GPP Crusade No. 49 - Journaling Forensic Self Portrait

Journal spread featuring a tea I like.

 Let me start by saying that I am very happy to be getting a post up today.  My lap top died last week. The hard drive is kaput.  The new hard drive that Hubby purchased turned out to be defective.  We are waiting for the replacement to come in the mail.  Now I'm using my computer that is operating on a Linux operating system from a disk!  My husband is a genius!

This post features a couple journal spreads I created earlier this month.  They are my entries for this month's Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusade.  Follow the link to learn more.

The above journal spread was built on pages that were prepped with leftover paint during a painting session.  I roughed in the face at the same time.  I decided to use this spread for the challenge when I opened a bag of Awake Tea and the color coordinated with my spread.  I've been drinking a lot of tea lately and enjoy a good black tea.
The page was embellished with tea bag ephemera, rubber stamping (clocks), chalk pencils and stenciled ink.

Layers of paint, ink and ephemera on one half.  The right side started with scrapbook paper.

 I've been following Strathmore's art journal free online workshops.  In a prompt to journal about favorite sounds, I remembered the sound that the rows of flags make snapping in the breeze on Memorial Day.  I created this spread to remind myself of that sound and to show my patriotic side.

The completed spread.

Many layers of paint and ink went on the left half.  A patriotic themed scrapbook paper was adhered to the right side.  Distress inks helped to unify the color of the two pages.  Stenciling with a doily gave the pages a common texture.  I collected canceled stamps for the borders.  The photos were taken at my home town Memorial Day observance.  I put the top left photo on a flap so I could journal more personal thoughts under it.

High Trestle Trail Grand Celebrations

On April 30th, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is celebrating the grand opening of the High Trestle Trail.  This trail features one of the largest pedestrian bridges in the world!  The bridge is over 1/2 mile long and 13 stories tall.  The trail is part of a 670 mile trail system that connects Des Moines and several Central Iowa communities.  Get out you bike or walking shoes!

Several area communities are hosting festivities to mark the occasion. One event is being held at Snus Hill Winery where 20 artists will have their work for sale.  A new artists group, the High Trail Trestle Artists, is organizing the event at Snus Hill.  Their members have invited other local artists to join them.  I'm blessed to be one of them.

There will be something for everyone at Snus Hill, including some great wine tastings.  The winery is set in the country where you can enjoy the rural Iowa scenery.  The artists will be set up indoors, so the weather is not a factor.

I hope to see you on Saturday, April 30th.

GPP Crusade No. 48 - More Evidence Journaling

Evidence page featuring a symphony concert we attended.

 The February prompt for the GPP Street Team is to create another evidence page in our art journals.  The theme is to come from an event attended last year, so Michelle Ward cleverly named the crusade: "Been There, Done That."  Read more at the GPP blog.

I've just completed half of my spread that you can see above.  Hubby and I attended a very special concert where the Central Iowa Symphony and Fort Dodge Symphony joined together.  Mahler's 1st Symphony was performed during the second half of the concert.  Near the conclusion of the performance, the French horn section is featured.  At the conclusion, the French horn players all stand as their fanfare fills the air.  It was a moving experience that I won't forget.  And it was so meaningful...



Beginning stages of the journal spread.

 A dear friend who had been a French horn player lost her battle with cancer the day before.  Her daughter, who is also a superb musician, was playing the French horn in the first chair position in the concert.

My friend was also an artist. We became good friends at the pool where we both did our workouts.  We quickly learned that we had so much in common.  Working out was more fun when we discussed the latest "Watercolor Artists Magazine" or the projects we were working on.

For this journal spread, I chose aqua and gold acrylic paint and gesso to prep the pages.  Aqua is for the pool and gold for the French horn.  The spiral stamp reminded me of the shape of the horn.

I adhered ephemera from the concert on my page with soft matte gel.  Chalk and oil pastel were added for more color.  I also spritzed the page with walnut ink and wiped off the excess.  Journaling was added with a Sharpie marker.
As for the right hand page, I plan to put a memorial to my friend on it.

Strathmore Visual Journal Page - Snow Birds

Detail from journal page

We had quite a snow storm earlier this week. I had filled all the bird feeders in anticipation of the bad weather on Sunday. I was rewarded with the sight of juncos, aka "snowbirds" feeding in my back yard.

Inspired by all the activity, I pulled out my new Strathmore Visual Journal with watercolor paper and jotted down some thoughts with a Sharpie pen.  Then I put a wash over gesso over the page. I sketched the birds with a soft charcoal pencil.  Then I worked the page altering between the gesso and charcoal.  A light spray of walnut ink that was mostly blotted off added some warmth to the page.  A bit of Prussian Blue oil pastel was added to the birds and a bit of the background which was followed up with more gesso wash.
Graphite details sketched back in.  A colored pencil gave the page a title.  I used Souffle matte ink pen to outline "snowbirds" and write over the journaling that was done in graphite.
A few details were added with Sharpie poster markers. The snowflakes were stamped on using Lagoon-colored Chalk Ink.


Strathmore Visual Journal with Watercolor Paper

 The colors are very somber in comparison to my usual project, but they reflect what I have been seeing out my window most of the week.  We had some sunshine for a while today.  Now the colors are returning to what you see on this page.

