For the most part, it was gesso with added tints of pink, green or blue...
And white writing showing up in the background and in the images of vases.
I'll share with you also what's beginning to happen on a larger scale - here's the work in progress on my easel. Much, much more to do there but it looks as if my art journal colors and patterns are spilling over onto the canvas.
For more in this series of art journaling posts I call "Color For Breakfast", go here.
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?
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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.
I don't think I've ever shared with you the "rituals" I keep.
(By the way, if you know me, you know I have a penchant for nick naming everything.....)
One of them is a new creative ritual (The New Happy Hour).
One of them is an old one (the Hour of Power).
And one of them is most challenging to keep (Mojo Mondays).
Please allow me to expound.
The "New Happy Hour" has grown out of my recent "Color for Breakfast" series of art journaling posts. You see, lately in the morning, I've been playing with color in my art journal - leading to backgrounds and sometimes, focal images.
In the late afternoon, or early evening, I pick up the art journal once again and add in the written parts. This is a WAY better, happier, more productive time spent than with a glass of wine.....hence my "New Happy Hour"! (And hey, trading in the empty calories has even led to a bit of tightening in the tummy region! I mean, did you know that a SMALL glass of wine is nearly 100 calories? OMG.)
My "Hour of Power" is a long standing morning ritual that keeps me rising early.
It's during this time, that I write in my journal over coffee, sometimes sketch or lately, spend time in the art journal.
This is followed by exercise of some sort and a healthy breakfast.
It tell you, I go a little batty if I let any of this slide more than 2 days! Okay...a lot batty!
The hardest ritual to keep by far is my Mojo Mondays.
This is the day that our house gets quiet again.
This is the day that's mine to get things back in order, plan my week, vision the future, process the past and generally have the ME time that I believe we all need.
I especially believe women need this - but often wonder if it's more true for us than for men. Feels like it is.....feels like its true for me. You?
This is the day that gets put on the back burner when real life interrupts or things just HAVE to get done.
So when that does happen, I really try to schedule another day or at least a half day of quiet time.
It's important to re-fuel!
What about you? Do you have rituals? Do you need one or two? Would your life be more serene, blissful and sane if you did?
I nearly never show you the journaling I do on top of my colorful backgrounds.
One, because it's usually too personal to show anyone. (It is a journal you know.)
Two, because I hardly ever do the journaling part anymore - leaving that to my normal written journals . . .
So, my art journals have become books of tiny paintings and experiments - hardly any words at all.....so I thought it time for a change.
Change is good!
The pics below are an update on this week's earlier post "Brights For Breakfast"..... now there's words here too!
To see more of my "Colors For Breakfast" art journaling series, pop on over here.
ooh and the thrill of yellow!
I do so love colors opposite the color wheel from one another.
The white here is just plain old gesso - I'd run out of my fave white titanium and found that I'm liking gesso better!
(The things one discovers when you allow yourself to play.)
The scribbles I made in the wet paint reveal layers underneath that I wasn't so pleased with.
(Ya just gotta keep going when you don't like what's happening. Trust the process and it'll all turn out okay.)
The figures here came by using my "excavation" technique - I teach that in an online workshop in 21 Secrets. It's open through the end of 2012....go here for more details.
And to see more of my ever growing art journaling (background) series I call "Color For Breakfast", go here.
It's caused by the cool ocean breezes from the west mixing with the heating up desert breezes from the east.
The weather ALWAYS clears by the fourth of July, so I try to embrace this cooler and foggy few weeks as I know the heat is to come!
When I stepped out into the early morning to walk my dog, I was truly surprised by a pastel sunrise.
It had to be documented with a background spread in my art journal.
It was so soft and beautiful, I nearly ate it for breakfast!
For other breakfast colors on my plate, see this growing series of posts I call "Color for Breakfast" by going here.
I began art journaling on top of this layer that I'd done in Pam's Carriker's class.....
and it ended up like this (so far).
Isn't it amazing how your pages can morph - they turn out differently that you could have ever planned.
I'd only begun with the plan to paint the wolf that I keep seeing around the neighborhood - yes a real wolf!
The Cullins couldn't be far behind....
Oh and the phrase "soul fire" that was bouncing around Facebook a bit - I like the thought of it....mmmmmm soul fire.
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For other posts in this series I'm calling "Color for Breakfast"......go here.
Pink has never been my favorite - until now.
This morning, I nearly ate it for breakfast.
Delicate, romantic and ultra feminine......
especially next to the inkiness of black and the juiciness of yellow and lime.
For lunch, maybe tangerine served up with a side of turquoise.
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For other posts in this series I'm calling "Color for Breakfast", go here.
