What I've Worked on This Week-Mixed Media

Another busy week has flown by! I'm not having as much time to post as I would like, or to create either, but I try to do a little bit of art/writing every day despite what else is going on. I still can't seem to actually finish anything, so this week I've practiced some of the wonderful techniques for mixed media and art journaling that I've learned from Connie Hozvicka, Misty Mawn, Leah Piladas, Katie Kendrick, the many teachers in the 21 Secrets workshops, and many others.

I thought I would share each day's endeavor for the week in one post instead of several smaller posts. These are all very much works in progress. Here goes! :)

Sunday, we had company, but I managed to fashion Lolly (paper clay doll person) a hat before they arrived. I left it to dry and enjoyed the company, then watched a movie (don't remember what) and took a creative nap. :)

Monday we had to take hubby's dad to the Dr. He's been very sick. I managed to take a doodle sketch that I had previously done on a book page and transfer it to a gesso prepped 9x12" page before we left. I don't know why it transferred so pale a gray (it was drawn in black marker), but it will have paint layered over it anyway, so it's ok. I also collaged pieces of rubbings that I had previously done onto the background and left it to dry. PawPaw had a long Dr visit and hubby went in with him, leaving me in a quiet waiting room. I read 4 more chapters of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" on my Kindle while I waited in one of the most uncomfortable chairs I ever sat in. By the way, I've seen this movie 3 times, so far. :)

Tuesday I slept really late, then had to take mama to a neighboring town to pick out her new glasses. The most creative thing I did all day was help her pick them out and decide what I wanted to eat. Sorry, no pictures!

Wednesday I painted Lolly's hat and evened out the skin tones a bit,

collaged a previously sketched on book page onto a gesso prepped 9x12 journal page, spritzed it with Dylusions ink sprays, and left it to dry,

wrote on gesso prepped page with black marker, added water-soluable crayons, and brushed gesso into and over it, then dripped water on the page and let it run,

decided I didn't like it, so I added fluid acrylics and ink, letting some run, then wrote on it with a red marker, liked it better,

added a plastic doily stncil on the sponge stamped page with Dylusions spray ink, and made pictures of the pages.

Thursday I tore pictures and text out of a Vanity Fair magazine that spoke to me and collaged them with gel medium onto a 9x12 gessoed page and left to dry, prepped 4 more pages with gesso,

added blue tinted gesso with an old credit cart for texture to 2 of the prepped pages,

brushed quinacridone burnt orange tinted gesso onto the other two prepped pages, left to dry, then dribbled titan buff paint on one page, closed the facing page on top of it and rubbed them together, then pulled them apart and let dry. I see all sorts of images!

I also tried dripping and drizzling 3 different color fluid acrylics on a gesso prepped page and rubbed the facing page over. There are all sorts of images in these that I can enhance and bring out.

Plus I took an Anne Rice book page, wrote down words that jumped out at me, cut them apart, and arranged them into a poem, which I then collaged to the bluish journal page above, and I made pictures. It was a fun morning!

Saturday I took 2 previously sketched on book pages and transferred them to 9x12 gesso prepped pages, wrote text with pencil, and added water soluable crayons, then brushed water over, and added more on top.

So there you have my fun for the week. I may have left something out, like movie watching, but this is the jist of it. Hope you enjoyed my journey of practice! :)

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. :)

More Background Pages, A Poem Draft, & A Sketch

I've been playing with the Dylusions spray inks and found stamps and stencils some more. I need a few more colors, but I'm having fun with what I have. I haven't been creating a lot lately, or doing anything else much for that matter, and making background pages is a quick way to get some art in on the days I don't have time to really get zoned out into my creative place. Plus, I have a stack of pages already started to add to when I do have time to "zone out."

I love letting images emerge out of the ink/paint as it dries. Sometimes it takes a while for them to reveal themselves to me and sometimes they jump right out at me. I've drawn a light pencil sketch around some of the images that have emerged. That doesn't mean that I will keep them when I start actually working on the page, but it's a reminder of what could be.

This one was done with a paisley, or large comma shape, that I cut out of a sponge. I sprayed the inks directly on the sponge and stamped onto the paper.

