted this little stone house and cut a door out and added a piece of screen to make the screen door. I painted a picture of my dog, Boomer, and he is the greeter at the door. I added a bead for the doorknob and a lantern at the peak of the house from the Pottery Barn catalog. The most fun was making a real, screen door.

Altered Book Class - Couture

2011-07-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had my monthly altered book class. Last month the subject was Steampunk Divas and this time....Couture. This goes nicely in my book about females. Dress pattern paper is the background with paint spread on with an old credit card. Some rubber stamping, bubble wrap, collage, and ephemera.

My Red English Racer

2011-07-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

The house next door to me recently went up for sale...a house with 2 young daughters and a puppy. It got me to thinking of my own childhood...when I was their age....it was the best part of my childhood.
We lived in a super neighborhood with lots of kids. The Christmas I got my red, English Racer was the best. We didn't have all of the fears that parents raising their children today have....we rode our bikes all over the place and we could go out on Halloween without fear. Those were the days. So...I went on the internet today in search of my old neighborhood and found a map which I used on the right side of the page. My sister, Dianne, got a bicycle that Christmas as well...hers was a black English Racer. Our bicycles were much more fun than a doll could ever be in my book! So...this is the latest entry in my Red, White & Blue journal.

Fireworks - It IS a Celebration!

2011-07-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

FIREWORKS!

I get into two different frames of mind on the 4th of July....one is about how lucky we are to be where we are and enjoy the freedom we have .... I can listen to any patriotic hymn/march and burst into tears....and I can also enjoy the celebration...the fireworks, etc. After all, what is the 4th of July without the fireworks! So...believe it or not, I started to do these pages thinking the page on the left was going to be things we enjoy on the 4th like ...ice cream and popsicles...and it turned into an explosion of ....fireworks. So....Happy Birthday, America. And Tom....for you and ALL of your buddies serving this great country....God Bless You!!!

A Day at the Beach

2011-07-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing Like A Good "Read" at the Beach

And so the holiday weekend begins....

2011-07-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

I was searching the internet for a photo to post since I don't have any new art at the moment... this is what I think of when I think of the July 4 weekend...the beginning of summer...but how many Americans are actually enjoying a scene like this this summer?

Women Rule!

2011-06-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is my tribute to Sharon Tomlinson...she's amazing at painting faces and these faces are hers. I won a contest on her blog and she sent me some sheets of her art which I have cut up and used above.

When I started on these two pages...I didn't like what I had done and considered glueing the two pages together and moving on....

OK...THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE TO PUSH THROUGH IT AND SEE IF YOU CAN SALVAGE WHAT YOU'VE DONE....don't give up.

So...I kept playing with it today and I am now happy with the result. Sharon is a fan of Gustav Klimt as am I so in her honor...I included a small picture of one of his paintings. Her blog is my top favorite to follow....she's very talented. Her blog is www.allnorahsart.blogspot.com.
This is the 2nd series of pages in my FEMALE - Altered Book. Yesterday's Steampunk Divas inspired me....

ALTERED BOOK CLASS

2011-06-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

STEAMPUNK DIVAS

I went to my monthly altered book class today and the subject was Steampunk Divas....we did gel transfers, transfer on fabric, a transfer on a domino, ephemera, collage elements. Fun subject.

HOME and GARDEN

2011-06-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

The start of a new altered book....love the subject, home and garden. These pages have stamping, a napkin, paint, collage, charcoal.

"I Arise Today".....

2011-06-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

Red, White & Blue Journal

The late John O'Donohue is the inspiration for these pages. If you don't know who he is, you should Google him....

I arise today

through the strength of heaven,

light of sun,

radiance of moon,

splendor of fire,

speed of lightning,

swiftness of wind,

depth of sea,

stability of earth,

firmness of rock.

***

Red, White & Blue Journal

2011-05-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

Purple Mountain Majesties &

Amber Waves of Grain

I can't let Memorial Day go by without creating some art in my red, white & blue journal.....Caran d'Arche water soluble crayons, collage, charcoal. That is Tom's silhouette in the picture.

Sunday Before Memorial Day

2011-05-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

A Prayer.....
Most gracious God and Father, in whose will is our peace; turn our hearts and the hearts of all to yourself, that by the power of your Spirit the peace which is founded on righteousness may be established throughout the whole world...

Moneygall, Ireland

2011-05-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Photo by Matt Dunham, AP

We're heading into the Memorial Day weekend next week...I've hung a plant with red, white and blue flowers outside my kitchen door and there are various American flags tucked here and there around my home. So when I went on my MSNBC page a moment ago and saw this photo....naturally, I loved it. Our president is getting ready to visit this small, Irish hamlet, and they are literally rolling out the....red, white & blue carpet....putting a fresh coat of paint on their homes and "spiffing" things up for his arrival. I don't care what your political views are....we live in the greatest country in the world. Hope you have a flag to hang next weekend for all of those who have served our country and continue to do so.

