Scrap Box Collage

Today's exercise was to create a collage with paper, beads and objects from my scrap box. I found a small piece of heavy watercolor paper that had a wash of warm yellow for the background. Torn paper, beads, pieces of melted tyvek, 3 oriental coins and string all play together in this small composition.

If you have a scrap box or place where you keep things too good to throw away, challenge yourself to use only it's contents as a source of materials for your next collage. You might be surprised what treasures are waiting to be rediscovered.

Middle Life

A bit of reflection on getting older. Although I embrace this time of life and the sense of liberation it brings, the darkness comes from losses we also must accept in middle life.

I've included this quote from Henry David Thoreau: "Live each season as it passes. Breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influence of each."

Roy

Last summer we discovered a tiny little black kitten in our flower bed. You can imagine the rest of the story. Roy is now almost a year old and has a definite superiority complex and delusions of grandeur. My kind of cat !!!

Here's Roy in mid-meow featured in my 'fun with photoshop' post for today.

Earth Day

"When seen from outer space, our beautiful blue planet has no national boundaries."
Dalai Lama

"Thank you Earth, You know the way."
A Mohawk Blessing

Pollution

Colored pencils were the medium of choice for this drawing which was made in response to a local issue involving air pollution.

She Required No One's Permission to Fly

Don't you just love her attitude?

I have used this lady's photograph in several other mixed media pieces and never tire of her commanding pose. This time she has become larger than life... most likely a result of the science fiction movies I have been watching.

The background is composed from two different vintage post cards and the moths are from an antique nature guide.

When Mother Goose was a Young Girl

A rare glimpse into the childhood of a cultural icon....

Who knew she would be famous one day!

I found this little girl's picture in a midwest antique shop and recognized her immediately.

She now resides up north and has become part of the Shared Visions exchange.

The background is from an old garden illustration and the geese are actually 3 different versions of the same goose (from a vintage children's book), slightly altered in height and orientation. All elements played well together in photoshop.

A Clear Mind / Visual Journal Page

I listen to XM Talk Radio on my daily commute to school and back, and almost every day hear a thought provoking quote or idea. I have a little notebook in my car for making quick references and these often become prompts for visual journal pages. Yesterday I heard someone say "A clear mind makes clear choices" and here it is on today's journal page.

Watercolor pencils were the medium of choice for this page.

Easter Greetings!

You might recognize the gray bunny in this photo.

Mom made my costume for the spring play.

Growing up in the 50's...... priceless!

A Book of Secrets

This dark and lovely little sketchbook / journal began as an experiment and has become one of my favorites. It came about as I was playing with glass domes and adding images to the back of them. For anyone who has not experimented with this, it's cool to see the image magnified by the glass.

I had recently taught my students to make spirellis with string and paper. As often happens, one thing carries over into another realm and the fun begins....
I started experimenting with leather, the glass eye dome, waxed linen and the spirelli technique. The book's cover ornament was the eventual outcome.

I love the slightly unsettling effect of the watcher in the book.

The pages are all made of high quality heavy weight 'Art Again' drawing paper so it will be a great little pocket journal for a mixed media artist.

It's currently posted for sale on my Etsy site.

Weather Games

This was a visual journal page from the 'Shared Visions' project.

The background comes from an old flight instruction book and the photo of the lucky contestants is from the cover of a booklet called 'Fun Games You Can Make.'

I'm not sure what the connection is, but really like the way the background colors play with the old black and white photo and the pure joy of a more simple place in time.