The Birth of Me Page

This page spread in the journal is from my baby book and is in my mother's beautiful handwriting of presents I got when I was born. And of course the family tree in Mama's handwriting. I miss her and will see her again someday in a body that is not ravaged and all crippled up with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis. Although my life is blessed in this world I do look forward to the next one. And I am thankful that I know where I will be. How distressing it would be to not know these things!

Chunky Time Art Journal...again!

I think this is a journal that I made about two weeks ago and posted it on YouTube but forgot to post it to my blog. This journal is definitely chunky gone wild! Again, these are bit and pieces of art that don't need to be framed and probably wouldn't sell in the Etsy shop (wouldn't sell being the definitive emphasis here!) This was made with the Rubicoil (my favorite book maker thingy) and I cut strips of black cardstock, Rubiccoil-ed it and put the coil in. Then I can paste things onto that strip as I gather stuff. It's FUN! Yep, it is!

Thanksgiving Girls and a Princess

Here are some girls colored with copic markers in the art journal. I drew these while digesting turkey and sweet potatoes and lots of sweets including chocolate covered Cheerios--yum!

And one girl turned into a princess.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you all did!

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Here, above, is the painting that I started with.
This (above) is straight from the website making the aged photograph. Pretty cool, huh!!? And actually that's all you get from the website. Below is what I did in Photoshop.
Here is the piece that I ended up with. I sent it through this website. It's all in Japanese so you just have to guess what the buttons say! Well, actually I think "choose file" might be in English but the rest is in Japanese. Then I added some color with the brushes on the overlay setting in Photoshop and added my calligraphy of Psalm 100 with about 50% opacity. Then I used the overlay brush setting again to color in the Poppies because the aged photograph is more black and white-ish as you can see. I didn't plan to make this actually --it was just one of those serendipity things. I love those magical serendipitous things!

Baby Marc is coming into town today so Nannie (that's me) is VERY EXCITED... and so very blessed....

Aged Photo Process

I'll explain how I did this tomorrow. It's a very neat website that makes a picture or photograph look aged. Pretty cool---but you have to read Japanese. Good thing I can do that.

Just kidding! :)

Aspire to be True--Journal Page

Doodling in the journal sometimes brings unexpected things. Like, I didn't expect that her doodle hair would look like snails in her hair! But I am loving the copics for the face and I have finally gotten the colors that I think work for faces. This is in journal #7 or 8. I have that many floating around. I am a journal junkie, I admit it but my favorite one right now is the one I journaled in the other day which is this one.

Dream Journal Page

I used the Copics for her face and the flower and a rub on (love em!!) for the lettering. This is my favorite fabric journal and I seem to be better at putting something in this one. My process is to just do it--put something in it--anything, and work intuitively. I wonder if the "intuitive muscle" can grow stronger... or is it the confidence in the intuitition that gets stronger. Kinda like--what came first the chicken or the egg? Actually, not really like that. :))

Backgrounds at the Lisa Workshop

I made a little movie of the backgrounds--because I love to use IMovie. It's so fun to make movies! Here are the painted backgrounds on different types of fabric..some muslin, some drill cloth, etc. I plan to letter on some of these and maybe put together another collage quilt. Thanks for all your suggestions as to what to do with the Lisa quilt. I think backing it on some dark or black fabric and hang it---on a stick! Yep!

The Lisa Quilt

I finished the quilt and had fun sewing it. I even figured out how to wind the bobbin so Bernie was behaving just fine! the quilt is 20 x 28. I am not sure what I will do with it--maybe hand it on a wall somewhere and remember the wonderful weekend I had with Lisa the Birmingham Guild gals. My theme was taking the journey into my artistic soul(and the journey to Birmingham). Lisa talked with us about letting go of our fear and just create for the joy of it. After all, it's just fabric and there is also gesso or more collaged fabric. SO JUST GO FOR IT! I will put up some photos of my other canvas pieces tomorrow in a vlog.

Birmingham Journal Page

I had about a 31/2 hour wait at the Birmingham airport coming back to Jacksonville. I could have slept longer and waited and lingered longer at the hotel but I was anxious to check in and get all the hard tasks behind me---like picking up my 75lb suitcase. It was all those supplies that I didn't need! Lisa brought everything we would need. So I started this page at the airport and finished it at home. I also really had an enjoyable time waiting at the airport. When you have MI-FI---time flies!!!

Somthin' fun...alcohol flowers!

I love to go surfing in blogland for new things. I do believe also that some of the most talented and undiscovered artists are out there! It just blows my mind the creativity of these artists and the willingness to share their talents. I discovered this technique that was really fun. And because I have some of these Adirondack Alcohol inks and I am ashamed to say I have never used them because I ---just didn't. I made several sheets of these because you kinda have to play around with it because the blender does some funky things with the ink. So if you have some alcohol inks that you didn't use, or even if you did---try this!