Red, White & Blue: Bluebird

2011-05-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

I was headed out early last Sunday morning and I was about to pull out of my driveway, when I spotted a bluebird just sitting on my mailbox. I love bluebirds and I took this as a very positive sign that he decided to land where he did. So he was the inspiration for my pages last week. I like the way nature "communicates" with us when we're....open to it. I did these pages mostly with watercolor pencils. And the stars are silver metal.

Altered Book Workshop - TIME

2011-05-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

There is so much to say about the subject of time....just not enough time to write about it. We had a fun class today....but I am challenged by getting things done in the 2 hours we work on our pages....it goes by so very fast.

Here are the pages...

and a close-up of the woman's hair....

The bird in the picture above is bringing another gizmo to the "hair" of the woman here. We used various papers, some Tim Holtz Distress Stains, rubber stamps, embossing materials and ephemera to do the pages.

For the Red, White & Blue Journal

2011-05-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

A quick little addition for my journal that I painted this afternoon. The real flowers are in the photo below.

It Is A Happy Mom's Day

2011-05-08T03:52:00.000-07:00

MAD WORLD

2011-05-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Red, White & Blue Journal - EGGS

2011-04-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Red, White & Blue Eggs

When else would I be doing this except Easter weekend!

It's Easter Weekend.....

2011-04-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

This photo of Easter eggs is from the International Business Times...they are gorgeous. I hard-boiled some eggs yesterday that I'm going to color today....not this calibre for sure but it will be fun.

John O'Donohue

John O'Donohue was a wonderful Irish poet and philosopher who died at age 52, but he left some wonderful pearls of wisdom and I'm going to share one with you...an Easter treat.

For Equilibrium, A Blessing

"Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,

May the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.

As the wind loves to call things to dance,

May your gravity be lightened by grace.

Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth,

May your thoughts incline with reverence and respect.

As water takes whatever shape it is in,

So free may you be about who you become.

As silence smiles on the other side of what's said,

May your sense of irony bring perspective.

As time remains free of all that it frames,

May your mind stay clear of all it names.

May your prayer of listening deepen enough to hear in the depths the laughter of god."

HAPPY EASTER

Playing with Art....No Agenda

2011-04-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Wasn't ready to put my paints away for the week, so I started playing this afternoon...nothing in mind....and this is what came out. My question is....should I write words inside the colorful spaces....or just let it go....for now, I'm just letting it go....

Altered Book Class - Egypt

2011-04-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Left Page

Right Page

The Jewel of the Nile

Between my Word Journal with Papyrus and the class today, I've covered Egypt! We used light molding paste to create the Nile and had some fun collage pieces to glue to the pages.

Red, White & Blue Journal

2011-04-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

SPRING BREAK

I haven't added anything to my Red, White & Blue journal for awhile and while my son was off enjoying "Spring Break", I did a couple of pencil sketches in the journal and today decided to paint them....the grown son on the left....and the younger version....a time for exploration....Tom would have had a large grin on his face and his neck is too long and and and...have to practice faces....

Word Journal - Papyrus

2011-04-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

I chose the word papyrus for my word journal/altered book this week. I used some brown grocery bag paper for the background of the two pages and I folded over the "pyramid" pages to make a pocket on the right that contains a mini book and the one on the left opens to reveal a picture underneath.
The pyramids are gold paint, and there is a little paper bead I made, securing the pocket.

Above is the left page. Across the very bottom which you can't see, is the word papyrus, repeated all of the way across....sorry about that! The images are from a book I got at our local library book fair last year for $2....a hardbound book printed in 1948 entitled The Book of Costume, Vol. I. Wish I had Vol. II as well!

Above is the right hand page with the little book removed from the pocket. The little twig attached on the right is from my yard...I thought it looked like a writing implement. This is a notecard from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I added pages to the inside...it opens to reveal....

There you have

PAPYRUS

5 Minute Parking

2011-03-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

...and the moon up above and a thing called Love....

These pages don't require any other words.

ALTERED BOOK WORKSHOP

2011-03-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Le Cirque

Yesterday was one of those days where I just couldn't get it together at the workshop....I cut a couple of the pieces of paper incorrectly and that threw me off....so I went through some of the exercises and then decided to bring all of the pieces home to construct. Above is the result. The right page with the ringmaster is an accordion book....I'll show you....

And more....

