Stronger Than I Think...

I'm taking part in a collaborative art journal project at Coach Creative Space. It's called "Journey of Journals" and it began in June 2010. Seven people are in my group - two from the UK, one from Canada, and 4 from the US. What a wonderful journey it's been! We each chose a topic for our journal. We start our journals with two page spreads, then mail it to the next person on the list, who then gets to add two more page spreads. Eventually, your journal is returned to you!

Some of the journals have already arrived back in the hands of the original owner, so now I can share some of page spreads that I've worked on (I'm still waiting for mine to come home...it should arrive sometime in April!)

The photos I'm showing here are from one of my page spreads in Paula's journal. Her topic was "Strength." Thank you to Paula in New Mexico for allowing me to add to your journal!


Have you ever worked on a collaborative art project? I'd love to hear about it!

Art is the collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.
Andre Gide

What Should I Be Doing?

Hi All!

I just started reading the book Creative Awakenings by Sheri Gaynor.

My art journal page below is based on one of the exercises in the book...the "Envision Art of Intention." In the first step, you go to a relaxing/meditative place - Sheri explains it as "a time for going within, listening to your intuition and creating space for your life dreams." During this "Dream Time" you listen for any questions that are going through your head. One question that kept speaking to me was..."What should I be doing right now?"

In the second step, Sheri outlines instructions to create a journal page based on your question and your "Dream Time". Step three is writing or reflecting on the art you created. Here is the journal page that emerged from my question...


I had fun looking through my old stamp collection and picking out images that called to me. The big smile on Walt Disney's face representing the joy I want in my life....the Daniel Boone stamp to represent the adventurer within me. I also enjoyed finding magazine pictures that felt like they "belonged" on the page.

In addition to the images, I used gesso and some oil pastels. I'm not a big fan of the messiness of pastels. I've had them for years, and every time I use them, I think about giving them away! Next time I'll use my Neocolor Artist Crayons!! No mess...AND you can soften the colors by adding water as well. I also cut up some pieces of decorative paper, and used some crayons, markers and charcoal pencils.

So...what should I do right now in my life?

Bloom...Seek comfort...Smile...Travel with friends...Eat healthy
and most of all...
Live the Adventure!

See you next time!

We live in a world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
-Jawaharlal Nehru

My Dream House

About a mile or two away from me, is my dream house. It reminds me of an Italian villa with a long driveway leading up to it. If you're not looking for it, it would be easy to drive by and miss it. As for me, the people who live there probably think I'm a stalker, because I have, on occasion, pulled over to the side of the road to look down the drive and admire it. Every time I drive by it, I wish that it was mine! If you live nearby, maybe you know which house I'm talking about.

So, my journal page that I've been working on lately was in response to this dream house of mine. The actual house doesn't look quite like this though. The real house is white, and it has many more windows (and there's a lake in the back, too!).


But, like any art journaling, I've used what's inside my own mind to create this image. I think I chose yellow to show how bright and alive the house is in my mind. I had to put at least one window there, to let some all important light into the house. When I added a door to my house, I realized that there is one thing that is absolutely required in my dream house....it must be filled with love! (good thing I printed out 3 of those same phrases in different sizes...it really made it quite clear to me how important that is!!)

So my original simple intentions to honor my dream house turned out to be much more important than just a house down the street. It opened my eyes to show me what really matters to me in a home....

If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.
-Gaston Bachelard

Things to Do Today...

Because honestly...who else can we be?

starting small is ok

This is a 4x4 affirmation card I made for the Mermaid Warriors course I've been taking (offered by McCabe, the Dancing Mermaid). It is a perfect affirmation to be my first, because I'm often reminding myself that most things start out small, and after time, they grow into their full potential.

The images I chose all reflect the potential within something small. Whenever I pick up an acorn, I'm reminded of the tree that's waiting within. I think we have just as much potential within us, maybe more, if we allow those early beginnings to see daylight.

So tonight, I share just one affirmation card (because that's all I made tonight). But one is a very good place to start :)

Artella Me-Flection #1

It's pretty typical of me to have more than one project going at a time...maybe it's undiagnosed ADD, or maybe it's just the way my creative mind likes to work. No excuses though...that's just how I am, and I've totally accepted that part of me!

I'm still working on Chapter 2 of Taking Flight, and I'm still slowly going through Julia Cameron's Vein of Gold. But I started something else that just felt so right for this time in my life. It's from the Artella Words and Art website, and it's called Artella's Mixed Media Me-Flections, and I just finished the first project tonight!

The first lesson was to Create a self-portrait on a map illustrating a time you felt "lost". Well, after several days of thinking about it...I came to the conclusion that I don't usually feel "lost", because I am always open to new experiences, new places and new people. I guess I see each day as a mini adventure.



The map I chose to use was of New Mexico - one of my favorite states! I haven't been there for so long, and there are so many reasons that I'd like to go back (gee, I wonder if that's why I picked that map...hmmm...)

