Every Day in May Pages 26 and 27

Every Day in May Journal Pages 23, 24, and 25

Today's journal page wasn't filled with quite as much "joy". My daughter's corgi, Peanut, passed away either last night or early this morning. We found him this morning, had to grieve, and then leave for work and school. Grace had an end-of-year test today. (In Virginia they are called SOL's for Standard of Learning.) She wanted to take his collar off. I had to do it. I've never gone near a dead animal and I've never touched anything or anyone who was dead. I think I took this harder than anybody, including Grace, maybe because I had to touch him. His eyes were open.

He'd been sick for 2 weeks, but going downhill for a while. I chose not to take him to the vet but to let nature run its course, since we got him a few years ago and weren't sure how old he was. When he began to get sick, he went downhill very fast. I think he had cancer because there was a tumor on his underside that had been there for some time. I felt such guilt because I didn't take him to the vet and I was afraid my daughter would blame me. I picked her up from school and we talked and I learned that she didn't blame me and had been preparing herself for the past two weeks since he had been really sick. She said she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders because she didn't have to worry about him anymore.

I couldn't think about much else today, so my journal page at lunch just naturally had to be in memory of Peanut, or Peanut-butter, as I affectionately referred to him. Grace has two other dogs; both half-Goldens, a brother and sister. We got them as puppies not too long after we got Peanut. I'm so thankful she has them to love and help her through the loss of Peanut.

On a brighter note, the evening ended well. We went down to my sister's and she has a gorgeous, bountiful cherry tree in her front yard. While she fixed our supper, I went out for some cherry-pickin'. It was so much fun! So peaceful...nature is so many things...death, life, bounty, want, beautiful days, stormy skies. I have felt God's hand in all things today. I feel close to my Father tonight. I'm thankful for His love through all our many emotions and naturally occuring events. He is ever faithful and will never leave us comfortless.

The winner is... and E D in May Journal Pages # 21 and 22

THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY (items pictured below) IS...


Nancy Standlee!!! My daughter Grace drew the lucky winner! Congratulations Nancy!!

Thank you all for entering. I had 26 comments, two of which didn't wish to particpate in the drawing - so the chances were 1 in 24! Thank you all for your generous and kind comments!

Pooja, you asked what journal I use - it is the Hand-Book Journal - you can find it here:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/hand-book-artist-journals/

Again, thank you all so very much for your comments, your interest, and for being such good friends.

My two latest pages:





ED in May Journal Pages # 21 and 22

A bit behind -- will post today's and tomorrow's tomorrow (at least that's the plan...)

Today's Pages and THE GIVEAWAY

First, my journal page for today. An enlarged version of a small pretty flower. It was a more brilliant purple but I was using a rather limited palette ...

And last but not least... (drum roll please) My Blog Giveaway!

I would like to award someone the calligraphy set and parchment paper pictured below. I want to thank you for your tremendous friendship and encouragement on this wonderful art journey of mine. Blogging is so much fun - because of all of you - my online friends! It's so nice to know that there's a place where I'm understood - a group of like-minds that can relate to the part of me that no one in my family or in my friendships can relate to. The artist me - the child. I don't know anyone in the "real world" that knows and understands and shares that part of me. I have wonderful supportive friends and family, but they're not artists; they don't have that creative passion and drive, so they can't understand me. Even the artists I know - they don't have a love affair with a sketchbook - their artistic passions, personalities, and pursuits are not like mine - I've always felt very different and sort of alone - it's so nice to have all of you in my life now. A community of friends who understand and share my passion. I am so blessed and so thankful for all of you!

SO... in order to have a chance to win the giveaway, just leave me a comment to this post and with my daughter's help I will put the names of all who comment in a basket and have Grace draw the lucky winner. Leave me a comment! I will announce the winner on Sunday, May 23. That should give everyone a chance to comment. Thank you all again and good luck!

On Doodling...Is it Art? ED in May 19 Journal Pages

To Doodle or Not to Doodle; that is the question…



I’m pondering on doodling… is it art? Merriam-Webster defines ART as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of aesthetic objects”.


I’ve learned that for me true art is self-expression – Art is what is produced with your skill and creative imagination. You first need to develop basic drawing and painting skills. That takes work and practice. Once you have learned the rules and have the foundation of good skills in the fundamentals of art – then you can EXPLORE and PLAY using the skills you’ve acquired and honed, but art becomes personal and expressive when you put in the Creative Imagination. Only you can do that. Art comes from you, from me – from the heart and soul of who we are! Like handwriting every original work of art and every artist’s work are different. Style - then is the way each individual artist uses his/her skills and creative imagination to create an aesthetic object.


I am finding that when I create a journal page or draw (“doodle”) from my imagination, that is when my artist child – my true artist self – feels most free and most happy. Splashing color and really EXPRESSING what’s inside me – that’s art for me.