On this one I made an envelope and used small brads; I was going to put the two tickets in it...but you wouldn't see them, so on the page above, I just added them there. This isn't quite the way we learned it in the class, but it all came together.

Strathmore Workshop - Stencils, Spray

2011-03-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time to do art this weekend but today I finally put some paint in a spray bottle and got a couple of stencils out...messy, I must say! I had no plan for these pages...just using techniques...the spray, stencils, rubber stamps and letters....and this is how they came out. There is some bronze metallic on the pear leaves, but it's hard to tell in the photo. I think I may tweak it a little bit more....

I added some gold polka dots to the "me" and there is now gold around the stenciled letters and here and there...just not a great photo...It hasn't won me over, but it's OK.

Strathmore Workshop II -Start Where You Are

2011-03-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

I started the 2nd workshop from the Strathmore Visual Journal series over the weekend. It's called Start Where You Are by Linda Blinn. I find her instruction really easy to follow. So the pictures I'm showing are from a lesson about graduated pages...cutting the pages so they are not all the same to add interest to the book.
The first 2 pages are the normal size....

These flowers are done with stencils, background with water soluble crayons, charcoal pencil for shadow and collage.

The next 2 pages....

The page on the left is an inch narrower than the previous page. The page on the right is 2 inches narrower....

The next pages...

As you can see, the "tree" page is very narrow. The pages on the left are "connected" by the colors and patterns chosen to make interesting edges...

And the last two pages....

I decided the tree page would flip from summer to fall...and the bird page is actually a napkin.

As I was doing these pages, I started thinking about a very old song (so how do I know that song....) at any rate..."Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees....etc. etc.

When I flip the next page over, the bird page, I'll be back to two normal size pages and I think on these it would be fun to illustrate another stanza in the song....maybe a scene at a drive in movie....I don't know....will have to see what develops...

Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees

And the flowers and the trees

And the moon up above

And a thing called "Love"

The Birthday Boy

2011-03-10T02:55:00.000-08:00

Today is my son, Tom's, 23rd Birthday. He was born on a Thursday afternoon. This fun photo of him in his pj's taken maybe 17 years ago, really expresses the confident, happy young man he's turned out to be. This will be the first birthday in his 23 years that I won't see him on his special day....because he's enjoying a wonderful, tropical vacation...best known as "Spring Break" ...with many of his friends. I slipped a birthday card into his luggage, but missing will be the special balloon I always buy...probably more for me than for him...but it's a tradition. I know he's having the time of his life...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOM!!!

Word Journal Book Cover

2011-03-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is the front and back cover of the book I am altering for my word journal. As you can see, the name of the book is Time Expired...haven't thought about how I might alter that, but I've added lots of words to the cover itself...which started out as just a plain royal blue. When you're not sure what project you want to work on, you can always revert to your word journal to do an illustration...just pick any word you like and have fun!

Where Does Inspiration Come From?

2011-03-05T05:41:00.000-08:00

I would say from all of your senses....sight, sound, taste, smell, touch....so I've been working on some pages in my Word Journal. This word journal has turned into something different than my original concept of ...carefully chosen words. The word featured in the art below is not a special word by any means (what makes a word "special" anyway?) but for whatever reason, it's ended up in the book. The word is QUEEN. Maybe it's interesting to me because it's associated with so many different things, the obvious being royalty. And a queen is....female. She's at the top of her game whether it's in chess or the local beehive. My siblings nicknamed me "Queenie" when we were growing up. I was born in May so...the May Queen. So, here are my "queen" pages....

A queen is....a goddess or a thing personified as a female and having supremacy.

A queen is....the wife or widow of a king

A queen is....a female monarch

A queen is....the fertile fully developed female of social bees

A queen is....the most privileged piece of each color in a set of chessmen.

A queen is....you can fill this in....

I ran into some technical difficulty when I was doing the page with the key on it...I had saved a movie ticket stub from a couple of years ago from The Queen...to put on the journal page and it was part of the "dress" I created. Well, in my eagerness to complete the page, I was using my heat gun on it and got too close and it burned the ticket and you couldn't read the words The Queen...lost treasure. And then I had to recreate that part of the page without tearing it. So, I present to you the QUEEN.

Art Cabinet Update

2011-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

I have to say that this cabinet is my favorite piece of furniture in my house. It's nothing grand...it wasn't expensive (consignment shop!). It was someone's old dining room cabinet from decades ago. And I think I gave it a new lease on life.

