Favorite Friday's

  Hallelujah! I can finally access the internet. The first thing I did was go in and edit the two posts I made with my phone because the formatting and some of the text is always lost when I post that way. I like this blog to look a certain way, to have some consistency in it's appearance and content, so blogging through my phone just doesn't cut it!
  OK, who is this person I have become????  Words like Consistency and Routine use to be foreign words to me. Running amok, spontaneous and wild were far more familiar terms. Hmm, I wonder if I can be routinely wild or consistently spontaneous? It's worth a shot right?

Blast from the past: Journal page from 4/4/09

  I've been super creative and busy this week,cranking out journal pages,mixed media pieces and mini books daily. The books are intended for holiday gifts. The broke artist's way of saying"I love you, but I can't afford a useless gift you don't need so I made you this stunning book for photos or musings instead. It's far better than a store bought gift, you just need to realize that..."

Blast from the past: Journal page from 1/19/09

Enough babbling. On to my Favorites for this week:

Paint The Town Exhibit at the Prints and the Potter in Worcester, MA. A great selection of works painted in Worcester. These artists really capture the essence of the city.  If you live fairly local I highly recommend stopping by to see this. Then you can pop across Highland Street to The Bean Counter for the best coffee and pastries in the city! 

Missing Missy: OK, we all know I am a sarcastic, wise ass. So is it any surprise I totally crack up over this encounter?  Part of this was in Reader's Digest recently and I'd been meaning to look up the rest online and just today got around to it. This guy definitely is a kindred spirit!

Hmm, not too many favorites this week. Actually, my real favorite was just spending so much time with my family. Life doesn't get any sweeter than that. 

The Terrible Blogger

I am, admittedly, a terrible blogger. Despite my good intentions, which just may pave the road to Hell as the old saying goes, I cannot keep myself in the blogging groove. The problem is I like face to face communication. I like speaking face to face and I like sharing art face to face. No matter how many times I vow to do better with keeping up with this blog, I don't stick with it. I'd rather be creating art, out exploring the world, living life.  Plus, I'm not one to tell the entire world much of anything about my life. Which is an issue if you have a blog I suppose.


That said, here I am once again at 2:00 AM scanning in journal pages and updating my blog.  WHY? Because I'm human, an artist and a woman. All three of these things make it so I have a need to share and a desire to stick with something I set out to do. In this case, sharing my art through this blog. I'm not making any promises. I won't tell you I'll stick to regular updates or posting even weekly, because I don't believe in false promises and knowing myself as I do, that would surely be a false promise. I'm here now and I'm ready to share. Take it for what it is, leave it for what it isn't. Frankly, I'll never know either way, will I?  If you do stick around and check back regularly I can assure you I will be back again. I simply can't tell you when. Consider that one of life's little surprises.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy, become inspired, feel disgusted by, whatever emotion suits you at the moment, these journal pages. They're in no particular order, they're just some of the ones I know haven't made their debut here before.


Namaste....

Disintegration or Erosion Bundles

  For years now I have left batches of ephemera, sheet music, photos, handmade paper, etc out in nature in order to age them. Little did I know that this simple practice has become quite the collaborative among artists!  


  After reading about the Disintegration Collaboration,  started by Seth Apter of the Altered Page,  in the May/June issue of Cloth, Paper,Scissors,  I had myself a rather good laugh. Not over the project itself because that is a very cool project indeed. Over the fact that I never thought to photograph the bundles I made and put outside or turn it into a collaborative project. Frankly, it never occurred to me that other artists would be interested in participating in such a project. Boy, was I wrong!


  Since the original DisCO project, a spin off has been created called The Erosion Bundle Project. Of course, that project started in January so I'm too late to get in on it, but that's okay. I've been doing it on  my own all along and will continue to do so. although, getting in on a collaborative project definitely has its appeal!


  On April 28, 2010 I hung 2 new bundles out for "aging". They've already been battered by high winds and rain, scorched in the hot sun and will continue to be subjected to the great outdoors for a few months more.


