Another idea, another page.

I can't take classic photographs, nor can I paint beautiful landscapes, nor can I make beautiful jewelry. In fact, I don't even like to try those things, although I have tried all at some time or another. I love to crochet and have done a lot of it in the past, but am slowing down because I have developed arthritis in  my right hand making it harder to crochet for long periods of time. (And I don't thing God Himself could ever teach me to crochet left handed!!! LOL)

But I do love to create with paper and paint and stamps and die cuts. So I have been doing more art journaling and less of everything else, except reading. I still read voraciously, having just finished book #78 for 2016.

 I know it sounds like I am whining, but I don't intend it to sound that way. Just life getting in the way.....again!  Here's my latest art journal entry. I have two journals going, one small one large. This is in the small one.

With this one, I stepped out of my comfort zone and used some of the idea of "Steampunk" art. I like the industrial feel of it, with the gears and clocks, and  the use of di Vinci's drawing added a bit of "culture."  Not until I was all done and had it sealed did I discover that the placement of my stenciled lettering sorta spelled my last name, but also sorta spelled the "f" word. Believe me, this was totally unintentional!!!  But it's art, it's mine, and I am choosing to leave it alone. I will watch that in the future. And, I don't intend to point it out to everyone who might glance at my journal.  I love working with different media.  For now, it's a time passer and a challenge.  But, I keep on reading and crocheting. I have made a sweater and hat for my expected new granddaughter, who shall be arriving in October, and shall be called Annabelle Grace, the last I heard. I have a sweater started for my 6 yr old grandson, and yarn purchased for one for my 8 yr old granddaughter. My 23 year old grandson already has hats, scarves, and a prayer shawl I made for him, and he wouldn't wear a hand crocheted sweater anyway. So between now and Christmas, I should keep busy. I also have to make my Christmas cards. I need to quit blogging and spending time on Pinterest, and get busy!  LOL!

Until next time,
Peace,
JE

Letting Go

A fellow blogger, AC, had an interesting blog post about letting go.  He turned it around and posted about "not letting go" with an interesting take on the same prompt.  AC, I am stealing your prompt since I don't have a "prompter."  Hope you don't mind.

Letting go, for me has several meanings.  First, I need to let go of "stuff." Material stuff.  I no longer need to, or have the desire to put up 9 Christmas trees as we used to do when I had a wife and more of a desire to decorate. Over the years since she has been gone, I have let go of many of these trees and decorations, donating them to either my church, or charities around the community.  I have purged my cabinets of unused kitchenware, and dishes.  I gave the good china and the china cabinet to my son, and other sets of dinnerware to my daughter, who had no desire to have the good stuff.  I have scaled down the amount of books on my bookshelves, since I really only read a book once. Why not either donate them to the Sr. Center or sell them at Half-Price Books, (for little or nothing, really not worth the trip.)

I no longer really care what other people think of me and  my life. I love life and embrace it every day. I don't always do things the way I should, but I don't care anymore. If I am happy, that's all that matters.  My family accepts me, warts and all, and that's what really matters. All else is just superficial anyway.  So, if I skip a meeting, or miss a Sunday at church, it's not all that important. And, in the grand scheme of things, I don't think it's life shattering if I stay up until all hours reading, or crafting, then sleep in in the morning.

I have let go of guilt, too. If any other of you readers have ever lost a spouse, you know that it causes lots of guilt. Why did they die? What could I have done to prevent it?  Could I have done more?  Well, I have let go of this guilt. I have also let go of the guilt that I am still here, and she is gone. That took a lot of time to get that right in my mind.  I will NOT ever let go of the love I had for my wife, but I have given myself permission to move on and let life go on without guilt.

So, here's my take on the "letting go" prompt I "stole" from AC.  I think these kinds of posts let people who read them get to know a fellow blogger just a little bit better.

Until next time,
Peace,
JE

Addendum to my Art Journaling post.

I found the other picture that I wanted to post last time.  I decided that if I was going to photograph each one, I needed to set up an Art Journal folder for the jpegs.  So I searched and found it, and now there's a file created for each one.

Yellow acrylic paint over gesso, applied with a baby wipe.  Green acrylic around edges with a sponge dauber, and the flowers were a stamp using acrylic paint.  the flower stems were free handed, and the butterflies are die cuts. Accents and highlighting done with a variety of markers and pencils.  The "without change, there would be no butterflies" is stamped with archiver's ink and individual letter stamps (99cents at Walmart in a sale bin).  The leaf border was done with a sponge and a stencil that I found laying around from years ago when we used to stencil windows with watercolors with the kids.

This was fun page, and was fun trying mixing media.

I am not real happy with the book I chose to begin journaling in. It's originally a sketch pad, thin paper and lots of fiber. I am gluing two pages together for each entry. It'll use up the book faster that way, too. By using a base coat of gesso, it makes the pages so things don't soak through.

The learning continues.

Until next time,
Peace,
JE

The art of Art Journaling, my way!

After watching many videos, reading extensively about the art and doing some dabbling, I have begun to try my crafty hands at art journaling.  I have had to learn a whole new language for this craft. I have learned about gesso, gel medium, embossing paste. I now know the difference between dye inks and pigment inks and how to use them for the best results. I also have learned about gelatoes, oil pastels and watercolors.  It has been a broad learning curve, but slowly, and with some experimentation, I am beginning to like my results.  The first couple were really crude, but with each one I am trying new materials as well as different techniques.

This is my first attempt. I used a lot of rubber stamps, and some embossing folders. Pretty crude, and obviously my camera skills leave a lot to be desired.  The pinkish cast to the pic is due to having my red and white check curtains closed against the bright sunshine that day.

Same pinkish cast, but you get the idea. Muted background is cut from a sheet of scrapbooking paper, the letters and butterflies are die cut on my embossing/die cutting machine.

"I shall drink no wine before it's time."  Acrylic paint free hand grapes on a gesso background, Wine bottles and glasses cut from paper, and the wine label from a bottle of wine I finished while journaling. It happens to be from  winery in Southern Indiana.  The clock in the bottom corner is a reminder that maybe it's 5 o'clock somewhere!!

One of my favorite quotes from who knows where, I first heard from my daughter. I have used it many times on cards, especially graduation cards.  But it serves as a good reminder to all of us to be true to ourselves first. The maps are from scrapbook paper I collected as are the compasses The compass rose in the lower left corner is a rubber stamp and dye ink.All on a background of watercolor over gesso applied with a wet baby wipe. I just finished this page today.

I have found that each page takes a LOT of time. Mostly because I have the quote, idea or mood in mind, and spend a lot of time visualizing how it's going to  look. Then I have to gather the tools and materials I "think" I will need for the project.  I work at my kitchen table (I leave an open place mat available to eat on) but my craft storage area is in the laundry room, so lots of trips back and forth are necessary. I guess this art is also a form of physical exercise as well as emotional/mental.

Lots of art journalists do a page a day. Not me, I do one when I get an idea, or hear a good quote, or want to convey a mood.  Writing in a journal, I have found, is boring and not creative enough for me. I tend to ramble on and on and say very little. (Much like my blogs) so putting those thoughts, ideas and moods into art form is better for me.

I have one more page to post if and when I can find the photo.

AC, if you read this and can offer any suggestions to help improve my camera skills, whip them on me. I would like to be able to show my work in a better "light."  :)

It's fun, creative, passes the lonely hours cooped up in the house because it's so damn hot outside, and this winter should pass some time when it's too damn cold to be outside!  Can't please all the people all the time!

Until next time,
Peace,
JE