The light is very bright from the snow coming in the windows, so it's hard to see the details. However, I decided to take the old handles and knobs that came with the cabinet and paint them black. They were a tired, old brass....at least that's what they looked like. I also added a bit of gold down the piece of wood where the doors meet on the bottom. I wanted each section of the cabinet to have some gold. And I added a small black star at the top...again to make the cabinet have some uniformity. I added some more gold to the dentil molding on the top so it shows more (although you can't really see any of the gold in this photo). I still have touch-ups to do but I really love it and it's working just great in my art room. My sister had suggested that I add a harlequin pattern on the sides...rather ambitious...but I haven't ruled it out (did I ever mention I'm not good in math?) because once I finish the cabinet, I want to seal it so it preserves the painting I've done on it. At least that's my thought at this moment in time. If you go back numerous postings, you can see how the cabinet looked when I brought it home.

Altered Book Class - Paris

2011-02-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

It was nice to venture out yesterday....a sunny day with no new snow. But it was cold! At class this month we did a couple of pages in our altered books on Paris. We learned how to make the fan on the right hand page and our instructor had all kinds of "Paris" themed objects to use to decorate the pages. The fun thing about this is that we all had similar objects to choose from... but everybody's pages looked different and unique...and that's why it's fun.

The Word is...CHAMELEON

2011-02-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

I decided to add another word to my word journal this weekend..Chameleon. It has a nice sound to it....and it means...."a small lizard whose skin changes color...especially according to its surroundings....and here are the pages...(still working on them)

Isn't that a great lizard?? I found him on a National Geographic site. And the page of "grasses" in front of him flips open....not sure what I am going to add there, possibly another lizard. I should be doing more drawing of the illustrations rather than printing photos from the internet....this lizard almost looks like he's laughing....at what?

FACES

2011-02-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

I wasn't going to blog about this drawing because I don't like it, but I think you can learn from your mistakes. Unless you're very accomplished in drawing faces and see all of the nuances....it's very difficult to capture the "spirit" of the face...the soul. So this drawing I drew without looking at a face and...she has no soul. She is just flat. Colorful, but flat.

So, I need to go back to photos of faces...fashion magazines are a great resource...and really look at the face I am drawing...in order to give it life. The picture below you've seen before on my blog, but look at the difference as to when you pay attention to detail...there is a "light" behind her eyes...almost wistful.... So...practice, practice practice....

The Word is "Crayon"

2011-02-13T05:19:00.000-08:00

Crayon may not seem like a special word to be added to a "word journal"; we just take the word for granted and don't really think about it...but a definite visual image comes to mind when we hear that word....the box of Crayola Crayons in particular. And there is nothing like the smell of a new box of crayons. The next best thing...is the names they give them like wisteria and asparagus and indigo and mauvelous...got to love them!

I've always loved to color...whether it was coloring books at an early age or those "paint by number" kits (do they still make those??) or whatever was available.

When I was a senior in high school, I had appendicitis and landed in the hospital. So, while I was there...I colored in coloring books to pass the time, and everyone who came to visit me, while we were chatting, had to color a page in my book and sign it. I kept that coloring book for years...wish I still had it now.

Euphoria didn't happen.....

2011-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

I decided to work in my word journal today and I chose the word....EUPHORIA. Funny thing about that...euphoria didn't work for me today...wasn't feeling it. But these two pages developed in the journal. There is no "word" featured here, I just created storage pockets for the various words and phrases that I cut out of magazines to use in collage work. This dual purpose altered book is working out OK...special words and word storage....I won't give up on finding ....euphoria...another time....

p.s. The Good Things business card is from a store in Idaho where I used to ship some of my painted bird houses for sale quite awhile ago....loved their card....even more amazed that I could find it!

Ground Hog Day

2011-02-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

This is the worst weather I've ever experienced living here in the northeast and I've lived here since 1974....I'm a wreck! My gutters are jammed with ice and on the back bedroom side of the house, water is leaking in the bedroom windows and bathroom too, downstairs to the first floor bath...right down to the basement. It's a nightmare. I have buckets here and there and towels and plastic bags.....

So, in my attempts to distract myself (it's not working), I journaled a winter page and a "sunny" page (encouraged by my sister) and here they are.

On the "sunnier" page, I have the lyrics to the Beatle tune...Good Day, Sunshine...thank you John, Paul, George & and Ringo.... once upon a time.
I used parts of a paper napkin on the sunny page.

Altered Book Class Resumed

2011-01-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

Silhouette Art

The monthly Altered Book class resumed on Saturday after a 2 month hiatus during the holiday season. For this class, the technique is silhouette art....you can sort of see the 3-D effect. I didn't complete the piece in class, because there were all of these little pieces of seaweed and a tiny mermaid to be cut out to "layer" in the framed part...my scissors just weren't small enough to handle those cuts so I created my little seascape inside the frame. It's not quite as 3-D as the one done in class, but I get the idea. And, of course, I had to jazz it up...the seahorse is looking pretty good and I have lots of beaded glass gel in this to give the water some sparkle.

