New Year's A-Coming

I can't wait for the new year to start. I have big plans at work, big plans in my life, big plans for the blog...

Right now, I'm signed up for several classes. The blogging one (see the button on the right hand side of the blog), a lettering workshop with Joanne Sharpe, a Kelly Kilmer art journaling class and a storytelling class from Ali Edwards. None of the start yet and I am ITCHING to start.  I'm just feeling full of energy and excitement for moving forward.

Good clean fun.

Ticking Items Off My List

Show is done.  It was more fun than I had thought it would be a couple of weeks ago. Simple, good team. I enjoyed "Riverdance" more than I expected I would - such talent in all those people.

I started working on the "Journey of You" art journaling class but I don't have anything to show in terms of photos. I just made the "book" for it. By the time I was done, the last of my show adrenaline faded and I am feeling pretty sleepy.  I'm going to be trying some new stuff - really working to follow the class instructions and techniques to see if I find some new ways to work. I'm excited to do it.

Beyond that, I have a couple of catch-up photos from my trip to collage last weekend and some detail photos of a bag I bought that I am just IN LOVE with.  I'm hoping to use the photos of the bag at some point in some of the collages I make in my art journal - the colors are so vivid.

Here's the whole haul from collage on 5.21.11

Tapes and tickets up close. Not a great photo

I like this photo even though it isn't really in focus

A couple of rolls of tape and the new "Artful Blogger"

Inside pocket of bag

I was disappointed this photo was out of focus - I have to look at the bag and see if the painting itself is fuzzy or if it is just me

This is the first image I saw when the bag was in the store and it is what made me buy it.

Just another detail on the bag

Taj Mahal image from bag

Tiger and COLORS!

I just love the colors and the writing and all the details on this bag. If I didn't love the bag so much, I might cut it up and use it for collage. For now, this will have to do.

Postcards for a friend

Just wanting to send some love to a friend who might be having a hard time right now. I was just playing around and ended up with a couple of collages. It is more just an "I'm thinking of you" gesture. I hope they help - these are just the first of several things I am trying to do for my friend.

I had already addressed it, so I edited out the address. And I remembered to leave a place for postage. :)

This is side two of the first postcard.

I didn't leave a place to address this one...I'm thinking I may send a package and stick this one inside instead of slapping a sticker on the front.

I love the saying on here:  "What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?" I thought it might make her laugh. 

 

 

As I was making these, I realized that I often pick the same kinds of magazines and they produce the same kind of images. I am trying to branch out but sometimes it is a challenge. It's funny that nothing really "goes together" and yet I always have a sense that this or that image won't look right or doesn't fit. It really is an interesting process.

Mission Acomplished

I made myself go to Collage tonight after work. I was in the office until 7pm, so I knew I had limited time since the store was only open until 8pm. I think that was a plus for me so that I didn't feel compelled to look at e.v.e.r.y. s.i.n.g.l.e. t.h.i.n.g.

I went for the bright pink washi tape I saw in a photo on their blog, but I suspect that they had enhanced the color OR that it was all sold out by the time I got there.  For some reason, I'm not really attracted by the tapes that are just solid colors - I like the bright colors and I like the stuff that has designs.  I keep challenging myself to buy things that are "typical Jean" so that I can change up the look of some of the pages I do and whatnot, but I'm not very good at it - even when I try. I suppose I could buy something I don't particularly like, but I'm not sure I see the value in that either.

I did get some paper that was not my usual thing in terms of design - I will post photos tomorrow.  I bought one set that has circus-y stuff on it. I'm not really interested in the circus or going to the circus, movies about the circus, books about the circus (i.e. "Water for Elephants" does not interest me in the least - movie OR book even though everyone I know who has read the book LOVED IT).  I'm just trying to challenge my perspectives and broaden my range.  We'll see if it worked.

Customer Appreciation Day at Collage on Alberta

I read that tomorrow is Customer Appreciation Day at Collage!  20% off your purchases including class tuition.  I'm not sure I'm ready for a class, but I think I will try to get there today. It will be my pre-treat for completing my taxes tomorrow. Ick.

Anyway, if you are in Portland, there are two stores - one on Alberta and one is over in Woodstock, I believe.  If you want to know more, I have them in the Beautiful Blogs section on the right side of my blog - you can look for "Collage" and click on the link.

