Caught in the Matrix...

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Time seems to be running oddly in my house this week.  Last week's blog was yesterday and forever ago, maybe I'm caught in the Matrix and need either a blue pill or the red pill... Anyhoo, I've got a little "time lapse" photography of some of the things I've been working on in this ultra - dimensional time sequence of a week.  

The following is my rendition of BOD's Week 1 spread.

Week 1 PROMPT: Looking Forward

This Week's CHALLENGE: Using a tag in your journal

This prompt and something my husband said recently greatly influenced the main image in this spread.  He asked me why I did not use my background in religion in my work.  I've been stewing on that for a while now.  Way back in the good old college days I studied the philosophy and history of various religions such as: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and so on...  I was fascinated and still am to a degree by the religion's use of divination.  They've all had at some point a method to discern what the divine was trying to relay to their followers.  Priests and laymen alike would 'read' something: some watched birds in flight, the way smoke wafted from incense, abnormal lumps on animal livers, but most looked to the stars.  We still do, I'll take a wild guess and say 85% if not more of the American population knows what astrological sign they are.  So, I did some digging and found some old research that I still had stashed away on a bookshelf and pulled some images out.  Looking forward is, in a manner, to me a method of divining the future and stepping out onto a path, whether or not we take the first fork that we come to on that path is unseen, but still a viable choice.

Astrological sign:  Libra

Brief Explanation:  The Inner ring is the Path the earth takes around the sun and where the Solstices fall in that path.  The 2nd ring is astrological signs and the 3rd and 4th rings are the months and days in relation to the path of the earth and seasonal solstices. 

Very short Disclaimer:

*I do not profess to be able to accurately read this chart as I am by no means an Astrologer, just a mere dabbler at this point in time.*

My best-est bud in the whole world told me about gouache.  I know what you're thinking, where is she going now, but bare with me.  Gouache is an opaque watercolor.  He convinced me that I should try them, so I got me a little set and its what I used for my background color.  I've been playing with them and I so prefer it and watercolor over the apple barrel paint I also have.  I can manipulate it with much more ease.  And the color comes out very intense with or without water.

Background and tag added to right side.

The image of the Key hole and key is very symbolic for me and just had to add it.  The added tag acts like a door and to look forward into the milky mists of 2012 you must unlock that door and open it.

Full background with tag open.

The central image is a map of the heavens so to speak, so it seemed natural to place map imagery on the tag as well.

Looking Forward 2012

I've been scanning in my journal pages as I can't seem to get the photographs to come out worth a darn.  I'm recruiting my hubby to help me, but I have to move our vacation pictures off of the camera's SD card first.  For some reason that seems like a chore.  *sigh*  BUTTTT... this particular picture was from the digital camera and I've included it because you can kinda see the texture on the right hand side of the page.  I love the way that tissue paper melts into the background when applied with Medium, matte or glossy.  I happened to be doing laundry and was throwing out the dryer sheet, when it occurred to me to use it like tissue and too my surprise it worked awesomely.  It gives some fantastic texture, which you can sort of see.

The following is my rendition of BOD's this week's spread.

Week 4 PROMPT: Surrender

This Week's CHALLENGE: Painted Text

Surrender - taken with my phone :(

I hated this as I was working on it.  I really surrendered to the mess.  I had tattered angels spray coated on my hands.  Wasn't happy, but kept at it.  I used a page torn from an old dictionary and to the left added graph paper on top of that.  *I love graph paper*  Then I added the painted text and thought WOW what an S and then wasn't happy with the rest of the word.  It really wasn't working for me.  I went to bed.  Got up Tuesday Morning, did yoga and finished it.  I love it!  Weird...

I Surrender ~ Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Its past my bed time, sees you later!!! Hope you enjoyed.  There are more pictures on Flickr, follow the link at the top of the page.

So long art fans, where ever you are

~redbirdmuse

Wednesday is Blog Day!!! Bazinga...