More Journaling Using My Recycled Art

2011-01-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

I did the left side page last night...I took some of the elements from the page on the right and elsewhere to create the page. I'm still not happy with the page on the right so...still thinking about what to do to it.

And today I dug a tunnel from my driveway over to the far side of the house to make sure the oil delivery guy could get to the pipe...but it turned out to be great fun for Boomer because the yard has been too deep for him. Now he has a racearena. I didn't take photos of that but check out these icicles....I have since knocked them down out front ....but every now and then...I hear one fall out back...and the mailboxes at the end of the driveway.....

Y' all Come!

And It's Only January.....

2011-01-27T06:14:00.000-08:00

Free As A Butterfly - Pam Carriker Workshop

2011-01-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is another exercise using some of Pam Carriker's techniques. These two pages have paint, collage elements, oil pastel, charcoal pencil, gesso, etc.

The "hat lady" was from a fashion magazine. I copied the picture and printed it in black and white on my printer and then played with the face. Here is the original...obviously she looks better in the photo....but how would you look with gesso brushed over you? And the idea is to reinvent it....

More Journal Pages - Strathmore Workshop

2011-01-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

Tribute to the Pottery Barn Catalog

I did these two pages last night...two things I've taken from the workshop thus far: choose materials that are similar in color....it doesn't matter what the subject...and create your page; and use your charcoal pencil to add shadow to make things "pop".

All of the collage elements I cut out of the catalog.

When I first started these two pages, I had made black & white copies of some of my prior journal page art. I placed them randomly on the two pages....and I didn't like it. So I brushed a coat of gesso over them and then sanded the pages. At first, I was going to use gesso and make the images disappear....I'm so glad I turned a "mistake" into a great backdrop for what I think turned out to be interesting pages...the bird on the left was one of the images...and look what it did to the page. Imagine if I had edited the bird out.... I'm enjoying this workshop...

Here's the left page....

And this is the right page.....After I sanded the two pages, I put a color wash on the page....and then I added a little bit of another color wash. I did some rubber stamping in brown and some in black. Then I started to glue the collage elements. After that I took the charcoal pencil around and blended the charcoal. Inspired by the catalog....

Workshop Lesson

2011-01-18T10:40:00.000-08:00

Red, White & Blue Lady

Another entry from my workshop with Pam Carriker. This assemblage is created from 3 prior art journal pages...the red & white striped sleeves and legs were from a July 4 art piece that I did and they are part of a tablecloth....the skirt of her dress is from a page I did about a winter night and her star/head from yet another page. There are oil pastels here, charcoal pencil and a jewel on her turban cut from a magazine. The snowflake...donated by a friend from a Christmas card....and she has a bluebird on her shoulder.

Strathmore Workshop - Pam Carriker

2011-01-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

I decided to take an online workshop hosted by Pam Carriker and Strathmore using their Visual Journal and my Recyled Journal Pages. The frustrating part of this is....for whatever reason...I can't actually open the videos!! So...I went to YouTube and looked at some of Pam's videos that she's done with Strathmore...at least I can capture some of her techniques there.

So the first page in the book...I figured I needed a "dedication"...and found the quote in a magazine that I was clipping last night....

And so the journey begins...I can almost assure you that I will add more to these two pages...

Two Heads Are Better Than One

And the word is....OPUS

2011-01-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

You know....I recommend a Word Journal for every one...it doesn't have to be an "art" thing....but words are powerful.

I watched a movie on TV recently that I wanted to see when it came out in the theater...and it's been on TV numerous times....and it was made in 1995....and yet, I had never taken the time to see it....it's Mr. Holland's Opus and it's a fantastic movie that everyone should see....we are all teachers of some sort....and those who make teaching their profession...it should be required viewing. I can't believe I hadn't seen it before now...but better late than never.
So...inspired by this movie, the next word in my Word Journal is.... OPUS.

The top photo is the left page, the one directly above is the right photo. Here they are together.... underneath the cd cover I have written about how music is a big part of the memories of one's life....going to dances, a song that makes you think of your first boyfriend, special moments in history, places you've lived and so on. In the end, think of your life as a musical composition..how would it sound...hopefully those you've touched...will applaud at the end."

My Art Room just keeps getting better.....

2011-01-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Boomer likes it....

Decided to make a major change in the space and move the desk from my kitchen into this room...because I wanted my computer, printer, everything all together....well, I had no idea how it would affect my computer/phone connections which are all tied into ...cable. So I've had one of those weeks where I spent more time than I ever want to spend again on the phone with the cable company...they don't speak the Queen's English either....and I had the cable guy here last night....and I had my computer techie neighbor here today...and I think I'm finally good to go.....isn't technology grand? But I couldn't blog without it....