  Here are the photos of my latest bundles. In a few months time I'll take them down, spread them out and photograph the results of Mother Nature on them.

Updates

It's been a busy time around here lately. A few days of warm weather had me outside working in the gardens. I love being able to get out and do some work in the outdoors. My crocuses are blooming and the daffodils are all budded. Even though the temperature has dropped the past two days just knowing that those flowers are out there makes my heart soar!

I've spent the last few hours adding supplies to my Art-Fire shop. I had a bunch of unopened silver clay that I never used so thought the store would be a good way to get it to someone who will actually use it. My adventures with Art Clay silver and PMC were short lived. The materials are too expensive and you have to be conscious of every little bit of the clay and make sure not a speck of it is wasted. Scraping off my fingers, Teflon mat and tools just to save a minuscule amount of material, but a large amount of money, is just not my thing! Not that I'm wasteful, but I don't feel my creativity benefits from having to be so exacting and material conscious. I'm more of a wild, seat of your pants, live in the groove type of creator, ya know?

I have a nice journal all made, tagged and ready to be left in the wild. I think I'm going to leave it in the art section of the library. I figure if someone is in the art section they might have an artistic streak and would probably love to find an art journal there waiting for them. The journal itself isn't very large, but it's pages have been painted, an inscription is inside and a tag hangs from the binding saying 'Take Me'. Very reminiscent of Alice and the 'Eat Me' tags on the cookies she found. At least in my mind that's the way it is!!!!

I'll snap some pictures of the journal, both before it's dropped off and once it's in among the library books so everyone who comes here can see. I'll also get some new art work photos uploaded--journal pages and paintings--so you have some eye-candy when you pop in instead of just my blathering.

OH! And I NEED to get back down the road to get a photo of the car I saw the other day. The entire side had been spray painted with Shepard Fairey's Andre/Obey image and beneath it the words 'Free Shepard'. As some of you may know, Shepard is my *favorite* graffiti artist so seeing that car was a real hoot for me. Not that he did the work himself, but finding out another Shepard fan lives near me was a kick!

Enough with the fleeting thoughts for one day, I'm off to create.............

Journal Pages March 4 & 5

Two of the pages I did for March 4 & 5. They're side by side in the journal, so the colors flow into each other, complementing each other and creating a larger whole.



What I'm reading for inspiration:
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait (I've read through it countless times and it still captures me every time!)

Sticker City: Paper Graffiti Art (Street Graphics / Street Art)

Today's Movies:

The Red Violin (I've seen it about a dozen times and still it enthralls me)

Girl With a Pearl Earring (I read the book when it first came out & have always loved Vermeer, so thought I'd give the movie a shot.)

Journal Almost Full!

My first Prompt A Day journal is almost filled to capacity. I made it at the end of December specifically for the on-line classes. It's got 80 pages made of 140 lb Wausau, cover is a Pendeflex file folder that I cut, painted and collaged then added clear packing tape to. Size is 7" x 11.5" This will get me through mid to late March then I'll move on to the journal I just made.

I love seeing a journal filled to capacity. They look so awesome and are such a treasure trove of eye candy.

A Note on A Prompt A Day: If you love to work in an art journal or have always wanted to but haven't given it a try yet, do consider signing up for A Prompt A Day. It's well worth it! Kelly gives you more than enough inspiration to jump start your creativity each day. And the group of artists participating is great. I'm not one who typically joins classes, on-line or in person, but this is well worth it. Seriously.

Journal Pages-Feb. 27-28

The final two February pages in one of my journals. The image on the left is a Gustav Klimt, one of my all time favorite artists!!!!!




Today my sweetie and I have been together 20 years!!!!! AMAZING!!!!! Oh, and obviously the journal page about the man walking out and the woman finding a new life is not about us!!!!! He knows better than to walk out on me. I'd come after him with a crowbar. *LOL*

Book Lust

A few of the books I'm currently drooling over. I'm doing my drooling online so no need to worry about yucky, wet books in stores...

