Imaginary People and Pets.

I NEVER had an imaginary friend while growing up, but I do have an imaginary pet now. The Mister has something against my canine pal, so he's never allowed in the house. He stays in my car.
Coco has been to Paris, Italy, Las Vegas and once to Mexico, where he suffered a misadventure and was almost lost forever.
The other day, my friend, E., suggested I bring Coco to work. It was awfully warm in the car that day anyhow, and even though he's imaginary, I didn't want him to suffer in the heat.
He sat in one of the in/out baskets (I'm never sure which it is) and kept watch for those who would sneak up behind me with unexpected work assignments. (Note: This hardly ever happens.) My friends - or at least the "fun" friends - agreed Coco is the best dog ever.
This morning I worked some more on my Funky Window Woman - speaking of imaginary people. She is taking shape and I am regularly gaining and losing ground with liking her and wanting to throw her away. However, in the interest of encouraging those with as little talent as I have in shading facial features, I will post her. (A friend, S., e-mailed me a link to a new book on mixed media by Cloth, Paper Scissors editor Cate Coulacos Prato, and one of the pages is totally perfect in showing how to shade eyes and noses. The book is not released yet.) My latest art journal is in the foreground.
I am making the Funky Woman to hang on the fence in my garden, so I am thinking as soon as she is totally, really dry, I will coat the glass with some sort of finish - shellac, maybe. Any suggestions on this or dire warnings?
It is now 71 degrees F and not yet 9 a.m. I'd better get busy with my real life work ... Wait! What am I talking about? This blog is my real life work. Never mind, the laundry can wait - femminismo

Slide Show of Book Pages - I hope.

YES, I hope a slide show will appear of the pages from the Twelve Books - that feels now like the Twelve Tribes. Each one different, each one with a little more or a little less inspiration involved.
I'm on to another book this month, but will not try to do one page every day, one book every month. Instead, I'll have fun with the pages and try and write a little something every day.
These books and this blog are TAKING OVER MY LIFE!
Sorry. Didn't mean to shout, but you know what I mean, I'll bet. On some level, in some way, we all get our lives taken over by something. And some of it is better than others. Paint or drugs? Glue or alcohol? Collage or gambling? "Pick yer pizzen." - femminismo
It showed up. Check out the upper left hand corner.

Birthday Blog!

YES, it's my birthday today. A noteworthy one, too. Where have the years gone?
I waited until bedtime to tell all of my faithful readers, since I didn't want anyone breaking a leg to run out and send flowers or deliver a pizza.
The morning started out with the Mister fixing me breakfast. Deelicious mango and a whole grain tortilla with egg, beans and cheese. The chipotle sauce was my idea.
Then he went off and worked in the woods so I could have some time alone to putter with my art and do whatever I wanted for my birthday.
It was a nice sunny day so I cleaned out the sun room and worked out there in the warmth. I painted one of my art journal covers and bound the November 2007 journal. Good to have that finished. It's the last one without a cover. Now I can put a couple finishing touches on the others and I'll post a photo of them all together. A whole year!
Here is one more photo of a close up of the tree peonies which are finally putting on their show. The cooler weather has been keeping them closed up tight, but that will end soon and then they'll drop their silken petals on the ground - once more. Enjoy them while they're here.
The years go around so quickly and this blog has given me the opportunity to note a lot of the things I enjoy and look forward to. I started it about a year ago, and even though my enthusiasm has flagged occasionally, I think it's one of the better things I've done for my mental health. It's encouraged me to be creative and forced me to keep up with technology. Both good things. Cheers if it's your birthday today! The newspaper said if today's your birthday what you want seems highly important to you but might not be so important to others. (What a revelation!) Nighty night - femminismo

Ever Since ...

Ever since Judy Wise helped me mend a small ripped section of a journal page with a tiny bit of paper towel soaked in paint and matte gel medium, I have wanted to try this.
Tonight, after cleaning up after dinner (I've cooked two meals this week; don't I feel housewifey?), I decided to make some paper towel "paper" for my art journal.

I took a paper towel square - one you can keep a big square or tear in half for two small ones, since they're perforated that way - and I dampened them good and then squeezed them out pretty well. I laid these on a thin plastic mat I usually chop vegetables on.

I squeezed acrylic paint on the towels - white, gold, ochre - and added globs of matte gel medium. I folded the towels over, one on top of the other and used my brayer to blend the colors between the sheets.
Then I opened them, checked the color and added a little purple and red. Closed them and blended the paint with the brayer, and opened them again and sprinkled luminiere powder and glitter.
Next I tore the sheets in half on the perforation and laid them on waxed paper. I let them rest for a minute while I tried to find a handy electrical outlet in my 1960s kitchen (good luck!) for the hair dryer, which I set on low. I gently dried the paper towels for just about three minutes, mainly on the corners.
On the drier corners I pinched with slightly damp fingers and eventually the paper towel began to stick to my fingers and pull apart so I could gently peel it into two layers. I pulled the one layer off and put it in my journal. The rest went on pieces of waxed paper. (Don't leave them there too long.) Now I have four pieces of "paper."
With the matte gel medium added the glitter will stick and the paper will be fairly durable. I can paint over it again with more gel medium and stamp it, write on it and basically have the best time!
Here's my page (below, left) before sticking down the damp paper towel and here it is after (below, right). It may not look extraordinary right now, but just you wait!
Sorry my photos are so large. And, I just want you to know, my purse and I were happily reunited (see yesterday's blog entry) and I have the use of my camera again! Life is good. - femminismo

Sumi ink discovery!

My first attempts to use sumi ink during a Judy Wise workshop did not work out well. I used the wooden end of a paintbrush as my writing instrument and I just got globs.
Then I tried to use the ink on my tea bag calendar. Same writing instrument. (I will show you the results of that later.) : (
Tonight, using a new writing instrument, a chopstick, I think I have found a better drawing tool. Because the chopstick was coated with paint, the ink rolled off and I had to go back to the well pretty often, but I liked my lady picture. Her nose may not be the perfect distance from her mouth, but when you're working with ink rolling off a chopstick, you hurry.

I have been painting pages in my art journal books, but not writing very much. I've been pretty consistent, however, with this blog lately. It seems to have to be "one or t'other." Paint or type.
I hope you guys know what I go through just so you can have something new to see when you check in on me. (Leave a comment, pleeeeeease.)
Today I saw a man carrying a bicycle toward a bike shop, I saw a coworker with his shirt tucked in for a change, I saw a beautiful young girl in a head scarf, I saw a nearby house is now owned by the bank and I saw trees without a single leaf.
Today I heard a car honk at another car that could not move.
Today I smelled espresso and fresh ground pepper.
What did you see, hear and smell? - femminismo

Art-full Journals

Today I spent some wonderful hours in Clackamas at Diane Havnen-Smith's lovely home with the fabulous Judy Wise teaching marvelous art journal techniques. I thought I took quite a few photos, but came home surprised at the small number of them.
However, I did come home with a short video of our time there ... where Lisa was "teacher's pet" because she would listen to the teacher while others were talking ... and more talking. What a good time laughing and enjoying everyone's different views of art and life. There were so many techniques and materials ... and learning how to use them all was part of the fun.
I still have a lot to learn, but oh what a fun journey to journal!