Artists and Artisans in Paradise 2014

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY. I have been working with the Stratford Arts Guild Show Committee for the past four months to make this a spectacular must see show and destination. I think we have done everything we could possibly do. Now we just need people to show up, enjoy it and buy art!

I have also been very busy most of this month (and earlier this summer) creating work for this show. I wanted a nice body of new work for it. It would have been great to complete a few more pieces, but am pleased with what I was able to do.

Here is some of what I recently created:

Working with the drawings of a few weeks ago, I created these three 14x11 panels. 

Garden Cosmos Series Mixed Media

Wanting to work with the vintage ephemera I have been collecting (see my Instagram account for more on that), I began this new series I am entitling Natural History. I would have liked to have competed at least two more of these for the show, but ran out of time.

Natural History I

Lastly I wanted to do a few more sets of Garden Songbird Silhouettes. I really love working on these little guys. They make me so happy. Both for painting the cute little birds, but also because many of the vintage papers I use are from my Grandmother. Seeing her handwriting and other pieces connected to her fills me with joy. She was a special person in my life. 

Painting As Therapy

I found out today, after waiting three weeks for results, that I tested negative for Lyme disease but the lab failed to test for the other tick borne diseases. When I saw the doctor three weeks ago I expressed my concern that I thought I might have babesiosis this time. And I still don't know if that is the case.  Guess I should be thankful that it isn't Lyme this time. (Though it could still be; negative results are not a guarantee that it isn't present and active.) Have to go for new lab work. Sigh...

In the meantime, I have been pushing through my days, doing what I can and resting when I need to.
I did start the Cosmos Flowers mixed media paintings on Tuesday. I've completed the first and am working on the second today. Here is a progress shot:

I'm also developing ideas for some collages. Here is a shot of that:

Sketching in the Garden

Hello there! It has been awhile!  Instagram has become my primary venue for sharing photos and my activity since it is so easy, but figure it is time to get back to blogging at least a little bit!

This morning I spent about an hour sketching these delightful Cosmos. I have begun a series of paintings which will feature them. The sun became too intense and forced me to go inside. I plan to work from the photos to finish the sketch.

I have been struggling with some health issues over the past three weeks or so and have limited amounts of energy. Each morning I ask myself how best to use this limited and precious resource. Today it was getting this drawing started. After lunch and a shower to wash off the insect repellent and sunblock, I will take a nap. Then hopefully I will have time and renewed vigor to finish this. I want to start on the paintings soon! Like tomorrow! This is quite frustrating!!

Instagram

I'm on Instagram, are you?

I've been using Instagram more frequently and am enjoying it as a new and different way to  connect and interact with others. So I was happy to read that the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt organized by Rinda Ontiveros is using Instagram as an avenue for posting photos. I am posting my finds there and will do one blog post here when I have completed the list, or summer has ended. Whichever comes first!

To see what I am posting, click on the icon above.

To learn more about the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt, click here.

Evaluation of the Fake Journal Experience

Last Page of Lily's Journal

Roz Stendahl suggested in her last blog post that participants of International Fake Journal Month set the recently completed journal aside for a week and move on to a new project. Then take the journal out, read through it and really study and evaluate it. What did you like about the experience? What worked? What didn't.  Write it down so that you have it for future reference.

Here is my evaluation.

I liked the freedom I felt I had to create and write anything. I was able to say things that I have been thinking about, wondering about, hoping, but that aren't necessarily real life for me. By making these experiences real in someone else's life, I got to be a part of them too. I could combine my own memories with bits and pieces of other people's lives and make it Lily's life and world. I liked that I could put a little bit of me in her friends and in her family. I loved her parents. The relationship she has with them is what I've wished for myself (though didn't know that until working on this journal.) I would have loved to have had a close relationship with an interesting, wise, loving father. My dad may have been, but I didn't get the chance to find out. And I think that subconsciously I may have wished that my mom had had a strong, loving, supportive husband to share her years with. I hope that the relationship Lily has with her parents is the type of relationship Alina feels she has with us. Lily is modeled somewhat after Alina  (my 26 year old daughter) and her love of New York City, with some of Beth, an old friend, (confidence) and Paula, my sister in law, (independent) added in.

It is hard to know for certain how the character of Lily Roberts came to be. I do think that if I hadn't created my Identity Visual Journal* this past winter, Lily would not have been the character I developed for this fake journal. My Inner Hero, the Historian, is in large part who Lily is. Her love of medieval history and art is because of My Inner Hero, The Monk. Her parents characters came about because of my desire for a father to grow up with. See my Inner Hero, The Child.