New Collage Bits Found

I was popping around to some of the blogs I like to look at and found Kristin had posted this. It was just as I was trying to figure out how to proceed with some of my art journaling, so I decided to go to the Saturday Morning Vintage etsy store and see what they had. Turns out there was a "travel" item sale, so I got some of that and a bunch more. I ordered on Monday and the items arrived, neatly wrapped in a package, yesterday. I'm so excited! Thanks to Kristin for making the packages look so attractive on her blog - that's what made me want to go there in the first place!

Here are a few photos of my treasures:

 

I am trying to make sure I don't get attached to them in form - their packaging, their shape, their current form is only temporary.  I know it sounds stupid, but sometimes I have this thing in my head that doesn't want to change things - like cut something or alter it. I don't know why. So, I am working with these new pieces of ephemera so that I can work on my little bit of OCD.  These were MADE to be used in collage. That's what they are for. If I didn't do it, someone else would have.  

 I think this is ultimately one of the reasons that collage is so fascinating to me - partially because my brain is like a giant collage, but the other part is the reuse of familiar items to recycle and retain them but in a beautiful and new way.

 It would not necessarily occur to me to use these bits of paper and bits of books and magazines and maps for collage.  I love that it occurred to someone.

 The other thing I'm excited about is to have other images - not just from magazines. I love some of the colors and photos I'm finding in some magazines, but sometimes, I think if I have to cut out another Cover Girl makeup ad, I will scream. I'm trying to break out, but it isn't easy for me to do and especially with limited resources. This will help.

 Next up is scanning photos. I have to figure that out. It has been bothering me. I want to scan in family slides and old photos and I have to figure out the equipment for it. I think I need a more updated computer to be compatible with the slide scanner that I have. Baby steps.

 I love the maps below. I got excited to know they were including a map of Germany. I wish I had photos and things from our time there, but they were mostly stolen. We have a few things, but not many.

Quite a find, huh?  Now I am looking for some items that are more East Indian and Asian. I think a trip to Uwajamya (I may be spelling it wrong).  I am intrigued by other cultures and their use of color. The oranges and reds and yellows are so rich. I want to incorporate that kind of color into my collages.

 So, wish me luck. This is going to be a whole turning point for me in my collage, I suspect. I'm trying new stuff. Very exciting. And fun. Something for me to look forward to when things are tough elsewhere.

Best Laid Plans

I have so many projects I want to do, need to do, should do, have to do...I want to read and do art and hang with my friends and watch "American Idol" and go to the movies and even do some cleaning/decorating/rearranging.  When I get home, I just don't seem to have the motivation.

I am trying some new (earlier) routines - get to work earlier so I can leave earlier so that I can have some time and then do some of the things I need to do.  I have limited success.  I think the sunshine was helpful though - after going out on Saturday, I feel the urge even more to set up my nesting place for the creative stuff, so that is on the list of "Must do soon!".

I think it is fascinating that what I do now is so much more emotionally exhausting than interpreting was physically/mentally tiring.  People stuff is much more delicate and requires much more energy.  I know that I seem like an extrovert sometimes, but I'm not. I still need time to recover from social engagement.  I love people, but I also have to go hide on a regular basis. It's weird.

On an entirely different note, I just got my copy of the book, "SoulCollage" by Seena B. Frost. I'm excited to read more about the process. I think I want to take another class from the instructor I had back in January.

Also, I have another ART CLASS on Saturday! Yay!  I can't wait.  This one is Visual Journaling with collage and watercolor (or something like that). Should be good clean fun. Then I will have to look at the PCC catalog and see what they are offering for March and April.  

Another Class, Another Technique

I went to a class called "SoulCollage" and had a great time and some good "me" time. :)

The SoulCollage cards are really different than anything I have experienced before - it is more about the authentic attraction to certain images and how the combination of those images can lead to personal insights. The format is 5"X8" and that is totally new. So far, my experience has been on larger boards, but this is to build a "deck" of cards - almost like Tarot or something, but far more personal. You are creating your own deck of meaning.

I enjoyed it and I am thinking about taking some more workshops from this facilitator. She had very good energy and I liked the process.

Here are the cards I made during class:

 

 

And all of them together (they seem like a set, right now)

 

 

Marvelling and a Rant

Who knew that there was a thriving business in vintage photos and images online? It's hard to believe that there is this whole niche out there that I knew nothing about until now. I shouldn't be surprised - I should have known. The photo above is one example of an old photo from a collection of old photos to be used in art projects or the like.