Let's see...there's Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu where Georgia O'Keefe used to spend her summers...or the Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe which is a short walk from the Santa Fe Plaza...or the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos...and of course, there's just a whole lot of beautiful country and a whole state full of beautiful art! One of these days....not too far off....

But in the meantime...I'll keep making my art and living life in the midwest! And that suits me just fine for now! Have a great week, and remember to

Beginning the Journey

A Lenten art journal reflection for February 25 - based on a devotional from Journey to the Cross. Today's devotional read...

Ashes: what the fire leaves behind.
Dust: what wind, rain and decomposition leave behind.
What can you leave behind on this Journey to the Cross?

Watch Me Fly!

Mission accomplished! Yesterday, I put the final touches on my Whispers Art Journal. I bought some gold chain, red and orange beads, and some gold letter beads to spell out "Watch Me Fly" - it seems like an appropriate title for my first Taking Flight project.

Last night Nikki and I got together for our Monday Night Art Night and had a show and tell with our first completed project! We're both very happy with the way our journals turned out, and even better...we were both happy with the process! Both of us veered a bit from the original instructions of Kelly Rae's book, but we know that part of the point was to make these "our own."

Instead of ribbon and fabric letters, I went with the chain and beads to hold my book together (I realized that ribbons just aren't my thing, and I wanted to include beads somewhere!). And on the inside, I put several recycled map envelopes which will, over time, hold some "treasures" from this part of my creative journey. I also used acrylic paints for the cover portrait instead of the Shiva Oil Paint Sticks which the author suggested using (I didn't have the paint sticks yet, and didn't feel like waiting for them! But I have them now, so stay tuned!). I noticed that the acrylic paints made the portrait "stand out" more than the muted oil paint portrait example in the book. This seemed very appropriate, because this part of my creative journey is all about me "getting out there" instead of hiding my gifts and talents.

Nikki's journal had her own unique twists on it as well. Instead of a human face on the cover, she drew a clock face (clever, clever!). And she decided to leave out the inside pages completely, which makes the journal look more like a piece of art to display. We are both so proud of ourselves for completing the first project! Maybe you heard us celebrating and yelling, "Yea! Us!!"

PS...(Check out Nikki's final project on her blog - One Faithful Step)

Whispers Cover...Again

After many, many, many, many changes, I have finally finished the inside front cover of the Whispers Art Journal...



I spent way too much time working on this today because I made so many changes. I won't say it was wasted time, because I learned a lot of things that I'll be able to apply to future projects.

Well, it is now late in the evening, and I've had enough creating for the day! May your creating bring you satisfaction, too (and hopefully, quicker that mine did)!!

More Whispers Journal

I knew that I would be doing more to this porject...
and I don't think I'm done yet!



There are some parts I like about the page
-the look of the "stepping stones" that go around the page
-the parts of a Rumi poem that I wrote in the center
(excerpts from "How Long Will You Hide")
-the lines that surround each "stone"
-the words that I wrote along the edges
(inspiration, energy, time, space, support, encouragement, focus, trust,
open mind and last but not least...you are already an artist)
-the words written in the "stones" at the top and bottom of the page
(ha ha ha! written in stone!)

And there are some parts I'm not too thrilled about
(which may "magically" disappear in a future posting of this project!)
-the "zebra stripes" in the bottom right had corner
-the dashed lines along the two edges
-the placement of the words that are written along the edges
(I think they'll be ending up somewhere else on the page)
-the pen color that I chose for the Rumi poetry excerpts

It helps to get those thoughts out of my head and on to the paper (so to speak). At first I thought about making some changes and then posting the photo. But I really like documenting the process of this project. It will be fun to look back at the evolution of this project once it's completely finished!

(and speaking of "finished"....I was planning to finish this whole thing by Monday night! Yikes!! It's already Friday night! I'm so glad it's the weekend!)

To end this post, I'll copy the entire Rumi poem for you here...
Enjoy it!


How Long Will You Hide
by Rumi

How long will you hide
your beautiful
festive smile

teach your laughter
to a flower
manifest an eternity

why do you think
the door to the sky
is closed on your face

it allures and invites
your magical touch
to open and arrive

an entire caravan
is waiting in ecstasy
for your coming and leading

come on my friend
use your talisman and
harness all their souls

today is the day to unite
with your longing beloved
wait no more
for an unknown tomorrow

a tambourine is in a corner
begging your playing hands
a flute is sitting dormant
begging your happy lips


Till next time...

Whispers Art Journal...Almost Done!

Lots of growing and learning going on here lately! I'm making steady progress on my Taking Flight project, and I've learned how to crop the images that I've scanned so I can post the pictures here!

My friend Nikki and I have decided that we'll finish our Whispers Art Journals by next Monday, and then we can start on the next project from Taking Flight. Chapter 2 is titled "Facing Your Fears," and the project involves working with polymer clay and adding texture with household items....sounds like fun!!

Well, You've already seen the front cover of my first Taking Flight project. It's from Chapter 1...Unearthing Buried Dreams! (but now the cover is in the new "scanner" version. Much easier than taking a photo!)



