Sailing Day

We sailed today with a couple of friends. The weather was gorgeous, and my sunscreen failed. The wind was minimal as we motored out and hung a right a Tongue Point. We took a spin around this buoy to photograph the harbor seals.

 

Roy and Bonnie:

There were several ships, some at anchor and some headed out to the ocean. 

 

I particularly loved this one, for its bright color contrast to the blue sky and water.

 

 We anchored in a quiet area and tried out the hammock.
 
 

 In the afternoon the wind really picked up, which it is wont to do, and we had an invigorating sail back to the marina.

 

Journal Page Done! (BlogAlong day 30/30)

I finally finished my journal page this morning, though spent quite a bit of time trying to photograph it adequately. I tried using a tripod this time, which I think helped. I had to use my Photoshop Elements to tweak the color to match the page. I think this is almost spot-on.

 

All the progress photos were taken in the studio, and the lighting isn't the greatest. Today I took it to the kitchen table - as I usually do with the final pages. I'd love to know how others photograph their pages. I'm just using my simple point-and-shoot digital camera. Trying to decide if a digital SRL would be worth the investment.

 

I really enjoyed making this page - although, honestly, I've learned something with each and every page I've done. I'd love to take Life Book again in 2014. The time commitment is considerable (that is, if you do all or most of the lessons) - and I don't mind that - but it does take time away from designing and creating my art dolls. But I can't help but think that these lessons can only enhance my doll art. 

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Fiona Love (BlogAlong day 29/30)

I spent much of the day (Friday, the 30th) with my granddaughter Fiona. She's always sweet, but was particularly so today. We decided to drop by the marina to watch Grandpa work on the boat. She was just content to sit there and observe. I think it's about time to get her a lifejacket and get her out sailing with us!

 

 

Later we went home and snuggled with Arthur.

More Painting Tonight (BlogAlong day 28/30)

I did a little more painting tonight. Had to take a photo of my hand pretending to hold a balloon to get the perspective and shading right. Not that great, but by the time I add the balloon and stuff, maybe no one will notice.

I want to give her some flip-flops or something, and there's still some coloring to do around the edges, I think. She's a little more pouty than I'd intended, but maybe that tells me something.

 

Almost there!

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Page Progress (BlogAlong day 27/30)

I worked all day today, so only got the basic shape of my girl painted. Foxes are little, so had to make her kind of big and in the foreground. Hope it doesn't look too weird when it's done. I want her to be holding a balloon. I still have to decide about her coloring, and need to darken the trunk and big branches of the tree. And probably outline the girl and the fox with graphite or something and blend it a little. We'll see.

Gotta work the next two days, too, so won't have much opportunity to work on this.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

To Live and Let Dry (BlogAlong 26b/30)

Impatience will earn me a special place in Hell. I've been working on the current Life Book 2013 lesson today, and I know better than to add a layer before the previous one is dry. Actually I don't personally know better since I'm new at this art journaling thing, but I've heard others say so. I should have listened.

It started out fine, gluing the tree silhouette to my watercolor paper. I even waited a bit before adding clear gesso to the page (yay me!)  So glad I bought the clear gesso - what a cool medium!

 

At this point I realize I probably should have picked a silhouette with a whiter background. Sucks to be me, but live and learn. Will just have to make it work.

 

What colors are in that printed background, anyway? Experimenting, and loving watercolor crayons.

 

Starting to figure it out. 

 

So far, so good. 

 

And here's where it all went wrong. I didn't allow the gel medium gluing the book text to the page to completely dry. While brayering on some white gesso, layers of the text peeled off and bubbled in a very ugly way. Crap. I had to rub my fingers over the rippling paper to remove it.

 

 More gesso. It appears to cover a multitude of sins.

 

Take a break for another cup of coffee now.

 

Thinking about what kind of critter I'll add to this page.

 

A fox. Because the grass is so dark, I decided to paint the fox's silhouette with gesso. 

 

Tried watercolor crayons and pencils to color the fox, but acrylic paint worked better. Now to draw the girl. I plan to have the fox looking up at her. The fox is a little too big, I think, but that's ok.

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Housekeeping ~ Duplicate DVD for Sale (Blogalong day 26a/30)

Yesterday I reviewed my inventory of books, magazines and DVDs. And I found (only one?!) duplicate. I checked on Amazon, and the DVD is currently out of stock and sells for almost $30. Click on the Amazon link above for reviews if interested. I'm selling this one for $15 plus postage to the first person that emails me! blueheron61@charter.net

Now I'd kinda like to dig out the polymer clays and play a little.

Art and Kids Revisited (BlogAlong day 25/30)

Ivan and I had fun today making more gelli prints. We last did this in May, and I had him review the steps before we started - he remembered it all from our last session! The boy's a natural. This is such a fast and easy way to make art, and messy enough to please little boys.

 

Drawing Hugs & Kisses

 

The big reveal:

 

Today we made prints for Fiona, a print and birthday card for Julie, and a couple prints for Ivan to take home.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Bunny Party (BlogAlong day 24/30)

I finished my Life Book 2013 Week 33 journal page this afternoon, and wanted to post a couple photos before going for a walk on this gorgeous Astoria day. I added to and changed some things to the background since my post a couple days ago.