Notes on the art of the journal:

What I liked:
The paper held the paint well. It didn't curl much.
The pens write over the professional acrylic paints beautifully.
Lesson learned: use the cheap acrylics to add color. In areas where I want to write something, apply Liquitex or other quality acrylic.
The colors layered on top of each other on Days 1 and 2.
The size of the journal both to work in and to hold.
Working on just one page a day (rather than a page spread) made the project achievable.
Working in a bound book rather than a spiral one. The pages fit nicely together and allowed for a seamless flow from one side to the other.
Having a limited amount of pages. It created a book.
The simple outline of the faded rose on Day 10.

What I didn't like:
The pinks and baby blues on Days 13 and 14.
Days 23 and 24 are too busy with distinctive marks.

Taking it from here:
Want to strengthen my lettering skills. Take Valerie's on line class?
Want to get good at italic calligraphy again. Must practice.
Do more spontaneous drawings such as the tulips on Days 15 and 16.
Do more image transfers.
Use light colors on the page backgrounds.

I have a new visual journal in mind for this summer. It is one that I will do through the persona of Lily.

*I have yet to upload the completed pages of this journal, but you can click on Identity Visual Journal tag on the right hand side to see the pages I did post about.

You can view my fake journal in its entirety by following this link: Lily's Journal

A Month of Fake Journaling

As mentioned in the previous post, I have been working on a "fake" journal during the month of April. It has been a blast!

Lily's Journal

This was an opportunity to work in a journal format that I have wanted to explore, but as of yet, had not. And work in a style different than what I usually do.

When I work on my art, I place a large sheet of paper down on my table and work on top of it. I use this paper to test colors, clean off brushes, make notes, etc. I have been saving these with the goal of using it as pages in a journal or the background a new art project. Tearing the sheets down to journal size, I nestled them in an order that allowed the pages to relate to the ones they were next to. Before binding it, I added some paint randomly on most of the pages to give the journal some cohesiveness. Next I used a stencil to date each page. Then I bound it with a 5 hole pamphlet stitch. The pages were torn which created a nice deckled effect.

Since I usually work in a grid-like fashion with squares and rectangles and lots of collage, this fake journal incorporated circles and I prohibited the use of any glued on material. I found this to be the most challenging part, but the most beneficial. If I wanted to visually depict something I was forced to draw it. I used graphite pencils, colored pencils, acrylic paints and inks and various types of markers and pens.

The layers of random jottings and paints created a very intricate, complex, beautiful background. One I would not have been able to create from scratch. It happened all by chance.

I have wanted to create some abstract work but really did not know how to begin. Creating this journal taught me how to approach it.

The best lesson I learned was to just go for it and have fun! That I did.

Click on the photo to visit my fake journal blog. There you can read all the entries.

Adventures in Fake Journaling

At the beginning of April I read about Roz Stendahl's IFJM (International Fake Journal Month) project. I loved the idea and the wheels started cranking immediately, so I proceeded full steam ahead.

I am half way through the journal and have posted the pages on a separate blog. If you want to read along, follow this link to the first entry. Using the arrow on the right hand side under the post, continue to read the posts in daily order.

Kitchen Renovation Done (Mostly)

My husband worked part time for three and a half months on our kitchen remodel. I tell him all the time that he is my hero! There are a few things still left to do. The above refrigerator cabinet is still on back order. I need to paint the trim, decide what is going on the walls and work with my daughter-in-law to fashion curtains from towels and vintage lace. But as is, we can start entertaining again!

Craving Magenta Visual Journal pages 6-10

Here is a look at the next five pages in this journal:

Click here to go to the first post about this journal.

John Mayer on Magenta

“Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8 color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64 color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64 color box, though I've got a few missing. It's okay though, because I've got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8 color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation. So when I meet someone who's an 8 color type...I'm like, hey girl, Magenta! and she's like, oh, you mean purple! and she goes off on her purple thing, and I'm like, no  

 I want Magenta!”

― John Mayer

I think that explains it!

Craving Magenta: A Visual Journal

Why Magenta
Not one to take things at face value, I wanted to know if my craving for magenta was deeper than just wanting to experience some warmth and cheeriness on these bleak, cold, white and brown days. So I researched the color meanings of magenta. It was an interesting read. I am using quotes from the articles I found as the basis for this journal.

