What I'm Working On...

I haven't shared in several days. Life has been happening and my 88 yr old father-in-law's kidneys shut down on him. Thankfully the Drs. got them started back and he's up and going again, but we had quite a scare and a few days in the hospital. I haven't had time to do much creatively, but I thought I'd show you what I'm currently working on.

This is Lolly Doll-Person. She's a paper clay articulated doll. My first. She is actually almost finished now, with paint and clothes. I'm just trying to figure out the finishing touches on her, but I thought I'd share a sneek-peek of the middle part.

I'm also re-dressing and painting a large cloth doll that I made several years ago, named Lucy Doll, and I'm slowly organizing my workspace. Sorry I don't have pictures right now, but I'll be back to share the finished pictures, hopefully in a day or two. :) I've also posted some new poetry attempts on my http://scribblesfromrabbithop.blogspot.com/ blog.

In the meantime, I hope you're having a wonderful summer with a lot of creative time. :)

Journal Pages w Masking Tape, Napkins, and a Flyer

I was so tickled over the treasures that I found at Goodwill (see the misc label) that I couldn't wait to play with them. Isn't that just like a kid? lol

I left several blank pages in my Misty Mawn Open Studio journal, which I have now titled "The Misty Mawn Experience," so I created a double page spread about Spring, using the napkins and stamps that I found at Goodwill. I also bought a plastic canvas at JoAnn's the same day, which I used in the background with a spray ink wash. I cut the leaves out of decorative paper and used a blue metallic pen for writing and the dots. This is not for any particular lesson, but I used several of the techniques I learned from Misty. I "layered it until I loved it" and had a great time doing it. Spring is my favorite time of year.

I had a great time doing this one too, also in my MM journal. It started with a flyer that someone gave my husband about a bike rally the other day in the BBQ place. It's the background on the right side with the skull. I don't know if you can see it on here or not, but a lot of the writing on it is slightly visible through the layers. I glued down pieces of the same napkins I used before (the 2 ink figures), a sheet of the navy/cream floral cardstock from the wedding invitations, etc., using matte gel medium. I painted over all of it with titanium white and a little yellow ochre fluid acrylics and let dry.

I didn't particularly like it, and I had seen a tree made with masking tape somewhere, and I'm sorry I can't remember who shared it, so I decided to try it by masking a tree shape over what I'd done and spraying Dylusions spray ink over both pages, rubbing some of it off and letting it dry. When I peeled the tape off I loved the designs on it coming through from the layers beneath. The Dylusions spray inks are very bright and intense, and I lightened some of the places a bit. I have since learned different ways of working with them, but I love how the pages look right now.

There will be words added as soon as I decided what I want to say, but for now it speaks volumns to me without saying a word. :)

Contour Lines Coloring Book

Disclaimer: The above page and the ones following are contour sketches for a coloring book for a drawing practice assignment in the Misty workshop, and they were done quickly, so don't expect too much. :)

They are supposed to be contour sketches, but mine turned out to be mostly contour/line sketches, done with pencil on a 9x12" mixed media paper. Each sketch is the base for whatever form of media I choose to use to develop a finished mixed media page, or, if I choose, I can just texture and paint them, etc.

I know, on the one above I didn't leave room for the flowers and they are quirky and squatting. I will fix that when I actually start working on it, probably. Or maybe not...I like quirky...

I stopped at twelve, though I could have easily kept going. For the time being they are clipped together in the order I drew them and to a page in my journal. Most of them are objects I could see around my work table. The faces emerged from my imagination. I can't wait to see how the pages develop when I start playing with them, she said, clapping her hands in glee.

Sorry, this face is not from my imagination. It's my little Pekingese angel, Kibbles Marie, my constant companion for almost sixteen years, who left us in 1997, and whom I still miss every single day.

I will try to remember to repost the sketch with the finished page as I do them. Hope at least one of them made you smile. :)

Doris Personified

Several weeks ago I shared a pencil drawing of an animal from a b/w photo, which happened to be of our donkey, Doris, for a class assignment in Misty Mawn's workshop. Another part of that class was to use the same drawing to personify the animal.

