Dancing with Transition

Dancing with Transition

Momentary, Permanent,

Feathered Wings Soar

This is the mostly completed journal page from the 40 word challenge. Die cut book page hearts in an altered book. Spray inks, 3D Paint, gel and Pitt Pens. Not sure I'm totally pleased with the haiku, but hey, this isn't rocket science, it's art so I'll let it go. :)

I really am dancing with transition... becoming a full time artist and owner of two Etsy shops (Vintage and Art) this past two weeks, rather than doing it all while also working for someone else. I'm re-learning the discipline and scheduling time for each thing I'm doing, while still allowing time to relax and enjoy my family and the summer weather.

In other news, I have started a junk mail/recycled paper journal from bits of heavier papers from the recycle bin, and masking tape. So far I have the papers taped together, and have applied a layer of gesso on the "cover". Much more coming on this project.

I'm interested to see what other artists at Paint Party Friday have worked on this week. 

Also sharing with Artists in Blogland.

And the greatest of these...

I worked on a spread for our local altered book exchange this past week. It's our last one and while part of me is sad it's ending, a bigger part is relieved. Even though I enjoyed working in all the books, it was becoming a burden to do them while my creative energy is so low. This took me a week! I'd paint a layer and go to work, add some ink and go visit my son in the hospital, another layer and off to work again. :)

Here is the spread: 

 The theme of the book is "All you need is Love"

Various layers of paint, stenciling, paint, inks, with heart ribbons, layered hearts, sticker letters and felt hearts, pitt pen and sparkly gel pen. It was fun, however long it took me to finish. ;)

And while I wasn't able to attend our local art group on Sunday, I did send some tiny valentine tags to share with the artsy ladies. 

Joining today with Clytie at Random Hearts for  Guest Heart Thursday

Also sharing with Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristin

Trees bereft of Leaves

While frantically creating and tagging and figuring out the placement of things for my booth, this week I took time out to create an altered page spread for our local Altered Book Exchange. The haiku is mine. It didn't come out quite as I envisioned, (it never does) but I like it. I hope she does too!

Original Haiku by Helen Campbell 

Trees bereft of leaves

Stark branches against the sky

Winter Silhouette

Words to Live By

I've been working at my "day job" more than I'd hoped this week, which is taking quite a bit of my planned art time. boo! However, I HAVE been prepping canvases, (gesso layers) working with my vintage Etsy shop, (adding a few new items) and also finishing an altered book for our local art group exchange. 

The theme of the altered book is Words To Live By.  I used a quote by Charles Dubois that has been my guiding theme since the mid 1980's. The background is painted with yellow-green and citron paint, stamped and stenciled with leaves, and pages are tiered to display the quote in segments. The colors in the scan are not quite accurate, the pages have more green to them. 

The important thing is this: 

to be able to sacrifice
at any moment
what we are

for what we could
BECOME

The butterfly image is collaged onto the page. I have some more embellishing and doodling to do on this, and then it's ready for the exchange on Sunday. 

This is the cover created by the owner of the book, Wendy: 

Joining in with Paint Party Friday again this week, hosted by Eva and Kristin. I hope you have time to check out what the other Paint Party Friday artists have created this week! 

Movement

I've been working on an altered book spread off and on the past few weeks. The theme for this book is "Movement", and it's the first one I'm working on in our local art group's altered book exchange.

I knew what I wanted to do, but my first attempts did not translate as I wished. So... painting over the water area with lumiere paints, I added my original haiku to the page, along with a bit of glitter for the sparkling.

Sunlight peeking through

Rivers sparkling reflection

Swallow soars with joy

While it's still not quite what I had in mind, I like it. And since it's for someone else, I hope they like it too!

I'm playing with Paint Party Friday today, hosted by Eva and Kristin. Check in with the other artists to see what creativeness they've been doing this week.

Also checking in with Artists in Blogland Show and Tell Saturday

Fake Journal Month!

Life's so short, why live only one?

So says Roz Stendahl, who "hosts" Fake Journal Month. I think I'll live an alter life this year... 

