Journaling to Be Still

Although I'm not a dedicated art journaler, there are times when I feel the call of the blank pages. Usually I come back to my journal when I am feeling overwhelmed. And with recent events, well... I think we've all been pretty overwhelmed. Journaling gives me a chance to write and make art just for me. I'm not a big storyteller, but more of a note-taker, so journal pages often include snippets of thought, hidden in pockets and folds of paper.

This entry was created using papers from my scrap pile, paint, printed tapes, and deli paper. I stitched a few pieces together and wrote this message to myself.

So I begin this day with a prayer for peace.
Silence within my mind.
Quiet within my soul.
A look at my place here on earth as if seen from miles into space.
A mere fleck of energy swirling around other bits of energy.
And all is well.
There is time, there is goodness, there is love and patience and all that I need.
It's all here and planned in a way that I don't know nor will I ever really know. (I'm not supposed to know.)
And so I breathe,
And sit still.

Sometimes I feel like I'm standing on the shore of an ocean. The tides and the waves rush up. I become too busy. I'm flooded with ideas, projects, goals, and worries. I'm bombarded with the latest frightening news, trends, and social media. I can't finish anything. I become overwhelmed. I feel like I'm running out of room. There is no beach left. I am forced to return to the dock, safely anchored above the rushing waters. I sit down on the edge of the dock and look out to sea. I watch from a distance. I see the sun sparkling on the water, dolphins playing in the distance, and fish glittering beneath my toes. In time, the tide rolls back out. It's safe to go back to the beach.

Journaling forces me to sit still, to walk away from the roar of life and see things from a different perspective.

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If you've never tried art journaling or if you need some new ideas, you might want to check out this new e-mag from Cloth Paper Scissors, Art Journaling Exposed, Vol. 2.

It's filled with fun ideas and short instructional videos. The "Caught on Tape" article features Jen Cushman showing us how to use Ice Resin to create slick journal accents, Kristen Robinson showing us how to use cereal bags for journal pages, and yours truly demonstrating a sewn paper technique. I got to meet Jen and Kristen when we filmed our video workshops last fall. If you have a moment, stop by their blogs and check out their amazing work!

Technicolor Farm

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about the farm. My parents live on a farm and I grew up visiting my grandparents' farm every summer. So many happy memories and images rise to the surface of my brain when I think about those summers. I decided to make some farm-inspired art. I initially wanted to use a delicate, muted color palette, one that would evoke the worn-away, dreamy, wheat-colored landscape. But... well, I just couldn't do it. Those neon bright colors kept making their way into my hands. So, I gave up and created some technicolor farm life instead.

I used layers of water-soluble crayons, an oil paintstick, and gold acrylic paint. The textures were created by scratching through the layers with a pencil.

The gold acrylic paint looks a lot like gold leaf on top of the water-soluble pencil.

Notice... no drawing skills here... I decided not to focus on accurate depiction, just quick movements and lots of color!

How about you?  How does your personal history influence your art? What themes come up? How do you put your own spin on those images?

Digging Out

A few weeks ago, my family, friends, and I took off for a spring break in Asheville, North Carolina. We were set to rent a cabin, see a few sights, soak in the hot tub, and eat too much. We did those things, but midway through the week, we received some horrible news. We learned that Jamie, a boy from my son's lacrosse team, was tragically struck by a car and killed while on spring break with friends.

Upon returning, we had to say good-bye. The visitation and funeral truly honored our friend's life.


The boys played their first game since their teammate's death on Sunday. They played beautifully, almost magically and beat a team they were not expected to beat. It felt good to see them out there, moving through their sadness, digging out of their grief, honoring Jamie by joyfully playing what he loved to play. 

I've been a little slow to action over the last few weeks. Grief has pulled me down. I just haven't had the heart to create. But as I watched the boys play on Sunday, I knew what I had to do. Dig out. Work. Do my best. Keep on moving. Honor Jamie's life by joyfully living. And so it is with everything that is happening in the news right now. In time, we've got to dig ourselves out of the sadness. Work. Love. Live joyfully so that we honor those we lost.

Geliciously Happy!

Last night, I held my first Gelicious Printmaking workshop at the Art Coop at 425 Market Place Antiques. It was so much fun. I had seven students, including friends, their friends, and (drumroll please) my Delta Zeta sorority sister, Christy. We last saw each other in 1992 when we both graduated from the University of Illinois. She lives in New York, but was in town visiting her sister and she heard about my workshop through Facebook. (Even though FB drives me crazy at times, it does have its moments!)

Here we are doing our cheesiest sorority girl pose.

I couldn't have asked for a sweeter and more fun group of students. I only had to do a few quick demos on the Gelli printing plate and they were all grabbing paints, experimenting with pattern tools, and rolling those brayers like the wind.

What a great way to end the week, making art with friends. I feel so grateful. 

Next week is our Spring Break. I think I will do just that, take a break. My plans? Read, have a glass of wine (or two), and simply breathe in the people I love.  

How To: Rice Paper Flags

In a few days, I will be holding my first Gelli printmaking workshop. I'm calling it Gelicious because, as most of you know, Gelli printing is truly a delicious activity! One of our activities will be to make a fun little flag banner using rice paper. I've already sewn a little packet of flags for each student.

Here's the how-to if you'd like to give it a try at home. (Of course, I'd much rather show you in person!)