Doris was looking like a bit of a card shark to me, so I gave him a cigar, a couple of real cards, some washi tape, some mixed media color, and a fabric partner in crime. Notice that the cards are the Joker and the Jack, both of which suit him to a t.

I should have cleaned up the edges before taking the photo, but I didn't. :/ It's a journal page, so I may or may not do something else to it. Anyway it was a fun page to do, and I like it.

Hope it made you smile. :)

You can go here http://creativeeveryday.com/creativeeveryday/2012/03/creative-every-day-check-in-march-19-25.html to click on the links to see a lot of wonderful creative blogs.

Journey Journal pages

The theme for these journal pages is "On my journey I need...", and they are inspired by Misty's workshop. In fact, this was the last class, and since I couldn't keep up with all the assignments as we went, I'm going back to do the ones I skipped, so there will be a lot of posts following that are inspired by Misty. I learned so much that I want to try, plus my head is spinning with new ideas and experiments. Between Misty Mawn, Katie Kendrick, and Connie Hozvicka's workshops I'm not likely to run out of art projects or ideas soon. Never mind the ideas from other places on the web!

Some of the best things I've picked up though are learning to let go of me during the processes and being fearless; not trying to achieve perfection, but character in my art through intuition; not being afraid to experiment and try, a new found confidence, and the knowledge that whatever I don't like can always be covered up with something else, or recycled into another piece. I'm better equipped to express myself and as Misty says, "Layer it until I love it."

This piece, for example, has tons of layers of paint, pencil, metallic pens, stamps, paper cut outs, pastels, transfers, doodling, black marker. In short, everything but the kitchen sink, and, who knows, I may decide to add it sometime. Anyway, I layered it until I loved it...at least for now. "On my journey I need" is written on the angel cutout and around the pages. Pastels gave it kind of a dusty look. I wish the metallic pen squiggles on the flowers and leaves showed up better in the photo, but it is what it is.

Hope something on here made you smile! :)

Go here to see the work of  some wonderful artists participating in Creative Every Day. Just click on their link and it'll take you right to their blog and some awesome work!

Mix Med Clay Icon

My attempt at a mixed-media clay icon, inspired by Misty, and I love playing with clay, I might add. The sculpture is one of the main reasons I took the workshop, and I wasn't disappointed. I need a lot of practice still, but I don't think that'll be a problem.

The head and halo, of sorts, was fashioned  from air-dry clay onto the base. I used a piece of cardboard, because it was handy and I was learning, but some of the other students used a wooden base, which would actually work better, because my cardboard wound up kind of warping on me by the time everything was thoroughly dry, even though I gessoed it beforehand. (I know, sentence run on, but that's ok, just this once. :))

I tried making her facial features out of seperate pieces, but by the time I got them integrated into the face, they had disappeared. Like I said, I need practice. :)

The button jar finally got some use as I found flat buttons, beads, and lace to add to the clay halo while it was still wet, and I glued a piece of unruyu rice paper around her face for a scarf (a little too stiff and short, but it worked), and I found some wide lace to glue with gel medium to the background.

Everything was left to dry for a day or two, before I added fluid acrylic paint and inks to everything.

 Lastly, I found the ribbon rose trilogy in a scrap box, glued it on, and added a porcelin media that I found in another box to the roses, which gives them a porcelin look and feel, and left all to dry another day. The background lace could use some more bringing out, but all in all I'm happy with her character and all, despite the cardboard curve on the sides. The process and learning is what I love and this was a lot of fun. Don't be afraid to try!

Life Rings Journal Pages with Poem

More journal pages inspired by Misty's workshop. The life rings are comparable to tree growth rings, which, in my case, are 62 around. Then I needed a poem or story to go with. I don't claim to be a poet, but I gave it a try, and I used a gelatin print background page from another class to write it on with a Pitt pen. I glued the page into the journal with gel medium, transferred the bird from a magazine image onto the page. I need more practice. The transfer didn't turn out as well as I wanted, so I added some pastels and colored pencils to fill in the places that didn't transfer. I also added a couple of small stamps and colored them with colored pencils.

