The "Eyes" have it

Why do I think non-stop about art? Why am I so drawn to create? What do I get from drawing and painting? I don't consider art to be an outside source for me.  I feel that my art originates from inside and develops from there. I do get inspiration from colors, nature, others work. It's more of who I am than what I do.  

I was considering making this an ongoing post in which I would add to a cumulative list all the reasons that I am an artist and what I get out of this experience of being myself. So this post will be number 1 on that list. 

I have been creating a lot of mixed media art that is prompted from a group or theme, and sometimes I lose the techniques or skills that I used to strive for. Both have very valid applications. I create in many forms. I originally started in school using every opportunity to draw pictures for presentations and reports. I also liked to draw and that was my focus for a long time. Drawing people was always a challenging, proportion and anatomically correct. After that it was oil painting and ceramics. The extended list includes: stamping, scrapbooking, creating logos, designing and painting wall murals, baking custom cakes, photography, and most recently all the fun things involved in mixed media. Back to my roots. How to draw an eye. 

Sacred Inner Eye Tam Laporte Inspired

So for number 1, and this is pretty important what I get from art is the ability to always grow and see progression in my work. I had drawn a version of Tamara Laporte's Sacred Inner Eye from a free tutorial she once provided. It turned out pretty well. I like that it had color differentiation in the iris.  At that time, about 6 months ago, I thought wow! This is really really good. 

First "layer" before details

I recently started a art therapy journal in which to track my goals and write my plans to get there. In that theme I was also going to create a vision board to keep me aligned with my goals. Instead of a big piece of tagboard and magazine cut outs on my wall, I purchased my 3rd Dyan Reaveley Dylusions large journal. It's an addiction really.  When I think of a vision board, I see the image of and eye or what you see. I intended to use the already created eye. In my growth I have also learned that I need create art in the moment that reflects exactly what I am looking for and not "old" art.  I cannot prep pages and then come back..just not my style. 

I started looking at different eye tutorials online. Remember it's not my strong suit. I have given permission to myself to practice art and create things without judgement. So I really had to pull out my patience and apply it to this project.   I liked different features of different tutorials and ideas. Shading of one, lashes of another.  I picked apart layers in my mind and built up layers and colors of prismacolor premier pencils over my sketched eye. 

                 (On a side note, when I am creating individual parts of the artwork I think, hmmmm, this isn't going well, and in the end I think well ok, I finished it at least. THEN comes the big surprise, when I walk away and come back and look at it all, especially this piece, I am astounded that I had the ability to draw at this technical of a level. It's in there you have to have the desire and intention to find it.)

 I liked this photo I took of the work. I was drawn to the way the flash worked,  it looks like a real eye with wet properties. After staring at the eye staring at me, I feel as if there is a reflection in the pupil of perhaps myself taking this picture.

Comparative pic of WIP. 

This by far is one of my most personally adored pieces. The difference in these two pieces is tremendous. Thinking back to how amazing the first one was and now looking..I am very proud of the progression. 

Supplies I used for this drawing: 

• Dyan Reaveley Dylusions Journal (large size)
• Pencil for basic sketch
• Prismacolor Premier Pencils (by far my favorite for the bendable quality)
• White gesso/bic white correction pen for hi lights and gloss lines

Where did my summer go?

Vision Journal..to leave white design or color it?

Good thing I don't write this blog as a job, because I'd be the worst employee of the month! Finding time to create art in between so many trips is exhausting. I always pack a to go back with a ton of supplies thinking I'm going to make something on this trip..write, paint, sketch, something...but nope. That bag just sits untouched between the hikes and boating, meals, family games, exploring, keeping track of the kid and a dog,  and finally just being too tired to actually lift a creative bone in my body.  I have been focusing more on my photography as an art form in these situations. I have also decided to create a vision journal. Besides the regularly prompted journals, and my free to create journal, this is meant to be a vision board, a place to set goals and track accomplishments. Not a planner, but a place to inspiration as it hits me and to be able to follow through with what makes me happy in life. I have been creating at random. First to share the journal I chose for this new direction in art and self acceptance. It truly is a healing process and freeing to be in this space.

Two things I have learned about myself in this journey of self truth. First, I doubt myself and second, I look to seek approval for just about everything. I don't need approval, I am fine just the way I am and capable of making decisions and choices without having to worry about every single detail or what others will think. Apparently this stems from always having to strive to be better and "why isn't that an "A"? mentality.  I am an adult, why is it that I have now realized this?  Sometimes the most obvious and simple things can become burdensome and difficult to accept.