The Book as Art: Artists' Books from the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Marc Chagall: The Lost Jewish World

Chagall: The Lithographs

Political Posters in Central and Eastern Europe 1945-1995: Signs of the Times

Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents

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"May Day! Why, that's the Russian New Year. We can have a parade and serve hot hors d'oeuvres... "

Studio Revamp

Saturday morning around 10:00 AM, approximately 3 hours before I'm due at my niece's birthday party, I decided to take everything out of my studio closet. why that particular moment I have no idea, but it's something I'd been wanting to do for quite some time.

I hated the shelving unit I had in there and wanted shallower shelves along the entire length of the back wall. I also wanted to add peg board to the side wall so I could get a bunch of stuff off the shelves and hanging the way it should be.

Before leaving for the party the closet had been emptied, but there were massive, truly massive, amounts of art stuff in my bedroom. That was a problem. Especially since I hadn't sent hubby to get the supplies needed for the new shelves and there was no way I was putting all that stuff back on the shelves until I did have the supplies.

I ended up moving enough stuff back into the studio so we could at least make it to the bed without tripping and breaking our necks. hubby did go get what was needed for the new shelves, but by the time he got back it was too late to start working. The poor guy was over-tired as it was so really didn't need to start a project at 9:00 at night.

Sunday one shelf was put in place before the drill broke. We have two cordless ones, but of course neither was charged. So, as one was charging I started to sort. Piles and piles of art supplies were divided up into yet more piles. One that's the Must Have items, one for donating to the local art guild and one to donate to the school. Another one for recycle or trash depending on what it was. By the time I was done (it took a full two days to sort through the majority of the stuff) I had a lot less than when I started, but still too much. Now I have a pile of supplies to sell. All of it items that cost too much to just give away.

Monday the shelves and pegboard were finally in place and the task of organizing the supplies began in earnest. I've been at it off and on for over 24 hours and things are looking just great! I love the new set up and I think this may help me find things I want much easier than the old way. The old way consisted of shifting piles of stuff until you found what you were looking for because the shelves were so deep and spaced so far apart that you had to do a lot of stacking. It was maddening!!!

There's nothing like a long overdo session of sorting and revamping to bring new life into a place. And new life into your art!

And, no, the stuff in the photos is definitely not all of my supplies and things! I have 2 shelve units, a rolling cart and a desk full of the stuff in the studio itself and there's also a big pile left in my bedroom. Also, in the photos you can't see the small shelf unit full of pound blocks of clay, the bottom of the peg board where my spools of wire hang or the bins of supplies kept beneath the bottom shelf. What 's in the closet is a heck of a lot more organized than it use to be and that will make my creative endeavors a heck of a lot easier!

Past Few Days

The past few days have been a bit rough. The pain has been out of control, something that's always a problem in winter. But, I've managed to keep myself busy by working on my art journals while laying in bed. Over the years I've learned that no matter the situation you can always make things better. Or worse, if that's what you choose. I'm not one for having a Pity Party so I choose to make things better. I've learned how to arrange my art supplies so they're within easy reach. Having them arranged this way keeps me from having to move my body too much when I'm having one of THOSE days.

Yesterday I completed 5 journal pages, painted another 10 or so, re-read most of 'What It Is' by Lynda Barry (I highly recommend it!!!), watched a movie with my boy and spent some time laughing over re-runs of Frasier. Not a bad day considering.

The downer of the day is that ALL of the new GellyRoll Glaze pens I bought leak like sieves! I went to use them last night and each and every one of them is drippy, leaking and a total mess. Totally annoying!!!

I tried to get a decent photo of the mixed-media painting I recently finished, but no matter what I did I kept getting a bit of glare. I'll have to get out my trusty Minolta and snap a real photo. But for now, this one will have to do. It's done on a wood panel using acrylic paint, collage, stencils and texturing techniques. The heart image is surrounded by carpet tacks adding another dimension to it.

No Time? That's A Load of Bull!!!

