More catch up sharing

Here are some more things that I have worked on. I took an online class with Lynn Whipple. http://lynnwhipple.com/  It was called making faces- out of my comfort zone but I had a great time.  She is so fun to watch and listen to.  So here are some things that I have done lately- journal spreads and some collages.

June 9 at 4:00pm ·

Seems like ages since I have posted- and it has been a while- I just finished an online class with Lynn Whipple Making Faces. Totally out of my comfort zone but I had a great time Lynn is a wonderful teacher. I have scanned and played with some of my faces and wanted to use them in my journal. We have spring early summer up here in the northern part of Minnesota- our lilacs are just past peak now the smell on the deck from them is intoxicating and there have been many many butterflies. I try to focus on that- so much else of what is going on in the world is so ugly right now- finding the balance between being informed and being flipped out is a hard one. This quote by Jean-Michel Basquiat is one I love:
I don't think about art when I am working.
I try to think about life.
My journal is where I run to.

June 10 at 3:44pm ·

Had some journal time today- used another face I made in the Making Faces class. I have been reading a book again- I got it in 1991. It is full of short quotes that really get to the heart of things. Illuminations Visions for Change, Growth and Self-Acceptance by Stephen C. Paul. This one really has stuck with me as I deal with big life changes.
Every time you let go of something limiting, you create space for something better.

June 13 at 4:18pm ·

Still loving the faces. I was also thinking about something I read- so this spread is about that. June is pride month for the LGBT communities. As always there are some very hateful things being said. This was a response someone gave to a hater.
Gay pride was not born of a need to celebrate being gay,
but our right to exist without persecution. So instead of wondering why there isn't a straight pride movement,
be thankful you don't need one.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes there is a reward for hanging onto things. I came across a whole bunch of photographs that I took and then altered and printed out long long ago. So that's what the backgrounds are for this set of collages.  

Daydream Story

 

Broken Dreams

 

Uncle Jack Was Always Too Hot

 

Stairway of Memory

 This is my father and his two sisters.

Unwelcome

 

At Last - finally a new post

I am amazed how hast the time goes. Things are getting back on track here at the house.  Ron has made an incredible recovery.  Such gratitude for that.  Well I have many journal spreads to share and this time I should divide it up.  I will do 5  here in this post.  I will include the dates and the words that went with when I posted these in the art journaling group I am in. Like before oldest to newest.

May 6 ·

I want to take this time to give a sincere thank you to all of you. Your support and love has fed my soul and continues to do so. I am sorry I don't personally respond to each of your comments. I try to sometimes but I just can't always- please know I read them all and they mean so much to me. It is a wonderful thing to be connected with so many wonderful people here through our art. The spread here is a combination of digital and my own- the background is a monoprint I did. I was thinking of that terrific song Stand By Me. Thank you all for standing by me and I can only hope you feel that from me as well. This spread is dedicated to all of you on The Stand. Here is the verse that hits it so well:
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTCfQ6Bb8QE

May 10 ·

I did this spread in a journal I work in once in a while as it's large at least to me spreads are 12" x 18". This spread is titled Building Awareness. That is in the figure on the left side made out of a page from a 1950s art education text. Right now this to me is becoming aware that I need to grow- feeling the need for a new direction. Wanting more direct work- more freedom- hard to explain really. The way I have been working for quite a while now is the result of my combining my collage "style" with my journaling. I have a feeling I will continue this but I also want something else something more immediate and direct. This spread I think is going to be the bridge to that. I love these emotional bold black gesso strokes.

May 11 ·

This spread is 7" x 11". I always am curious about the size of the journals people work in. This time I started with a blank page nothing prepainted. I started with no idea- Usually I have been inspired by a quote or something. I just got out the medium and because I am a pig in the studio, there are piles of things to grab from. The is titled: No Place at the Table.

May 15 ·

I was able to get some journaling in this afternoon. I worked in my large one- this one has fold outs and this spread is done on one of those it's 12" tall and 26 inches long big for me. I started with black gesso and just went from there- had no idea where I was going with it. I am calling it Holding Hands Below the Sky River. I have been reading Orly's book In My Bones again- Ron's cardio rehad sessions are an hour and a half long so I do errands and then read while i wait. Such wonderful book- so I was inspired to just be present- and just begin- no advanced planning.

May 18 ·

Well I did do a spread this afternoon- I have to say I never use to do this but I have 4 journals I am working in right now. They are all different sizes. I will share what happened this morning I had an idea and worked at the computer getting imagery ready for it and after the morning passes I realized i didn't want to do that. I opened my journal and in my big box of collage fodder I picked an image- then another- I have many many things already cut out- I find cutting to be a calming thing for me-As I found images I wanted to work with an idea started forming. The spread is titled Protectors of the Unborn Ideas. Sometimes I forget an idea i had and other times one I had a long time ago resurfaces. I do feel like I have protectors- these would be friends and as i was doing this I started remembering my wonderful high school art teacher- he is the reason I went into teaching- I knew I would make art but he was so inspirational- Carlton has been dead for gosh 25 or 30 years. This one's for you Carlton.