Delight in Disorder

It's taken me awhile to get to this point this morning....first my camera battery needed recharging and then I lost my internet connection.  
I had my monthly altered book workshop class yesterday and want to share what we did....it was all about using Black & White.

Our instructor brought lots of papers with various patterns and prints for us to use and  I also  brought some of my own.  There are two tags that I made for the class...one I've attached to the left page, and one to the right.   Here is the 1st picture....

If you read the caption on the tag I made with the little black dress, it reads "Delight in Disorder"....and if you are a left-brain thinker and you're looking at this picture...you might agree with the "disorder".  The placement of the papers is truly random.  The polka dots down the right hand side is actually a piece of ribbon I sewed on.  I do love the copy on the black dress tag...it goes on to say "A sweet disorder in the dress, kindles in clothes a wantoness...a lawn about the shoulders thrown ...into a fine distraction...." and it goes on.
Here's the left page...

The "game boy" was made with rubber stamps provided by the instructor and brads to attach his arms and legs so they move.  Only his torso is glued to the page.  The tag I had made prior to the class.  I brought the lace doily and the mask.  Could he have been placed on a less "busy" background so that he stood out more?   Yes...but somehow, the delight in the disorder appeals to me.  I might have to do a couple of more black & white pages because I still have some interesting "stuff" I could use...hate to waste...The words "The Difference is Black and White" is from a magazine ad.  How well that worked out!
Here are both pages together....

 And we learned a little bit about Zentangles and did a little exercise in that as well....

This is Zentangles 101...there are many fun patterns and great things to do with them...

Rainy Day Sunflowers

At long last....RAIN! Boy did we need some....even Sunflowers are happy....in the rain.  Remember that old song..."Rainsdrops keep falling on my head...."

What is it about...Sunflowers?

I found this wonderful picture of Sunflowers while looking at photos on MSNBC...the Week in Pictures.  Now, most of the pictures I viewed....were tragic...floods, starvation, human drama.  In many parts of the world, peoples day to day lives are quite a struggle....we don't have much to complain about living here.  So, I'm posting the Sunflowers photo, taken in Germany.  I love Sunflowers...mine are blooming on my deck now too.  I wish everyone could enjoy the beauty of a ...Sunflower.

The Creativity House

This is the house I created today and I'm calling it The Creativity House...it's self explanatory.  The hardest part was fitting everything in this house that I wanted to....I'll show you where I started....

Lots of "stuff" sitting around the house, trying to determine what was going to go "into" the house....next.....

I find it hard to "let loose" because I'm always afraid I'm going to mess something up that I didn't want to mess up....but I decided....if this was to be The Creative House...that I had to let go of some of that control, so I just started painting and glueing and more....the zebra at the bottom is a paper napkin. And I loved the little animal, but it got buried.  He's there in spirit. The round item at the bottom is photo of a dish filled  with paper beads that I made.  And the clock at the top of the house....well, you just have to make TIME to do the things you love to do.  The dust on the dining room table will just have to wait!  I'd rather be known as a creative person than a great housekeeper... :)

More on the "Houses"

I started this 2nd house earlier in the week.  And I finished it tonight.  I like this one better than the first, but maybe I'm just getting the hang of this a little bit better....see what you think.  My favorite part of the house below, is the quote I found:  "To create is to journey, to no longer belong to one place, to be a citizen of the world."

I tweaked the first one just a bit so here it is....

  

Now I think I need to move away from the garden/outdoor/flower look and try something entirely different.  Can I do winter in August?  Maybe....Christmas?
I have to go back and look at my "stash" and see what will be next....TGIF!

A Work in Progress.....

The Summer House ....maybe that's what I will call this....the first "house" in my house book.  I haven't finished it, but want to share what it looks like thus far.  

 Here is a close up...that is Tom at the window, when he was 7 yrs old, holding our first pup, Max, a wonderful Golden Retriever who is no longer with us.  Tom's picture is printed on vellum, as is the bird in the cage at the peak of the house.  This "house" isn't quite finished, but wanted to share what I accomplished today... a learning curve with collage and mixed medium but I'm having so much fun!