Pin It Now! I think I've been pretty productive since my last post.  I made several cards and got them in the mail.  Worked on my art space getting it a bit more organized and pretty.  I'm super excited as I've signed up for the Personal Geographies with Jill Berry Webinar tomorrow and an art class at the William King Art Museum in February.  I've been embracing my inner turtle and working my way through the prompts from Book of Days 2012.  I've completed my inside cover, calendar spread, and I'm almost done with my first two page Monday spread, take a look.  

I created my background with Tim Holtz distress inks and water.

I really love how the Ranger Archival Ink Sap really subtly pops on this envelope.

The Scrap & Stamp magazine has this wonderful section in the back called the Pen Pal Exchange.  I added my name to list a couple of months ago and I've gotten a tremendous response. I've gotten so many beautiful cards and treasures from them.  Here's a sample of some of my post I've sent out.  If you're interested in exchanging letters send me an email.

So long art fans, where ever you are

~redbirdmuse

Book of Days 2012

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   I have joined up with Effy Wild over at WildPreciousLife to develop my journaling practice. I found Miss Effy through chance as I following a bit of advice and was perusing the Art Journal groups over at Flickr.  I was hopping around click, click, clicking away and I found a journal page spread that I really liked (which I now can't find) and the description had a bit about Book of Days 2012 and a link.  I followed the path before me and I was hooked immediately!  I'm totally stoked by this project.  I'm embracing my inner turtle and going full speed ahead.  It's such a coincidence that my husband helped me with my new journal, a 5 X 7 version of Teesha Moore's Amazing Journal, just a couple of days before, synchronicity at its finest.  'Cause there was a blank freshly bound journal just waiting for color.  I spent most of Sunday, January 8th, 2012 working on the cover.  Monday and Tuesday evening I spent finishing the cover and starting on the inside cover.  Yesterday morning and this morning I worked on my first calendar spread page.  Its an ode to our trip on New Year's through the mountains and into North Carolina.  I'm hoping to finish it up tomorrow morning. *fingers crossed*  More pictures soon!!!

Book of Days 2012 ~ MOXIE

A Gauntleted Creative

Pin It Now!   The Gauntlet was thrown in the middle of the KaPow Art Gallery, go figure, in Asheville, NC. The dialogue went something like this...

"I really should sell some art." Neverness said with a sigh.

I replied, "I will if you will."

  Sometimes I can be a cheeky little sh*t and get myself in trouble, especially when there are rather giant-like smart butted witnesses around.  That said I was only trying to prod my best-est compatriot into actually doing some art instead of doing some talking about doing some art. 

  The first part of this Thrown Gauntlet was for me to create this blog and post pictures of my STUFF as a way of documenting my transition into the world of ART.  A chronicle to discover my style and to take myself seriously (maybe) and have accountability.  A learning tool in mastering techniques and finding my favorite mediums. *YIKES* 

  I was reading the article, Nests & Eggs by Michelle Ward in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Somerset Studio.  Michelle talks briefly about how making pretty things will give the maker the designation of being creative, but that in some circles Creative is used as a noun. That resonated with me, as I knew exactly what she meant. I am a CREATIVE! I've always dabbled in various things: cross-stitch, crochet, fiber arts, sewing, & miniature painting just to name a few.

  I began my very first Art Journal shortly after the beginning of 2011 and have been painting, bookbinding, stamping and creating ever since.  I've even started learning how to draw faces and sketch, which for me was something totally right brain and alien.  

  I have pulled on my gauntlets preparing for battle.  "So, Enough talk!" 

  Enjoy the following fruits of my early 2011 labors.

ENJOY!

Secret Dream

This was my fourth journal entry and the one that hooked me.  I wasn't expecting the results I got and was thrilled at its outcome.

Summer Solstice 2011

I completed this spread right after the Secret Dream Spread.  This was a successful watercolor tape transfer of the rose and butterfly.

Vintage Blue Rose

Vintage Rose was a further development of the Summer Solstice spread.  It is one of my favorites. 

So long art fans, where ever you are

~redbirdmuse