The most important decision...

“The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood.”   

Voltaire

Torchbearers of the Heart

Day two of Women Unleashed Online Retreat included a guided journey by Shiloh Sophia - an intentional creativity exercise on Torchbearers of the Heart. 
These are my torchbearers. This was done in about 10 minutes using waterproof pen and watercolor paints. Amazing for me because #1 - I tend to avoid drawing people. #2 - I rarely create artsy things quite so spontaneous and in the moment.  
It was fabulous creating it. I need to do more of this. :) 

This retreat is just what I need to recenter and focus. 

A journal in process...

My journal for Women Unleashed Retreat 2016 is a work in progress... 

Here is the beginning. It's painted with two colors of acrylic, a metallic teal and blueish green. This shows much bluer than it is in real life.... my phone camera just don't do greens well. I just used random brush strokes and then while wet, made bubble wrap texture. I used it like this for the opening session. 

And then because one cannot waste all that good paint, I printed the inside cover with the paint on the bubble wrap.

I used a sunflower stencil.  several layers of paint later... 

 Here's the journal cover for today's session. 

I intend to add details to the sunflower, and maybe some words. 

I'm just not sure what all yet. I'll work on it as I go along. 

Release joyful light

I'm attending (online) the Women Unleashed Retreat again this year. In this mornings beginning meditation vision, we focused on finding our intention for the retreat. The word that came to me was - LIGHT. (Interesting on the shortest day of the year) 

My intention expanded itself... "Dispel the darkness. Release joyful light!"

dis•pel (dĭ-spĕlˈ)

v. To rid one's mind of: managed to dispel my doubts.

v. To drive away or off by or as if by scattering.  

The official retreat begins tomorrow on the Winter Solstice. I shall end the year by releasing what was before and moving forward with intent. 

Winter Bird Series

I got an itch to create some winter bird ornaments, and this is the result. 

These ornaments measure 3-7/8 x 2-7/8 inches - collage melded with beeswax, mounted on heavy mat board and backed with decorative paper. 

All are available in my Etsy Shop. 

Go where you are Celebrated!

You deserve to be celebrated as the special person you are. 

If your friends (and family) don't treat you that way, go find people who will! 

We Stand With You #artistsforlove

We have a voice. We will be heard. 

Inspired by Kelly Rae Roberts through Effy Wild & Sarah Trumpp at Journal52

Find out more about #artistsforlove here. 

Take Action

I have not felt such open grief since my daughter died. I wake up each morning with an almost dread-like feeling. It’s quite unlike anything I've ever felt before. And I'm a straight white 63 year old woman.

I felt a similar grief of betrayal many, many years ago when I discovered the father of my children was unfaithful with my best friend. It’s something that rocks your foundation as a person and causes transformation. And nothing is ever the same.

This election has rocked my foundation. Hate has been openly unleashed on our country, on our children. Our environment is in peril. This is unacceptable for us as individuals on a deeper level than ever before. It calls me to action. It calls each of us to action.

Those issues you are most concerned about? Get involved. Speak up. Make our collective voice heard. Take action now!

More people in this country (USA) voted for someone other than the current president-elect, than voted for him. By a few million. Not just for Hillary, but for Gary and Jill. We will not be silenced.

This is a time of transformation. Speak up! Take action now!

God help our children. God help our country. God Bless America.

Make me an Instrument of Peace

I am horrified at what has been unleashed in America as a result of this election. Hatred, bigotry, nonacceptance and marginalization appears to have been reinforced; it is openly showing it's ugly face again in so many parts of the country. 

In the numbness of despair, what I can do is to fight for justice and acceptance; to do all I can to make sure those hard fought for freedoms are protected for all Americans, and all humankind.  

God help us all. 

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

where there is injury, pardon; 

where there is doubt, faith; 

where there is despair, hope; 

where there is darkness, light; 

where there is sadness, joy.

St. Francis of Assisi 

Art Every Day - Nov 8 - Falling Leaves

We have been working in the yard this unseasonably warm afternoon, and the variety of leaves on the ground inspired me to spend some time this afternoon doing an easy and relaxing art project - fall leaf rubbings. With windows and doors open, I might add. (A rarity in November in NW Washington state) 

I used Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Crayons, rubbed the backs of the leaves on 65 lb cover weight paper, and used my water brush to meld the colors. They need more work, but this is the start. 

Check out these weeping beech leaves. Listening to them rustling in the breeze can reduce stress, much the same as ocean waves at the shore. Most of these guys hang on until the new leaves begin to bud out in the spring. They'll turn a deep brown, and hang on. 

The perfect thing to relax on this election day. We'll hang on and all shall be well. 

Art Every Day - Nov 7 Choose Happiness

I have been doing #100happydays since July 10, 2016. A friend started doing it, and because I think it's good to focus on HAPPY things (law of attraction), I decided I'd play along. Because, seriously, I get to choose how I feel (so do you!), and I choose to be happy! 

My "100 happy days" actually ended October 18th but I had decided to keep doing it through election day. Well... we're almost there! I'll still focus on happy; it's become ingrained in me. 

Coincidentally, Sunday's Story People was on happiness - which pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. 

The bottom line is, life is all in your attitude. Find the happy thing in whatever is going on in your life... there's always SOMEthing to be happy about. Look for that silver lining, and you're sure to find it. 

Choose Happiness! 

Art Every Day - Nov 6 Teabag Found Poetry

 Playing around with teabag art... as in using a "used" teabag to create some type of something upon.  This is not what I thought would happen, but it was a fun learning experience. 

I stamped the image on the teabag, and added the found poetry cut from an old book page. 