 Theses are just a couple of the fun pieces I was inspired by on our vacation at Long Beach, Wa this year. We have been going every year since 1998, missing maybe 2 years for a break, and having a baby.
I loved all of the jewelry and gears pieces in this little shop. They sold individual scrabble tiles, so I chose my word for the year "connect". Also I ran across the flying pig. If I ever see on, he or she better be as colorful as this fun little guy!

This is one of of our favorite places to visit is actually in Oregon near Astoria in Warrenton. This is what is left of a old shipwreck on the beach. It is great for photo backgrounds, and I love exploring all of the rusty bits and pieces, barnacles, layers of stories it shares. This was our 2nd or 3rd time there. 

The rest of the photos below are creative shots I took of things at the beach or around the area we stayed.  The bird picture was a quick point focus shoot and hope for the best. It is one of my favorite from this trip because of the instant moment in which it was captured. 

Patterns are everywhere in nature.

Not upside down, the reflection in the ocean.

I made my husband stop on the side of the road so I could shoot this amazing bridge. 

I like to think this is a magical path into nature. I did stand in the middle of the road to take it.

Something magical about old carnival rides that look abandoned.

Merri-go-round. Still working. I have a thing for this as an art form with motion and color. They seem mysterious.

Carnival horse.

Nature. I love these details and color.

A picture in town.

Pow! and bokeh.

Our cabin. Boardwalk Cottages, Long Beach, Wa EVERY year!

A New Direction for Myself Inspired by Liz Lamoreux's "Inner Excavation"

Inner Excavation. Expertly written by Liz Lamoreux.  First off, I must credit an unknown Facebook member who brought this book to my attention. Immediately I requested it at my library.  "Inner Excavation" to me sounds like really figuring yourself out, and excavation is much more than just write some prompted feelings and move on.

You can read more about the book and process on Liz's website. P.S. this lady is AH-Mazing!!!
http://www.lizlamoreux.com/welcome/
https://www.facebook.com/LizLamoreux

When I first started reading "Inner Excavation," I was intrigued by the components she used to explore who we are as individuals. Not what our bodies are, not what we have as a title, but what really makes us each tick and where our inspiration comes from.

 One form is through photography, and not your photoshopped magazine grade photos, true, realistic, every day life photos. Do I love photography? Why yes, yes I do. Check.  The second form or exploration is through poetry. Writing words and finding meaning from different places where you don't just look at a blank page and try to wordsmith some Shakespeare or Cat in the Hat rhyming piece. Do I love writing? Why yes, yes I do. I've been writing since I was young, I write journals, I write stories, I write feelings, I doodle whenever I have a pen in my hand. So, Check. There's that. 

The third component is putting you into your mixed media work. How do you do that? You don't follow specific prompts, you find what themes and ideas you are naturally drawn to and explore that through mixed media. 

Before I began reading, I had to have a journal to work on the prompts in..and I had to make it. That was just my take on this fun adventure. I cut manilla file folders in half and punched holes near the spine. That amazing crazy ribbon is actually a really skinny scarf thing I picked up at a thrift shop and I loved using it here. 

I ended up not using the journal for completing the prompts, but I did use it for writing down notes and ideas from the book so I could have it with me wherever I went and to apply the things that really stood out to me. I treated the note taking as a fun journaling idea, writing in fun fonts, no particular order.  

I decorated the journal with some painted color just to keep it interesting. 

I am writing about things in here that I really have to think about. Who are you and what inspires you? Who am I? I'm a mom, I am an artist, I am a...wait. I do those things but they aren't really WHO I am. At the core I am a creative thinker, I am curious, I am the lens that are my eyes into the world which I see full of color and inspiration.  What inspires me? Good question. A prompt, sometimes but that is so specific and really just someone else's idea. What inspires me in life to be who I am? Color is a huge one, nature of course, water and the ocean, and I am always inspired by something that challenges me to learn. Notice random notes and doodling. All a process to think about things in a different way. 

Again with the fun colors and doodles. No order just a bunch of ideas all together written in a favorite pen that just magically flows onto the page. 

Collaborative Art. Do I even do that? I should, we should.

