Celebrate Your Wonderful Day!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/melodybeat177949.html?src=t_gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/melodybeat177949.html?src=t_gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/melody_beattie.html

 "This is a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before."  — Maya Angelou 

A purple finch is eating at the feeder near my studio window. He doesn’t seem to mind the melody of the wind chimes as the soothing breeze plays their song. The afternoon is unusually quiet.  The day is perfect for celebrating the Summer Solstice.

Slowing down allows me the opportunity to be fully in the moment.  Even if we have the best of intentions, so often we are distracted by the commotion of daily life. But it is when coming back to center that I experience what truly makes me grateful. And this is when creativity envelopes me like the soothing sounds of the wind chimes and lets my heart sing.

A few months ago I facilitated a journaling workshop at my local library.  We each altered a 3.5” x 5.5” notebook.  Our objective was to create a Gratitude Journal…a special book to keep with us throughout the year. The art produced was delightfully unique. The evening filled with laughter. The more we spoke the more we realised how often we each experience fleeting moments of bliss. Now we had somewhere to keep them safe.

Here is my journal. I began by stenciling the cover with Artistcellar’s Ocean Waves from the Traditional Japanese Series. I covered the back and spine with acrylic paint.  I then added bits of ephemera: a page from an old dictionary, postage stamps, trading stamps, a leaf from a poinsettia and images I found pleasing. Keeping watch at the back of the book, I stenciled the word I am most grateful for: Create. The Artistcellar Creative Words Pocket Stencil was perfect. I wanted the journal to feel “special”.  I added a flower, altered tags, and keys to unlock my spirit of gratitude.

My Journal is filling up with all sorts of bits and pieces captured from my day…from simple observations to newspaper (yes, I still read them) clippings and ideas for new work. But all in all, I can’t help feeling a sense of wonder in the fact that joy is the essence of gratitude. And revelling in each new day is an adventure in itself.

As we change Seasons I ask you…what unlocks the joy in your life for which you are truly grateful?

MATERIALS USED

ARTISTCELLAR Stencils: TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SERIES - Ocean Waves

Liquitex Matte Medium

Liquitex Gesso

Liquitex Texture Gel Glass Beads

Golden Glazing Fluid

Avery Glue Stic

Plaid: Aquamarine, Blue Sapphire, Amethyst, Blue Pearl, Perfect Purple, Royal Gold, Plum

DecoArt: Splendid Gold, Peacock Pearl

Dylusion Spray: Bubble Gum Pink

Natural Sponge

Paper Towels

db editions Journal 3.5” x 5.5”

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/melodybeat177949.html?src=t_gratitude

What are YOU Curious About?

“Never lose a holy curiosity.” -  Albert Einstein

Have you tried Art Journaling on playing cards? I enjoyed it so much I decided to continue with the project. I suppose my curiosity got the better of me.

Inspired by the saying “In The Moment” I found printed in a catalogue I made it my goal. I prepped the cards by lightly sanding them and then giving them a coat of gesso. I placed all of the cards face up on my table and began randomly layering acrylic paint. Whatever colours came to hand I used. Once dried, I flipped to the back and began working. I love the new Tibet Series by Artistcellar. I wanted to incorporate the Eternal Knot stencil in some way. Although too large to completely fit on a playing card, when dropped here and there on the cards the stencil certainly added interest.

It’s been a long time since I looked through my collection of rubber stamps and clings. The Curious Possibility clings by Tim Holtz was just perfect for what I had in mind! Combined with a few images I had in my collection I got just the right Victorian vibe I wanted. 

Many artists like to cover the images printed on the playing cards completely. I like to allow the flavor of the card to show through where possible, lending interest additional design elements.

To complete this series I highlighted portions of the back design with Tim Holtz Distress Crayons and DecoArt Crackle Paste. 

 

One word of advice: I used my heat tool to get the layers to dry faster. I believe I got a little too close as one of the cards “popped” and buckled. My guess is the plastic coating just didn’t like the heat.

As artists curiosity is the force that inspires us to create new work. Journaling was always a bit of a mystery to me. I suppose for me it’s “in the cards” using this technique. My question to you: What are you curious about?