Working with Magenta
Next I needed to decide on what colors I wanted this journal to contain besides magenta and its variations. I know I don't like brown with it. That reminds me of the slices of Neapolitan (strawberry/chocolate/vanilla) ice cream we would sometimes get with school lunch when I was in elementary school. Always delicious, but never visually appealing to me. I like magenta with orange, but am not feeling that combination right now. I'm never far from including green (in its many variations) in any artwork, as it is my favorite color. I love using black, white and gray with greens so decided to use these too. Finally, I chose purple and peacock/teal blue as accent colors.

The Format
If you read my blog posts you may remember that I mentioned creating my Identity Visual Journal after reading two articles in Somerset Studio's Autumn 2013 issue of Art Journaling Magazine. One of the articles was written by Kelly Kilmer. I have been reading her blog since then and looking at the online courses she offers. They all sound wonderful and they are offered at a very reasonable price. I decided to sign up for one of the classes - The Journey Within: A Guide to Unlocking Your Creativity. Her classes offer instructions on creating visual or art journals, based on her journals. She provides templates for each page along with step by step instructions on how she created her page. Kelly provides a long list of things to try and how to change it up. Wanting to stretch my boundaries and do something a little different than the way I have been working, I thought this would be a fun way to try something new. Kelly also gives instructions on how to create a book from scratch. I think each class offered provides a different type of book construction. This particular one is one that I have not seen before and I know I will use it often. Wanting to get started right away on the journal, however, I forewent this step and used a Strathmore spiral bound visual journal that I had on hand. It is small - 6" x 8".

The Journal
I've created 5 pages so far following Kelly's templates. Having these templates to work from makes it easy to work in the journal. The need to figure out how best to layout the page is eliminated as you follow the template. There are thirty pages worth of templates. I will post what I've done in groups of five pages as I complete them.

Craving Magenta

"I'm so bored with white I could scream." 

- Beverly Ellsley, interior designer, as quoted in House Beautiful magazine

My sentiments exactly!! It many sound odd, but I have been craving the color magenta for the past week! I suppose it is because it is a warm, sunny, summery color that evokes feelings of joy, happiness and gaiety. Looking through my winter wardrobe, I did not find this color. 

How can I surround myself with it to satisfy the craving? I searched through my stash of art supplies and papers for some of this delicious color. Couldn't find much. Decided to search out paint, decorative papers and washi tape from the craft and art supply stores in my area. I was able to find and purchase this collection. (stores visited: JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Staples (they carry washi tape), Lowes and Blick Art Materials)

Magenta is one of those colors that is difficult to capture and pin down. It is close to fuchsia with less pink. It is close to mulberry with less purple.You can see that in this color chart found on Wikipedia:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magenta

The items I purchased span this color spectrum. 

Okay, so now that I have this stuff, what am I going to do with it? I'm not going to work with the paint just yet. I plan to use some of the paper to cover hand bound books. But for now, the quickest way to interact with these colors is to work in a visual journal. I'll show you that in my next post.

Gifts for Contemplation

Today is my birthday. I bought myself this new coffee mug and journal to keep me company during my morning contemplation times.

I like the muted colors - they provide a peaceful, quiet atmosphere important for introspection and prayer. A compact sanctuary.

How do you create a peaceful space for your quiet time?

A Winter's Day - New Identity Art Journal Entry

Taking a break from the inner heroes portion of my Identity Art Journal, I have completed this page layout today.

These pages are painted with several layers of acrylic paint. I actually did these pages before deciding to stick with collage only for this journal. I had the image of the woman from a clothing catalog already in place. I added the quotes, journaling and definitions today.

"A major obstacle to creativity is wanting to be in the peak season of growth and generation at all times... but if we see the soul's journey as cyclical, like the seasons... then we can accept the reality that periods of despair or fallowness are like winter - a resting time that offers us a period of creative hibernation, purification, and regeneration that prepares us for the births of Spring." - Linda Leonard (as quoted in The Artist's Rule by Christine Valters Paintner)

January - a new year, a time for new beginnings. Knowing it was time to move on from the experimental two months of being in a retail co-op where I always needed to be able to come up with something new, I chose to withdraw in order to narrow my focus (this has included not taking any new natural science illustration courses for a few months as well)and concentrate on what it is I most want to do.  Most of the month was a creative void and sea of indecisiveness with a touch of melancholy and doubt. Like the quote above, a time of despair and fallowness. But reading The Artist's Rule again reminded me that this is okay. It is a part of life and the creative cycles to have times of rest and of purification. January ended with the idea of creating this journal and February so far has been a time of single focus - a narrow vision - of being drawn inward and discovering the quiet beauty that winter - both outward and inward - has to offer.

