Back to the Words

I create art in all sorts of different mediums and you can check those out under the tabs at the top of the page.  I started out with drawing sketches and pictures in a spiral art journal, moved onto oil painting, created with ceramics, scrapbooked, and rubber stamped, moved onto teaching art in programs for children and recently have immersed myself into the visual mixed media journal. I find that when I create these, it is a reflection of what I am feeling on the inside. This is the reason I have so many journals so I can create in all my different moods and feelings. There is not a day that goes by that I am not creating, painting or thinking art. My brain doesn't know how to turn that off and I'm super excited that it doesn't.

I love to write. I am also a writer and can sit and write for hours if I want to. What happens to all the words when the mixed media page of art takes over and the words are in the pictures? A picture may or may not be worth a thousand words, but they are secretly masking them in all their collaged and painted glory.

I wanted to get back to the words. Sometimes the word is the focus of the page. Literally. I just completed a journal page that used "focal point" and  "coming into focus" as a prompt.

This page is that prompt. Of course focus to me, immediately evokes visions of cameras and apertures, so I captured that on the right side of this layout. I rarely stick to one page although these two could be stand alone pages. The second page in working backwards was the one completed on the left. It is the colorful side of the focus, or exactly the opposite. It is the bokeh created when lights are NOT in focus. For this I wanted to use words. The words I chose came from this Mark Twain quote which fits perfectly.   "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."                          

After thinking about words I was shared this "Go now and live" piece that would also in its original creation be a fabulous page as a background for all of the little things to remember in life.



Finally a more personal statement in words. Sometimes I will intentionally leave a space to add words later so I can really express what is going on in my life at the time. I will scribble it out in a way that I know what it means so that the viewer isn't overwhelmed by my life drama.  It's not really drama it's real life. It's real things that happen and that I experience. Life is hard and always thinking you want to grow up so soon. Yeah, that's the worst thing ever and your parents are right. Who knew?  The last words I came across that I will use in my next creations is this by Kurt Cobain.

I recently completed a grunge tag swap and when thinking grunge ALL I could think about was "come as you are, as a friend", "smells like teen spirit" and Nirvana. Anyhow, how timely for this influence to pop up again. "I'd rather be hated from who I am than love for who I'm not."- Kurt Cobain.  Behind the mask of art and behind the mask of societal "expectations", who you "should be" as a mom and wife and a friend and a community member...and, and, and...I'll just be me thank you very much. -with love of course.

Time for Art

 I have created yet ANOTHER journal. If one doesn't feel right I just go to the next. In my crazy organization in my head I have to have journals for certain "subjects" to keep all the like things together and to see progression. For example a DLP Dylusions journal, a Canson Mandala journal, a sketch journal, another Strathmore whatever art catches my fancy journal, an office planner journal for art I want to try that I see others have created, and now THIS one. I was using my Dylusions journal and had picked up a 2nd one for half price at a local craft store.  Anyhow the ink I was using went through the spine into all the previous pages.  I used gesso and then was suggested to try without.. Bring in the new Dylusions journal. I did a new cover this time. Just what I felt not what I "Wanted" it to be in the first take. I wanted it to be whatever it came to be and this was it. This is my no mistakes no criticisms no limits journal. So the colors of my current day are turquoise and purple and I have hung on the attraction of those colors for awhile now. Blended acrylic paint in those colors. Then I have also discovered masking with vinyl. So I cut some circles and place them in random spots.  Oh, almost forgot and little white gesso ghosting of the honeycomb design down in the lower right hand corner. After the black circles were dry I placed a circles stencil over the top and only filled in the spots inside the circles. To me in the end it is abstractly similar to a butterfly wing perhaps. I blended oranges inside to make them pop and added a few black paint dots with the end of a paintbrush. Hi light with a dip of white gesso in a few of them..This brings me happiness when I look at it. That's what art is supposed to be right ???

Testing techniques for dylusions spray inks. Of cours this isn't an issue if you only drip color vertically from top to the bottom of a page, but of course I have to be different and do it my way. (stubborn artist) 

This is with White gesso on the seam over some washi tape..doesn't really bleed through, but it does leave the obvious white line breaking continuity. 

Don't get me wrong I LOVE this combination of yummy dylusions colors. Again with just washi, it seals the seam. However if you take it off you see a stark white empty line breaking continuity again. If I leave it I have obvious washi tape down the middle of my page. Oh well. Still pretty just not a solution yet. 

Different color combinations and just having fun. Some washi tape and honeycomb stencil in my of course current favorite colors.

I finally went back to the first page and started an unprompted feel as you go journal page. I had this little cupcake girl cutout and loved her, so I had to use it. I made the clouds with a scalloped paper template I cut and used different blues to make the stencil of cloud lines. What I figured out this time and is so easy, swirling gesso in circles with your fingers in those shapes makes perfect clouds. Now maybe you think you can't draw clouds, or paint them, but I bet you an finger paint in a circular motion. Try it! 

gone for a week

What?!?! I've been a slacker..well in the journal and art post on my blog department. I haven't however been slacking in the art room/journal or kid department. I've been super planning, prepping, and practicing with my son's Destination Imagination team that performs tomorrow. Then back to the blog. :) I'm working on a layers piece in my journal. I skipped a page that I created with this amazing drip delusions ink and a cloud but couldn't bring myself to use for anything but the image it created. So now onto layers and a circus theme, because right now my life feels like a circus!

I am looking forward to Monday. A girls day with my MIL and SIL, spa, sauna, massage, and lunch...Pure magic!

I don't go a day without throwing some paint down or scribbling on some project. For that 10 minutes or 5, its clarity for the crazy ideas I have floating in my brain.  I am on a circus theme I will say that and  I love it. Time for bed and a busy tomorrow..then blogging every day for a week! That's the plan :)