pamgarrison

journaling in progress

More journal pages in progress. Trying to be better about showing you the different stages, I know I like seeing that in other people's postings about journaling. So above is a background in progress. I am loving that crazy gray/blue flower. Taking Mary Ann Moss' Stencilry class as you might have guessed by the stencil painting above. It's not as easy as it looks; she's a master. I know, just when you thought I had finally stopped talking about her last class non-stop I mention a new one! What can I say? I'm loving her video inspiration. Here's the same page with left flap closed so you'll be able to follow the progress in future posts.

Here's the page you saw in a previous post filled in now.

and another spread:

Same spread close up...oh, that strong black color makes  me so happy.

still painting

I've been working on 3 big pieces over the week. So fun. All are on wood art boards, all done with acrylics and watercolors.

 

I have no idea where I'm going with all this, but I'm sure that it's somewhere that my bank account wouldn't like. I find myself wanting to order more wood art boards, more paints, more brushes, an easel...oh my!

WIP

Having fun playing with paint on a big wooden canvas. {Ed: I ordered Wood Painting Panels from dickblick.com} I'm finally at a place where I feel like there is hope for it, ha! It's sure to change from here, but I feel like it's found a direction. It's 24x24 and I'm really enjoying working in this large size. Gonna set this aside for a bit and gesso another one now. Not sure what I enjoy more, the feel of the paintbrush on the wood, or mixing up my own colors (acrylics and watercolors). Feeling very lucky that I get to play this way. Constantly trying to grow creatively. Hope you get some creative play in today too.

sunday 1/24

Here's the "finished" spread from the pages shown in yesterday's post. I put the word finished in quotes because, while it may not really be finished, I'm moving on from it. I wanted to show you how the page evolved. I used some really great images cut from the latest issue of the magazine Hi Fructose. It's a super cool (often way too cool for me), edgy, art magazine. I cut up the magazine so much that now I can't find  the artist's names that created the pictures I used here (the doll on the right, graphic artwork at the top and bottom, little girl, titles on left side page), but if you recognize their work, please let me know.

And here is the second page spread, more images and quote from Hi Fructose, scrapbook paper and vintage wallpaper. 

Artist Lesley Riley is asking for your help with her new project that has yet to be unveiled. Visit her blog here to answer a short survey and by doing so be entered to win lots of prizes. Even if you wish to be anonymous, the survey can be beneficial to you and get you thinking about your art and what you hope for this year.

 And artist Rebecca Sower has lovingly created a way where you can continue efforts to make a brighter future in Haiti. Stop by to hear all about it and to consider supporting this great cause, whether by donating items or purchasing items. Haiti by Hand. Spread the word. 

making a new visual journal

I sent off 7 visual journals for some fun that Papaya has in store for them this year. This is their second independent journey this year. They like a fun excursion and all the attention they get being fondled and photographed. I however, am lonely without them...at least the blank pages in them. My fingers are itching to paint and doodle and draw and purge some minutia from my mind. Earlier this week I tried getting my fix on wood and canvas as you can see here:

Which helped for a bit, but then I ended up at Judy Wise's blog and couldn't stand being journal-less another minute. I like Judy's take on visual journaling, I feel like I really get a clear sense of her artistic voice. It seems to me that she paints and draws more than collages. I also love her method of dating her entries, with date stamp each time, and that she journals in order, page after page among other things.  Although I have always stressed that I don't do this, I'd like to try one journal where I do work in chronological order. Thankful to Judy for the inspiration to get back to playing in my visual journal with some new viewpoints, new things to incorporate, all why trying to clarify my voice and grow at the same time. So, of course, with my journals off on vacation, I had to make a new one.

I can't ever bear to throw away any of the expensive and delicious-to-play-with watercolor paper remnants left from other projects, so I sewed the scraps together to make up the big pieces I needed for the signatures. I also incorporated Teesha's method of folding the extra paper on the edge in, instead of tearing it off. Here is another page that is being re-purposed like the one above. I painted and collaged over the parts from it's previous incarnation, doodled and drew and used the existing paint mark as an outline for a face, not something I usually draw in my journals, but it just kept staring at me, so I went with it. (I'm assuming that might be a bit of Judy's influence too). Kinda doesn't look like me, but feels like fun exploration. It's good to push myself out of my comfort zone once in awhile. I think I'll like it a lot better when I write on it. And if not, it's ok to dislike some pages, or I can paint all over it again. Growth spurts can be awkward, right?

 

Here's the inside of the book before I sewed the pages in:

The signatures before sewing in (three signatures of 6). They aren't all painted on, just a few to get it started.

 

And the first pages, still in progress:

Ahhh, a new journal, that feels much better. Have a great weekend, you know mine will include some journaling.

spread love

hope and heartache for haiti

{a part of a recent journaling page above}

I love what Anahata says here, she says it better than the fumbling words that come to my mind. I've also been deeply touched by Rebecca's sharing of her recent trip to Haiti, (she returned just last week). Please visit her site and be sure to scroll down and take in all the posts and her tales of beautiful Haitian friends met. May we all send help and hopes and prayers to the people of Haiti. One amazingly easy way to make a difference: American Red Cross.

working on my "inspired" project

Been busy working on my class samples for inspired. If you are coming, we are going to have some bright, colorful fun! More info here.

pages inside the remains of the day journal

Here are the signatures (groups of pages) for the Remains of the Day Journal that I showed last time. It's not too late to sign up, but sign ups are on hold while our self described "school marm" is off on an adventure. Info is on the link above. Anyway, what I love about Mary Ann's class is that I'm using up stuff I've saved for a long time but haven't had the right place for. This is the book for odd scraps of personal ephemera, not treasured collectible pieces. For example, the bird piece above is from a PapayaArts water bottle box that I cut up. The open space has the clear plastic still, so it will work as a see through pocket. On the right packet above, the outer cover is a plastic PapayaArt sleeve from some greeting cards I purchased. It's such nice, heavy plastic that it will make a great storage spot for other remains from my day. Here are some more pages that will serve as backgrounds for journaling/picture taking etc. Telling the story of my day in a visual diary form.

This spread has a vintage tag, a piece of a magazine advertisement for Earth Angels Toys (the red chair-not sure the artist, maybe Jennifer Lanne?),a scan of a calling card, scrap of fabric, new scrapbook paper, childrens writing paper, a magazine article with paint samples, an Addison Endpapers' business card, an old envelope piece, and a playing card cut up (the flower bouquet).

Are you seeing what I mean about the remains of the day scrap? No, I didn't say crap!

This spread has music paper, graph paper, new scrapbook papers, a Wee Wonderful's postcard and a snippet from a freebie magazine's cover that arrived just as I was stitching away.

A photo from my blog long ago, a childrens writing pad cover,ledger paper and red notary seal. 

A crepe paper outside wrapper, an old magazine page.

Some scrapbook paper, a security envelope (another thing new to me thanks to Mary Ann) with a bit of a Sabrina Ward Harrison gift card for Papaya Arts peeking through, an old picture from a magazine (wouldn't you love to know the caption?),  and the inside of a crepe paper label.

Scrapbook paper, the back of a Sabrina Ward Harrison gift card, some scrap thread knotted in a bow,a bookmark illustrated with chair drawings,security envelope and business card from Ruby Lang.

A Sunset magazine tear out order card,music paper,scrapbook paper and plain green paper. Basically, I think you get the idea, using non-precious items to make background pages on which you can journal any way you choose. I am going to follow Mary Ann's lead and document my days with photos and notes etc. I'll keep showing you as the journal progresses. These pages are sure to change a lot.

Here's Mary Ann's sneak peek, (I love this video!):