Journal Pages, maybe

I'm still working on these pages just a little at a time as I watch TV and such. These are more of the pages that I ripped out of a notebook I had started some journal pages in. So eventually these will get holes punched and be put together in a binder of some sort. I play on them and then set the page to the side until I pick them back up and decide what else I can do on them. Each page started out with 3 small notebook pages glued together. This is the same piece I made the bookmark from. Just thought I'd show a few that are nearly done....I think. More pages of learning what and what not to do.

This one has layers of torn wallpaper and music pages, metallic paints, a napkin for the bunch of grapes and a Alice graphic from a decoupage sheet. I just add writing lines with charcoal or a marker and then wipe most of it back off.

This one started out as a pocket page so I left it as a pocket and just re-glued it. It may need some sewing or staples or something. This has a couple different wall paper pieces, acrylic paints, markers, glitter, torn script and a graphic of a stone angel. I think this is done, although a little butterfly might find it's way to the roses.

Not really room for writing on this page, it's just for keeping notes or a surprise.

This one wrinkled when I was gluing it but I kept it anyway. It's a torn piece of wall paper, music sheet, acrylic paint and the graphic with a touch of markers. I might leave this one alone, now. That's it for tonight! Just thought I'd post something twice today to make up for the days I don't get on here! I think clicking on the picture will bring it up bigger.

Background Play

In Sharon's (All Norah'S Art) Faces class we're just getting used to navigating on Ning, getting to know the delightful members, beginning to learn ways to make backgrounds using security envelopes and napkins, and getting needed supplies before the class actually starts. So last night I pulled out a piece of 5x7 flat canvas board and made a background. I managed to get carried away "playing" and sort of over did the canvas, losing much of the checkered security envelope detail I wanted to show through but that was the least of the mistakes. I'm still going to do more on this later, this is just the background and it awaits either painting a face or maybe collage type things on top. We'll see.

This starts with Lascaux Perlacryl paint in 3 or 4 colors swiped on the canvas. Then a layer of torn checkered security envelopes and a few pieces of torn script and music sheets, a bit more paint and then pink peony flowers ripped from a napkin, some colorful swirls cut from scraps and then poppies ripped from another napkin. Lastly a few pieces of copper metallic thread and stamped dots. I nearly completely lost the swirls because of too much layering (I doubled some of the pink flowers as they were too light...so I thought). I then had the not too bright idea to rub the swirls with charcoal to help define the edges in spots even if I had lost the color. That was the major mistake....I knew the charcoal would smear and I still went ahead with it rather than simply reach over for something else. It's still not bad, just not what I intended at all. Art is like that and play leads to learning.....if you heed the lessons learned!

My Book Pile

I've been busy still trying to declutter the art room in order to make more room for different clutter! I am making headway, just slowly. On a small shelf next to my chair was a stack of books and so I took the pile down to see what all was there. It was a stack that I spent last Winter with and many days out on the deck last Summer.

I had a horrid case of Cellulitis in my leg (actually both legs) and ended up from late Fall until late Spring in bed or doing couch duty, staying off the legs. So I ordered these books and along with these were also numerous Cloth Paper Scissors, Somerset Studio's, other various how-to art books and sketch books, pens and pencils and last but not least always a novel or 2 to read and a book for Found Words! There was barely room for myself and tiny doggy to get in that bed and I always had to unload it each night! The pages of these books are all marked and dog-earred although I can't say I did DO any art to show from them. I think it was a matter of too much all at one time. My mind flowed from one idea to the next and couldn't settle on any one thing for very long. About the time I thought I decided what to try, a new book would come and I'd start all over again. So, in one of the books I found this scrap of paper as a bookmark along with many other scraps starting supply lists! In one of the books I had come across a exercise of drawing with your LEFT hand. Right! Hard enough to learn with the right, let alone the left. So, in still trying to be brave and showing the bad, I scanned this scrap and thought I'd show it. Using my left hand is hard enough but trying it while sitting in bed surrounded by piles of books and a dog is another thing!

Give it a try sometime! It's so hard but fun.

The main books by my side were: COLLAGE JOURNEYS (a practical guide to creating personal artwork) by Jane Davies, TAKING FLIGHT (Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings) by Kelly Rae Roberts, MIXED MEDIA SELF-PORTRAITS (Inspiration and Techniques) by Cate Coulacos Prato, COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALTERED IMAGERY (mixed-media techniques for collage, altered books, artist journals, and more) and right at the end came Somerset APPRENTICE! Of course, there's still other books waiting in my Amazon Wish list but I'd say if you want any books to get started, these I listed are just awesome and I can't really pick a favorite.

Part of decluttering in the art room is having to get rid of years of painting publications (how-to & patterns). I have toted these magazines with me from state to state and town to town. I sat last night going through 5 containers, leafing through each magazine. Each one, all the way back into the early 80's brought memories of where I was and my life at the time, good and bad, happy and sad. I even lamented the books and supplies I had to leave behind a time or two! It took all evening but I do have a bare spot on the media shelves and a huge box is filling to be given away because I just cannot throw these items away.

Even if I don't use my books or supplies every day, just sitting and being surrounded by them make me happy and give a sense of well being. Do these things do this for you?