It's been busy here. Just few of the things that have been keeping me occupied are the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, breaking up ice on stairs and walkways, cleaning the wood stove, making pizza, taking care of lots of critters and creating, creating, creating! No matter how busy life gets there is ALWAYS time to create. If you have time to make a cup of tea, you have time to slap some paint on a page. If you have to wait at the bus stop, you have time to paste a few pictures in your journal. If you have time to send a bunch of e-mails, you have time to do some journaling or make some ATC's.

Too many times I hear people say they don't have time for art making. Well, yes they do!!! All the time that's wasted complaining that they have no time could of been used to make something. Anything.

So, even though it's been busy, busy here I've still had lots of time to create. I painted a few dozen journal pages, finished a painting on wood I had started and stockpiled a bunch of images for collages. Oh, and finished 5 journal pages too. Not bad for two days that were filled with other "must do" activities.

Oh, and for anyone who's had to deal with shitty, art snobs criticizing their art or making them feel like they weren't good enough, you HAVE to read this: Finding Your Voice Seriously. Go read it NOW!!!! You'll be glad you did. (Thanks Kelly for being wicked pissa!!!!)

Shitty Art

I've seen & heard of some pretty bizarre creations that pass for art, but this is just too frickin' much! Sotheby's is auctioning off a piece of shit. Literally. It's called CLOACA FAECES by the Belgian artist Wim Delvoye and is included in their February 6 sale taking place in London.

Estimated price is 2000-3000 GBP. Not sure what that converts to in American, but no matter what it is it's way too much to pay for a piece of crap in a box!!! Check out the auction listing if you don't believe me. You too will shake your head & wonder why you didn't save all that dog crap or baby poop to use in your art since it goes for so much at Sotheby's!

Books

I picked up a couple of new art books today & have been visually devouring them all afternoon. I love seeing how other artists work, finding out what inspires them & being inspired by their creations. Both books focus on collage, painting & mixed-media, but offer two totally different styles and a whole bunch of varied techniques.

The first, which I've wanted since it first came out, is Collage Unleashed by Traci Bautista I've admired Traci's work for quite a while now so am thrilled to get an insider's view of how she works. I love the way the book is set up. Lots of eye-candy, cool fonts used throughout and enough techniques & project ideas to spark anyone's creativity.

The other is Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. I've been seeing a lot of Kelly's work in Cloth, Paper, Scissors the past few months and found it full of lighthearted spirit. when I saw she had an inspirational book out I had to have it! It's as good as it looks and definitely worth picking up.

A BIG question: Is This Art?

Is This Art? It's obviously a photograph, but does it qualify as art? What If I were to say that it was taken by Ansel Adams, would that make it art? Who decides what constitutes art and what doesn't? Is there some grand committee that sits around making up the rules of what is and what is not art? And if so, who appointed them? I know I didn't. Nor probably did you.

So why do some people have preconceived notions about what is acceptable in terms of art? For some, it isn't considered art unless it's hanging in a gallery or museum. For others, it isn't art unless it's one of the "fine arts" like painting or sculpting. So how did Ansel Adams' photographs become known as art? Who decided to let his photos into the "art category" and more importantly, why? I love Ansel Adams' work but want to know what it was about them that made the museum curators, gallery owners and art-snobs decide it was worthy of being called art.

In recent years there was a group of people protesting a Rockwell exhibit being held in a New York museum. To this particular group Rockwell was not an artist, but a lowly illustrator. But so was Maxfield Parrish and Alphonse Mucha yet they had no problem considering both of those men as artists. Why? where's the difference? To me all three are obviously artists. They create, they're artists. It's that simple. So why did an entire group of people get their knickers in a twist because Rockwell was being celebrated with a museum exhibition when the same group would've flocked to see Mucha or Parrish? I don't get it.

By the way, the photograph? It's not an Adams. It's one of mine taken on a trip to the Southwest and altered on the computer to be black and white. Knowing that, I ask you again: Is this art?