This Time of Year

journal page, collage papers, image of my mother's wooden paddle

My Ishibashi grandparents lived with us in East Los Angeles when I was a child.  Grandma Ishibashi  busied herself the week before the new year by cleaning out the whole house, inside and out.  She sewed a new outfit to wear on the first day of the year.  Festive symbolic Japanese delicacies were prepared 

by Iwataki and Ishibashi grandmothers from their magical kitchens.

journal page, acrylic paint, stencil, scrapbook paper, photo of my great grandfather

We visited our relatives all day on January 1, driving from home to home, 

eating the special food that they prepared, playing with cousins,

listening to stories told by wise grandparents.

I have never missed a New Year Celebration with my family.

journal page, acrylic paint, magazine images, rub on

I have become the proud bearer of the family tradition, 

cleaning and chopping

before each new year.

Happy New Year 

to you

and yours.

I am grateful for your visit

these first six months of my blog.

xxo

About Journaling

I have journaled over the course of many years.  

There have been travel journals,

daily pages, poetry musings, scrapbook journaling, 

family journals with joint entries, photo journals.

A recorded life in the form of 

photos, words, images torn, cut and pasted.

I encourage friends to journal. 

Do it, I say.  Start now.

I don't think of my life as interesting, they say.

Start from your heart.

What pulls at your heart?  

Start there.  Write a word, make a mark,

start with a color. 

Sart.

A Peek at a Few Journal Pages

This week I had reindeer

on my mind.

Oh, I know,  these are deer 

but they are sweet too.  Aren't they?

And a few other collage journal pages I wanted to show you.

I hope your holidays are all that you want them to be.

XXO

During this busy season. . . .

journal page, magazine images, rub ons, acrylic paint, scrapbook paper

Inspiring Words

Where do you start?

journal page, magazine collage, acrylic paint

Start by starting.

journal page, collage, acrylic paint

How do you start?

journal page, collage

Touch your supplies.  

Words from Juliana Coles.

This unfinished page

has a new look.

More Doodling

Experimenting

with a

monochromatic color scheme.

Ready for journaling.

Journal Doodles

I never was a doodler

but while in the hospital waiting room

I took my journal 

and pen and made some marks.

Then later filled in with Pentel Color Pen Markers 

that I hadn't touched in fifteen years.  I found 

a fun way to pass the time and create with  minimal supplies. 

Thank you for stopping by today.

Journal Pages

Sending hugs 

and a  few 

journal pages 

on this Saturday before Christmas.

xxo

Odett

She got caught in an unexpected downpour.  Her hair never holds up to unprdictability.

When she was young she tried everything~~straighteners, wrapping her frizz around frozen orange juice 

containers, ironing her hair, thick dep gel to plaster her hair to her head 

with a nylon stocking on top.  Nothing worked.  Oh, if only 

she were born with my straight hair.  Of course,
I always wanted wavy red hair.

So many 'if onlys' in life.

Just a note ~~ I saw on Anahata's blog that Sabrina Ward Harrison's new book, 

The Story is Happening, is coming out soon.

You can also catch a glimpse into Sabrina's Silver Lake apartment

at Apartment Therapy, in case you are curious.

Thanks for visiting.

xxo

Musings on the Wealth of Creativity Out There

Continuing thoughts on inspiration. . . .

Just a sampling of books from my bookshelf

to show you how much I love reading the words 

of others as well as looking at the art created by other artists.  

My shelves are  bulging with books and magazines.  

I am inspired through digesting the vision, the scope, the words 

from writers.  I apply it to my life or I compare how my thoughts differ.

I am excited by new ways to view the world, new art 

techniques, new visions.  I believe in  keeping an open mind,

in the continual process for self growth, in change and in hope.

I think of my father who late in life quit his secure, routine engineering position

at Xerox and partnered with a friend.  He left his pension and everything 

he worked for up to that point.  He took a risk on his vision.

He could have failed losing everything but instead, 

went on to success beyond his imaginings.

 view from my car on my way home

Books, words, visionaries, risk takers, beautiful vistas
inspire me.

I would love to hear your sources of inspiration.

Fruit of the Gods

The persimmon was called the fruit of the Gods by the ancient Greeks.

 I associated these golden orbs
that I saw sitting
on my grandparent's window sill 

with the mysteries of childhood.

A Quiet Remembering

mixed media, printed recycled tissue paper, magazine image, acrylic pencil, charcoal on wood

Today I am remembering.

collage journal page, tape, transparencies, magazine image, stick ons

In the midst of holiday bustle and birthday celebrations

journal page, magazine images, napkin, tape, foreign newspaper

there is a quiet place 

journal page, tape, magazine image, rub ons, found paper

inside of me holding thoughts of my mother (1922-2010)

journal page, tape, magazine image, transparencies, tape, citra solve made paper

and honoring mothers of all time, those givers of life and love.

journal page, magazine images, tape, scrap paper, all pen work  above done with sharpie water base pen

Feeling gratitude and appreciation for those who have gone before me.

Today's post is liked to 

recuerda mi corazon, remembering my heart 

with Rebecca.