I think I'm about at 85% of where I want to be in finally getting this room to look the way I want....and be user friendly for what I want to do. Maybe 90%...The light from the windows is so bright with the snow.....

Can We Just Move On To February?

2011-01-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

OK....it's winter...I get that, but I'm ready for the January thaw. Between the post Christmas blizzard and the 18+ inches dumped on us last night...I've had my "fix" of snow....

The top photo is looking out at the dining table on my deck and the bottom photo is looking out the window in my art room. It is all beautiful...no doubt about that, but it's going to be there for awhile....lots of schlepping in boots. Ugh.

The Art Cabinet

2011-01-09T04:14:00.000-08:00

Still working on the cabinet....at a snail's pace, but I thought I would show the latest. The gold star needs another coat of paint and you can't see that there's a bit of gold on the dental molding on the top of the piece. I do love this piece....it's come a long way from being the sad, old cabinet that probably was someone's pride and joy dining room cabinet...a very long time ago. I'm giving it a new life.

The Word Journal - Addition

2011-01-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

Nothing like some snow to keep you in your art space....I love it. I just did these two pages. When I first thought about doing a Word Journal, I was going to be very selective about the words I chose....but as so often happens when I'm doing these "art journal pages"....things go off in another direction which is what happened today.

For whatever reason, maybe it's because my bird feeder fell into the snow....stick with me...this is going somewhere....but "birds" were on my mind.
The next thing I know is I'm thinking of an old song from my early high school days (the kind of tune that drove parents crazy just like rap music does today), I thought of Surfin Bird by The Trashmen. That was a song that would get everybody dancing....if you grew up then...you know what I mean. So..."the word is the bird"!

And...not to forget the art part....I created another pocket to put more "words & phrases" in for use in other art as seen on the left side of the page.

The Word Journal - The Cover

2011-01-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

In A Word

I've been playing with my new word journal- altered book. The cover of this book is actually a royal blue. I gessoe'd it and when I first used this stencil that was in the scrapbooking section of Michael's, I did the spaces in different colors of sage green, pale orange, golden yellow....and I didn't like it at all...it just didn't "pop"...and it didn't speak to me. So...the beauty of gesso....I covered it all over, added a coat of white paint and then did the holes in black.

Do you remember those black and white composition books we all grew up with in school? Well...I think of this as sort of my version. I spent last night cutting words out of whatever I could find...magazines, catalogs, etc., and these are what I came up with. There is no connection to the words...they are just random...but I do like all of them.

I haven't decided on the back cover yet, but it might just be the reverse of this...I'm working on another inside page at the moment....playing with words...

Last Post of 2010

2010-12-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

Still a work in progress....but getting there....

DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!

Putting Christmas Away

2010-12-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

Since I go back to work on Monday and don't want to spend the weekend cleaning after the holidays, I got it done today. Besides, I've often heard (perhaps an old wives tale) that it's bad luck to have your tree up on New Year's Day...it gives me an incentive anyway.... I was putting away the santas on my mantle and had to share.... In the photo below is my grandmother's baby cup ( my mother's mother) and her name was Virginia....you guessed it....yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And the sign the Santa is holding is what I wish for the planet... PEACE....will it ever happen?

Last Treat of 2010...

2010-12-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

I decided to treat myself this morning....so I made popovers. If you've never had a popover....to die for. Eat while it's hot and the butter melts and add some great preserves. A little bowl of berries and a cup of java....it was divine. Enjoyed while looking out the window at my bird feeder....
If you didn't have a nice breakfast this morning....tomorrow is the beginning of a brand new year....start anew.

...and the WORD is.....MUSE

2010-12-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

I started an altered book yesterday and it's going to be all about "words". The book will serve two purposes....I will include pages that feature a single word that interests me...and...it will also serve as a book that stores all of the little phrases and words that I cut out of magazines and catalogues that I use in doing collage. The picture above is a page on the left side of my book featuring the word...MUSE. Love the word. And I just happened to have this wonderful tissue paper from the Metropolitan Museum of Art....and there...you find "muse" in Museum....I love it when things come together like this. Here's the next photo...

I created the left side page before I did this right hand page. This page contains a pocket. The background of the pocket is a piece of black & white scrapbooking paper. I used that same paper in the first photo...inside the cd sleeve which makes a wonderful window. I added metal letters that spell out "muse". The pocket contains a plastic sleeve into which I placed words and phrases that I will use in other collage work. So...not only educational but useful storage as well! I can add and substract words from the envelope. And I can see them....

Here are both pages together...I hope you are...amused!

