The Jolt/Inspiration of Handwriting

I just came from visiting Hanna's blog - my first time to that airy, light, spacious-feeling spot. While enjoying her posts, it suddenly occurred to me that part of the attraction was the enormous artistic response I felt to her writing, along with the magazine clippings (the words), in Swedish -- because I don't speak the language, not one whit, her/that writing becomes another artistic image, or form, or pattern, or background, whatever you want to call it.

Now I'm thinking: gosh, what if I could collect handwriting from different journalists, in languages I don't speak, and use them to create patterns and forms and backgrounds in my OWN journal? Or simply collect multi-lingual journal pages from around the globe, handwritten, and assemble them as 'papers' in a book, to be used by myself and others? No one would have to submit anything too personal, or could even write fun things, quotes, lyrics ...

hmmmmmmmmm. I do so love a good idea.

Meanwhile, go step into Hanna's sunshiny blog parlor, it's so lovely there!

Off the Grid (Visual Journal)

OFF THE GRID

This is one of those pages that swells in the center and says, "Perfect." Or, "Exactly!" Or just a simple but resonant, "Yes." I've never done any page so stripped, so bare -- as I've said, I have trouble, always, knowing when to STOP!!! The starting 'word' for this page was SUBDUED.

Written Journal Backgrounds

Slowly but surely, collaging is finding its way back onto my written journal backgrounds. KNIFTY KNICKERS Inspired by a journal page by Lori Zimmerman in the 1,000 Artists Journal Pages book. FEMININE CONSPIRACY (ATC by me, some time ago) BRIEFING I just responded big time to this Time magazine cover; the rest? who knows ... BEACH [self explanatory!] The beach card came in a pack of $10 in the dollar racks at Michaels.

1,000 Artist Journal Pages, +2

First of all: if you are a visual artist of any kind, but particularly a visual art journalist, DO YOU OWN THIS BOOK? If not, may I shout sincerely from the bottom of my toes to the top of my newly-blonded head: "RUN DON'T WALK TO YOUR NEAREST BOOKSTORE AND GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" [or get on Amazon, for crying out loud, and find a used copy, that's how I got mine!!] Outside of the 2 journaling books by Gwen Diehn, this one is my inspiration source beyond all sources. I hope Ms. Dawn DeVries Sokol does a sequel, or twelve. Wanting the ocean, wanting the spectacular way the light glows there, reflections and shimmers, wanting the magic I feel inside ONLY there. A Teesha Moore-inspired journal page. HOW DOES SHE DO IT??????? This page alone took me 2½+ hours (including the dreaded drying time) ... I'm going to peruse her blog and other websites later to find out a) if she preps backgrounds in advance and b) what kind of markers/pens/writing implements she uses, cuz my Crayola magic markers weren't exactly ... cooperative!

Burned Out

How I felt last night. Tree/leaf images from Christmas card catalog, paper scraps, burned paper, matchbook, piece of old sheet music (Moon Rocket title).

I Want It Back Inside

Photo is mine, my favorite of Ciera during our dress-up weekend. Everything else I punched out of a Christmas card catalog that came to the office. That photo pulls at something rooted really deeply in me, something that's been covered over, buried, suppressed ... hence the journal page.

Private Fall/Winter Invitation

Ephemera from my guys' Vegas trip. Message to myself: Be adventurous! -- The reminder seems to be needed, lately.

Thuggish System

Telephone image from the magazine Small Farm Journal; Sweepstakes envelope bits; paper scraps and rubber stamp image

What Happens When Toni Watches TV

A Small Canvas/Background

I wanted to play with some scans of this before adding the text, which will be: " ... pour être seule dans le jardin de Monet" ['to be alone in Monet's garden']

Garden image from a vintage postcard (NOT, actually, Monet's garden); woman image from The Tuscan Rose.

Anonymous Messages - Prepped

I bought 2 packs, 10 sheets/each, of 11x17 poster board at the 99-cent store. Saturday I worked the backgrounds on three of them. Yesterday, I made these little messages, which I'll be taping around this week. Very relaxing, very good way to use up smaller bits and pieces, excellent forum for experimentation.

Also, I'm not going to continue taking photos of where I tape them up, just because I don't carry the MuthaCam with me most times when I'm out and about, and because these are tiny little thoughts and not the lovely wings that Miss Susanna is leaving. I don't want to draw attention to myself or the fact that I'm taping up a Feel Good piece of art. A-Side
B-Side
A-Side
B-Side
A-Side
B-Side

I Got the Last One!!

Look what I found, on sale at Joanns!!! The truth is, Zoe absconds with my boxes, baskets, and bags before I even have time to unload my shopping items.

Anonymously Uplifted

Thanks to inspiration found here, I'm making my own little anonymous messages/art and leaving them thither & yon. I had a backlog of prepped backgrounds which I'm going to finish up first, then -- ??? Who knows, but FUN!!!! Construction site, still ongoing, by my house. Back says, "Behind Every Fear Is A Wish. Double BB's favorite. Texaco gas pump. Make A Wish. Stand-alone ATM by a Good Will location. No Regrets. (terrible photo)

Sacrifices Must Be Made

Love Dies Hard