Early entry in my Pandemic Collage Journal |
Gayle's Art Journal Journey
This blog is a record of my Visual Art Journal Journey; Botanical and Nature observations; Lucky Accidents.
Friday, August 7, 2020
Monday, January 20, 2020
2020 Vision Window
This is the 2020 Vision Window partially folded. It can be tucked in a journal or can stand on my altar. |
I think that many people are familiar with the idea of a "Vision Board" or Dream Board. For many years I have create a collage for both the ending year and the New Year every New Year's Eve, give or take a day or two. This year I wanted to make a 2020 Vision board that could stand up on my altar. Since this is a sacred process for me I decided on that shape of a church window. I used Canson Mixed Media 14X17
paper so that it would stand up and hold up to mixed media applications. I folded the sheet in half and then folded each side towards the middle. I used a flexible curve to create the curved top of the window.
I used Marabu Mixed Media Art Spray (acrylic) on the back with stencils to create an interesting pattern. I glued words and pictures from magazines and my own art. You can see that, at the top, the main image is an empty nest which relates to my son, now 23, who moved out with his girlfriend in March. I knew he would move when he completed his undergraduate degree but he left sooner than planned when he got an offer to move into a friend's house that he and his girlfriend could not refuse. I was so happy for him but in a mess about my next steps.
Now, 9 months later, I am really enjoying my weekly meals with my son and feel our relationship has leveled up. But still dealing with my indecision about choosing where I want to live in the next decade. As a much older divorced mom, in my late 60's, this has a number of wrinkles and folds to negotiate.
On the 2020 side I used gelli plate papers from my paper stash. I did a process with myself and groups where I asked what life values are important. From a list of values I had people circle 10. Then I, and everyone, crafted a vision statement for the new year using these 10 words (give or take a word or two).
My vision statement turned out to be "Walk a path, with Friends, to increased Health, Spirituality, and Joy, while creating Financial Stability by Giving Back to others through Authentic and Whole Hearted Self Expression". What especially sparked my heart was the idea of walking my life path with friends. Also attaining financial stability through giving back to others.
I know that various images and designs will reveal their importance to me as the year progresses. I have this Vision Window on my altar and look at it whenever I meditate. Vision boards, in general, work because you are often reminded of your goals and vision which helps you to daily align your choices with your vision and life values.
October 2019 Art Journal Spread, What I'm Preserving
This is the left side of the spread. Silk leaf in the left jar. A Mexican Loteria card of Bear in the right jar. A real fall leaf attached to the top. |
This is the right side of the spread. Quin Yin image from a napkin found at the Asian Market. Hand made paper web over the right image. Spider from a die cut pack, Michael's |
My October 2019 Art Journal Spread "What I've Preserved" Tim Holz die-cut Mason Jar. Background: stencils and Marabu Mixed Media acrylic Art Spray. Crow stamp.
I used the mason jar die-cut over a spray ink background which I gessoed after it dried.
This was done intuitively, interpreted later. I used paper scraps from my art paper drawer that had already been punched. I usually save all my scraps because they are so good for spontaneous application. There is a piece of cloth paper (that's another blog post) underlining the right side of the spread.
Now the interpretation: I'll start on the left and proceed right. The first jar has an silk leaf
that represents an artifact from the season. One thing I love about October is the beautiful leaves. The jars on the left side of this spread represent my earthly existence, what's going on in my day to day and things I need to pay attention to.
The Bear card has definite significance in my life. In terms of Loteria Interpretation Actually,
I can't find the site that talks about The Bear specifically, but when I looked in up in the past it was associated with addictions, most particularly to food. I was shocked when I saw that interpretation because bear imagery has appeared for me in many contexts as has addictive eating and spending. I am now mostly in control and losing weight with Weight Watchers but have struggled with various addictions my whole young adult and adult life. Addiction, for those who are not familiar with it, is a compulsion to overindulge in a substance or activity that one mistakes for true connection with one's own soul and an avoidance of emotional pain. It is sort of a wack a mole sort of situation. When one addictive substance or activity is eliminated or abstained from another is sure to appear. The only "cure", as far as what's real in my life and experience, is "Letting Go and Letting God". Doing the emotional work and connecting with one's Higher Power. Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a 12-step rant. Suffice it say that receiving The Bear was timely.