Greetings of the Season

2010-12-22T05:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't written a single Christmas card this season....so this is my greeting! Actually, it would be nice if I painted this scene instead of uploading a photo...maybe next year. My packages are wrapped, some family arrives today...I need to vacuum and dust and make a pot of soup. I don't need to leave my house today...thank goodness! In NYC...it's a "gridlock alert" day! What does that tell you....can't we turn back the clock and just simplify the season a bit and remember what we're really celebrating here? Retailers rush us from one holiday to the next...you could actually find your Valentine a gift today...I've already seen them in the stores. I'm just going to "tune out" all of this commercial stuff and enjoy my family, good food and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

A Few of My Favorite Things....

2010-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Take a breath....

2010-12-16T03:58:00.000-08:00

This and That

2010-11-30T17:14:00.000-08:00

The Art Cabinet

2010-11-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

Painting this is not without it's challenges, but you can sort of see the direction I am going with this....still have lots to do.

A Work In Progress

2010-11-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting a cabinet that I could "put my own stamp" on ever since I converted my den to my art space. Previously, I had a large cabinet in the corner where this one is ....but it was designed for a TV. It outlived its purpose in this room. So....I wandered into a home interior consignment shop last Saturday....and there was this cabinet. I definitely wanted one that had glass on top and drawers and storage underneath for my art supplies. This is an old, tired cabinet that needs some TLC ( it may not look that way in the photo). And I am going to definitely change it from the traditional piece that it is. Paint is a wonderful thing!
So, today I sanded off the old varnish and put a coat of primer on it.

I had a great chat with my local hardware store about what I want to do, looked at some colors and discussed glazes. I can't wait to get to the fun part!

Come Sit Awhile....

2010-11-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

I had fun doing this little vignette. I put a color wash on the paper and then I added the napkin which is the wall in this picture. I love the texture that the napkin adds. I then painted the carpeting in. If you look closely, you can see the subtle pattern in the rug that is the same design that appears on the back of the chair. On a separate piece of watercolor paper, I painted the chair which I then cut out and glued to the picture. Ta da. Fun.

Like a Tree....

2010-11-13T05:05:00.000-08:00

I was taking a picture of a tree in my neighbors yard and as I was walking back to my yard, I was fascinated by the shadows...and here is how I saw myself. This photo turned out to be more interesting than the tree.

La Dolce Vita

2010-11-08T03:42:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently took a wonderful trip to Florence and other parts of Italy. And she brought me a lovely gift. So I sat down last night to write her a thank you note....but I ended up creating this oversized postcard instead. The paisley paper on the upper left side is from the bag my gift came in; also the little oval sticker Venezia and the word "ilDoge" and the man in the upper right hand corner. I could feel a "little bit of Italy" myself while creating this picture for her....

The Process

2010-11-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've been making a hand made book. I find it a tedious process because....I am not a mathemetician, I have little patience for detail and I just want to "do it"...I don't really enjoy the learning curve part of it. That's true of everything I attempt....when I was younger, I didn't want to be on a tennis court learning the game....I just wanted to get out there and play....and not look inept. So....here's my first book attempt. It's made with signatures sewn together and the cover was made using a roofing paper that I gesso'd, added texture to, and then used crayons for the color that, after I applied them, I used a lot of elbow grease to blend together. Then I sanded it. It has 16 pages (32). The cover actually feels neat...has nice texture to it which isn't visible in this photo. It's not perfect, but I guess it's good for starters.
This is the inside front cover....

Now....what's going to go inside?

This House Haunts Me....

2010-10-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

...and it has nothing to do with Halloween. I know this house must have quite a story. It's in a nearby town and whenever there is some holiday or celebration....they put up appropriate decorations whether it's "flag" decorations for Memorial Day or, in this case, Halloween. There's an autumn wreath in the picture window and something orange hanging inside the front door which you can't see. They have potted Mums on the steps. There is a Halloween banner (flag) that's not quite visible as well. You can see lots of wear and tear...moss on the roof, a sagging side porch. And, that's possibly a satellite dish on the front porch. What's its story? It looks sad...but I hope there are some happy memories there. But I have to say....if I were trick or treating...I might just walk on by....

Having fun with the Red, White & Blue

2010-10-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

When I first started the Red, White & Blue journal, I was only going to work on the right side of the book and just put a wash of color on the left side pages. But ideas have come to me and now I have done work on the "opposite pages" so I will share/update you, below:

See how they look together....

I did the "Jaws" page earlier in the summer...and when I looked at it the other day, I realized I had this cute polka dot piece....that relates so well to the drawing of the woman...in her polka dot piece. I found some great things to add...a movie receipt from "Easy Virtue", the Drop Dead Gorgeous...and I especially like the line going up the left side..."Everyone else brought wine"...that's why doing collage is so much fun. The pages just work so well together.

