Art Journaling is ...

I don't know anything about Judy Wise (yet) but I think I would like to.

Why does art journaling feel so important? I don't know, but it does.

Soldiering On (and overly dramatic titles)

Another journal page from my A4 journal. I used tissue paper on this one. Did you know that you can write on the paper, then glue it down and it goes translucent? I like the way the tissue paper makes it look a bit grunge.

Concerning other creative matters, I have been doing some research in response to my frustration with using toxic spray paints in the online stencil class that I am taking.

To give credit, Mary Ann, the tutor of the class, has not only made suggestions for other media, but has included instructions in her class. You do not have to use spray paints to take her online stenciling class.

That said, living in Australia, we don't have the same buying options as in the States. I also live hours from a capitol city,  and buying online can entail expensive postage. The spray inks that she suggested as one option apparently aren't allowed to be sent airmail. 

I will be using Lynne's suggestion of a foam roller and acrylic paint. I am also going to try to get some of the little spray bottles and use Jennifer's idea with watered down acrylic paint.

Another option that I am looking at is called an atomizer. I understand that they used to use them before the days of air brush. Perhaps they still do. 

This isn't a very accurate diagram for what I going to buy, but it is close enough. You blow into one tube and the perpendicular tube sucks up the liquid to spray it out. It will be interesting to try. 

I will let you guys know how it goes.

Sometimes it is just so WRONG

I am taking Mary Ann Moss's online stencil class. I have been excited all week, looking forward to getting out my new spray paints (3 colours: matt black, matt white and sea green). She started the class Friday before last, but I haven't had the time to do anything but watch the videos as I have been working on my Creativity Workshop.

Today was the day. I did my minimum of weekly housework. Got grumpy when my DH wanted me to move some books. I was rarin' to make time for my first lesson: found stencils and spraypaint.

Finally got out the spraypaint. Picked a level spot in our large yard, moved out a small table from my studio. Newspaper collected. Retrieve out my way-too-old half face protection mask. I know I should have replaced the filter, but Bunnings didn't have the brand. So I had my fingers crossed that it would still be okay. My found stencils are not impressive. A few scavenged building bits and one doily. I like the idea of using lace, but didn't have any. I did score some great magnetic letters at a garage sale.

Hey, the stencils look cool. It could be fun  -- but it wasn't. I hate wearing the face mask. It hurts my face. It is uncomfortable. I hate the smell of rubber. I felt woozie afterwards. Was it a lack of oxygen or weren't the filters working? I remembered the days I wore that mask in the past, when I was oiling out our windows. I was very grateful for the protection, but I hated it.

What was I thinking? I am the super sensitive type. I eat organic food and have a special diet. I can't even drink black tea for heaven's sake. What was I thinking, imagining that I could use spray paint??? Even in my studio I feel weird from the low toxic painting medium. I can feel the electromagnetic field from my computer. How did I ever imagine I could use the severely toxic medium of spraypaint?

It was a 'completely forget who I am' moment. Do you ever have those? When you start imagine doing something that you are completely unsuited for? something that anyone who knows you would say "what were you thinking?"

My Workshop: the Six Secrets of Creativity

"Over two days, Zom will share the six secrets of creativity, each building upon the one before. Each secret has a strength developed when you live it. These six strengths or qualities are needed for creativity; qualities like trust, intuition, courage and playfulness. Once you know each individual secret, it not only helps to open your creativity, it also develops one of these necessary companion qualities."

That is the beginning of the blurb for my Byron Bay workshop at Still@the Centre on the 11th and 12th of July. I have been working on it for weeks now. 

It was initially based on the classes I have been teaching on Creativity through Byronshire ACE, but I have enlarged and altered the format. There is going to be more action (games and play) and less introspective stuff. There will still will be inner work, cause that is important too, but I wanted to balance it with physical play. I think it is going to be a lot of fun. I am making the workshop that I would like to attend. 

Cause I can! tee hee

Opening Night was great.

The opening of the group show at Edwina Corlette Gallery was all I hoped. Lovely friendly faces, gentle atmosphere and sales! Lots of lovely red dots. I am very happy.

Here are some of the paintings. I showed with a very talented young artist, Erin Smith. I found her work fascinating. She makes drawings from her journal entries. Unfortunately her website doesn't seem to be fully functioning, so you have to go to her under Edwina's artists, here. 

I wanted to post one of her paintings, but I can't do it. So I posted one of my that sold instead.

It felt great to be back in my studio today.

Group Show in Brisbane

I am in my first group show at the Edwina Corlette Gallery in Brisbane opening this Friday night. I am very excited (and of course uncomfortably nervous). Fingers crossed that there is a lot of interest in my paintings.