Such a snowy February! Over 34 inches of snow during a two week period. Plus all the overcrowded rooms in this house as a result of renovating the kitchen has left me with very few options. It is forcing me to concentrate on what is right before me - I can't flee!

Learning to be present to every moment - even, and probably especially, the ones I wouldn't choose for myself - is a challenge that requires daily discipline and a continuous committment to it.

 I trust that deep inside, my roots are being nourished, just as the trees and plants are from all the snow, and that I will see the results of this quiet, resting, fallow hibernation before too long.

Dormant - as if asleep; quiet; still. Latent, implicit, undisclosed, potential, undeveloped, unrealized, veiled, hidden, unapparent

"Yet we are called to dwell in the dark, fertile soil of the earth, in that space where seeds incubate and begin their cycle of growth. Here we can cultivate a different way of seeing the possiblities not yet named and dreams being born. In nurturing creativity we must learn how to rest in periods of unknowing, finding peace in the knowledge that movement is happening far below the surface of what we can see." - Christine Valters Paintner in The Artist's Rule

Vigil - watching, waiting, listening

Discovering Additional Inner Heroes/Archetypes

Reading the article on the 12 Common Archetypes, I've added to my list The Lover.

Susan the Lover is wife, partner, helper, the other half.

And in reading some of Quinn McDonald's book (which arrived last Tuesday), Inner Hero Creative Art Journal, I am also adding The Alchemist.

Susan the Alchemist enjoys making something from nothing. Making paper for over a decade, she loves being able to take old cotton or linen fabric or brown leaves from plants and turn them into something beautiful.

She saves bits and scraps of this and that knowing that one day they can be incorporated into an art piece.

A literary character that comes immediately to mind is Rumpelstiltskin who turned straw into gold. Incidentally, Rumpelstiltskin was one of my favorite storybooks as a child. I loved the illustrations in it and spent much time looking at it.

I bought a book a number of years ago called Spinning Straw Into Gold : What Fairy Tales Reveal About the Transformations in a Woman's Life by Joan Gould. (Have I mentioned how much I love books?) I read the first two chapters then put it aside for something more appropriate at the time. I think it is time to dig into this one too. As I stated in my first post about why I am creating this Identity Art Journal, I believe my life is in a state of transition. Transformation may be a better way to view it!

Oh, I love how all of this is coming together the way that it is!
(I haven't created any pages for these archetypes yet, but when I do I will post them.)

Inner Heroes and Archetypes Part 2

Using the list of the 12 Common Archetypes, I've placed my inner heroes under the archetype I see them most in line with. Here is what I've come up with:

Archetype: The Innocent
Child
Hopeless Romantic
Monk (fits two categories)

Archetype: The Caregiver
Mother
Gardener (fits two categories)

Archetype: The Creator
Gardener
Artist

Archetype: The Sage
Historian
Naturalist
Monk

Many of the other archetypes I clearly am not. In this list of archetypes, Hero is listed as one. It is the traditional view of hero - the warrior, superhero, soldier, dragon slayer. Quinn McDonald's view shows us that these more gentle qualities are heroic too.

If you did this exercise, your heroes and archetypes would most likely be different than mine. These traits are what form our personality, what make us unique, special and needed in the world (that's where the hero part comes in.) We can't be all things to all people. We can't be made to fit into a mold/role that isn't meant for us. For too long in my Christian walk I was told/taught that I must do/act/perform/think a certain way. (did you say cult?) It has taken many, many years to heal that damaged thinking and more still to come. I believe that God, through his Holy Spirit, is directing this path of exploration right now. The feeling is so powerful it is difficult to describe. And the things that are being revealed and opportunities that are being placed in my path are awe inspiring. Too much to try to relay here, but there will be future posts explaining it in more detail.

