My "Aha" moment

It has been awhile since I've been able to go to the treehouse but yesterday I spent several hours doing assignments for the fantastic online class I'm taking,-Open Studio with Misty Mawn.  It is an incredible class with tons of information and techniques.  We are in week three of the class and I am terribly behind but enjoying what I can manage to do.  I have been art journaling for years so was really wanting to tryout the journaling assignments.  This is what happened with week one's assignment:

Scary-I know-but so much fun!  This started with a layer of writing-we were to write about what we had learned so far-in this class, in life, whatever.  After that we were to write numbers starting with 1 and ending with our age-ahem-62 and then with the age we think we will live to-92?  After that we chose a shape that we felt was meaningful and doodled it all over.  Then we were to sketch a self portrait (?), color it in with markers and water soluble crayons and after that paint in any manner we wished, either hiding or letting layers come thru.  I really enjoyed this because I feel this is what art journaling is all about:  the process with no idea of the final outcome.
Week two lessons were more about nature and realism so we did some landscapes.  The journaling assignment was to draw a landscape line and in the bottom half write all the things we would like to bury if we could such as bad feelings,not so good secrets, trials, tribulations, negativity, etc.  It's hard owning up to some of that but freeing to get it down on paper knowing that it will be covered up.  The top half was for better thoughts,dreams, desires, etc. that could "grow" out of the ground.  Along with some doodling and we were ready for paint.

 

 I used acrylics and inks,added a few collage elements and this is how it all turned out.

so now for my "aha" moment

I also do "morning pages" ala Julia Cameronhttp://paperartstudio.tripod.com/artistsway/id3.html and I have always torn them up or shredded them because they sometimes are not what you want anyone else to see-that's the freedom of them.  But Misty just taught me how to cover up and layer over my thoughts and still include them in my journal.  So I wrote in my art journal instead of the composition book I usually use-

and since the other palette I used was pretty subdued I chose to use brighter colors and go with the flow-trust the process.  Out of nowhere came the desire to use hearts for my meaningful shape

Up in the branches today the snow is whirling around and the sky is quite gray... the perfect time for a hot cup of tea in the treehouse studio and some more drawing practice.  And I do mean practice....I rarely just draw and my skills have grown quite rusty.

This is supposed to be a self portrait and yes I am as old as it looks!  But surely if I practice I can use some artistic license and perk this gal up a bit.

So I have my pencils sharpened, eraser close at hand and will try to just enjoy the process and not worry to much about the outcome.  Come back up later and I'll share my progress.... and some warm chai tea.

Snow and journals

Here's the view from the treehouse studio today.  We finally got the snow everyone was waiting for.  So while it snowed all day yesterday I was able to find some studio time and finished making 2 different journals for the class I'm taking. The first one was made using Canson Mixed Media paper.  I made 5 signatures of 3 pages each and did a simple binding technique-in and out-with waxed linen thread.  The cover is a mixed media paper, fabric, paint ,stitching collage on a tyveck (sp?) envelope I did in another class I was taking.

I had some tails of thread when I was done binding and thought they needed....

So I added several to the spine.

This is my year for embracing imperfection so I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out.

The next journal I made was done with 300lb cold pressed watercolor paper.  I made 4in x 4in pages form 9 x 12 sheets and chose to deckle the edges (tear) rather than cut.  All part of that imperfection thing.  The binding for this one was tricky-coptic-which I had never done before.  It was frustrating-many tries-but I persevered and turned this

into this











into this-my first coptic bound journal-beautifully imperfect

So bring it on snow.  I'm so ready for a long day in the studio and I am sooooo

Told you it was messy...

Was lost but now I'm found.....?

Well for now at least. Please bear with me as I learn this technology. I've learned over the years that if I wait for the perfect time to do or learn something it's just not going to happen. So I am leaping into this with no idea of what I'm doing but trusting I will learn the process along the way. Want to hear what my vision is for this blog? Lots of pictures of my studio and artwork, stirring philosophical discussions about art, life, and spirituality, accountability for showing up often and sharing. Think I can do it? Even though I've spent hours trying to even find my blog after I created it? Well please stay tuned........

my sanctuary

I have a small place on the third level of my home that is usually in a constant mess, overfilled with "stuff", and full of possibilities. It is a loft space that overlooks the first level of our house and the double window looks out to the branches of a beautiful hickory tree. I can also see these branches thru skylights to the right of the loft,hence the feeling of being up in a tree. Didn't you always want a treehouse as a child where you could hide if need be, read quietly, dream, make believe, think up great stories and tales, invite special friends to tea, and decorate just as you pleased? Well, that's what I feel I have-a special place I go to create-maybe a painting, drawing, or art journal page,to read- art magazines, inspirational books -listen to music instead of watching T.V. or simply just to get away from it all ,breathe deeply and dream. It is a place I feel safe, calm, relaxed, creative-a place where I can just be me. I'd like to share this place with you now and then and what I may be doing in this space on any given day. Would you like to join me? I have a comfy chair you can sit in and we can talk as long as you like. Bring your beverage of choice, tea, coffee, soda, wine(depending on the time of day?) and I'll have a candle lit. Please stay as long as you like or leave whenever you must. I am ready to share my sanctuary with you. Climb on up.