Fred 1995-2011

On monday we had to say good-bye to our oldest cat, Fred.   He had been in poor health for some time, and had crossed that line between having pretty good quality of life and not feeling good anymore. There was not going to be a happy ending here, so we tearfully made the decision to give Fred the final gift of a peaceful end to his struggle.
   Over the course of his illness, Fred had gone from a robust, stocky physique, to mere skin and bones.  I wanted to override those final images and remember him as he looked in his prime.  So this morning I opened my journal and painted a portrait of Freddie....a cat in the prime of life, a mighty hunter of rodents, the super-cat he had been.   He was stretching, as he often did, just before he came up and gave you a good head-butt.... a real show of affection.  That's the way I will always remember him.
   The quote is from Walt Whitman, so thoughtfully sent to me by my art-exchange friend, Sharon Parker.  It was fitting that it should be included on the page:
"I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self contained;
I stand and look at them long and long.   They do not sweat and whine about their condition; They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;  They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;  Not one is dissatisfied- not one is demented with the mania of owning things;  Not one kneels to another, nor his kind that lived thousands of years ago;  Not one is responsible or industrious over the whole earth"

Sometimes keeping a visual journal is a way to work through the difficulties that life hands us.  It's a place with no rules where we are allowed to express freely the things we are feeling and then stand back and say "There, now, that's a little better."

3 Funny Bunnies

Another digital illustration with a "numbers" theme.
Once again I began with a vintage toy as the focal point.
This one seemed appropriate for the season.
Happy Easter!

One

Numbers.  That's the theme of this month's exchange.  I used the image of a vintage toy robot and the lyrics from an old song by Three Dog Night.  "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do..."

Fun with Photoshop

Five different images were used to create this 16 layer work in Photoshop.  My inspiration came in the form of an email from my dear friend and kindred spirit, Terry Garrett. Yesterday he sent me several links of artist's work that he thought I might like.  After spending time looking at all the eye-candy,  I was so inspired, I could hardly wait to get started on some work of my own.  This is often how it begins.
The image of my cat Chance was the starting point and the composition grew intuitively from there.
There is still so much to learn about image manipulation in photoshop, but it is always an adventure to see what will happen.  Don't be afraid to experiment.  Go where the muse takes you and above all, have fun with your imagination.

Hide and Seek

My offering for this month's art exchange features the sport of Geocaching.

I decided to experiment with an original black and white photo and used a gradient blend of three colors to alter the image.  This is the result.   I hope it reflects the enthusiasm I have for this high tech game of "Hide and Seek."

The original photo for this image was taken near Clear Lake, Iowa at the site of the 1959 plane crash that claimed the life of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson.  The "Virtual Cache" at this site called for a photo to be submitted with the cache log.  

There was a strange energy at this place that seemed to come through in the shot.  I made the half mile walk through a cornfield just after sunrise on a cold autumn morning and set up my tripod for the photo.  As the timer went off, there was a rustling in the rows of tall dry corn which caused me to look in that direction.  Crows.  

I stayed for a while looking out over that landscape and could imagine a snowstorm in the early morning hours long ago and the events that happened there.

For more information about Geocaching, click here.

For more information about the Buddy Holly plane crash, click here.

Red Leather and Centipedes

I like to recycle good usable materials whenever possible, and frequent trips to thrift shops are part of my routine.  On one visit I found a red leather coat that was probably not going to have a future in fashion.  It was an ugly coat, but the leather was beautiful.    I purchased the coat, took it apart and cut book spines. 

This journal was similar to another one I recently put in my store and I wanted to make it different somehow.   It needed a few red centipedes on the cover.....

As I was taking pictures of the new book, I suddenly had an assistant.  Chance wanted to get a closer look at that red leather spine.  He couldn't believe it was made from an old coat!

Here is the inside of the cover and the back side of the centipede stitches.  I like to leave them exposed.

Consider how you can recycle interesting and useful materials into your artwork.   Visit your local thrift store and imagine the possibilities.

My Current Journal

Although most of the books I make go into the hands of others, this is the visual journal I am currently carrying and working in.  

The covers and spine are hand painted canvas.  I chose the dark earthy colors I love, and stitched 2 centipedes in waxed linen across the surface. 

Attached to a page-marker are some items that each have symbolic meaning.  The small face charm represents a playful childlike spirit, the key opens the mind to possibilities, and the metal tag with "Imagine" stamped on it reminds me to look beyond the obvious.

Much of the paper for the inside of this journal was pre-painted before being cut into pages and bound.  I used concentrated inks and put sea-salt on the wet pages to create the interesting textures as they dried.

I find a blank surface intimidating to work on, so I usually paint or alter the pages of a book prior to working in it. 

On the inner cover, you can see the back side of the centipede stitching.  I like the structure of this stitch and chose it as a place to write my name in the book. 