I am pondering adding something to the right upper corner, but I can't think of anything I want to put there. Besides, for now, I like it like it is. :)

The poem is in typed version at the bottom of the post. 

The bird is holding a tiny pink heart carefully in his beak. The heart represents my birth and first ring of life. I was born in my Granny's house on a Tennessee riverbank a long time ago, and I've lived near the river my whole life, except for a couple of short periods when I was little.

My life has ebbed and flowed from these river banks for 62 years, just like the water lapping at the shores, every day the same, yet every day different.

Life Rings

By Sharon Prater Pope (Feb. 2012)

Sixty-two ripples

Spreading out from my Clifton riverbank birth rock,

Cast into life with abandon,

Each ripple encompassing

All of the people shuffling in and out through the years,

All that I learn and absorb,

The effect that I have on others,

The effect that they have on me.

Circling ever wider with each passing year,

Receding into the distance

Until I fade into oblivion

And all that remains is a faded memory

And the effect that I had on others

The short time I was here.

Life Landscape Journal Page

Journal pages inspired by a class in Misty's workshop. My life's landscape; I wrote all over the pages, then brushed, turkey feather stamped, spattered, collaged an angel, rubbed paint off, allowing some words to show through, then wrote "Looks like the sun's going down on me" across the horizon.

These are the pages that came out of me when I was finished. I see places where I could add more stuff, but, for now, I like it as it is. :)

My Life's Landscape

Found Words Poetry

I tried my hand at creating poetry using found words for the writing class in Misty's workshop. I don't claim to be a poet, by any means, but this was so much fun! There will be more! :)

Reaching Out

I had a few words left over from the above poem, so I used them to create the short poem below. I was raised not to be wasteful. ;)

Black & White

The one below was created using found words in a different way. You may have to click on the pictures to be able to read the poems.

Self Discovery 

These poems will more than likely find their way in to one of my journals.

Paper Clay Bowl & Trinkets

My projects from Misty Mawn's Open Studio workshop are not in the order they come in the classes. We are allowed to work at our own pace and however we want to, so I kind of jump in on what speaks to me at the time.

The bowl is from an air dry sculpture class and is made from a clay slab, which I added texture to with found objects, then painted, inked, and rubbed until I liked it. I took the scraps of clay and experimented with the pendents, button, and bead. I pressed a stencil with the word "FAITH" into one and used a rubbing plate on the other, then painted. The button and the bead were formed and the holes punched with an awl.

All the objects were allowed to dry completely before painting.

This was such fun that I can't wait to try another one and to make an animal out of coiled clay.  The sculpture was part of the reason I decided to take the class and I have not been disappointed, although this week instead of sculpture on Thursday we had a class in photography photoshop, which was interesting as well. I worked with it some, but I'm going to have to do some more figuring out with my software. :)

Next week is abstract art, which I have never cared for too much, but Misty may change that. Looking forward to seeing what she has to share each day about it. :)

Pencil Drawing of Dorris Donkey

This a b/w photo of Dorris, which I used to draw a portrait off of (below) for one of the assignments in Misty Mawn's class. No matter how careful I am, everything tends to come out a bit wonky. Maybe that's just how my art is supposed to be...wonkyfullness fun!

Next step is to paint one of him, adding some things I might see in a dream, but not necessarily in reality. Already added a cigar to the next one. He looks like he should have one, doesn't he? Haven't decided on the other add-ons yet. :/

So many fun elements to this workshop! :)

I finished the Traci Bautista workshop in the free Strathmore online workshops Monday, but I haven't had time to actually do all of the work yet.

Taking lots of notes for it and the 52 Playdates with Jan Fox though. Some interesting things going on there too!

Now back to work! :)

Miz Mahsy-First sculpted figure

Ok, so I finally got brave enough to share my first attempt at a sculpted figure. Meet Miz Mahsey! She is sculpted from air dry paper clay, and she was inspired the class I took in Misty Mawn's Open Studio workshop.

