The Quickening

Since making this promise to myself,

the work has been pouring out of me!

Fast - but with lots of layers and texture and collage.

(Of course, it helps that our weather is so dry and breezy.  Paint dries real quick!)

This painting, which I call "The Space Between Us", happened in maybe 2 hours??

(Closer detail shots below give you a glimpse of the layers.)

This art journal spread titled "The Air Up There", came quickly too.

(Huh I don't usually title art journal spreads.)

Anyways, there's TONS of writing hidden underneath, 

within and on top of the paint & collage layers.

It was done in response to Galia Alena's first segment of her online class 

"Calling In The Elements".

I never knew that the element of Air had SO much to teach me - oh but it does.

Air can be both gentle and strong.

Have you ever really thought about that before?

I wanna be THAT . . . gentle AND strong - like Air, like a dancer, like a bird.

I even whipped out this super personal art map - 

it's a kind of visual plan of where 

I dream of going with my art making and other creative callings.  

(But it's soooooo personal, I can't won't share the details - hence the blurry bits.)

It's good stuff I tell you....good stuff!  Setting me on fire kind of stuff.

You see art making can be practical too.

There's something super special about putting your intentions 

not only on paper or on another to-do list,

but in firmly coloring it into your heart and soul with art - 

whether that's on a ginormous piece of watercolor paper OR in your journal.

Hand + eye + heart + brain working together = good.

Summer Is Here!

Happy Summer everyone!

Apparently I'm celebrating by cranking up the heat! Woo! (First, in my spin class and second, in my HOT HOT studio where I put the finishing touches on this new painting.)


 

Here's a few detail shots of the 3ft X 3ft canvas.


I used my favorite "excavation" technique to paint this one - fitting, don't you think for a painting of ancient Egyptians?

   

I should explain a bit about "excavating". . .

See I don't create these images.....I find them there after painting in a messy background. Really I do! There is NO WAY I'd come up with this wacky composition....just couldn't do it.


 


What's really really crazy is that within the past month, I've gone to see both the Cleopatra exhibit in Los Angeles and the King Tut exhibit in Seattle.


 

So maybe....just maybe, my subconscious is carrying those images...I dunno. Is that woo woo? Maybe, but it's fun.


(BTW - I did add in the pyramids and the hieroglyphics. Those are the only images that I "designed".)

 


I call this painting "Lineage" and while I "excavated" images on a canvas here, I teach YOU how to do it in your art journals in 21 Secrets: An Online Art Journal Playground.

21 Secrets is open until the end of the year, so there's still time to play. You get access to my class, AND 20 other workshops for only $59. Really great deal, huh?

Go here for more details.

So how will you spend your summer?
Is the heat already cranked up where you're at?
Do you have a pool?
Do you need a pool buddy? (Hint hint.)

Side Note:  WOWSER!  I JUST figured out how to make my sentences and pics look right here again on Blogger - they made some changes to the program recently and I was stumped!  Woo hoo!!

Red, White & Blue For Breakfast

I can honestly say, I pretty much never use the color red in my art work. I like red.....I do! I wear it, there's splashes of it throughout my home, but rarely does my paint brush see the likes of it. So obviously that means, ya gotta play with it, right? Nearly this entire spread was painted red with touches of yellow. I then laid in a print using black ink and one of Pam Carriker's images she let us use during a class with her. The "queen" is enhanced with the use of a Sharpie paint pen in white. Not being the lover of red, I've since added in shades of blue and more white. Made me feel much better.....woot! Pretty wild, huh? ***** Oh and here's some further work I've done on my "Pink for Breakfast" page.... The phrase at the bottom is something like what artist and teacher Angi Sullins said in her last "Spa For The Soul" video - she's a wise one that Angi! To see more of this ever growing series of art journaling posts that I call "Color for Breakfast", go here.

Where One Thing Leads To Another

After obsessing over Austrailian Aboriginal art, I had to try some dot painting myself.....

Which led to turning that little piece of canvas into a new art journal......

I lined the inside with a beautiful handmade art paper I found recently.

Today, I took that new journal to the Create Retreat in Irvine......

That's where I had a day long class with the uber lovely Pam Carriker!

She shared 6 awesome techniques..... I sat in the back of the class with a rowdy group (yeah you know who you are)!

Now I gotta play with these pages - they're a work in progress.

Pam gave us lots of goodies - but my fave are the Peerless Watercolors. With these dry sheets, we were able to create a portable palette for our journals! Nice!

Look! Pam even let me print the sleeve of my denim shirt with her art work - which she happily signed for me.....aren't I the luckiest? I know. I am!

Letter Envy

I confess that I've always had "letter envy"..... My art journals don't have a lot of writing and lettering (mostly because I religiously keep a written journal). So when I see the beautiful lettering styles of other art journalers, I do get a little green.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw that Joanne Sharpe had an online lettering class. I just HAD to sign up!

I've shared just a few snippets of my practice journal with you here. Her class is so fun, I seek out any free moment to add another round of practice pages to my little book. I haven't yet started adding in some of the lettering styles to my art journals, but I know I will soon.

Joanne's packed this class FULL of techniques! You can do one a day for a month - or spread them out over whatever time you like - there's no time limit in which to complete the class.

I'm not paid for this endorsement, just falling in "letter love"! So if you're interested in seeing what this class is all about, head here for the details!

Creativity Camp!

Amidst the mad rush and obligations of the holidays, are you ready to keep daily creative practice a front and center priority?

Yay! Me too!

Join me and the Cosmic Cowgirls on line beginning December 5 for four weeks of catalytic creativity! Here's the scoop:

* Four weeks, 15 minutes a day – Rock a creative project of your choice and strengthen your creative practice! *

* Be inspired by sharings and prompts from Jenafer Joy and featured Cosmic Cowgirls! (hey I'm a featured artist!) *

* Deepen your relationship with your inner muse, creative intuition and unique expression! *

* Have a blast cheerleading others and being supported by a community of women on the creative path with you! *

* Give yourself permission and a structure. Choose a creative project and come marinate in your own artistic juices! *

This will be a fun and stress free zone - really! Gifting yourself with creativity each day will keep you happy and sane through the holiday season!

Creativity Camp is just $79 - this link will take you to more information.

You can register here.

I hope to see you there!!

A little of this, a little of that . . .

Up early with coffee and a sketchbook . . .



Drawing "fashionistas" inspired by fashion mag photography . . .





Then on to piling up stacks of hand painted papers - what do ya suppose I should do with it?



a little of this . . .



a little of that . . .

The Doodlicious Daybook

The past few months, I've had the honor to teach my first online art journaling course over at 21 Secrets: An Art Journal Playground. It was hosted by Connie over at Dirty Footprints Studio. She gathered so many amazing art journaling teachers that the response was stupendous . . . I've had over 180 students pass through my class so far!





My workshop was called the Doolicious Daybook. (Pics here are some of my pages and the cover.) Students began by hand painting doodles WAY big on large rolls of paper. Then they deconstructed, cut, collaged, added any other papers wanted, sewed, taped and otherwise artfully assembled the papers into a completely original journal of their own. Then there was adding photos, journaling and whatever they could think of. I loved seeing their work bloom into full living color before my very eyes!



I'm sad that the workshop will be closing at the end of the month, but I wanted to share a couple of girl's work who wrote blog posts of their own. Do go take a looksie and share the love, won't you?

Sharon Pope, of Moxie Blue, shared her work here.

Jeanne McBrayer, of All Things Quilty, shared her work here and here.

Aren't they wonderful ... and doodlicious?!?