Here's the inside of the front cover that I worked on Sunday...



Last night I worked on the inside back cover...
(It was Monday Art Night at Nikki's!)



And here's the back cover of my Whispers Art Journal...



I don't think I'm completely finished with these covers yet...I'll keep you up to date with my progress. Till then....

What Do YOU Love?

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

I wasn't in much of a romantic mood today, so I decided to focus on what brings me joy in life...what do I love? I started a list of my favorite things, and it turned in to this art journal spread.



(The cute little fellow with the smile is my imitation of a character from The Snowy Day written by Anna Milbourne and illustrated by Elena Temporin. Elena is one of my favorite illustrators, and I decided to practice by drawing skills by drawing one of her adorable peopl. She has a beautiful clean style that I really enjoy!)

Anyway...I hope all of you found some joy today - either with someone special in your life, or on your own. And if today ended up being not quite what you were hoping for, you can always turn things around tomorrow. Look for the things that bring you joy, and do something that makes you smile. Don't wait for someone else to make you happy when it's in your own hands. Relationships with others can come and go...but you'll be with yourself every day for the rest of your life. So go and create a life of joy!

Taking Flight!

Hello Creative Friends!

Last October, my friend Nikki gave me the book Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. She also bought a copy for herself, and we decided to do the projects in the book together (that way we could encourage and motivate each other as we go through the book!). Since it's now February, we decided that it would be a good time to get started (better late than never!!).

So last night, Nikki and I got together to start working on the first project, a "Whispers Art Journal". It involves a bit of painting on fabric, some collage on old book covers, with some painting and drawing. Between the two of us, we have all of the supplies we need to finish this first project!! We're off to a good start!

Both of us were happy with the collage on our book covers...but there's still painting and drawing to do. I'll be taking photos of my project along the way to document the process (and, as I told Nikki, in case I liked the cover better before I add the paint to it!). So here's where my Whispers Art Journal is right now...



Obviously, I'm in some sort of "word phase" of my creative life right now - I wonder what that will be leading me to! Nikki and I are planning to get together on Monday nights to work on these, so I'll keep you up to date on our progress! Let me know if you've completed any of the projects from Taking Flight. I'd love to see your finished pieces!!

Happy Creating! See you next time!

Living Life...

I just finished another 2 page spread in my Art Journal. There are so many pages that "need to be finished," and I found myself really hesitating to get started. The background was already painted orange, but I was just stuck with what to do next.

I did some exploring of my favorite blogs, and came up with the idea of "circles" from Misty Mawn's Art Journaling Prompts. Circles...I can do that! But, now what?

I started to think about the times that I "get stuck" when I'm creating. Those times when my inner voice loudly whispers, "Just do it, Jean!" but I still don't listen. In my heart, I know that the journey begins with a single step...but why can't I take that single step sometimes? I think for me, it's a combination of two things: first, being tired from all of my typical daily activities and second, having too many creative choices to choose from.

So, I devised a plan...a simple plan! I thought of just a few things that I can do creatively when I am totally unmotivated to choose. Easy choices requiring very little preparation and absolutely no planning. Skip the thinking...just act!

So, here is my very short list of things to choose from when I am feeling tired and unmotivated, but know deep in my heart that once I get started, I will have so much fun creating!! (I didn't say it was a short sentence, just a short list!)

1. Cut words out of a magazine
2. Cut pictures out of a magazine
3. Paint a page of my art journal with gesso
4. Color a page of my art journal using the first "coloring tool" I see

Simple.

So, based on my new theory, here is what I came up with....



Once I started cutting out the words from my Body & Soul Magazine (always a great source for positive words), the creative juices began to flow. Next thing I knew, I was looking down at a collection of words that I want to describe my life. The important things in life...what I hope for...

See you next time!
Keep on Creating!

The Guest House

Not much writing today, because I spent all of my free time creating this page :)

The page was first painted with white gesso mixed with blue acrylic. Then I used Pitt Artist Pens in black, gold and red for the text and drawing. I love my Pitt Artist Pens!!

This is one of my all time favorite poems! I hope you enjoy it as well! May you have a week full of joyful creating!!

Home Sweet Home: Narrative Time Line

I've been working on my Vein of Gold "Narrative Time Line" this week and looking back on the places I've lived. I used my art journal to help me recall some of the important events that I associate with each of those homes. I showed my 17 year old the page while I was working on it, and she said, "What about college?" Ah, yes...I definitely lived there! I could easily write an entire chapter of my college years (and the 3 places I lived while I was there). But for now, I'll jot down some of my other memories of "home."



Boy, do those memories come back when you welcome them...One of my favorite childhood memories was the "tetherball" in the back yard. Funny, I haven't seen one of those for years. Looking back, I do remember getting quite a few bruises! But they all healed, and the joy of watching that ball on a string go round and round the pole was well worth the bruises!



Thanks Wikipedia for the fun image! A very pleasant memory excavated from my childhood mines! Well, I'm sure I'll be digging up plenty of other memories as I continue my Vein of Gold journey!!

Till Next Time....