I left the cracks and blemishes, because... well because old ladies have lots of survival scars inside and out, and if she could speak, she would tell you about every one of them.

She's been around the block a few times and lived to tell about it. I realize that she looks like an old tired, worn out, madam, especially since she happens to be wearing her birthday suit, but I like her. :)

I kind of learned how to work with the clay and my tools on her. I used an old Bic pen barrel wrapped tightly in tin foil for the armature to build the clay to. I've learned some new things that I can use on the next one, but I won't promise that it won't be just as colorful. lol

Below is a close up of her face, Mr. DeMille! ;)

Another Journal With a Canvas Cover

Fronts-The brown one is the first one I made and shared a few days ago. I used spray ink and found stencils to do a background. The blue one I made Sunday and used found stencils and spray acrylic ink for the background, then stenciled with a brush through some brass stencils in metallic copper.

 I learned to make these from Misty Mawn pre-Open Studio workshop. The brown one has three signatures of printmaking paper, and the blue one has five signatures of mixed media paper.

Backs- This is just the beginning background on the covers. There will be more doodling and embellishing in the future, but I like them this way for now. Misty's workshop opened Monday, and I'm looking forward to concentrating on what else she has to teach me, so I will come back to the covers later. I love journal making! :)

Being Mindful While a Candle Burns

This is an exercise from Misty Mawn's pre-workshop in being mindful of whatever you're doing, really paying attention to and being present with one thing at a time. Living in the present moment and absorbing the essence of whatever you're doing at the time or whoever you're with.

I spent a few minutes with a burning candle, lit for my dad, absorbing the experience into my soul, and wrote about it. I feel more alive because of it. Here's what I wrote.

BEING MINDFUL

By: Sharon P. Pope

            Sitting here at my work table, actually my dining room table, with my creative supplies and my cup of coffee gathered around me, I decide to light one of the three new votive candles sitting on the shelves for Daddy, who was taken from us seven years ago right before Thanksgiving.

            I take the little candle and set it directly on the table, feeling the cool waxy smoothness as my fingers curl around it, then release it to stand on its own. I love the rosy coral color and the faint smell, although I’ve forgotten the name of the scent.

I pick up an old matchbook lying nearby, flip the cover open with my thumbnail, tear out a red-headed match, and tuck the cover back into place, noticing the scratchiness as I do so. After multiple attempts to light the match on the strip provided, I give up and toss the now smudged red-headed match into the trash can. It lands with a barely discernible click atop a crumpled up sheet of paper.

            The matchbook cover is flicked open again, with a clicking of my thumbnail. A second red-headed match is torn out, and the cover replaced. This time I succeed with only a couple of strikes, and the match bursts into an angry flame, then quickly settles back down to calmness, the smoke curling toward my nose in a tendril of bluish smoke, bringing the slight smell of sulphur with it.

The flame wavers as the match rides between my fingers to touch noses with the whiteness of the candle wick. For a second they blaze up as one, before I remove the match and gently blow out the fire, watching another wisp of smoke dissipate as the flame is snuffed out.

             I toss the bent, now black-headed, burned out match into the trash can to join the one whose flame never got to burn. Another flick and the cover is back in place. As I lay the matchbook down, I notice the dark blue background with the diamond shaped logo on both sides, done in shades of yellows and blues. The word, diamond, in white lower case lettering is ensconced across the logo. I suppose the match tips are supposed to be as hard as diamonds?

My attention returns to the candle, whose flame has now settled down into a mesmerizing point of light, slowly undulating this way and that. The tiny flame is so beautiful, yet so dangerous. Its capabilities are frightening.

            The sounds of cars passing on the highway, my husband’s gentle snoring, as he sleeps on the couch, the ticking of the grandfather clock that daddy made for us, the rattle of the fan, the fridge’s humming, and the ringing in my ears, which is akin to a heard of crickets, all fade into the background as I focus on the candle.

Melted wax is now dribbling down the wick, melting out a well in the candle top, which was once slightly rounded. The wick is turning black as the fire feeds from it, causing the wax to melt and fill the well, which is getting deeper by the second. The hot wax releases a lovely tropical scent into the air. It delights my sense of smell.