Changing Direction

When I don't like a journal page, it is fun to change direction. Take a chance. Risk trouble,tee hee. That is what my art journal is for. Even if the page ends up worse, I don't really mind  (maybe a little, but I get over it.)

Maybe some day I will be able to do that in the studio with my 'real work' as well.

Here are a couple of pages that have been languishing in my journal. I like the child silouhettes, but I have been feeling that another layer of colour would give it more punch. Something warm to contrast with the cool green and teal.

I mixed up an orange red with cadmium light and warm cadmium yellow and pounced it on with a sea sponge. Fun. 

As I had the acrylics out, and was procrastinating about my new oil paintings (which are kinda scaring me) I thought I would attack some other art journal pages.

The page on the left is a wish page. I took a rejection letter from a gallery and reformed it into an acceptance page. That was a while ago and I am kind of over it. I want to jazz the page up and prepare it for some collage. 

The page on the right is one we did in class, drawing what is in your bag. I was imagining a delicate watercolour and pen page, but I lost interest. This is one that could easily get worse, but I am attacking anyway. Take that!

I went in with the red acrylic. I am not thinking this out. The poor little drawing has gone completely blah next to that red.

So impulsively I get out the black gesso and paint around the drawing. I don't know where this is going, but I feel like working on these pages again now. I don't know what I am doing, but they have come back to life for me. Go figure.

Thank you page to the Artist Child within

Here is a simple collage page done on a background of layers of acrylic paint. I did the doodling and writing with gel and paint pens.

I wrote this journal page before I read what Julia Cameron in the book the Artist's Way says about our inner artist being a child (my childhood name was DD). I am considering and experimenting with the idea. The more I think about it, the more I realise that it is probably true. 

It is a very compassionate idea. Instead of giving yourself a hard time when you feel upset that your painting was rejected by that art prize, imagine comforting your self (or your artist-self) with an icecream cone and more play. Sounds good to me.

Would you let me Paint You?

For anyone who hasn't visited my artist's website, I paint mostly figurative paintings. I paint naturalistically and quite beautifully (well, I think so.) Because I am good at getting a likeness, and because I am interested in beauty, I thought most people would be flattered if I asked them to pose. 

I haven't had anyone turn me down, but sometimes a certain trepidation seems to enter later in the piece. First let me explain that it usually takes quite a bit of courage on my part to ask someone to pose. I feel very vulnerable and self-conscious. A model is an important part of a painting. They become a kind of muse. Most people aren't used to modeling and think I am taking their picture. It isn't actually a picture of 'them'. It is more like acting, where you hold a certain energy or feeling for the painting.

One woman I painted became uncomfortable after I sent her the images. She thought they were unflattering. It was upsetting for both of us. Later, much to her credit, she realised that the paintings weren't of 'her', that I was using her as a kind of character in the painting. (Other people thought she looked beautiful in the paintings.)

I am not unsympathetic. I have been in a similar situation. My friend and mentor, James Guppy, asked if I would pose for him. I was flattered and excited to be part of his work. It became a little more challenging as I discovered I would need to pose nude. I worked as an artist model in my 20's, but approaching 50 I was reluctant. I have a lot of respect for James' work, but he doesn't flatter his models. Unflattering emphasis is often important to his artistic vision. 

What would you be willing to do in the service of art? I had my natural vanity as a middle-aged woman competing with my love of art. Of course by the time I saw the paintings it was too late to change my mind, so it was fortunate that my artist won the battle. I think in the end my woman benefited from the experience as well - taking myself less seriously.

It was interesting to see which paintings I had trouble with. There is one of my face looking very unflattering that I love. It is the ones that show me nude that I hope disappear. But it isn't me, I must remember. It is a vision of James' that I helped to embody.

To see the paintings I modelled for go here. I couldn't link directly to each painting, so you will have to guess which ones I like and which are confronting.

Would you pose?

the Business of Art

Being an artist has two sides. There is the creative side, in your studio making the work - with all its wonders, tortures, delights and challenges .

The other side is the Art World. Finding a gallery (or not), trying to sell your work, dealing with people who seem to have the power, trying to feel successful and dealing with your own ego. Trying not to get disheartened. Trying to achieve a balance of believing in your work but not becoming an egomaniac. Making peace with the distinct possibility of never making a living wage. And so on.

That is the world I have been in this week. I have been quite anxious, getting a portfolio together for a networking event. I have also been anxious putting together paintings for a group show. Both are good things. The networking went really well. There was an encouraging amount of interest in my work. 

I am quite happy, but I am also grumpy. I feel frazzled and drained. I want to be in my studio working again. But I need to confirm my new contacts, send out more photos of paintings - research galleries that have been recommended to me, and phone those galleries. And then send out more photos. 

I am really happy and very grateful, but I miss my studio. And I miss my art journal. I want to go back into my creating and forget about the business side of art.