And I added a page opposite Tom at Bethany Beach...

And I added some more embellishments to my "Vette" page....

It's back to work tomorrow, so I won't have this luxury of time...but I've certainly been enjoying myself. I would venture to say that I have altered every page I've already posted...because you're never really finished with a page....it can always use that ...one more thing....

October is....

2010-10-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Woods behind my house

The garden shed in the sunlight

A woodpile waiting for a cold day

A black cat

Lots of pumpkins....

And my cutie pie, c. 1989

GONE FISHIN'

2010-10-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

I think this is my favorite month of the year. This week I've taken some R & R and my sister and brother-in-law were here for a visit. Dianne & I have been to an outdoor flea market, traveled the back roads for a yummy breakfast, visited two art friends in a town north of my home and spent some quality time together. We've had a fun time! Below is a page I did this week in my Red, White & Blue journal. My friend, Janet, who we visited this week....has created the most beautiful, fascinating, interesting array of handmade books....so .....I came home from our visit, inspired.

I collaged some newspaper pieces underneath the tags that I made, that are attached with buttons. Now, being true to my American flag which I hope to have on every page, large or small....if you move the tags aside....

....there is a photo of the flag on the front page of our local newspaper. This art work appears opposite the fish picture I did that is "Fish Wrapped In Yesterday's News".....which appears elsewhere on this blog. Here is how they look together...

I think I'm done with fish now for awhile. And I don't even like to fish!

It's All About The Light

2010-10-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

I hate it when I have something I really want to write about....and I don't have the time. And now it's days later and I'm not sure I can capture and share the thought as well as I could when it was fresh. I've been reading a really interesting book by Barbara Brown Taylor called "An Altar in the World." She is really a marvelous writer and I have so many tabs in this book that I want to go back and reread!

But as a person who is interested in art and in "fine-tuning" my spirit, "the" light is very important....thus the photo above that I took a few months ago.

Here is a snippet from her book that I love...

"Once, when I was confined to bed for the better part of a week, I spent hours watching the sunlight that came through the slats of my wooden blinds move down the white wall of my bedroom. First thing in the morning it made honey-colored rectangles with soft edges. By 10am the wall was striped with bands of light as straight as rulers. By noon they looked more like the rungs of a ladder, dappled with leaves from the winged elm outside my window. By 2pm they had lost most of their character, as the sun moved over the roof of the house and left the front yard in deepening shadow."

She goes on to say....

"This may sound boring to you, but it was not. It was beautiful. It gave me a place outside myself to go. I did not have to do anything to make the light change. It had a routine it followed all by itself whether I was awake to watch it or not. If I did not like the way the light looked at a given moment, I knew it would change. If I loved the way the light looked at a given moment, I knew it would change. I could not speed it up and I could not slow it down.
Not to put too fine a point on it, the light was my life and I knew it. Paying attention to it, I lost my will to control it. Watching it, I became patient. Letting it be, I became well."

I couldn't condense what she wrote above and still capture the essence of what she was saying. It's quite beautiful.

Leaves of Blue

2010-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's nice to have different projects going and every now and then, it's back to the Red, White & Blue journal. I wanted to do a page that had something to do with fall....I considered doing a tree that had zentangles (that's on the back burner now) but after I gessoe'd this page, I ended up putting a blue wash on it. I still didn't really know what I was going to do, but keeping in mind that this is the red, white & blue book....it wasn't going to be autumn colors. So I then took this new rubber stamp that I have of an oak leaf and I used blue ink and stamped all over the page. Now what? I had to get some red in....so I took a red watercolor pencil and started going around the leaves negative space. That was working so I took my paintbrush and started moving the red around a bit. When that was dry....I took a white ink pen and drew the tree. Then I had some of this red and white paper leftover from an envelope that I received....added that, (actually, the design of the paper reminds me a little bit of the way the curves of the leaves are...) and, of course, our flag in the corner. The final touch was a little bit of charcoal shadow around parts of the tree that I then rubbed in. C'est fini.

THE DOG HOUSE

2010-09-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Having fun creating The Dog House today. It includes my late Golden Retriever, Max, (I put an angel by his photo) and my current side-kick, Boomer. I took a couple of the metal tags off of Max's collar which I had saved. Behind Boomer's head in the center, I wrote the names of all of the dogs I grew up with. I struggle a little bit with collage/mixed media because I'm not entirely sure where you cross the line and it looks like...scrapbooking. I am not a scrapbooker. At any rate....another "house" for my House Book...it's coming along...