Monday, July 21, 2008

Art Journal Pages





As you know, I'll be teaching the art journal class in September, and since my gallery isn't playing nice on mac.com (they have just revamped it with the whole mobile me, iphone thing and I need to mess with it some more, I guess), I decided to post a few here. The link on the left, "My Gallery" seems t work for me, but maybe that's because it's my account. Could someone let me know if it doesn't work for them?)

I am currently keeping four journals - one for paint/mixed media, one for pencil, a process book for techniques/class info, and a new one for ink. I've always admired ink illustration, but I'm a pencil girl by nature. So, I bound some scraps of cardstock and even a few printed papers, and am trying to teach myself how to sketch in ink. And it's HARD, for me at least. Trying to keep a simple line and not use sketch lines has been the biggest challenge. I love sketch lines - that's how I "feel" a shape when I draw. I am so used to reworking a sketch in pencil until it's to my liking, but you can't do that in ink. The more I "work" it, the worse it looks. The Danny Gregory books I ordered arrived on Saturday, and I've finished Everyday Matters and am on to The Creative Life, so I hope my technique might improve a bit. These are definitely not the best drawings I've ever done, but I believe it is important to post them. Art journals are for exploration, not perfection. Lots of my pages look like crap, but that's part of the process. I sometimes fear that people might get scared away from trying an art journal when they read books about it, because all of the pages look like beautiful finished artwork, not an exploration. Yes, I love some of my pages, and laugh at others. It's all part of the process...
I had to upload one of the pages Madeline did in my art journal. She decided she wanted one, too, so I pulled out the Bind It All and now she has her own purple journal. :)

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Creative Therapy and Post 100


Wow! One hundred posts! I can't believe it! What an interesting experiment it has been so far! It's a strange beast, this blog thing. I really feel as if I'm writing to myself most of the time, even though I'm aware that others will read it. I guess it's that delayed response that does make it feel more like a journal then a public posting. Then the comments come, and you realize that there are people out there reading it, from all over the world, and it morphs into an exchange rather than a recording. I remember the thrill I got when I read comments from international readers. It was, and still is, so amazing to think that someone is sitting at there computer on the other side of the earth, looking at your work. I think it does have the power to bring the world closer together. 

Another thing I'm absolutely thrilled about is my new art journal class at MDW on September 27 at 1:30. I have been waiting to teach an art based class, and there couldn't be a better one for me then art journaling. I know it is quite en vogue now, but I've been doing it all of my life. I even took a feminist journal writing class in college. As Matt and I were bringing the books back in from the garage last night (new bookshelves, wahoo!!!), I could fill up a whole cube with journaling/creativity/artists books, some I've had since college.  Yet, I'm still working on the details of the curriculum. I've been doing this for so long, I'm not sure what would entice somebody new to art journaling to try it. I know what I like, but will others like it, too? I hope that if I teach my passion, it will ignite the passions of others. I just hope I can spark it enough to get them to sign up in the first place!

Which leads me to today's entry for Creative Therapy. It is an art journal page, for the topic, "What's the one quality you look for in a romantic partner?" If I had to pick just one, I'd have to go with a sense of humor. It's what's gotten us through tight patches, defused arguments, and just plain made life fun. It may not be the most "romantic" quality, but it's a relationship lifesaver and spark at the same time. 15th anniversary this December, so I'd say it's working pretty darn well for us!

Friday, July 4, 2008

catalyst 16

Happy Fourth of July! Little known fact, but I was a poly sci major when I entered college, and at one point aspired to be in Congress. That didn't last long, and although I'm not as involved in politics as I used to be, I've made my donation to the Obama campaign and will hold another national mock election in my social studies classes this year. Our process may not be perfect, but I do believe in it and am grateful for the rights and freedoms I enjoy in this great nation. Happy Birthday, United Sates! Maybe now I'll go make a party hat, as my daughter suggested...
Didn't get last week's catalyst up, but here is this week's from Creative Therapy. The theme was your Dream Home. My husband thinks about this a lot, and has great plans (probably from his architecture/engineering background), but honestly, I don't. Sure, I'd love to have a studio, and an extra room for an office and the weight equipment would be nice. A lush, green backyard that went on for miles would be heaven, especially if it had lots of shade. But you know what? I love my little house. It has super high ceilings and open architecture that makes it feel big and airy. I may have to work in the family room, but that means I'm not separate from my kids (or the dinner in the oven). Yes, the backyard is small, but it requires very little work. A smaller house means a smaller carbon footprint. I think I dream instead about he improvements I'd like to make - a new fireplace (I hate the icky beige marble!), new kitchen cabinets (oak does not give off that modern vibe), and new tile showers (those fiberglass all-in-ones should be illegal!). That's my dream - improve what I have, instead of dwelling on what I don't.