Supplies you'll need:

• Rice paper (you can buy it in rolls at Hobby Lobby)
• Sewing machine
• Gelli printing plate 
• Acrylic paints
• Stamps
• Ink
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Twine or other stiff ribbon

Step 1:  Cut a sheet of rice paper about a yard long (you can adjust this depending upon how many flags you'd like to make.)

Step 2:  Cut the long sheet in half lengthwise. Don't worry if it is not perfect. (As you can see from my cut, I'm an eye-baller, no ruler necessary!)

Step 3: Fold over about one inch along the long edge of the sheet.

Step 4:  Sew the flap down staying close to raw edge. You want to create a pocket about 1/2 inch deep.

Step 5:  Cut the long sheet into rectangles. Don't worry about cutting through the seams.

Step 6: Use your Gelli plate to create some beautiful prints. Then choose a phrase and stamp it out onto small strips of rice paper.

Step 7: Glue the message onto each flag with a glue stick.

Step 8: String it up!

Once I finished the flag banner, I decided to go back and trim the bottom edges to create fun accents.

My message to my students and to you, my bloggy friends:

How thankful I am we are here together!

Top 10 Studio Favorites

Need a little mix up in your creative life? Try playing around with your studio top ten. Pick ten of your favorite supplies. Pick a crafty book that makes you happy. Use the book to inspire some new art using your top ten supplies.

My inspiration book: Painted Pages, by Sarah Ahearn Bellemare. I have blogged about this book before, but I can't help it... I just love it. Perhaps it is spring's refusal to start around here, but Sarah's sunny and delicate style looked so enticing. She uses a lot of white and pastel colors to create such dreamy images. I decided to use my supplies to work toward this warmth.

My Top Ten Supplies:

1) Acrylic paints
2) Gouache paints
3) Pan pastels
4) Stencils
5) Carved stamps
6) StazOn ink
7) Caran d'ache water soluble wax pastels
8) Deli paper
9) Graphite pencil
10) Painted papers to collage (using matte gel medium)

I started by cutting 4 pieces of watercolor paper and tracing a 5" x 7" rectangle on each. I started each piece with an outline of acrylic color. Turquoise is my new favorite color.

I kept layering paint, pencil, pastels, stencils, stamps and collage to create these summery pieces.
 

It was fun working with the same set of supplies to create four different pieces. I tried to use a lot of the same colors, images and marks, just moving the composition around as I worked. I'm not sure what I will do with these pieces, but it was a great exercise and a fun way to push myself in a different direction - always a good thing creatively.

I enjoyed this exercise so much, I might make it a regular practice. How about you? Do you have a regular practice that moves you into a new direction creatively?

What I'm Learning About Dream Chasing

A little over two years ago, I made a decision that changed my life. It was my 40th birthday. I decided to give this art thing a go. No more excuses (and I had a long list of very good ones that had worked for over 20 years.)

This is the first picture I put on this blog. The paper from a 40th birthday present.

I started blogging and trying all kinds of new things to get involved in any kind of art world that might welcome me. I soon found all kinds of supportive voices from all over the world. It was quite a magical feeling, a sense that the world was saying, "Where have you been, girl? We've been waiting for you."

As many of you know, I will be teaching at the CREATE mixed media retreat in the Chicago area this fall. This afternoon I was taking a look at the CREATE mixed media retreat website. I saw my picture there and  thought, "I cannot believe I am really getting to do this!"

These two years have been wonderfully encouraging and I've had so many surprising successes along the way. But along with the creative highs, there have been some painful moments of rejection too. I still struggle regularly with so many creative cringes, wrong turns, humbling moments, and doubtful days when I eat too many cookies and wander in a forlorn funk. It can get downright ugly.

But overall, I am on the path I have longed for all my life. I was just too scared to get on it. I don't know what my future holds or if success will be a part of it. I also don't know if I will always have the opportunity to pursue this life. But I've decided...while I do, I will do it with all my might. For the first time in my life, what I want is not coming quickly or easily. I'm finally chasing a dream.

Here are some of the biggest things I've learned about dream chasing so far.

1) I Must Fight the Urge to Give Up EVERY SINGLE DAY
I used to think that people who talked about never giving up on their dreams were just lucky people. Now I know that all this talk about "never giving up" is a result of the constant temptation to do just that. Every day, I flirt with the idea of just giving up. On rough days, I fantasize about bagging up all my supplies and donating them. On really bad days, I dream about an enormous art bonfire on my parents' farm. See... I told you it was ugly.  

2) Going After Your Dreams Will Put You Face to Face with Your Ugly Self
I hate to admit this, but earlier in my life I was quite critical. I didn't give much respect to vendors I saw at a craft show (unless I liked their stuff), artists that expressed themselves in unusual ways, or new artists who hadn't quite perfected their skills. Going after your dreams means exposing your most vulnerable self. I've never felt so humiliated, hurt, and embarrassed in my life. Seeing shoppers pick through and make rude comments about my wares at a craft show, not being selected for inclusion in a contest, and having to remind a gallery owner of my name (when my art is hanging on the wall), well...hello humble pie. This bit of knowledge leads to discovery number 3.

3) Being a Dream Chaser Makes You a Kinder Person
Now that I've had a taste of dream chasing, I have so much respect and flat-out love for the dreamers in this world. My heart has changed. I see those kooky mimes in a whole new light.

4) Dream Chasing Leads to More Dream Chasing
It's like riding a bicycle. Once you get the hang of it, you want to keep riding. You fall off the bike, get your skirt wound up in the chain, and flip over the handle bars every now and then. But the feel of wind in your hair brings you back.

How about you? Are you chasing a dream? What have you learned?