Red Flowers--Redone 16 x 20

I found this painting that I did about a year ago and I never liked it. I really couldn't tell why I didn't like it and I almost tossed it. I brought it out of the dark crevices of the morgue where the other failed paintings reside and I thought that maybe I could raise this one from the dead. So with a few shadows, values and color I think he relives now! I dirtied up the edges a bit and I never would have thought to do that a year ago. It's funny how we learn new things and ---so--I kinda wish I had all the tossed ones and maybe I could raise them up. Some were deader than dead as I recall so ---they are resting in painting heaven where they are very beautiful now.

I will post some canvas paintings from Lisa class soon. I need to decompress a bit and get it all out and take a look and see what I have.

Oh, and check out my very talented Italic Calligraphy student, Sue K, and see her fabulous practice sheets. GOOD work, Sue!! I am so proud of you!!! Thanks!!!

And also, here is a sweet link from a wonderful artist, Shirley, from Shirley's Illustrations! You will absolute love her illustrations. They are precious. Thanks, Shirley!!!

Lisa workshop Day 2

The lighting is really bad here at the Embassy suites but I wanted to show you the almost finished piece. I plan to sew with various threads and some metallic thread and finish it up then I will take a good picture of it. I really have had a wonderful time and Lisa gave us "permission" to do all sorts of things that were really ok when assembling a collage or writing on fabric. I am so glad I came to the workshop. I only got lost a few times so thank goodness for the Hertz Neverlost. SO ... actually I was never lost!!! The Birmingham guild gals are exceptionally precious people and it was fun to see how talented and creative they are were. We have actually all had most of same teachers along the way and it gave us an instant bond. Oh, how I wish Jacksonville still had a Calligraphers Guild. That makes me very sad that we don't. Anyway....I think I am tired now and I think I will watch a movie. I watched "Julie and Julia" last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! Flying home tomorrow---I'll be glad to get home.

Lisa Engelbrecht Workshop in Birmingham

Well, I made it here! What an adventure but I am so proud of myself for doing this all by myself. And so far it has been so worth it. I am having such fun! Lisa is fabulous and her letterforms are to die for and it's all just so exciting and wonderful. The Birmingham guild people are very nice and there are even two girls from the Memphis guild. I am sitting next to the cutest gal from Auburn, AL, who knows some of my family members and friends in West Point where I grew up! It's is small small world. I have so enjoyed sitting next to her. You can see just a bit of her with her gorgeous blond hair in the video painting away. Tomorrow we will make" the bigger piece" will all our little pieces that we have lettered on (eeeek!) and I guess we will just see what comes forth!!

I would have shown you some of my pictures but I brought the wrong camera cord so here is just a little snippet of today.

Off to Lisa Engelbrecht Workshop!

Oh my goodness, it's finally here! I am flying to Birmingham today for Lisa's workshop with the Birmingham Calligrapher's Guild. I am extremely excited (and a bit nervous). I don't know a soul but I am steppin' out and going it alone. I do know that calligraphers are the nicest and most generest ( is that a word?) of people so I am sure I will make new and wonderful friends and be so inspired!! Lisa is one of my favorite artists. I love her free and beautiful letterforms and ---well, I just love everything she does. I understand that this will be her last workshop so I am so glad I could go. I am taking my computer so I might be able to blog some pictures along the way. Be back Monday!

I made a fabric journal

I had not sewn anything in too long and when Bernie gets put aside she gets pesky. I am sure it was just me. I need to sew more often because I couldn't even figure out how to wind the bobbin---good grief. How quickly we forget. And I will do anything to avoid instructional manuals. It's true, if you don't use it- you will lose it---at least for me anyway. I didn't get the bobbin figured out so I just had to use the one that was in there. I used Fabriano note cards that come already folded. It has 4 signatures of 4 pages each. So that give me---hummmm...oops-- math involved!...lots of front and back pages...!

This is Miranda

Why Miranda? I don't know, she just looked like a Miranda to me. What is Miranda doing? I think she is listening to someone very intently and politely but does not agree with what she is hearing. But Miranda is very savvy and smart and she will give her opinion in the most eloquent and inoffensive way and she herself will not be offended by the other's viewpoint.

Maybe I can have a little story about my girls. There always seems to always be something in their eyes that tells a story. I just need to bring it forth.

I woke up yesterday morning thinking about coloring a face with colored pencils so that is the first thing I did. I had some face tone colors so here she is...Miranda in the morning! I like her hair and wish mine looked like this. I think the fun of drawing faces is that each one is different although slightly the same. They could all be cousins or something. Have a blessed day y'all.

Loving Monica's class.

Journal pages that were very fun!

Well, I finally did it...I cut stuff out of a magazine and pasted it in and boy was it fun. I put down some paint first and kinda followed the Teesha Moore's model of putting a border first then just add words and things. I tried not to over think---that is always my goal to not over think creative journal pages. I think that is why I have such a hard time journaling---I have to think! I don't mind thinking but when I start getting that cramp in my brain I know I'm thainking about it too much. You know that cramp don't you?

