Where the Light Enters: Journal Page

"The wound is the place were the Light enters you." -- Rumi

I'm back from my trip to Ohio. It was a blast seeing my friend again (and my sister stopped by)! Of course the time went too fast; it always does. But eventually you have to return to reality, I guess.  ;-) 

I did manage to stop by Blick's Art Supply while I was in town and picked up a few goodies I hope to try out soon. My Muse also seems to have taken a vacation but she hasn't returned yet. I expect she'll show up here eventually. In the meantime I've been working in my art journal and finished this page last night. 

This is my entry for Paint Party Friday. Be sure to check them out. Maybe I'll run into my Muse there!  ;-)

Have a great weekend everybody! 

Her Kind

Her Kind

by Anne Sexton

I have gone out, a possessed witch,

haunting the black air, braver at night;

dreaming evil, I have done my hitch

over the plain houses, light by light:

lonely thing, twelve-fingered, out of mind.

A woman like that is not a woman, quite.

I have been her kind.

I have found the warm caves in the woods, 

filled them with skillets, carvings, shelves,

closets, silks, innumerable goods;

fixed the suppers for the worms and the elves:

whining, rearranging the disaligned.

A woman like that is misunderstood.

I have been her kind.

I have ridden in your cart, driver,

waved my nude arms at villages going by,

learning the last bright routes, survivor

where your flames still bite my thigh

and my ribs crack where your wheels wind.

A woman like that is not ashamed to die.

I have been her kind.

This is one of my favorite poems by Anne Sexton. I think I may have even used it before in an art piece. There is a recording here of her reading it. I love to hear poets reading their work! *sigh* Anyway, I was inspired again by the poem (It hangs above my work table along with a million others).

I have never tried drawing with a calligraphy pen. This was my first attempt. Thanks to Misty Mawn's class I'm trying out new ways to draw. The hardest part was trying to figure out how to hold the darn thing and getting it to make some marks. I kept dropping it. Yes, I'm clumsy but that has nothing to do with it.  ;-)  I finally got the hang of it (somewhat). It's the final week of class and so far I think this is my favorite. This is mixed media week and anything goes. That also goes for this painting. Anything and everything went onto it: inks, stamping, paint, collage... whatever I could fling, throw and paint onto it. Fun! 

I'll be leaving this weekend to visit my friend in Ohio. One week in Columbus! Yay! Can't wait to get going. That means another trip to Blick Art Supply. I've been making a list and clearing room in my car trunk.  ;-) 

This is also my entry for Paint Party Friday (and I'm a day early!). Tomorrow be sure to stop by and check out all the other entries. Have a great weekend everybody! 

Free My Soul

It has been a long while since I've played in Photoshop. I was tempted by a new kit that caught my eye at DeviantScrap (A Clockwork Autumn by RD) so I've been playing all morning with it. This was a face I sketched last night. The rest is elements from either the above kit or another one called InnerVoice by Finecrafted Designs (both from DeviantScrap.com).

I was so rusty from not using Photoshop I had to Google how to do a few things. It's amazing the things you forget when you are away from it for so long.  :( Anyway, it was fun doing the digital thing again. I'm waiting on a few projects to dry between layers and this was a fun way to pass the time.  ;-)

Fabric of Life

The Fabric of Life

by Kay Ryan

It is very stretchy.

We know that, even if

many details remain

sketchy. It is complexly

woven. That much too

has pretty well been 

proven. We are loath

to continue our lessons,

which consist of slaps

as sharp and dispersed 

as bee stings from

a smashed nest,

when any strand snaps --

hurts working far past

the locus of rupture,

attacking threads 

far beyond anything

we would have said

connects.

This was an exercise I did for Misty Mawn's class. It was abstract week; something I really enjoyed. Every week we add poetry (either found, by a favorite poet or written by us) to our work if we wish. Again, something I LOVE. No expectations when I sat down this morning. That's always the most fun. This is the result. Happy weekend everybody!

Sleep

"... I think that just being alive is so much work

at something you don't always want to do.

The machinery is always going. Even when you sleep."

-- Andy Warhol

This painting came from a sketch I did one night. It wouldn't leave me alone; I even dreamed about it. So I had to paint it. Poor thing, I know how she feels. Strange how things take hold of you. Maybe it's from lack of sleep.  ;)

This is my entry for Paint Party Friday. I try to make it over there when I can. You should too! Have a great weekend everyone!

Alone

Really missing my Mom today. This song always reminds me of her.