MATERIALS USED:

STANDARD PLAYING CARDS

ARTISTCELLAR STENCILS: Tibet Series, Traditional Japanese Series, Marked Series, Block Series, Halftone Dots Series, Sea Foam

TIM HOLTZ VISUAL ARTISTRY CURIOUS POSSIBILITY Rubber Stamps

STUDIO G Alphabet Rubber Stamps

HAND CUT STENCIL: Diamonds

PUNCHINELLA

ELMER’S RUBBER CEMENT

LIQUITEX WHITE ACRYLIC GESSO

LIQUITEX MATTER MEDIUM

DECOART Crackle Paste

MEMENTO DYE INK Tuxedo Black

PLAID ACRYLICS: Blue Sapphire, Amethyst, Blue Pearl, Pure Orange, Perfect Purple, Violet Pansy, Sunflower, Metallic Rose, Bright Red, Aquamarine, Pure Gold, Plum

DECOART: Splendid Gold, Sunny Day

DINA WAKLEY: Lime

NATURAL SPONGE

SANDPAPER

TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS CRAYONS

DYLUSION SPRAY: Bubble Gum

POCKET PAGE PROTECTOR

VARIOUS EPHEMERA: Paper, Rubber Stamps, Dover Publications Images, Rub-On Lettering

Mindfully Still...

JOURNEY - Carpe Diem

I recently joined a group of very talented women in a circle round-robin Journal exchange.

Each of us assigned a theme to a Journal and sent it to a person on our list. By the end of the year, our Journal should return to us packed to the brim with the thoughts and art of the women taking part.

The first Journal to arrive to me was from Australia. The theme was "Journey". It thrilled me to open the box and see all the beautiful papers and art. But where to begin!

Looking through my folders I spotted the portrait of a young girl holding a seashell to her ear. What could she be hearing? And how often have we all mimicked her during our youth? What a romantic notion...our future whispering to us from the curved surfaces of a shell. Are we listening to the Ocean..or more?

Our Journey, I feel, is best experienced when we are still and mindful of this moment. Working on the Journal allowed me the time to enjoy the stillness, to pluck the ripeness of the day, to be fully aware.

The substrate for the page is heavy white paper. I covered the background with Distress Ink, fluid and metallic acrylics. In addition to the Victorian girl with the seashell, I added maps, wax infused paper, and telephone book paper. Stenciling completed the page. The pocket on the front is the perfect place for the supplied tag I decorated. I continued the collage on the back of the piece as well.

I hope when the Journal box comes home again its owner will be pleased. I loved working on the page knowing that the Journey continues with each and every moment.

Is your stillness enfolding you?  Are you able to hear the gentle whispers of your future?

Are You Ready For A Great Adventure?

Remains of the Afternoon

Do you ever design a piece with nothing in mind but the thrill of colour and texture? Does a certain shape appeal to you in a way you can't explain...but you, and your Muse, just knows it's "right"?

One of my favourite shapes is the Triangle.  I love the balance of it..the feeling of unity and calm I get whenever it becomes part of my work.

There are many meanings surrounding this symbol. In Christianity it represents the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We Americans encounter the pyramids a symbol of future prosperity and strength every time we handle a dollar bill featuring the Great Seal of the United States.

The Greek notion of the triangle as the symbol of a doorway giving balance to emotions and higher wisdom is intriguing to me.

In the Egyptian tradition the symbol represents the trinity of Isis, Osiris, and Horus. And can anyone think of Egypt without dreaming of the Great Pyramids of Giza?

I approached this collage with a clear mind ready to follow the direction of my Muse. The substrate for the collage is illustration board. I cut up a vintage letter, art and handmade paper, joss and sewing pattern paper into triangular shapes. I added the crystalline paper made from newspaper and flower petals enwrapped in tissue. The final touch was copper acrylics stencilled over the layers.

What symbols and shapes are dear to you? If you heed their call, they will help you open the  door to your creative possibilities.  I don't know about you, but I can never resist going a great adventure!

O Muse!...The Story of a Life

O Muse!

I am a hopeless Romantic. I admit it..freely.

The collage is in a Journal I started as part of the 1001 Journals Project. The theme is "Friendship".

I was intrigued when I purchased both photos used in the piece...what was the story? Who were the women? Why is the woman in the photo in a suit and top hat? Are they all friends...or more?

I guess I'll never know the answer, but wouldn't it be nice to know how they came to that point in their lives...the image frozen forever on film...and where did life take them? Who was the Muse to guide them?

The collage is a bit of a hybrid. It started out as a conventional piece using vintage photos, found and handmade papers, and inks. In the end, digital ephemera was added. I love digital work as much as conventional, and it came together for me in this piece.

May you all find a friendship, or a love, to last a lifetime.