Last week in my Saturday class, the instructor had old photos from estate sales and antique stores included in her goodie bags. She said she thought it was a shame the photos would be lost. I feel the same way about photos. As I have said here before, that is one of the things that saddens me most - the loss of a person's history and image and the stories of their lives told in photos. When I got home that night, I decided to check out eBay for vintage photos to see what I could find. Oh, my. I found A LOT. So, I bought a couple of CDs worth. I can't wait to use them in some art journals. The images and faces are so unique and fun.

RANT: 3D Televisions
It is almost absurd that I should have to have a rant about the release of 3D televisions and the world's first 3D channel. When I heard about it, I thought it must be a joke. Why would anyone want to buy ANOTHER electronic device and one that requires you to buy completely separate glasses that you can only wear when you are at home? Why would you want to have things seem as if they were jumping out at you all the time?

I may come back and eat my words (it has happened before...), but I'm just going to go on the record and say that I DO NOT WANT a 3D television. I don't even have cable for heaven's sake. I don't have a flat screen yet, either, because I have a perfectly good television that lived through the transition. When it breaks, I will see what I need to do from there.

Next rant possibly about online movie rental versus actually going somewhere to rent one. I feel like I dropped down into bizarro world and I really, really want to get out sometimes.

Divergent Interests

For some reason today, I remembered an ad I fell in love with in 2008 when I was working on my collage with my friends. I posted a picture of that collage back a while ago. I included a picture of painted elephants from a Hermes ad. Honestly, I didn't even know what Hermes sold (fashion accessories, btw) until I looked it up. I Googled "Elephant ad pink and orange" and finally found the ad campaign. (I don't know what I would do without Google!)

When I finally found the images, I found that some folks don't care for them due to the colonialist type imagery (which I would never have thought about until they said it...) and others didn't like them because of the animal rights issues involved. I feel like I should be outraged or something, but I'm not...I just thought the photos were beautiful. Luckily, I found an article in Nirali magazine and they loved the images and the use of the Indian model, Lakshmi Menon (gorgeous). I was glad there were some positives about the campaign because it is gorgeous.

These are just two of several that I found on the Nirali magazine site.

 

On a completely different note, I peeked in on the People's Choice awards while I was looking for those photos above - the official charity for the show was the Children's Safe Drinking Water Project. I'm not familiar with this particular program, but I have been interested in a couple of different clean water projects...the numbers are staggering - 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. It is unfathomable to me. I take water for granted and most of the people I know do, too. So take a moment to check out the website, do what you can. Or find another site that helps dig wells, or provides purifiers or whatever. Just think about it - people die from not having access to clean water. I have it in my house. Every day. I'm incredibly lucky.

Day of Musicals and Art and Books

I have had a strange and beautiful day.  I woke up early, did some housekeeping stuff, then I watched "Xanadu" which I will be interpreting in a couple of weeks.  After that, I put in the "Chess" concert with Josh Groban, Idina Menzel, and Adam Pascal.  I try to embrace this version since it was Tim Rice who was behind doing it and the changes they made to the show, but I have to say that the original concept album is the only way to go. I ended up falling asleep and not finishing it, but the music played to me while I slept.

In the musical mood, I put in "Rent on Broadway"- the video of the last two performances of the musical "Rent".  I didn't watch it, I was just listened to it while I worked on another collage and another Art Journal.  I felt compelled to build another Art Journal (the one I am using has to be put together). I decided to try a different number of pages - I doubt I will do that again, or I will maybe add one set of pages (I can't remember what that is called but it has a name).  I think it is going to be a beautiful piece, but I think the 16 is the optimum number of pages. I wanted to work on the journal itself tonight. Ultimately, I got distracted by the second collage. I think I have some fear built up about the journal and I just have to get over it. I am going to use the first one to experiment and it will be fine. No matter what happens in any of them, it is mine. It is me learning how to create without fear, to create without judgment. To let it flow. I like that.

 

 

The mosaic on the journal is a photo mosaic from Flickr where I entered specific words and found photos to match them. I used the mosaics on my test blog and have the URLs for them for crediting purposes.

 

I read somewhere yesterday about a Vision board and they recommended that you outline the board in yellow or glitter to manifest the vision you are looking toward, so I did that tonight. I have some yellow glitter glue, so I outlined the poster board and then I did another collage that involved my personal photos. I'm not done yet, but this one is coming along, too.

I even had time to read today.  I started reading "Julie and Julia" and am still reading my "Weather Warden" series. Brain candy, but interesting and pure escape. I need that sometimes.  I am back on the plan to read 30 minutes or more each day, so I'm excited to have already started on the path. I have a PILE of books to read this year.

2010 is shaping up great, so far. I feel energized and positive. It's a good feeling.