Altered Book Journal : catching up

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Trying to get caught up with posts from the the altered book journal. I think what happened was that when I was making these pages I was so overwhelmed by what was going on in my life I  simply didn't have the time or interest in posting these to the blog or to my sketching page on Facebook. 

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I do remember how much the 100th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon effected me though.  This is such a sad anniversary on many levels but at the time in my personal life I was dealing with the immanent death of my mother and the whole world seemed filled with death and destruction to me.  It's no wonder I wasn't up to posting and writing about things, 

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I've been amazed at how making art ( and journaling, its own form of art) has been such a blessing to me through some very difficult years. My daughter really likes this page. I wish the red lettering hadn't smudged, but I have learned not to sweat these little imperfections but rather to embrace them and to learn from them. For instance perhaps the smudged lettering is reminding me that the further we go inward on our personal journeys the more lines between things we thought were absolutely separate blur. Or maybe it's saying that the further in you go the less distinctions matter. It might even be reminding me that sometimes it's OK to be less than clear and a little ambiguity in ourselves is alright. 

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I believe that when we solidify our intentions in a tangible form, like an art work that is a powerful step to that thing becoming a reality in your self or your life, This page was made some months ago, and I had forgotten all about it until I picked up the altered book project again this week. But I can see how this thought has been in the back of my mind and that I have taken concrete steps to create more balance in my daily life.  

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A few more posts and I'll be caught up. That's a place I like to be. 

Sketching as a Way to De-Stress

This is a Mother's Day sketch, a little behind the time here but it's where I'm at in blogging through my sketchbook.

A few months ago we had to move my mom to a memory care facility. She has Lewy Body Dementia.  It's a difficult, dreadful disease. It's an incredible stressful time for both her and me.

I visit just about every day and it's emotional, difficult and stressful.  On Mother's Day we sat on the front porch of her new home. Powerless to change the way things are and feeling a sense of loss and grief, and even anger, frustration mixed with sadness made me pull out my sketchbook. Sketching is always a way for me to relieve my stress level. Sketching releases my mind to focus on the moment and to find something beautiful to draw.

There were butterfly kites hung along the front porch and some lovely dahlias in a planter, so they became my subject. Sketching on the porch caught the attention of people going in and out and they came over to see and that gave my mom and I a chance to visit and talk with other folks and that was a welcome relief.

It's amazing how making art always seems to bring people together.

Later that day I went with my daughter to the beach to sit and relax and try to find some peace of mind and heart. There were more kites, and dog walkers. At home that evening there was a red shouldered hawk soaring over our pond. Focusing on those things enough to sketch them brought balance to my day a sense of perspective that I would have otherwise missed. Having these in a sketchbook allows me to go back and re-visit and reflect on that day. I'm always so glad that I keep a sketchbook. I gain so much from the process that it's hard to imagine what I would do without one!

Sketching a Birthday

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Today was my birthday!  I'm going to share with you one reason why sketching is such a wonderful thing. I spent some time this afternoon sketching some of the lovely things I got for my birthday.

Since I'm a lifelong gardener and my birthday falls at the very beginning of spring my mom almost always gets me flowers.

This year, a beautiful flat of violas. The variety is Marina for their lovely sea blue color. I prefer violas to pansies (though I love them too!). The petite size and small, squinty "faces" on violas charms my heart. Also since I adore fresh salad greens grown organically at home some Romaine lettuce and curly Simpson Elite came along with the violas.

My birthday also falls somewhere in the neighborhood of Easter so a beautiful bees wax candle shaped like an egg, was my gift to me! I picked it up at the museum today, I made a little trip there for inspiration on my birthday.

The cookies from my favorite bakery and the elegant little glass tea pot, which holds tea for one or two along with one of my favorite teas, 10 years Pu'er, Huang Gong Shou from my husband (who also cooked a marvelous dinner and ordered a double fudge cake from my favorite bakery <3).

Sketching is so marvelous because not only did these lovely gifts delight me I had the pleasure of sketching them. Taking time to really look at them, study them, get to know them and absorb their special qualities. Some, like the cookies will be gone by tomorrow(!) others like the violas and lettuce will last for a season, the tea pot will likely be with me for a long time. BUT I will always have the pages in my sketchbook,and a little journal entry that will  bring me back to this day with such clarity and vivid memory that I will never lose it.

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Here's something else I did on my birthday! Sketched form the car since it was too windy and chilly to sit outside.

I'm still trying to figure out how best to use the Pilot Pocket Brush Pen.

I've seen other people use this to great advantage, and it intrigues me.  It creates a very bold mark. Which quite frankly scares me!

I'm used to my sketches being fluid, and more delicate, refined in a scribbly, free sort of way. I think fountain pen and fine point markers lend a certain elegance to my work.

However, the expressive possibilities of this pen excite me. It's brush point is extremely responsive to pressure, more so than the Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Brush Tip pens, or any other brush tip pen I've used. I actually think this brush tip is spring-ier than even a real Chinese brush, the kind used for Sumi-e.

The ink is fade proof, permanent, and waterproof (give it a minute to dry) and very black. The marks (lines) can be very fine and delicate but since I'm rather heavy handed I'll need to work on control. Applying any pressure and holding the brush at different angles produces all kinds of expressive marks. They are BOLD Marks! Which produces a sketch of a different quality than I'm used to seeing come from my hand.

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I can't decide if the bold sketches made with this pen are "me" or not. I think they might be but I'll need more time to experiment and get comfortable with it before I know for sure.

New tools and materials are always exciting and help us stretch and grow. Making art is an adventure, and that makes me happy!

Sketchbook Journal Class Coming in June!

Happy to report that I will be teaching a Sketchbook Journaling class in June at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT

Class will meet every Friday in June, 1-4pm. What a great way to start off your weekend!

I'll have more information for you soon, which I will post in the Class and Events section of the blog. The tab for that is at the top of the page.

The class will be limited to 15 participants so if you're local and would like to attend make sure you sign up as soon as registration is open. 

I'll also be leading the Art-Bar Happy Hour at the museum on May 22, 5:30 pm, libations, light fare and you'll get a sketchbook to keep and use of supplies from the museums education center. I'll be giving a short talk about sketchbook journaling and some instruction to get you going that night! Here's the LINK for more info. Scroll down until you see The Creative Journal