Playing with Ideas

I have a couple of different things going in my art room, but I am especially interested in doing a "House" book, inspired by Angela Cartright's book, In This House.  I've cut several pages of a house shape out of watercolor paper and last night I started to "play" with it.  But it's not easy!  I'm used to painting my pictures and this is really more collage work, lots of layering and so forth.  So it becomes a question of what I want to show and what I want to be "in the background", having been sanded and painted over.  So, I'm at the very beginning of this page.  I put some color on the page and I glued bits of music because my house is nothing if not musical.  But the music will be an "underlying" theme in my house pages. 

Now I need to take the next step on the page, but I also feel like I need to collect more materials so I have lots to choose from.  It all takes ....time.  And I want this to be good....incorporating bits of my own home and life and part of things I just happen to like.



So here is a  page of the beginning.....not necessarily the first page of my book, but who knows....

He's Home!

Tom returned yesterday from his training at Camp LeJeune. They say a picture is worth a thousand words....he looks great, he is great!
I'm just a proud Mom.....

The Subject is...FISH

I had the opportunity this week to visit my local library and hear a talk given by the author of this book, TROUT, James Prosek. He went to our local high school and while he was studying at Yale, he published this amazing book of his watercolors of....Trout.  Now even if you're not a "fish afficianado", you can't help but appreciate the work that went into this book.  Such an accomplishment at an early age.  
He's published quite a few books...both children's stories (I've read those too), and other "fish" books and he has a new book coming out this fall on...Eels!

But what I loved hearing about more than anything else...is his journey because he has an amazing life!

Segue to today....I had my 2nd class on how to alter a book.  We did a little bit of origami.  And, when I saw that the instructor had this beautiful rubber stamp of a ...FISH....well....that had to be in my book today.  So here are my pages from today's class...

 and it opens....

A little bit closer....

/

So that's my fish tale for today.  

A Deserving Vet

On a drive recently in a neighboring town, I ended up right behind a red Corvette. What are the odds that an inspiration for a journal page would be so "in my face" as this was?  And ever since I saw this, I knew I had to put it in my Red, White & Blue journal.  Here was this beautiful red Corvette...and it had a Veterans license plate.  A veteran in a "vette".  I couldn't get it out of my head...thus the joy of art journaling.  Now it's saved on paper.  Because, at the time, I thought....who is more deserving of having a car like this...than a Veteran.  

If I Ruled The World

IT'S A HOT SUMMER DAY

This photo I found on Pixdaus should make you feel a bit cooler.  Just let yourself feel it....like you are on top of the world....

IF I RULED THE WORLD 

If I ruled the world, ev'ry day would be the first day of spring

Every heart would have a new song to sing

And we'd sing of the joy every morning would bring

If I ruled the world, ev'ry man would be as free as a bird,

Ev'ry voice would be a voice to be heard

Take my word we would treasure each day that occurred

My world would be a beautiful place

where we would weave such wonderful dreams

My world would wear a smile on its face

Like the man in the moon has when the moon beams

If I ruled the world every man would say the world was his friend

There'd be happiness that no man could end

No my friend, not if I ruled the world

Every head would be held up high

There'd be sunshine in everyone's sky

If the day ever dawned when I ruled the world...

--Words by Leslie Bricusse

Music by Cyril Ornadel

Recorded by Tony Bennett

Red, White & Blue

Collage, mixed media.  The girl I cut from a children's book about the American Flag and it was illustrated by Ralph Masiello.  I also used the web patching tape you use on a wall  to make repairs, down the left side.  The words say "The sky's the limit."  That's what we wish for all of our children.

I Love Friday Nights....

....the work week is behind me, and the weekend stretches before me.  I love catching up with my sister, Dianne, on how her golf was this week and on all of the "art" stuff that we're interested in....while I'm sitting on my deck enjoying a cool drink.  My brother, Bill and Kathy, are enjoying a trip to Colorado for a friend's wedding...and my younger sister and her family are settling into their new place in Idaho.  We're all so far apart....we need another reunion!!!

I'm working on some new journal pages ( I'm not going to mow in this heat!)  It's hard to explain, but I just love the way I feel when I walk into my art room...

