Forgive Me Journal Page

I think this is an appropriate journal page for what I have to say, ;).

I have decided I need a blog vacation. My day job is needing my attention and I need a bit of a change. So I hope all you dear blog readers will forgive me if I take a few weeks off. This also extends to my blog reading. I may do the occasional drop in, but please forgive me if I don't visit for a while.

Thank you to those of you who left me questions. Perhaps I can get to them on my return.

Bless you guys.

I Feel Bored and Something has gotta Change

I am almost finished with this art journal. I have already begun another larger journal.

Do you guys have any questions that you want to ask me? I am getting bored with my blog format of laying out my journal pages, so I thought I would open up the conversation. Some of you probably know by now that I am a professional artist so if there is anything that you would like to ask about being an artist, or about art journaling - feel free to ask away.

I don't know in what form I will continue this blog, so maybe your questions and or comments will help me. 

Liar Liar Journal Page

This page makes me smile. I like the contradictions in it. It basically began in an explosion of self loathing. (Guess who the liar was?)

The very beginning wasn't self loathing. It was removable masking tape with a wash of watercolour paints. I was trying out a new technique. It was fun.

These are magazine cut outs. I liked the bold, black accusation against the pretty pretty pink and orange background. And the ambiguity of the woman's hands holding an apple.

I am enjoying my letter stencils. 

Finally the quote on the left page is from the wonderful and wise Sweetmango. I find her words a tremendous comfort against the arrows of self-judgement.

the Most Boring Journal Page

Here is a page that I hate. I still hate it. I don't even like it enough to try and mess it up. It reminds me of all the things that I struggle against in my artwork. Too graphic, too illustrative, too safe and too perfect. Boring!!!

What am I doing? I am showing you how I made my boring journal page, lol. Pretty funny.

I liked this magazine picture. I liked the girl and I liked her outfit and I thought it might inspire a drawing. Instead I got caught up in old habits and copied the bloody thing. What a posey pose she is in!

Now I am continuing in my illustrative mode, painting it in watercolours. Bring back my days working in advertising, yuch.

Finally I come to my senses and see what I might do to make the whole thing a bit more exciting. I cover the facing page with black gesso and I dry brush it behind her as well. I have started out stiff and am trying to bring looseness in - what a joke. Learn from my mistakes.

Now I decide to bring in the original magazine photo. I tear it into strips and glue them on. I switch two of them to bring in the unexpected. Pathetic. About as unexpected as an airbrushed model.

Finally I realise the folly of my illusions. I confess my stupidity and it is the most interesting part of my.... *drum roll* Most Boring Journal Page.

At one point I was severely tempted to give her horns. Do you think it would have helped?

Longing Journal Page

Here are some pages that are all ink drawing. I think I will do more of these. I love drawing.

I was initially inspired by someone else's drawing but my drawing soon veered off in its own direction. The dress I got from a magazine. The birdie arrived on his own. She felt like she was standing next to a bench.

Oh, it's a bus stop. And there is a tree behind the bench with a building behind that. Her bag is open behind her with a large rat peeking out. I am pretty sure he is her pet. I think he is used to riding in there.

A bit more development in the drawing. She is wearing dark tights now and the alley behind her is in shadow.

If you want to see her closer, just click on the picture.

The writing is just what was coming up at the time. It wasn't until after the pages were complete that I realised why she is sad.

Longing makes me sad. Does it you?

Not as Pretty as I Thought, but it's Okay

I had a dress that is quite flattering on yesterday and a little makeup and thought, well you guys have seen me straight out of the studio looking a bit ragged... So I thought, I should share when I look nice.

But I have to say, I am still getting used to the post menopausal me. My face is fading. I could have used more makeup. But I have never been one for makeup and I can't see that changing now. 

I am not fishing! So please don't feel the need to comment that I still look good, etc. It is okay. I had my days of being young and beautiful (most young people are beautiful, we just don't see it in ourselves when we are young) and I found that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I feel more comfortable in my looks now, like they show the real me. 

My longest Unfinished Art Journal Page

I started this page so long ago that I don't have earlier scans of it. But I don't think you will need them, it is very basic in the techniques department.

I began these pages over 6 months ago. First I drew the goat, isn't he a cutie? His photo was on a card someone gave me. 

Later came the bird in the hand. Then I started doodling with my Staedtler triplus fineliners, thinking that I would fill up the page with doodles. But I soon lost interest and when I tried to gesso over the top it ended up all smudgie (the pens aren't waterproof).

The pages languished for months and months. I looked at them again a week or so ago and thought "I just want to write on those pages." Somehow I judged that as not 'good enough' and tried to think of a better idea.

What is wrong with just writing? It's a journal for Pete's sake (who is Pete anyway?) 

I might write in more of my pages.

The writing is really cool in these pages. It is a quote from Pema Chodron out of her book "When Things Fall Apart". Highly recommended.

I am wanting to finish off my art journal. I have about 13 pages to finish up, and one that isn't started.  I am ready to try a larger size.  I want to start a new journal with my class next week. Woowee!

the Heart has Its Reasons Journal Page

Here is a page that I don't know what it means. It is almost like there is some message about my father's side of the family, maybe about him and his mother? But I don't know what it is.

I tell you though, I think symbolic stuff can work on us without us understanding what is going on. Like dreams do. And when I look at these pages there is a feeling of healing though I couldn't tell you what it is about.
I began these pages by writing down a dream.

I put a coat of gesso over the writing so that it wouldn't show as much. I painted both pages with a watered down layer of raw umber acrylic paint. I could have used watercolour, it doesn't matter. The thin paint goes blotchy on the moleskine paper. I don't mind that for backgrounds.

But for my next journal, I am going to try a different book with different paper. I want to do more painting in the next one.

The moth is a magazine cut out. Again, no plan for these pages. I am working completely on impulse. I went through a bunch of images I had cut out and felt drawn to the moth. Butterflies symbolise transformation, I don't know what moths symbolise.

I like her little fuzzy body.

This is a photocopy of a photo of my grandmother on my Dad's side. I never knew her. This was her wedding photo. 

I tore it rather than cutting so the edges would blend into the background more.

That's a picture of my Dad in the canoe. When he was very young, maybe 19. The star is foil from some chocolate. I drew on the other side with a ballpoint pen that was out of ink, then glued it on. 

The border is water soluble crayon with cut-out patterns from a magazine.

The writing is gel pens. Love the gel pens. The white is the wonderful ZIG opaque writer that seems to go over anything. 

My Blog Interview with the Artful Paper Doll

Kellie interviewed me for her beautiful blog the Artful Paper Doll. 

She has wonderful tutorials on NING and a new art doll journaling group, all to be found through her blog.