Only when I’m splashing color and drawing, painting, collaging with abandon, confident in my ability to produce results but not caring if I don’t, do I really understand what Henry James is saying – PROCESS. Creative play. Freedom of self-expression.

“Art makes life, makes importance, and I know of no substitute for the force and beauty of its process.” – Henry James

I think of Traci Bautista, Teesha Moore, Kelly Rae Roberts, Mati Rose, SARK and others who have their own style – their own signature style – not like anyone else in the world – playful, creative, colorful, child-like – I am so inspired by these amazing women.

Then I think of Cezanne, Monet, Matisse, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso – different art altogether – more serious art maybe – because … why? Because it was in oil and on canvas? And in a gallery? – Because it was less child-like and more realistic in some cases?… but was it? Cezanne’s distorted perspective; Matisse’s bright graphic images; and Picasso’s abstract cubism; Degas, Monet, Van Gogh, Gaughin – realism but with a twist – all about light and each with his own style – very recognizable one from the other. All had their subjects that they most often painted – Degas, the dancer; Monet, waterlilies; Van Gogh, peasant life and sunflowers; Cezanne, still life and Mont Sainte-Victoire; Gauguin and Tahitian figures and landscapes. Me - when I paint from my heart, I get flowers, teacups, whimsical still-lifes and interiors – very bright colors – almost to the point of garishness. But that is what I get. That is what I see and feel and that is what I must express!

Child's Play

No 40-year-old woman should be havin' this much fun!!!

My page for today and then one for tomorrow - I was on a roll!

gouache, coffee filter collage, watercolor, oil pastel, Pigma Micron brush pen

Next I made a couple of bookmarks...

I think I might add text later especially to the one on the right, but it's a great start!
Notice the stitching down the side of the one on the left. I used an embroidery needle and floss. I glued the fabric with a glue stick and then sewed down one side. It's muslin fabric that I painted with Neocolor II crayons and then outlined with a Pigma Micron brush pen.
The border at top and bottom is torn strips from a watercolor dyed coffee filter. The collage on the right is the same - strips from a wc dyed coffee filter.



A lot of joy going on here for a very rainy Monday! Remember JOY comes from within!!

ED in May Pages 14-16

I can't bring myself to add anything to this page - it just seems nice as is. The design was drawn with white oil pastel and watercolor added over top - resisting the oil pastel.



This is my lovely sensuous white cup, which I cannot seem to draw enough...



And lastly - the Scripture verses used in yesterday's sermon - along with some collage elements...

ED in May 13 - An Inspired Journal Page

Last night I stumbled upon Traci Bautista's flickr photos and I have her book "Collage Unleashed" too. I pulled it out along with Diana Trout's "Journal Spilling" and I made a delicious mess!









I love painting coffee filters with watercolors and then using them in collage.




While I know I was supposed to draw EDM 13 on May 13, I didn't want to. So instead I went with my inspiration and designed this page.

I've decided to change my EDM Challenge for Every Day in May to a Journal Page Every Day in May. My creativity is just stifled by having a list of things I "have" to draw. I just can't stand it anymore. Hope you won't be disappointed, but I refuse to draw anything as mundane as a Manwich can again - now if the muse is there, fine, but I don't like "having" to draw something. That's why I stopped doing commissions. For me it has to be about color and PLAY. And last night I played! It was so much fun! I did the background for May 14, but got tired and went to bed before I finished. Tonight I hope I can do # 14 and # 15 to catch up.

Hugs to you all! Happy Painting!

EDM Challenge ED in May - 12

I was too hungry to draw the actual sandwich before I ate it...

EDM Challenges Every Day in May # 11

I recently purchased three (3!) beautiful, fashionable pairs of glasses for a bit more than the price of one pair! I can see so well out of every pair and now I wake up in the morning and decide which glasses match my outfit! A dream come true :-)

Pictured above are two of the three pairs...the third one is at home; maybe I'll draw it another day.

EDM Challenges Every Day in May (or not) #s 7-10

I didn't want to draw the challenge for # 7, so I cheated and drew these flowers from a photo - art is about NOT following the rules, right?



My friend made this necklace for me. It suits me so well! All my favorite bright colors in glass beads!



My very dis-organized chaotic desk top at work. Drinks anyone?

My hurried hand.

ED in May 4-6, 2010

Every Day in May 1-3

Thanks to Liz, fellow member of the Every Day Matters Yahoo Group, I have embarked on the EDM Challenge for Every Day in May. We're drawing challenges 1-31 to represent each day in May. Several others have joined in and you can see the link to their blogs on Liz's website. Thanks for the idea Liz!!

Too tired to write much - stayed at hospital with my mother for the past two nights. They are still running tests, but so far things look good. It's very hard when your parents age and their health begins to deteriorate. I know many of you have experienced this, and now I can truly empathize...