 I wanted to create a folky type of bunny. I tried adding white gesso around the bunny, but it looked terrible, so I added the background colors back in.

This one was a lot of fun.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Nah, I don't have a stash problem... (BlogAlong day 23/30)

Spent a little time trying to organize my art/craft books and videos. And I realize that I've got a little *problem* when it comes to the collection of said media.

After spreading out my art journaling books, I can clearly see I don't need any more inspiration. I've got plenty. I should not be allowed to buy any more journaling/mixed media books! I've got enough to last a lifetime.

 

This shelf contains doll magazines, books about fashion, costuming, dolls, bears, and photography and other odds-and-ends. 

 

These are my sewing/quilting/textiles books - as well as other inspiration. I swear I need to install the Dewey Decimal system here.

 

 

These are doll DVDs, magazines and holiday books. The big red and blue notebooks are the masters of my published doll patterns.

 

And more doll magazines, Cloth Paper Scissors magazines, Quilting Arts, Art doll Quarterly, Beading magazines. I just can't stand the thought of getting rid of all this! So I won't. I pity the folks who have to go through my stuff when I die.

 

Oops, found a stash of videos. And I see a duplicate (bottom row). Will have to sell one. Stay tuned...

 

Fun with Gelli Prints (BlogAlong day 22/30)

Gelli printing is very new to me. I've only used my plate once, but immediately thought it would be a fantastic hands-on project for the grand kids. These photos were taken in May, and you can see that Ivan really enjoyed getting busy with the brayer (or "donkey" as Grandpa told him it was called). 

 

He made three prints this day, and they all turned out great. We're going to make a couple more this weekend for our friend Julie. Her birthday is on Saturday, and Ivan is going to make her something special.

 

Ivan's cousin Fiona (our granddaughter) hasn't tried this yet, but it's on our to-do list. Ivan wants to make a print for Fiona this weekend, too.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

A Little Lost (BlogAlong day 21/30)

I've started on the next Life Book lesson, but I really don't know what I'm doing. This is supposed to be a sort of free-flowing, child-like activity, with a bunny (or other critter of some sort) as a focal point. I've just been working on the background thus far. I'm having trouble just letting it all go, though I guess it's good that I've been doodling with no end point in mind. I'm not planning ahead, and that's a big deal for me.

I like the teacher's page, and it's far removed from whatever my style may be. I'm still so new to art journaling, that I don't think I have a style yet - I've just been adding techniques to my repertoire.

 

I will continue to add to this after work tomorrow, unless it's another day of dysfunction in the ER like today was. It's hard to make art with the events of the day bouncing around my brain. Maybe I need to go pour myself a glass of wine or something.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Background Love (BlogAlong 20/30)

I just finished another Life Book journal page, and decided to photograph some of the layers - though I forgot the very first layer (writing and watercolor crayons) below this tissue paper layer.

 

Then scariness - adding white paint with a brayer:

And then Dylusions spray:

 

Just breathe...it's only paper and paints, and the world will not come to an end if it doesn't turn out. But...I DO like how this one turned out.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Journal Page Done (BlogAlong day 19/30)

I've just finished the last of July's Life Book lessons, and it's not even 11 a.m. The dishes are done, too, so I feel guilt-free and can move on to the August lessons.

 

You can see my other months' Lifebook journal pages HERE or just click on the "Lifebook" label below.

Bit by Bit (BlogAlong 18/30)

I made a little more progress on my journal page last evening after work. Today's a day off, so I hope to play catch up - through there's dishes to wash and other mundane tasks.

My gal's still a baldy, so that's the next step, although I've been undecided as to whether to give her an ear. You can see my toying with the idea here, but in reality the hair will probably cover that area. Still, as this exercise is about listening to your heart, maybe there should be a symbolic ear.

 

I think I need more stencils.

Planning Ahead (BlogAlong day 17/30)

Now that we're well into August, it's time to attempt to plan upcoming holiday projects. Every year I make a Santa doll for our Emergency Department Christmas Party/Auction. But this year, there are two Santas on my plate (not in a cannibalistic sense). I tell myself there's PLENTY of time between now and Christmas, but why is it these next few months always pass so quickly? Though to be honest, at my age all months whiz by!

The Auction Santa always remains a secret until its great unveiling at the party, but as the other Santa is a commission, I can give you a peek. I haven't made this Santa before and I haven't looked inside the envelope yet. I hope the instructions are adequate. It is so frustrating to attempt a project with minimal or worthless instructions - those make my Type A tendencies to spin out of control.

Progress on a Journal Page (BlogAlong 16/30)

I've been watching the video lesson and have added some Stabilo Aquarelle pencil to outline the face (activated with matte medium). I kind of botched the lips, but hope to fix them when I start adding color.

It's been pretty busy at work (it's that time of year here on the Oregon Coast), so between that and insomnia I've been tired and unmotivated. But a little progress is better than none. Just have to chip away at it!

SCORE! New Books (BlogAlong 15/30)

We visited Powell's Books while in Portland yesterday. I haven't been there in years, and was always a HUGE bookstore - but they must have expanded. I immediately sought out the mixed media/art section and look at what I found! Awesome books, full of eye candy and techniques to try. I haven't even really started looking through them, but hope to do some relaxing tonight.

When it comes to books like this, the Kindle just won't do. I must have the real thing in my hand.