I just picked up a little book yesterday from the Free Book shelves at the Public Library. And spent last night gluing the pages together while I watched the movie Amelia Earhart (also from the library) with my hubby. (Free books! Free entertainment! I LOVE my library!)

I stumbled across the Fake Journal Month again this morning and have a book ready to use... how can I resist? Serendipity! 

Here's the blank book, all ready to go... now who shall I be? 

Altered Book

 Our local art journaling group is starting another Altered Book Exchange. The book I'm using this time is a withdrawn library book, purchased at a Friends of the Library Book sale.  It was damaged on several pages, and had a cover with fun doodle type drawings all over it, which, in my book, makes it perfect to alter!  

I wanted to change the spine, but leave the rest of the cover intact. (Of course, I forgot to get a before picture)

Taped and painted

I debated covering the spine with cloth or painting it, and decided to paint. I prepped by sanding just the area I planned to paint, then taped (painters tape) to the edge of the cover pattern. I then painted a few layers of black gesso, drying between layers,  and added a couple of layers of black acrylic paint, also drying between layers. 

Once dry I removed the tape... TADA! 

Tape removed

I have covered spines with suede paper or cloth, but not painted, so hopefully it will hold up to 9-10 other artists working in it. 

I had to share the inside flyleaf with the original library pocket. This will become the signature page for everyone to sign and date when they work in my book. Besides the "check out slip",  I'll probably add a name plate and my theme title on these pages. 

For the theme, I think it may have to be something that includes doodles... but we'll see. 

Linking to

Writing on the Wall

30 Days - July 3

I had a fun day with my friend Cheryl, playing with the altered books for our local artists group exchange. She has been journaling for years, and is fearless. I do bits and think, and then do bits and think. Here is what I've accomplished today in the Fairy altered book:

The green page has a couple more layers of paint and some acrylic stamping.

This is the preceding spread, painted buff and using Tim Holtz tape (with glue) to hold the very old and wanting to crumble pages together. It's an awesome book, and while the pages want to fall apart, I'm willing them to behave. With enough paint, tape and papers, they will hold nicely.


On another note, the garden was especially delightful this morning before the sun broke through the clouds. This spirea is in full bloom... don't you just love the colors?

30 Days - July 1

Started my morning with my cup of tea and adding a gesso layer to three books I'm altering:

This is a small board book I'm altering potentially for a Color Me Crazy challenge at Petaloo with some materials given out by Wendy at Stampadoodle this past Wednesday.

The beginnings of a Fairy spread for an altered book exchange with a local artists group.

This book is just for me using a CPCU book (I studied and got my designation in 2000) on Information Technology that is outdated and no longer useful. It's a thin book, and a much larger book than any I've worked in to date. My friend Cheryl will be proud. *wink*

Palimpsest

Palimpsest. n. a manuscript or piece of writing on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain.

I just read this definition on Diana Trouts blog, and had to use it! A group of local artists (and wonderful friends) are participating in a palimsest (aka altered book) exchange.

We met and exchanged our books this past Sunday...

Don't they look like they'll be fun to work in? The smallest one is mine.

Here is a close up of my getting-the-book-ready to exchange:

Book cover was painted with Lumiere paints. Spine is textured suede cloth (with the help of a supportive artist friend who lent me her Cuttlebug... and oh dear, I may need one too!)

 Inside end papers use fun decorator paper from BasicGrey.

 Theme/Title pages with guidelines... Oh, I went with Pathways as my theme (yes, the same as the Sketchbook Challenge theme this month - happy coincidence)

Peekaboo window with found poetry - one of my pathways is learning more about gardening in harmony with nature. Especially taking care to lessen my impact on the birds and bees and critters that share this place on the earth. I have more to add to this page... 

The page in full view with a reverse peekaboo... much more to add here too!

Another nature themed start to a spread...

And a tag section. This is a technique I adapted from my friend Sherri Angie's Visual Journaling course I took years ago.

And of course, signature pages... or tags in this case.

I have much more work to do on all "my" spreads... and have made notes so I won't forget what I intended. Although sometimes the intention changes by the time you get your book back. :)

I'll share more on this "Palimpsest" project as we go along.