I placed a textured paper towel (with paint from a gelliplate off print) cut (mostly) to size, to add texture and interest. Then I applied beeswax, using my mini iron, to meld together. 

It didn't quite work as I thought it would, but I still kinda like it. I'll play around with this a bit more. Stay tuned.... 

Art Every Day - Nov 5 Golden Ginkgo

Sharing a photo today of a stand of Ginkgo trees, discovered near our grocery store. They've been there for some time, and I just noticed them because of their brilliant yellow leaves and the fact that they were still attached after our recent winds! 

Aren't they gorgeous? 

Art Every Day - Nov 4 Hummingbird

Hummingbird - Watercolor pencil and pen sketch. 

It's too stiff, I obviously need more practice, which I intend to get this month. :)

 

Also sharing with Paint Party Friday 

Art Every Day Month - days 2 & 3

Art every day! That part is fairly easy, it's getting it posted that is the challenge. :) 

I have so many partially finished projects I hope to get closer to completion this month! One is a tiny journal I've done bits and pieces in for the past year. Yesterday I worked on this spread. I think is needs an old postage stamp or two. I'll share the complete page in a few days.

aedm Nov 2

Today's art is this sketch I drew last night while watching The Cisco Kid (that was a hoot! I adore Gene Wilder) - and finished painting this morning. Watercolors with ink. 

aedm Nov 3

Mushrooms - AEDM #1

Art Every Day Month - for Nov 1.

This was an already in progress painting using water color layers like collage - using stencils and inks. Tonight I added the butterfly, layers to the mushrooms, and ink details. I may add more details, but this is where I left it tonight.

November - a month of promise and a month of art

Today is November 1st. While I'm still not sure where summer went, I am ready for a new month filled with PROMISE! And it's Art Every Day Month, hosted by Leah @ createeveryday.com. Luckily the rules are "lax" and can include photography. I don't know if I can keep up with posting here daily. but at least I'll share what I create daily a few times a week. 

So, since I have yet to create today (other than a stew in the crockpot) I'll share a photo to celebrate our sparkly new month. 

This is a close up of alyssum still blooming in our garden, amid the falling leaves. It was a heavy dew morning a couple of days ago, and I just got to editing the photos today. 

I look forward to sharing my Art Every Day Month with you! 

Leaf art - blowing in the wind

I'm sharing my final submission to the leaf mail art swap on atcsforall.com I mentioned a few weeks ago. We were to create a realistic shaped leaf, and art it up however we wanted. They must be sturdy and should be 5-7 inches tall.  Mine are all 6 to 6-1/2 inches tall, and have a watercolor collage style background. 

The backs were to be somewhat decorative in case they were hung as a mobile. I used the water color collage on the backs too. :) 

Hoping the recipients enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. I'll share the leaf art that returns to me. 

Happy Friday! 

The beauty of nature

Now available as a poster in my Etsy shop

Altered Roses

A bit of tweaked photography to share. 

These roses were found in the Western Washington University Rose garden a few weeks ago. Their beauty inspired me... and may become an abstract painting in the near future. :)

It's Pumpkin Time!

To clarify... the pumpkin FLAVORED everything this time of year isn't what I mean. Now, I DO love a good pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie, but pumpkin coffee, tortilla chips, oatmeal or yogurt? Gah.

What I really love to see are the variety of pumpkins on display.  This is the Cinderella style pumpkin display at our local Garden Spot Nursery.  They always have fun decorative arrangements of whatever is in season.

My favorite pumpkin is the little Sugar/Pie Pumpkins. Smaller IS better, after all.  :) They weren't there when we visited last week, however will be in sometime soon. I use my little sugar pumpkin for display through Halloween up to Thanksgiving, and then it is frequently used for pumpkin pie.

Now that's what pumpkin is meant to do... ;)

Angel - Random Act of Kindness

Angel of Love

Made for a friend of a friend who is stage 4 ovarian cancer. 

Angel of Love is cut out of chipboard covered with a gelli-plate monoprint in blues and purples, with gold tone charms, inks, gel pen, stickles and butterfly wings. 

Daydream

“Those who dream by day 

are cognizant of many things

 which escape those

 who dream only by night.” 

Edgar Allen Poe

Photo of brick in red square at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington. 

Autumn and other Leaves

I'm participating in a Leaf swap hosted by Nanner on atcsforall.com, and am having fun playing around with the watercolor layered backgrounds. These all use a base of watercolor wash, and then layers of stencil shapes also with watercolor.  Here's where I am with four of the leaves - these are all around 6-1/2 inches long and are 140# watercolor paper.

For the one green leaf with tree, I used a tree outline stencil and walnut ink spray. I kinda like it, but need to work it over a bit. I think a bird will end up in there somewhere. I'm debating how to edge all the leaves with color without making a mess and/or ruining it. :) 

This is a background using Twinkling H20's - which may also become a leaf, or perhaps it will be something else entirely. We'll see! 

Sharing with Paint Party Friday. 

Watercolor collage

Several weeks ago, Wendy at Stampadoodle did a demo on watercolor collage. I've been playing around with the technique since... and thought I'd share a couple of artist trading cards I've created. These use watercolors and stencils, with some sketching.  Mushrooms!

This one is in process - I need to add the sketch details. 

These all started from this master sheet, which I cut into the ATC backgrounds. 

Full Moon rising

While I haven't been doing a lot of mixed media of late, I HAVE been doing quite a bit of photography. Feeding my creativity by painting with a camera.   Here are two photos of the moon the past couple of nights...  

Full moon rising behind treeline
August 18, 2016

Almost full moon
August 17, 2016