I was mainly reading this book for 2 weeks at the 35 min a time while my son was at a swimming lesson. Hard to put down. I have to confess I don't really "read" art books. I paruse the pages and only look at what I see visually interesting. A lot of intros are the same and they are filled with projects. I ACTUALLY word for word read this entire book. Inspiration and examples from lots of different artists. References to music and and books and things I'd never heard of but are amazingly inspiring and fun because they are all new to me!

And this is the last doodled page in this little journal of fun.

This is my art mess. I work in mess and chaos. I organize to look nice, but that lasts all of 2 minutes and I'm back to this look. I prefer it I suppose! 

Some of my very first inner excavation involves a technique I've been attached to now for many a journal pages. At first it was just paint smeared with my finger in many bright colors to achieve the above effect.  After that, I started adding texture underneath the color. I haven't been to an art store in over a month, because I have plenty of supplies on hand and it allows me to use my happy mail and things I've collected. I then started to add tissue paper as my first layer and I would used mod podge to glue it to the page. As I laid it down, I wanted the crinkled effect so I just glued over wherever it placed itself allowing for folds and all sorts of textural effects.  As for the self exploration, the wings are personal to me and they are a print of of the 5 ft paper mache wings I have on my wall. It's not a self portrait, but it is me. It signifies a personal life situation as well as the hours of cutting thick cardboard to accomplish this project. 

This was the happy accident on the left that led me to adding the tissue paper. 

Liz's book couldn't have appeared in my life at a better time as you can see by the message of this page. Again loving the finger painting smearing of colors for the backgrounds. 

This piece I did awhile ago, but it ties in nicely as the smeared gesso on the left has become the image of a ghost person the more I look at it, (unintentional) and then the erased face and finally finding myself. It's been a long process but the more art I do the more I really accept who I am, that I am truly an artist and not just a hobbyist. 

For the Self portrait, I did print out this picture to use as a picture, but then added the ephemera and words that describes what and where I am in my life right now. The really inner workings of this book. 

Finally as the photography self portrait suggests, one would think of a face shot or whole body. A self portrait is not only about the physical but the experience being shown so that you and others really know you you are inside. What makes you tick, what inspires you. True authentic you. 

This is what I accomplish here. I took this picture on July 19, 2015 at the beach around 7 pm at night and it was still near 90 + degrees, which is not typical for this girl or State. It does combine who I am in photography, as well as the water and somewhat symbolic (although I wasn't going for this at the time) of "just getting my toes wet."  Being a better version of myself. A happy version.

I am learning to let go of my own expectations of myself. The way I should be or look.  I would not have ever posted this picture below..Nothing is "wrong with it,"  it is just me anyways. I don't always love my hair back looking short like that but who cares. What you don't know about this photo is it is a visual capture of being able to step out of my comfort zone.  To not take the easy way out, to be the mom who will do anything for her son, even in freezing cold ocean water. Long story short, he got a new fishing pole and was practicing casting. The 2 pieces of the pole don't lock together so one time he cast and the top of his pole flew out in the water about 30-40 feet. Now, he's already in the water up to his waist and has been in for a long time. He tries to swim to it, but he's not a strong swimmer yet and he's shivering. After he at least tried I had him come in.  In my mind I debate...new fishing pole, or I swim. I had swim appropriate clothes on. After a few minutes I just went for it. No boundaries, no excuses for water too cold. I swam out to that pole and brought it back. That water was FREEZING! This picture symbolizes me lifting my boundaries and living a more free and happy life. 

 At the end of the day. I am myself the most at the beach with my art, be it journal, camera, or both. I really wanted to share how amazing Liz Lamoreux's book "Inner Excavation" has been a great focal piece at this point in my life and the kind of journey I want to continue on.  If you get a chance to read it I'd love to hear what you took away from it and what your thoughts are.

Out of my comfort zone

Gesso, scrape paint, spray, glue, journal repeat. You get stuck in a certain style or follow a trend, but there are always fall back styles that are predominant in your work. It may be all bright colors, or always have a vintage feel, a whimsical drawing. Learning new techniques is easy to do by watching you tube videos or taking classes from a variety of artists.  Sometimes its nice just to challenge yourself and make art without thinking. Even if it's not "your style". Your style is defined by everything you create.