One of my biggest challenges is finding what I want...when I want it.  So I found these great Mary Engelbreit tins with windows....so you can see what's inside and I filled them with spools of ribbon.  (The skeleton is  a memento left from my Frida Kahlo workshop....)

 And this is just a picture of various containers on the edge of my drafting table...one of them I stuffed Christmas lights into.  You should save those wonderful glass bottles you get spaghetti sauce in!  Recycle, recycle.  And ...there is a mug from Tom...when he was a little guy.

And I want to post the picture of Bill and Kathy in Colorado...it's a nice one of them.  We just had such a wonderful visit with them in Atlanta!!

 So....that's my Friday night post.  Made homemade pizza....no photo...It didn't last long enough for me to take one.  :)

Not The Only One

Blue Patterns by Diane Walker

Imagine there's no Heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Will there really be a "Morning"?

Is there such a thing as "Day"?

Could I see it from the mountains

If I were as tall as they?

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

Has it feet like Water lilies?

Has it feathers like a Bird?

Is it brought from famous countries

Of which I have never heard?

 Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

Oh some Scholar! Oh some Sailor!

Oh some Wise Man from the skies!

Please to tell a little Pilgrim

Where the place called "Morning" lies!

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

There's a website called Episcopal Cafe at http://www.episcopalcafe.com/art where I got this from...I liked it so much, I had to post/share it.  There is a lot of wonderful art on that site.  "Imagine" by John Lennon; and Will there really be a "Morning"? by Emily Dickinson.  A little morning philosophy....

Homage to Nancy Drew

I loved reading books when I was a young girl ....and I must have read almost all of the Nancy Drew Mysteries...I don't really know.  All I know, is that I would go to my room and stay there for hours, reading Nancy Drew Mysteries.  

I came across some of the original hard bound copies in an antique flea market in Atlanta recently...was almost tempted to purchase one and read it ...again...but I didn't.  But...she's been on my mind.

So, segue to what I love about art journaling.  You don't have to spend hours, days figuring out how your "canvas" is going to look.  With art journaling...at least for me...it's something you just....do.  It doesn't take hours or days or weeks....you just have an idea, or a feeling, or something that you are chuckling about....and you have to get it on paper...in some form....capture it.  

So....here is my homage to Nancy Drew.  On the top page are the lyrics to Judy Collins song, "Both Sides Now" (there is a connection) and on the bottom...just a little philosophy about life, Nancy Drew and whatever you want to take away from this.  (In case you don't know it, if you double click on the image, you can see a larger version).  I had fun doing this, and that's what it's all about. (modified image 7/18/10)

Just One More ....

I can't help myself....I enjoy doing patriotic art more than anything else.  I was inspired by watching A Capitol 4th on TV and watching the Marine Corp Band play....my July 4th finale for this year.....

4th of July at Bethany Beach

When Tom was little, we spent many July 4ths at Bethany Beach.  Here is a collage... a photo of him watching the Bethany Beach Parade.  I painted the  background buildings, but cut him out from a photo as well as the rear of the truck and added it to this picture. 

Tom ...a younger soldier

I have quite a few pictures of Tom in his various "soldier regalia"...in this photo...his 2 front teeth were just coming in...

July 4, 2010

I cannot let a July 4 weekend go by without some "red, white & blue.  So last night I created this little painting for my red, white & blue journal.  The felted wool flag in the center was created by my artist friend, Morna Crites-Moore.  Morna has created some amazing felted wool flags which you can see on her blog, click here ...you have to go and see them!  Be sure to scroll down to her Flag Day post....

Updates on my Marine son who is spending his summer at Camp LeJeune, NC...I found out last week that Tom was named "Marine of the Week" by his platoon (140 guys).......so proud of him.  He has some time off this 4th of July and is spending the long weekend at the Outer Banks...some well deserved R & R from the hot summer days they've had down there.

So, I'm dedicating this post to our men & women in uniform.

Fun Little "Book"

I found this fun little "book" when I was in Atlanta last week, wandering around an antique flea market.  The tag said it was a notepad...but to me it's a fun, little blank book ....a glamorous, velvet dress with sequins on a hanger.  It's now hanging on the wall in my art room....just having fun!