Journal cake---no calories!

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. ~Lucille Ball

Poppy Day again!

I was watching TV and drawing in the little journal. I haven't drawn poppies in a while and I missed them. This time I used colored pencils. I keep forgetting just how much I love colored pencils. I love anything and applies color to paper. If is was on a regular sheet I probably would have let the top Poppy bend over to the right or the left but--no room for that is this little journal.

I finished her

The previous picture of her was just a crop of the almost finished one but today I worked on her some more. I put some hymn music around the sides and I sprayed the stencils with the air compressor with the copics. I think I will really enjoy adding the stencils to the background. Of course you can get basically the same effect with a stencil and acrylic but there is just something about blowing it on that gives it that really soft look. And if you don't like it you can wipe it off with alcohol and it's gone, baby gone! Ok, now for the drawbacks---but it's just one---the air compressor uses lots of ink so you have to refill which involves ---more cha-ching! I haven't gotten to that point yet but I'm sure I will.

Y'all have a wonderful weekend and oxox to all.

Oh, and I am thinking about adding a tiny quote in type down by her shoulder

Here is the quote ---but I have decided yet whether to do that. Any thoughts?

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

more girl friends...

Monica has graciously let me take her "The Parfume of Life" class".

I am really enjoying it although I painted this girl before I saw how she blends her acrylics! Can't wait to try it. I am sure it really won't be quite as easy as she makes it look!

The top sketch is from the journal as I was watching TV. I think I will try and paint the top one too---with acrylics and maybe even Copics. Can't spray her though--I am afraid the air compressor is not quite that precise!

First project with Copic air

Are we having fun yet? YEP!!! I need to get used to the amount of air flow to make it smooth and make sure I mask things well and (ahem...not to make mud with complimentary colors...) but all that being said---I still happy dancing! My calligraphy lettering is added in Photoshop. I think I'm gonna like this thing!

Yeah, Baby!!

I am in love! Yes, I am! This is the air compressor for the Copics that I gave myself for my birthday. Birthday isn't yet but early presents are good!!! I plan to cut some stencils and use the ones that I have and play. It sprays a very fine spray and it is very quiet too. The houses in the back are stamps that I am going to cut as a stencil. FUN! I'm doing a happy dance right now. :)

Composition Girls

They are drawn in my composition notebook. There is just something about my composition notebooks that takes the pressure off and drawings turn out better---then I am bummed because it's in the composition book. I tried to get rid of the blue lines but my Photoshop tutorial about that didn't work and the blue lines turned grey and stayed there. Well, that's another story. They just don't scan very well. I think I might paint them or transfer them or----something

Calligraphy Practice Pad Book and a Teesha Moore Journal

I don't know if any of you have seen Teesha Moore's Youtube videos on her amazing 16 page journal but it is great but beware...don't start watching them at 10:30 and night because you will be up until 1:30 like my buddy, Lori did. It's great fun and eye candy galore!

And also in this vlog is also my calligraphy practice pad journal book for all of my students who are taking Italic Calligraphy to see how I made a book out of the practice sheets. It was fun to make and it makes practicing fun!

November Girl

I haven't painted a girl in so long I must say she didn't really want to come forth at first. She didn't like her mouth so I have to gesso over the mouth and start again. That took a while. I have been doing Monica Zuniga's face drawing class. We are drawing with pencil so translating all those shadows into paints is another animal altogether. I have such trouble with blending acrylic on faces so I did an unspeakable thing...shhhhh..I combined acrylics with Shiva paint sticks and I am afraid some acrylic got on top of where I had blended with the Shivas especially around the hair line. Don't tell anyone, ok? I actually think the Shivas blend the face the best--at least for me at this point. I use my finger and blend and if it isn't the right color just blend again with a better color. The background is a gone wrong background---that's why she is in the corner covering up an ugly area.

Do any of you watch Dancing with the Stars? Does she look a little bit like Cheryl Burke to you? Well, maybe...

On the second image I applied some edges from my Graphic edges program that I paid an arm and leg for but hardly ever use---arggg...so there, I used it!!! Looks pretty good!

Lost Sleep over Journal Pages

Well, I am trying to do the "no pressure, no think" journal pages. Can anyone tell whose book I am reading right now about journaling? Hint--it's "Blissful". Anyway, sometimes I just try different things and usually it ends up going into the "can the journal page be saved?" mode. And unfortunately I can't leave it for the next day if I didn't save it--it has to be fixed RIGHT NOW!! Is anybody else out there as crazy as me about this? I can be trying to go to sleep and I can hear that pitiful little journal page crying and whining and Mama has to get up and fix it. Then, I can't get back to sleep. Oh, how we artists do suffer!!! Anyway, one of these pages was the whiney one that kept me up. And actually, looking at it now, it wasn't worth the lost sleep. Sorry little journal page.