The title page has two important messages:  "Silence your inner critic" and "Take time to wonder."  

The page in view is the result of a drawing exercise called "Picasso Dogs" from the book Drawing Lab by Carla Sonheim.  I had so much fun with this technique that I introduced it to one of my drawing classes. 

Since this journal is in the early stages, I have only completed a few pages.  So many possibilities await!

Remember your childlike playful spirit, open your mind and look beyond the obvious.  

Painted Canvas Covers

 One of my students recently gifted me with several rolls of fine artist's canvas.  Within hours a large section of the canvas was on my work table getting painted for book covers.    The painted canvas is adhered to heavy book board, resulting in a very sturdy journal cover.  

This example shows a strap binding with heavy leather.   Signatures are attached with a version of the longstitch binding method.  

With this new supply of canvas, the plans are to make a few more of these and continue to experiment with alternate cover treatments.   It's always an adventure and so much fun to play.

You will find this journal and others in my Etsy Shop.

Texas Jack

Texas Jack was the subject of one of my journal pages this month.   If you aren't familiar with this member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame, there is an excellent website devoted to his memory.  You can access his biography on the site by clicking here.   Frontier scout, actor and close friend of Buffalo Bill, Texas Jack was one of the good guys in America's Old West.

Different and Alike

Facing pages in one of my art journals..... or should I say "face-off pages"?    

The prompt was "altered faces" and this duo began with that intent, but evolved into a statement about our differences and similarities.  

We are drawn to each other because of our similarities but it is our differences we must learn to respect.

Fear

Pages from my visual journal.   Some thoughts about fear.
The right page incorporates painted paper woven into the page.  Left over pieces became the horizontal bands on the facing page.  

Zentangle

When the theme for our January art exchange was announced to be "Black and White," I immediately thought of drawing Zentangles.   The first one on gray paper with  white highlights and the second one in the traditional black and white with graphite shading.   

For anyone wanting to learn more about the art of creating Zentangles, here are some links:
http://www.zentangle.com/whats-new.php   this is the newsletter link.... go back into the archive newsletters to find instructions for individual patterns.
http://zentangle.blogspot.com/  this is the Zentangle blog.
That should be a start.  Remember, anything is possible one stroke at a time.

Notebook Journals

What does a book maker do with all of the papers left over from her projects?

Make Notebook Journals, of course!

I had a huge collection of paper accumulating by my cutting board and now most of it has been put to good use in these fun little books. 

They measure 4 x 6 and have a variety of papers for the pages. 

   

Tag, You're IT !

Journals with tags and hand painted covers have been the trend in my studio work lately.   I recently purchased a set of metal tags with words stamped onto them and at the time, didn't have a clue how they would be used.   One day after making a journal, I set the tag on the cover and thought it worked pretty well.  Thus began the series.  When the tags run out, I'll have to move on to the next adventure, but for now, it's all about the word:  Inspire, Wander, Journey, Imagine, etc.   

Hand painting and collaging the covers involves a variety of stenciling and stamping techniques.  Anything within reach becomes fair game to be covered with paint and pressed into the surface:  corrugated cardboard, sequin waste, rollers, bubble wrap, plastic cups, etc.   I try not to over think the process and allow it to be intuitive.   

The words on the tags seem ambiguous enough to take on a variety of meanings, and yet just right for establishing a theme for the book.
The "Philosophy Tags" are by Tim Holtz and available on his website. You will find a bunch of other cool stuff there too, and most of it is also available at larger art supply stores.
The hand painted, hand bound journals are available in my Etsy Store.

Number Please....

  I've been recalling the days when you picked up the telephone to hear an operator politely say "Number Please."  A real person on the other end, instant gratification and no waiting... someone just sitting there ready to help.  Simply speak a 4 digit number and the operator would connect you.  That's right, 4 digits.

   The telephone I grew up with as a child was an instrument of wonder, massive and imposing with a table of it's own.  When it rang, the whole house shook and everyone fell silent with anticipation to see who could be calling.  

  Party lines were shared among neighbors and on occasion you would pick up the phone to unexpectedly hear someone else's conversation and listen for a moment before carefully, guiltily returning the heavy receiver to it's cradle.  There was always a loud audible click in hanging up.

  When the rotary dial was put into use, the phone company gave out instructions advising folks how to use the thing.  You can see one of those public service messages (here).  Somewhere, an operator was displaced and "Number Please" became obsolete.   

  I can clearly recall the sound of the telephone of my childhood, and the one at my grandparent's house that had a different, more baritone ring.   Who knew this would be a sound I would someday miss?  

  I wonder what will the children of the present recall about the telephone?   

  These were the thoughts that inspired my visual journal pages for the month.  Above is my first version, and below is it's evil twin.  

And now, if you will excuse me, the phone is ringing.........