I am very pleased with the quality of the new Strathmore Visual Journal.  It has stood up well to the wet layers I put down with minimal distortion of the page.  Most media that I've drawn with have gone on easily.  I have only been able to get the smaller sized (5.5 x 8 inch) journals at the local Hobby Lobby.  I think I may put together my own journal with their tablet paper that is available.  It's easy to fill the smaller format, but sometimes my ideas are bigger than that.

January Art Journaling - GPP Crusade 47 & Strathmore Workshop

Detail view of new art journal page.

Here's a fun winter project you should try.  Strathmore is offering free on-line workshops.  The first was introduced earlier this month and is taught by Pam Carriker.  Check out this link for more information.


Early in the journaling process.

 Pam guides us through a project that invites you to re-use previously created art.  Start by making copies of your art.  I used copies of monoprints that I created for the GPP Crusade No. 39.I cut out the plain butterflies and some border pieces.  Using scraps of the same paper, I punched out flowers and leaves and hearts.  They were adhered to a Strathmore Watercolor Paper Visual Journal. This paper stands up well to all the layers that went into creating this page.  I used a charcoal pencil to draw some details and outline some elements.


Layers of gesso and oil pastel have been added.

 I tried to cut loose and not judge too much.  But I have to admit that I was feeling discouraged at this point.  Seemed like I had an ugly duckling in my hands... but we know how that story turned out.


The completed page.

 Maybe it's not a beautiful swan, but I'm happy with the results.  I was stretched and learned some techniques that I know I can use in future art.  The following page used some of the same techniques.

GPP challenge using some newly learned techniques.

 The Green Pepper Press Street Team Crusade No. 47 - It's A Wrap challenges us to create an evidence page using gift wrap from Christmas and to journal about gifts given, received, etc.  We use very little gift wrap these days.  I love reusable gift bags and tissue paper.

This page started in the same Strathmore journal.  I wrinkled a piece of tissue paper that had red and green circles, then applied it to the page with matte medium.  I purposefully did not completely flatten the paper which left wrinkles and distorted the circle pattern.  I cut out the poinsettia from a scrap of paper that managed to come home with us from the in-laws.  (They are great about recycling regular gift wrap.)
The poinsettia was also applied with matte medium.

I knocked down the white background and neutralized the colors a bit with some walnut ink and a thin glaze of green oxide paint.  Charcoal pencils, gesso and oil pastels add more character to the page.  But the real star of this page is my new Sharpie poster paint markers.  They were on my Christmas wish list along with Sharpie pens.  I got Sharpies in spades.  In addition to my requests, I also received a large assortment of regular Sharpie markers with fine points.  I have NO excuse for not journaling.
I very loosely wrote over the top of the images.  I'm trying to not make the pictures so precious. Using a wet, juicy marker helped accomplish that goal.

So there you go.  That's my art out-put for the month.  I hope to spend some time at my easel very soon.

Creative Play at Kil'n Time

Have you ever gone to a shop where you can paint your own pottery?  I went to Kil'n Time in Ames with some church friends on Monday.  It was a cold and icy night... just perfect for sitting around a table with friends.

There's definitely a learning curve to working with this paint/glaze.  It dries much lighter than it will look after it's fired in the kiln.  You have to paint several layers to get a uniform color.  Then there are all the specialty applications....  It was a good exercise in just PLAY for me.

I chose a tile to do one of my doodle birds on.  You can write on the tile with a Sharpie or other pens and pencils.  The marks will burn off in the kiln.  I drew a quick sketch of my design with the Sharpie and then went from there.

I was running out of time when I got to the mug.  There's a special paint that has flecks in it.  Borrowing from my usual journal painting, I used up the paint on my palette to base coat the mug.  Then I added a couple layers of the flecked paint.

We left our creations at the studio and picked them up a few days later after they had been fired in the kiln and had a clear glaze coat added before another firing.

I think one of my favorite things about the evening is when one of the women who does not consider herself to be creative commented on how relaxing it was to be painting.  YES!  Often people deprive themselves of creative processes because they do not consider themselves to be creative.  My opinion is that since we are made in the image of our Creator, we have the need to create.  Create without judging ourselves.  Just do it.

I've been very creative this month.  Most of it has nothing to do with painting.  I'm learning a new eating lifestyle with the goal of improving my health.  In the process I'm taking the information and creating new recipes.  Breaking old habits takes work and creativity to make the process fun instead of a drudge. 

So on to the creative life....

Happy 1-1-11

It's the beginning of a new decade. I'm looking forward to living this life the Lord has blessed me with.

This past February, Hubby gave me a smart phone.  It's an HTC Eris.  In the world of technology, it was a grandfather in a matter of weeks.  It's not the fastest and smartest of it's kind.  But it still is a giant step up from my previous phone.

One of my favorite activities on the phone is to take photos and alter them with an inexpensive app called PicSay Pro.  There's a free version, but for a couple bucks you get SO much more.

Today's post started as an image of an ATC I created last year.  The ATC is mainly turquoise and shimmery silver tones.  The clock face, a scrap booking accent, is actually black.

Using PicSay Pro, I altered the image in just a few minutes.  The text was added and voila! I had a message to send out to family via texting, FaceBook, email...and now my blog.

Thank you for being faithful followers of my blog.