the experimenting continues since my classes and workshops are on hiatus.

i am making collage papers using  citrasolve squished into national geographic pages.  

i am hoping it would be a good presentation for my

experimental art group.  a lot of it comes out an inky mess but there are some gems.

in the meantime i received this beautiful journal 

in the mail from my generous friend, john.  

since he retired from teaching special ed he has

a creative fire lit under him.  check his blog to

see what he has been doing. 

i decided to use this journal for citrasolv experiments

here's my first page

during the closing of a year, i reflect on 

the words of the insightful poet, mary oliver

i am sorry not to know who posted this from pinterest

i am grateful to walk the creative path with 

friends, family and my health that support me.

i think of the people in my immediate circle and extended 

friendships who are challenged with health,

emotional issues or losses.  i wish i could wrap 

them in wings of love.  

view coming as i approached home

blessings to all in the new year.

XOXO

posting today with friends at paint party friday

dear blog followers and first time visitors,

it warms my heart to read your comments

knowing that you took the time

to write your thoughts.  

i wish you a time of meaningful and fun connections

with family and friends

to remember the essence of this time of year.

i was given this book from my dear friend and 

innovative artist lorraine.

seven artists from studio 1482 started a blogwith the same title

to encourage folks to get their art on, one drawing at a time.

seems like a good idea.

day one 

while waiting at the lab to get some testing 

and lastly,

i have been experimenting with acrylic inks and 

making gift tags.   i made a few tags and left them to dry.  

later in  the day after we finished decorating our tree my son brought 

gifts to put under the tree.  guess what he used for tags?....

so i can't show you how they turned out.

i hope to see you in the new year.

XO

it is great to be back in the studio painting faces.

i am going to try my first oil portrait.

here is the underpainting.

wsh me luck!

today i am joining 

the gang at paint party friday 

a quick morning warm up before coffee

makes me feel good to have put color down 

without a plan, 

just playing with my portolios and inks

wishing you a lovely day

journal spread

Sleeping in the Forest

I thought the earth remembered me, she

took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets

full of lichens and seeds. I slept as never before, a stone

on the riverbed, nothing

between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated

light as moths among the branches

of the perfect trees. All night

I heard the small kingdoms breathing

around me, the insects, and the birds

who do their work in the darkness. All night

I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling with a luminous doom. By morning I had 

vanished at least a dozen times

into something better. 

~~Mary Oliver

a collaboration of sorts...

i asked Lori Seavey-Christian to chose a color, any color and 

put it on my blank pages. I moved paint around 

then asked her to add another color. 

It was so much fun and very freeing.

if you have the opportunity to create with a friend, in a group, in a workshop,

i would recommend it.   while i love to create alone as well,  i find that

there is a synergistic energy that is created when more than two are gathered.

i have been a part of a weekly workshop for several years as well as a

new weekly printing workshop and an open studio.  each group has

its own personality and texture.  some artists like to create in solitude

others, like moi, enjoy community.

i'm a mixed media artist and and an acrylic painter.

that's what i would answer if asked me. since i began painting a few years ago i have always

painted in acrylics.  i love the colors, the creamy application, the quick drying time,

the ability to layer, the freedom.  recently i learned to oil paint.   

 i thought i'd show you what i've done in this beginning class.  

 the first month i resisted the class, the teacher, the drive.... everyone in the class could have been

my child or grandchild, we had specific (tedious) assignments that 

i saw no point to, the instructor 'lectured' to the class, i had to drive an hour 

to get there,  you get the idea.  i had many reasons why it was a burden.

then i decided to either drop the class or commit.

when i decided to stay and commit and the resistance was dropped,

it became much easier to go.  isn't that the case many times?

our mind does its incessent yudda yudda rap and zaps the fun out of things.

 yesterday was our 'final.'   we laid out the semester assignments along the wall like this.



will i use it?  will i paint in this style?  i am not sure.

it probably will be incorporated in some way.  but for now,

my fingers are itching to get back to acrylics, to cutting and pasting,

and paint in my journals, to experiment on a few techniques

that have been burning inside me, to just play.



i'd love to hear about your creative process.

XO

in the quiet of the morning

i am with my journal

it's an exciting and scary thing at the same time

what words, what images will emerge

whose voice will be channeled?

looking through the pages, reading,

seeing the images chosen in the moment

like spying on someone's life

momemts forgotten but for 

fragments captured here in this 

luck and pluck journal

joining friends today at paint party friday