            My breathing is calm.

Yellow-oranges and purply-blues meet and form soft shades of gray where the flame and wick join. It continues to hypnotize. The rosy coral candle is no longer one color. It is now several shades around the top where the heat has gently transformed it. The sides are now translucent, allowing a soft warm glow to emanate from within.

            It is gorgeous, and somehow comforting, as I feel the sadness of no longer having my dad around wash over me. My life has not, nor will it ever be, the same without him. I always knew that it would be hard to give him up when the time came, but I couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain of loss and vulnerability that comes with losing a parent. Slowly, I’ve learned to live without him physically being here, but I always feel his presence in my heart, and I am grateful for that.

I turn the page in the journal where I am hand writing these words. It slips from my fingers, twice, landing on the candle, angering the flame, causing it to squat and reach out to grab the edge of the paper. My journal narrowly misses becoming a blaze itself.

            Next time I will set the candle down in a proper container.

My page is secured and safe and my thoughts return to Daddy. Now I’m remembering all the happy times with him, the wonderful toys he made me when I was little, how he understood me, maybe more than anyone else, and that I always knew that he loved me and was proud of me, even if he couldn’t say it. I am grateful that he cared enough to teach me morals, values, and respect for myself and others. I am grateful that God gave me the parents I have, and grateful to still have Mama.

             I watch as the well of melted wax overflows and spills over the side, creating a deep groove as it glides down and forms a puddle on the table. As the wax hits the chilliness of the table top, it hardens, connecting the candle to the table.

There is now a second well forming inside the first well inside the candle walls. The wick has burned down into the candle until it isn’t getting much oxygen. It is now very small and docile, but still struggling to survive, and still dangerous.

             I lean over and with one puff blow out the tiny flame still grasping for life. The candle no longer has the warm glow with the dancing light. It is now dark and still. Its spirit, in the form of a blue-gray trail of smoke, dissipates and scatters, as it rises toward the ceiling, or heaven.

I feel the chill on my bare arms on this cool morning, as I think about how our lives are similar to the candle flames. Our flame burns brightly, as we struggle through life with all its twists and turns, learning and growing, leaping, dancing, stumbling. It dims some as we get older, then it is snuffed out, many times without warning, leaving those who loved us bewildered, trying to make sense of it all.

            Some people would say that the candle is no longer beautiful, or even pretty. It’s true that it has been transformed by the fire, and is no longer shaped perfectly with a snow white wick protruding from the smooth slightly domed top.

The tiny wick is now charred black and almost covered with re-set wax down in the double wells. It not only no longer stands on top looking down, but it cannot see over the edge, now ragged, translucent, and faded. There is a deep groove down one side and a solid puddle of wax around the bottom. It has dents and dings. 

            Now it is flawed, full of character, and has an even deeper beauty.

It has lived. It has held onto fire and has been re-shaped and molded. It has brought me a sense of peace, tranquility, and beauty for the few brief moments it burned.

            It has survived. Changed. But still beautiful in its imperfection.

Soft Cover Journal

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years Day and that the coming year is a very blessed one for us all.

I am starting the year off with three workshops. I will try to post and share as often as I can what I create in them, but I'm sure they're going to keep me hopping for a few weeks. I also want to finish the canvas headboard for my bed that I started before Christmas.

Misty Mawn (see my sidebar for workshop details button) generously shared two videos on journal making with us before class starts next Monday, and this is my finished project for the soft cover journal. Misty used five signatures and I think it looks better with more than the three I used, but the good thing about this journal is that I can always add more. I just happened to stop at three.

The cover is canvas and is still the plain gessoed version, because I haven't decided how I want to embellish it yet. I left the selvage across the bottom to add some interest. I used printmaking paper for the signatures, because that's what I had handy, but for mixed media something heavier would probably be better. I'm going to try it and see though. (I have a mixed media journal on the way in case it doesn't work out though).