The right side of the spread turns out to represent my spiritual life. Two mason jars contain an image
of Quan Yin who is sort of the Buddhist equivalent to the Mother Mary. She is a deity of compassion. I am very connected to the feminine face of God and particularly love Quan Yin. In the left jar her image is clear and the seal on the jar says "Nothing is worth more than this". On the right jar there is a spider and a spider web that obscure Quan Yin's image. It has to do, I think, with Native American and shamanistic activities I have been pursuing in the past and present. The spider also represents the Great Mother Tunkashila. The Great Weaver. Part of me fears some aspects of Shamanism and Wicca. These things are part of my soul heritage and need to, for me, be understood and embraced.
For those of you who wish to interpret your creations (a truly worthwhile endeavor) I recommend
using a mind map to capture your associations to imagery and also journaling.
The spread turned out to mean that I need to preserve and pay attention to specific aspects of my life:
seeking and seeing the beauty in the world, riding herd on my addictive behaviors, honoring the Great Mother in all her forms, continue to explore my spiritual heritage and expression in this life. |
Sunday, May 27, 2018
New Wisp Brush
Mandala Art Therapy
Original drawing colored with Winsor Newton Watercolor Markers |
Soul Seal Rock painted with silver acrylic, Luminere Metalic Acrylic and outlined with black Sharpie Pen |
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Painted Paper Collage: Eagle
Working on an eagle collage, sitting with the results to date. Might make the feathers more distinct. Below is the step-by-step of how he was created.
Pencil and Derwent Inktense WC Pencil sketch. |
Toner copy of the drawing transferred with gel medium to a collaged canvas. |
Beak and eye collaged with gelli plate paper. |
Tea dyed paper and lace rice paper added. |
Final (to date) Eagle with paper details added with lace and gelli plate papers. 8 X 10 canvas, 150.00 |
Creative Collage: Hungry Bird
My Visual Art Journaling group is still meeting twice a month at my home studio in Northglenn, CO. but my creative collaging has been focused on mixed media collage on canvas or cradle board. Actually, the jury is still out about whether to call it "Mixed Media Collage" or "Painted Paper Collage". I use mostly painted or gelli plate printed papers but also use some specialty rice papers, Derwent Inktense Water Color pencils as well as occasional mechanically printed patterned papers and tea dyed dictionary pages. As I'm writing this I'm leaning towards Mixed Media Collage, even though that implies the use of dimensional elements, which I don't use. Tell me what you think.
I'm way behind on blogging about all the collaged bird canvases I've completed in the last year or so but I'm going to blog about the "Hungry Bird" canvas in this post and will post about the eagle I'm working on soon.
I'll try to post a better picture of the final piece, this one looks a bit faded. I'm not sure what is so satisfying about painted paper collage but the fussy detail is right up my creative alley.
I'm way behind on blogging about all the collaged bird canvases I've completed in the last year or so but I'm going to blog about the "Hungry Bird" canvas in this post and will post about the eagle I'm working on soon.
Original drawing in pencil and Derwent Inktense WC Pencils |
Transferred a toner copy of the drawing to canvas using gel medium. Rose patterned paper for inside mouth, tea dyed paper on breast. Pencil sketched background. |
Additional tea-dyed (tea baked paper) and patterned paper added. |
Additional paper and lace rice paper added. |
Details of background blocked in with watercolor. |
Working on shadow area below bird. Pink buds and stems papered. |
Next steps. |
Continuing to add grasses to foreground. |
Iridescent papers added to the petals. |
More grasses and blue sky painted in. |
Final piece with softened sky and additional grasses, stamens. |
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