Fly Away

I'm experimenting with new mediums. This painting is done with watercolors and gouache. The song is how I feel lately. I guess it came through on the painting...  ;-)

Gray Skies: Journal Page

I've been fighting migraines all week and haven't been able to work in my studio as much as I would like. I've had my art journal at my side, though, and a few of my inks and other supplies (still using up that fabric remnant!). This page emerged today. Not a happy one but they can't all be sunshine!

I'm also anxious to get back to Misty Mawn's workshop. *sigh*  Hopefully the migraines will leave me be for awhile. Enough already!  :(  I hope YOUR weekend is going much better!

Heartfelt: Journal Page

"There are places in the heart that do not yet exist;

suffering has to enter in for them to come to be."

-- Leon Bloy

I've been working in my art journal this week. I started out with doodling hearts and flowers. This emerged. I felt the urge to get out needle and thread! The striped piece in the background is a fabric remnant. Can't sew very well but for a journal spread it'll do. ;-) I see hearts emerging in my journal a lot lately. Not sure why but I'll go with it; very therapeutic. I saved this quote when I came across it a while back. Now I'm glad I did. I used it on another page. Have a great week everybody!

The Past

The Past

by Kay Ryan

Sometimes there's 

suddenly no way

to get from 

one part to 

another, as though

the past were

a frozen lake

breaking up. But 

not from the

top; not because

it's warmer

up here; it's not.

But from underneath

for some reason --

perhaps some heat

trapped on its own

for so long it's 

developed seasons.

I'm taking an awesome workshop with Misty Mawn combining paint, poetry, pastels, sculpting... and that's just in the first week! *sigh* This piece is done with charcoal, pastels and acrylic. I'm having fun experimenting with everything. No expectations when I sit down and sketch; just seeing who or what develops.

Maybe it's because I can't seem to stay warm (I've been bundled up in the house all week fighting off the flu). I thought this looked like a sheet of ice surrounding the face so I went with that. When I found Kay Ryan's poem, it clicked. :)  

This is my entry for Paint Party Friday. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it around to see every one's work last week. It may take a few days but I will be visiting your blogs this week.  :)

Changing Direction

Mysteries, Yes

by Mary Oliver

Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous 

to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the 

mouths of the lambs.

How rivers and stones are forever

 in allegiance with gravity

while we ourselves dream of rising.

How two hands touch and the bonds will

never be broken.

How people come, from delight or the

scars of damage,

to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those

who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say 

"Look!" and laugh in astonishment,

and bow their heads.

I am trying out some new ideas in my paintings. Thus the title of the post; and it fit the painting as well. ;-) For this new year I thought I'd experiment with some different themes and see where those take me. I'm wanting to grow in all areas of my art and I'm also taking some workshops to help with those goals. This is also my entry for Paint Party Friday. It doesn't happen often but I'm a day early! 

Crossroads

"When she was just a girl

She expected the world

But it flew away from her reach

So she ran away in her sleep

And dreamed of para- para- paradise

...Every time she closed her eyes"

from the song Paradise by Coldplay

May all of your dreams come true in 2012! Happy New Year everybody! I love this song. It's been on my mind a lot and was the inspiration for this painting. If you want to listen to it, I've included it below:

Out of One Comes Many

These are some of the Christmas gifts I've made for family members over the last week. I've been playing with Ice Resin and bezels. Fun! I love the Ice Resin. It is so clear, it's amazing! With some of the pieces I embedded little watch parts. Others, I just left as is. Sorry my photos are so bad. Here is the second set:

It took quite a few "duds" and these aren't perfect but I'm happy enough with them to give them as gifts. I have a ton of different sized bezels but wanted to start with the bigger ones just to get the practice. I painted a sheet of watercolor paper with some acrylic paint in my favorite colors and started cutting it up for the bezels. Here is what I started with:

So, out of one painting comes many gifts! This is my entry for Paint Party Friday.

I want to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates the Holiday!

Heal

I Want 

by Mary Oliver

I want to be

in partnership

with the universe

like the tiger lily

poking up

its gorgeous head

among the so-called

useless weeds

in the uncultivated fields

that still abide.

But it's okay

if, after all,

I'm not a lily,

but only grass

in a clutch of curly grass

waving in the wind,

staring sunward: one of those

sweet, abrasive blades.

This is my (late) entry for Paint Party Friday. Check out all of the wonderful entries from the other artists. You won't be disappointed!