 

FAMILY...

This weekend, my siblings (3) traveled to Atlanta, GA for a reunion that was 17 years overdue.  We gathered at our brother's home...the youngest.  17 years is a long time not to see a family member.  We laughed and we cried.  What really brought us together....was the loss of our  nephew, 28 year old Brett, our brother's son,  who died at Christmas time last year.  So I credit Brett with bringing us all together...only I wish he could have been there too. 

Dianne brought lots of old family photos....it was so much fun to look at them.  We spent lots of time on their porch... starting with coffee in the morning...Bill & Kathy's hospitality was immeasurable. We probably could have spent the entire time on that porch...just talking.  Suffice to say I could add a lot more to this post, but I'm just providing a glimpse.

 Bill and Karen

 

Eileen, Bill & Dianne

                     Courtney, Bill & Kathy

More Book Altering....

This is the inside the book cover.  I "hung the sign" in the workshop and added some other effects this evening...words and the body.  The fun part of doing this is that you can just keep on adding as the spirit moves you.

 These are more pages...I was teaching myself a technique...folding the pages and "sewing" with ribbon to create pockets.  I put the stamp in the pocket just to show you...that's not staying there.  So now I have these painted pages that I will alter, collage, embellish and add who knows what to the pockets.  Fun just to think about....

Learning New Things

I went to an Altered Book workshop yesterday...I am intrigued with what you can do with books whether it's making one from scratch (haven't tried yet), art journaling in a blank book or...as in yesterday's workshop....taking an existing hard bound book and making it into something creative and fun.  (I did read the book before I decided to "alter" it).  So this is the first two pages of the book.  We played with alcohol inks, "masks" which are essentially stencils...the clock gears you see, arylic paint dabbers,  rubber stamps, embellishments...the key and other small metal objects.  So as I was looking at it awhile ago, I decided it needed something more....and who knows...I may yet again add something else to it;  but for now, I added song lyrics...one of my favorite songs from an earlier generation...As Time Goes By...
The photos is not the best, but hope you get the idea....

A Sea of Red, White & Blue - WOW!

I had to post this photo when I saw it on the Drudge Report.  I have never seen this many American Flags in one photo....for me it's like "eye candy"....it was taken at the World Cup Soccer matches.  I just love our American flag and thought I should share this. 

Patience by Randi Parkhurst, Bookmaker

Patience from Glowing Heads on Vimeo.


I had to share this amazing artwork by Randi Parkhurst.  You can find out more about her and her creation(s) by visiting her website,
http://parkhurstpaperarts.com/ 

With Humor

I

I'm really too young to remember the song from the '50's..."Lipstick on your collar"....but I had red lipstick in mind when I decided to create this journal page.  The red "zig zags" at the top of the page are from a lipstick ad in a magazine...and the other set of zig zags are what I cut from the top zig zags....which made me think of "jaws"...mouth...red lipstick on the collar....and, not to be forgotten, the flag on the pocket.  I started with the shirt and then the creation took on a life of its own....that's how art works.

Beautiful Journal

B

Is this the coolest journal cover ever?  My neighbor, Toni, gave me this book....I love it....it will be filled with my red, white & blue art. 

Off to "Camp"

Tom was home from college for a couple of weeks and with him came all of his "stuff"....where to put it all.  But in his "stuff" he had some of the postcards I've made for him during his college years.  Each card has it's own special memories and "pearls of wisdom" I've tried to share with him as he is on his life journey.  Maybe he'll share them with his children some day and "won't have to reinvent the wheel"!  At any rate, I've enjoyed looking at some of them this week as he headed out for "Camp" yesterday...Camp LeJeune, NC that is....for more Marine Corp training.  Ooh Rah!

Playing with oil pastels...is for the...Birds!!!

This was done using some of the tools I learned at my recent collage/mixed media art workshop.  I do love birds....

Intro Page to my Red, White & Blue Journal...

I

 I had to create a "1st Page" for my Red, White & Blue Journal and this is it.....my very first art journal was all about the color blue....I still have a lot of "blue in me".

Red, White & Blue