Inner Heroes and Archetypes Part 1

In the book, The Artist's Rule, the author, Christine Valters Paintner, writes:

"The monastic way and artist's path are both ways of being in the world and journeying through life. The monk and artist each represent an archetype. Archetypes are psychological structures that are reflected in the symbols, images, and themes common across cultures and time periods. Archetypes reflect different energies working within us. We each contain a multiplicity of selves. This becomes most obvious to us when we experience an inner conflict of desires. Perhaps our desire for a more creative life feels like it is in conflict with our desire for financial security. Or our desire for a more contemplative life conflicts with the part of ourselves that loves to get everything done. One of these desires is not necessarily better than the other; at its root each desire teaches us something about ourselves and our deeper longings."

I read right through this part two years ago when I first read the book. It did not stand out as it did during this second reading. I do have those exact internal conflicts. And more. Sometimes I struggle with them so much I can't decide what is most important to accomplish and become paralyzed, doing nothing at all.

My inner naturalist wants me to dedicate my time to drawing botanically correct floral specimens and scientifically correct insects, twigs, and pine cones. The inner child doesn't have patience for this and wants to work with messy paints and color with markers. The inner historian wants me to get all my family photos, letters and heirlooms organized. The inner hopeless romantic says there are too many things to experience today that I would miss if I spent too much time focusing on the past. The inner artist is torn, not knowing what to do, but longing for some sort of creativity, spends her time looking at other people's art rather than making her own.

Wanting more information on archetypes, I searched a bit online and found this wonderful, easy to understand guide here.

In an attempt to get to know myself better by learning more about my inner heroes or archetypes, the next step in this Identity Art Journal is to list the strengths and weaknesses of each. I will also add words, symbols (if I have any) and possible colors that I connect to them as well as any literary characters I am aware of who share these characteristics. (Archetypes are discussed at length in regards to literary works from what I've seen online.)

It will take some time to complete this, but I do plan to continue posting what I am doing and discovering daily here. This exploration will undoubtedly come to an end once spring arrives and it is warm enough to be outside again. Then my inner gardener, who has been patiently waiting, will take over!

My Inner Hero: The Historian

My inner historian loves learning about the past. She enjoyed listening to her mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles tell the stories of their childhoods, homes, neighborhoods, friends, pastimes, teen years, crushes, cars, how they met their spouses, etc. All good family stuff. Many aspects of her family members' lives remain a mystery since they passed away before the questions could be asked and the stories told.

Studying the History of Western Civilization, American Literature and Art History in college was fascinating. So much of who we are today can be traced to all the events that occurred before. My inner historian loves knowing the details. What time of day was it? What expression did he have on his face? Where did that person live and what was life like when they wrote that hymn? A stickler for accuracy, it is important to the inner historian that everything is organized and put in chronological order.

Susan the Historian appreciates articles of the past. She has rescued many family heirlooms and ephemera that others viewed as trash. She enjoys estate sales, thrift shops and American Pickers on the History channel.

Also known as The Scholar, this inner hero treasures books and libraries. Conducting research on many topics is important to her. Much forethought, information gathering and planning goes into decisions that are made.

A valuable lesson she learned from her History of Western Civilization professor is not to read history through our modern lens. In order to understand why events took place, we need to understand the people of that time period. What did they value? What were their belief systems? What was the prevailing culture like at that time?

All very interesting food for thought for this inner hero!

Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Deuteronomy 4:9

My Inner Hero: The Gardener

The gardener has been the main character/persona/role that I have played in my life. Longer than the roles of mother and wife. I have never regarded gardening as heroic, but in retrospect, I see that it is. Firstly you need strength and stamina to create and tend a garden. I developed upper body muscles from all the digging and cultivating I've done in the past twenty years on this property.  It takes imagination, creativity and faith. And perseverance. Gardening has taught me so many life lessons. There are so many parallels between spirituality and gardening. There as so many references, parables and metaphors in the Bible related to gardens. So much to write on this topic. Glad I have that full blank page! It will be completely filled in before too long.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 1Cor 3:6

My Inner Hero: The Naturalist

This is my favorite page spread in the journal so far.

The Naturalist is one of my dominant heroes. She loves the outdoors - walking, feeling the warmth of the sun, inhaling the fragrances of earth, woods, sea and meadow. Listening to the sounds of birds, bees, cicadas. Naming the birds, identifying the butterflies and their caterpillars. Providing shelter, water and food for all of these creatures.

Consider the lilies of the field - how they grow... Matthew 6:28

My Inner Hero: The Monk

My inner monk enjoys quiet and solitude. She enjoys deep spiritual contemplation. Long, early morning quiet time for study. Praying continually throughout the day. Seeing the divine in the every day. My inner monk values hard, physical labor and sees it as a spiritual discipline.

"Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands..." 1 Thes 4:11

"When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray to your Father in private." Matt 6:6

My Inner Hero: The Hopeless Romantic

Susan the Hopeless Romantic loves fairy tales and happy endings. She trusts people and believes they have pure motives for the things they do.

"I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
Yet, even now, be free from your captivity! Leave..."  Isaiah 17-18, 20

My Inner Hero: The Mother

Not my mother, but the mother that I am, who I've learned and grown to be. Susan the Mother isn't called upon much anymore because her children are grown.  I know they will always need and appreciate my love and encouragement, but the relationships are different now, as they should be. I know this is something I've mourned the loss of this past year. In the midst of being overjoyed that my son was marrying someone so perfect for him and my daughter getting an apartment and once again living on her own, which I rejoiced in as well, I understood that this was indeed the end of that part of my life. The mother in me still has strong yearnings to nurture and comfort.  Maybe it is time to nurture the child in me with the mother love I needed and mostly didn't get.

How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, ... Matthew 23:37

I will comfort you...as a mother comforts her child. Isaiah 66:13

I really love this magazine image and the one from yesterday. I had already created these journal pages. They were waiting for the words that would come. It really is amazing to me how beautifully the layouts I had already created are perfect to describe my inner heroes. Julia Cameron refers to this as synchronicity. I believe it is the Holy Spirit at work. I am finding it encouraging, uplifting, insightful and just the beginning of new lessons to learn and new paths to discover. 

My Inner Hero: The Child

We all have an inner child we are told. I'm not in contact much with mine. She is quite often neglected. She grew up too soon. Her dad died when she was eight years old. She was often told that she was "too serious." She is/was insecure, afraid of being rejected.

I see a lot of myself in the young Sally Draper character (Mad Men Seasons 1-3, especially).

He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, "Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me - God who sent me." (Mark 9:37, The Message)

Identity - Discovering My Inner Heroes

In the previous post I wrote about how God has revealed something new and exciting to me. Here is what it is:

I already can't remember how, but earlier this week I learned about the book Inner Hero Creative Art Journal by Quinn McDonald. The book description explains that in this book you will meet your inner heroes (ones which she has named) who will help you combat the voice of the inner critic. I am familiar with the "inner critic" as it is much discussed in many art journal techniques book. I believe it was Julia Cameron who first wrote about the inner critic in her book, The Artist's Way, originally published in 1992. Though the concept wasn't new at that time either. Anyway, I have not read about our "inner hero or heroes" before this. (I'm guessing it isn't a new concept either, but it is new to me.) I have ordered the book, but have not yet received it. I did search online for more information on inner heroes. I found another book called, No Cape Required: A Devotional: 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero by Kristen Parrish. I have ordered this book as well. In addition, I discovered the website of Ben Fanning. He discusses inner heroes as they are found in the corporate world. His description of their characteristics is right on in regard to my own inner hero. 

Loving this idea of having inner heroes, I set about discovering mine. Using a page from Quinn McDonald's book, which is available as a free download, I came up with a list of my inner heroes.

I am also re-reading The Artist's Rule by Christine Valters Paintner. I read this for the first time in the Spring of 2012. This book uses Benedictine Rules for Living and applies them to being an artist. In the first chapter she discusses the "inner monk" and "inner artist". Psychologists often refer to our "inner child". I am naming these three as inner heroes as well as five more.

My Inner Heroes

The Monk
The Artist
The Child
The Mother
The Hopeless Romantic
The Gardener
The Naturalist
The Historian

I will introduce you to them in upcoming posts and show you how I am incorporating them into my Identity Art Journal.

New Things

Now I am revealing new things to you

Things hidden and unknown to you

Created just now, this very moment.

Of these things you have heard nothing until now.

So that you cannot say, Oh yes, I knew this.

Isaiah 48:6-7

God is revealing new thoughts, new ideas, new inspiration to me. It is exciting! my Identity Art Journal is coming together far better than I thought it would. I started it with some concepts and it really is amazing how God is crafting it.

