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.