I also used waxed linen yellow thread to stitch with. It's easy to make, and I love the way it lays open so flat to work in. I never thought I'd like a soft journal, but I do, and I've found that I LOVE making journals too.

The cat is one my quirky doodle paintings and is a work in progress. I know the stitching on the spine is a little wonky, but that's me, quirky and wonky! :)

Start the new year off by sharing a smile with someone. I'm sharing a great big one with y'all! 8>)

I AM HERE

Misty Mawn's Open Studio Workshop doesn't officially open until January 9, but she gave us a few preliminary things to do to get acquainted. One was to write a poem, of sorts, titled "I Am Here". This is my effort. The lines are not in any particular order, but in the order they came to me.

I'm a little nervous about sharing it, because some of it I've never shared with anyone, plus the fact that I'm not a poet. But for some reason, I want to share it. I hope you can make sense out of it. :)

I AM HERE

By SP Pope

I AM HERE

Still
By some miracle
By the grace of God

Despite childhood illnesses and accidents
Despite polio’s paralyzing attack
Despite being an only child
Despite the mistakes of my youth
Despite close calls with divorce
Despite being childless
Despite the pain of an adoption falling through
Despite suffering many losses
Despite being paralyzed by grief, trauma, and fear sometimes
Despite menopause
Despite many disappointments, heartbreaks, and heartaches
Despite life lessons learned the hard way
Despite bouts of anger and depression with suicidal thoughts
Despite not getting to spread my wings beyond my home town
Despite the guilt that my parents had no grandchildren
Despite a job I was unhappy doing
Despite all of my weaknesses
Despite rejections
Despite loneliness at times
Despite being made fun of in school for walking with a limp and having a weak bladder
Despite feelings of being totally overwhelmed at times
Despite the adjustments of retirement and hubby and I learning to live together 24/7
Despite the aches and pains of aging
Despite waning eyesight and memory lapses
I am here

Because of loving and caring parents
Because I survived polio to walk, run, and dance
Because of amazing friends and family
Because of wonderful grandparents
Because of having loved and been loved
Because of rejection
Because of the encouragement of teachers
Because of bosses who believed in me
Because of three best friends, who, since childhood, have stood by me through thick, thin, and weirdness
Because of all the wonderful pets I’ve been privileged to have in my life, who loved me unconditionally
Because of all the happy times
Because of a mother who loved me enough to encourage, and sometimes push, me to live life
Because of my strengths
Because of being an only child
Because of my imaginary friends
Because there are many sides to me
Because of accepting God as my personal savior long ago
Because of my husband of almost forty-two years
Because of the love of learning
Because I enjoy solitude
Because of my passion for art, writing, music, and reading
Because of finally finding peace within
Because I’m learning to live in the present
Because of life’s lessons learned through the people and experiences I’ve crossed paths with
I am here

Today I am loving retirement
Today I am enjoying my husband, despite the occasional disagreement
Today I am battling type 2 diabetes
Today I am ecstatic with my creative endeavors
Today I am still learning new things daily
Today I feel vibrant and alive
Today I don't have to be busy every second
Today I love my own company
Today I have gray in my hair and I am overweight
Today my body is all soft and mushy, the way grandchildren would have loved it
Today I am more concerned with inner beauty than makeup and fashion
Today I let things go that “should be” done, in order to enjoy the things and people I love
Today I am still making mistakes and learning from them
Today I am living one minute at a time
Today I still grieve and feel overwhelmed sometimes
Today I still live in the small town where I was born
Today I love and am loved
Today I still have my mom and my husband
Today I am still an only child, but with many “adopted” siblings in the form of friends and cousins
Today I still have a home and I am able to live in it
Today I can still take care of myself
Today I still have my old friends, and I continue to make new ones
Today I’m having adventures and looking for the everyday miracles and magic
Today I am on my computer discovering all the wonderful things that the web has to offer
Today I am older, wiser... and a little more forgetful
Today I am content on my little patch of earth
Today I am learning how better to cope with life and all its ups and downs, now that its winding down, but
I am here

I am who I am
I AM HERE
Still
By some miracle
By the mercy and grace of God
And I am grateful