"When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God..." - Julia Cameron

Books That Have Greatly Influenced Me

My husband and I have read and continue to read books about what it means to live as a Christian in the 21st century. We find it very helpful to learn from others how they view and live out this way of life. It is good to have a broad perspective and not be stuck in any one way. The books that have had the greatest impact on me personally are these. If you are looking for a fresh perspective on what it means to be a Christian, living life to the full, discovering and using your God given talents, feeling at peace and not being satisfied with the "status-quo", then give these books a read.


Rob Bell
Velvet Elvis
Sex God
Love Wins

John Eldredge
Epic
Journey to Desire
Waking the Dead
Captivating

Barbara Brown Taylor
An Altar in the World

Randy Harris
God Talk
Soul Talk

Shane Claiborne
Irresistible Revolution

Gary Thomas
Sacred Pathways

Mark Scandrette
Soul Graffiti

Books on Art and Faith:

The Artist's Rule - Christine Valters Paintner
The Creative Call - Janice Elsheimer

Julia Cameron
The Artist's Way
Walking in This World
Finding Water

If you have read any of these books, I'd love to hear what you thought of them.

Works in Progress Wall

I have rearranged the seating a little in my studio so that I can see my "works in progress wall" more often. Each piece individually needs something more in order to complete it, but as a large grouping, I find it quite delightful to look at. Especially on this last day of January - when it is still months before there will be color in the garden again.

 

 Addition: Shortly after posting this I got a tweet from Julia Cameron with this quote:

"I have found that sitting in a place where you have never sat before can be inspiring." - Dodie Smith

I would add "or that you haven't sat for a long time..."

Cheers!

 

Identity - A New Visual Journal

Many times an idea comes as the result of a collection of thoughts, reading and observing. This is the case with my newest art journal, which I have entitled Identity.

Thinking about what I would like to create next, I've decided that I would like to put me into my artwork. Yet I don't want it to be Frida Kahlo-like. I don't want my work to be portraits of me, just the essence of me. Like my Songbird Silhouette Series - the essence of the birds. Thinking about it further, I would like to represent me as a woman. (Yes, I am a woman, but I mean this in a generic yet inclusive way.) As such it would be a statement about women in the garden. (An artist statement for this will come at a future date. It will tie in with my other blog, Hortus Conclusus, The Enclosed Garden.) I plan to use other women as models in addition to myself.  Not having formal training in drawing or painting the human figure, this is going to be a challenge. In addition, I want to configure a layout that will be similar to those of ancient illuminated manuscripts, in combination with the style of Alphonse Mucha's work. I've loved both these looks for many years.

Times of Day - Alphonse Mucha

 I know I won't come close to anything this gorgeous, but it is my inspiration.

I have also been thinking about me - who I am, who I was, who I am becoming. Almost 53 years of age, I am swiftly approaching menopause and I can understand why they used to call it the "change of life". (I haven't heard that phrase in quite a long time.) Many changes besides the physical go on at this stage in one's life. For men, they call it mid-life crisis. The deciding how to handle the future in light of these changes is what all these thoughts are about. Something perfect to journal about!

So I began a few weeks ago by gathering resources such as images from magazines and catalogs along with ephemera of various sorts. Last month I purchased the Autumn 2013 Art Journaling magazine by Somerset Studio. In it there is an article by Sandra Skies Ludwig entitled, My Journey into Gluebooks. In the article Sandra explains that a glue book is an art journal in which everything is glued down. Pages of collage basically. Well I can do that! This was the perfect idea for what I wanted to do. I wanted to arrange the clippings of women and gardens and arches and wrought iron gates and flowers that I have been saving from various magazine subscriptions over many years, into something that told a story of some kind and which would serve as a "springboard" for my artwork. Also in this issue is an article by Kelly T.M. Kilmer entitled, Finding My Way. She uses cut outs of women from magazines and catalogs as well. This was confirmation to me that this is the project I need to be working on at this time. I read somewhere, maybe in one of these articles, that this journal is the place to use all those snippets of paper I have been saving for "some day". I won't use magazine images in collages that I would sell to avoid any copyright infringement issues. But pasting them into a journal that is for my personal use is perfectly okay.

I began by selecting a book to alter rather than using a blank journal. I chose a book that had some images in it that I wanted to use and that was of a size suitable to this project. I removed several pages to compensate for the expansion that would occur as I added elements. Using just a glue stick to begin, I placed one image of a woman per two page spread. Next I added garden images. After that, blank paper to cover up the original words on the page that would also provide space for me to write. Washi tape is being used as a decorative border on some of the pages. Here are a few pages, still not 100% complete, but getting there.