I create some artistic piece every day, even if it is just gluing and painting. Mostly in a journal, and sometimes a mixed media tablet. I am challenged by non matching colors, by layers upon layers including collage, cut papers and ephemera, and then the idea of covering some of it up with gesso or paint to give the design depth. Instead of starting with a couple matching colors, I swiped many small sections in many colors. I sprayed the page with water first to help the colors spread and blend. I chose to use colors that would usually make me cringe including a soft pink, dark blue and red. I dripped some Dylusions spray inks in purple and blue.  I was completely reorganizing my art room and came across some great happy mail which I glued onto the page as I painted it.  I cut up an envelope which had all of the circles on it, I also utilized music paper, text pages, and gelli prints.  Gelli prints were used as both prints glued on and pieces cut up into shapes like the green pieces cut on the left page.

I always struggle with covering up a brightly beautiful background. So this was a super challenge, but I managed to move past it. If you had asked me if I'd ever create anything like this before It would have been a definite answer "No".   However, it's a new starting point to bounce mixed media ideas from. It is far from complete, but I have already accomplished a sense of depth and interest with all of the colors and collaged bits I've started with. It was fun to try and I love it! I am having so much fun, and isn't that what its all about anyways?

Super MEGA Ocean Theme ATC swap ...AND some really great deals!

I haven't posted in awhile, but that just means I've been busy creating. One of my new favorite activities is parusing the endless bins at our Goodwill Outlet to find art supplies and treasures for pennies. Literally pennies. They charge fifty cents to a dollar twenty-nine a pound for different types of things. Clothing and textiles, books, old records, 8-tracks, organization bins, ribbons, strings, old briefcases, knock off purses...(It was my first hope at a Kate Spade purse, I should have know by the glued on label it wasn't real, but the find in hopes of value was worth it.) This last trip I went with my husband. It's relatively easy to save money and only spend $10 for bags and bags of new things to play with. 

My husband found an old flat strainer with a handle and was like "hey, you could used this for your art right?" Um, could I EVER! The pic on the right is using Dylusions spray ink and it keeps the tiniest patterns without running together!

My husband also found me a handful of Prismacolor double tipped markers that worked (6-8) of them. 

He also suggested I use a metal organizer for paints to add an artistic pop of color, not knowing it was for K-cups. Either way win-win and it spins! Old books, sheet music, old letters handwritten things just tossed out. It was a fun day the 2nd time for $7. They rotate all the stuff within a day also, so you can find really great things.. oh and furniture! 



Crazy fun. I suppose I'm a little off track and should write two posts, but who are the blogger police here anyways?? 




I participate in quite a few different type of swaps, but my recent favorite is the MEGA ATC swaps. I had seen this one and wished I had joined but it was closed. Ocean theme. Hm...so many possibilities. I was able to jump in anyways and the gears in my brain were smokin' with ideas.

 I created the backgrounds with a Gelli plate. I have to admit I didn't use it much at first, but I do now! I used some blue acrylic paints of different values and just covered the plate. I used a soft edged tool and removed some of the paint in the shape of waves. I made this pattern all the way down the plate and printed my papers...I loved it! I wanted more texture so I used some lighter blue colors and used the same smooth tip tool and drew curled waves this time. I printed them over the blue straight waves. EVEN BETTER!! After the waves were dry, I used a piece of tulle wadded up to pick up colors of orange, pink, and green to imitate coral at the bottom. I used a metallic green to create the seaweed. 

Great for an ocean theme background, but what was my main focus going to be? I love octopuses/octopi, but I went with jellyfish for a couple of reasons that you'll see in the techniques I used. I painted the yellow tops of the jellies, and hi lighted them with white gesso. The tentacles were squiggly white gesso drawn over with a watercolor red pencil. 


Here's the fun part.  I used Mod Podge dimensional magic on the bodies of the jellies. It applies itself as a cloudy liquid and dries as a clear, shiny, dimensional pieces on the project. This makes the jellies glisten and have a more dimensional quality. 

What's next? I used a stabilo marks all pencil in black just under the bottom of the jellies to give them depth from the tentacles. Last but not least I used the bejeweled stickers to represent water bubbles above the seaweed. 

 I decided to start getting more "official" with my ATC's and actually filled out a trading card info piece that I attached to the back of them. In total I 
completed 13 of these. I sent 12 in the swap..ooops one extra, and I always keep one for myself. Hope you enjoy them!