I love these colors and used a variety of stamps and stencils, handmade.

This page started off with with an old cd, which I sprayed over (some ink ran under it and merged), removed, and then spritzed some other colors onto.

The paisley sponge stamp with 2-3 colors sprayed onto the sponge and stamped randomly around the page.

I wrote a couple of poem drafts onto this page, then stamped the backs of some stencils that had been sprayed over onto the page to clean them off. I like it. :) If you want to read the poems, as finished as they're probably going to be, you can go to my other blog http://scribblesfromrabbithop.blogspot.com/ , where most of my writing is.

Just a quick little sketch I thought I'd throw in. I was attempting something new in her head tilt. I didn't quite accomplish what I meant to, but I like it. Besides, today is another day, and I can try again! :)

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.

Ghost Story & Image

I posted a little ghost story with pictures on Scribbles if you'd like to read it.

I can't get my copy and paste on blogger to work anymore or I would have posted it here too. Sorry! :)

EDM #242- Favorite Figurine

This is a sketch of a Snowbaby Christmas tree ornament that one of my friends, Lennie, gave me several years ago. She gave me two. The other one is sitting on a sled. It's been probably 10 years and I've never told her this kind of funny story.

I didn't put up a tree the year she gave them to me, and I thought they were so cute, plus they were a gift from a dear friend, that I wanted to be sure and put them where they would be safe and I wouldn't lose them, which I did.

They hadn't been seen since, until the other day I was cleaning out some boxes. I had looked for them numerous times over the years, in the Christmas decorations, the cedar chest, and other places I keep sentimental stuff, to no avail.

I had told my other best friend about putting them where I would know where they were, and we laughed about it. I knew they were here somewhere, but I had hidden them from myself. I know none of you have ever done that. LOL

Anyway, the other day, hubby and I decided to do some decluttering. The spare bedroom has been uninhabital for years, because it has turned into a storage/junk room. It's also where my Christmas tree and decorations are in boxes under the bed and bags of clothes that I've "outgrown" but might wear again "someday" are littering the floor.

I decided to start in there, having to set stuff out in the hall to have room to maneuver around. Inside the door sat three large boxes on top of one another with a stack of clothes that I had outgrown piled on top of them. I sorted through the clothes, laying aside what Mama might wear. I sorted through the top two boxes, which had all kinds of bric-a-brac, albums, pictures, clothes, etc in them.

Among other things, in the bottom of the third box, were two brand new fleece robes that I had forgotten about. I lifted the top robe up, and there was something wrapped in a paper towel snuggled between them. I knew immediately what it was. I opened the paper and there were the two little snowbabies grinning at me, still all new and sparkley.

I yelled and told hubby that I had finally found the snowbaby ornaments that I hadn't seen since the day Lennie gave them to me years ago. I didn't care if they were Christmasy. I brought them to the dining room amidst my art stuff and sat them where I could enjoy them finally.

The EDM challenge 242 was to draw a favorite figurine. I have many, but I decided to sketch this one, because he makes me smile.

Lennie would be the first to laugh about me hiding them from myself all these years, and this year they will be hanging on my little Christmas tree with all my other "special" tiny ornaments.

Three large boxes are all that I got decluttered that day, but it made a small dent, I found a lost treasure and two new robes, and who knows what other treasures, that I've hidden from myself, I'll find when I resume.

Ah! The joys of getting older. Hope I made you smile! :)

CED Weekly Roundup

This is a roundup of my creative journey this week. Besides the daily doodle drawings and blog reading for inspiration, I spend quality time with Jim and Mama every day.

Bear in mind that the drawings are works in progress, and are experimental playing. I may or may not ever finish them or use them, but I am learning a lot from them and am a lot more relaxed when painting or drawing now. I've learned it doesn't have to be perfect to be fun or make someone smile. So, I hope at least one of these makes you smile. :>)
Monday-I did this doodle drawing spread in my Moly sketchbook, and, using a round sumi brush and watercolor, swished some color in. I put added a layer of fluid acrylics to the canvas ptg, "Hart." I also took a creative fall over Sammidog. You can read about it here if you want. Also went grocery shopping with mama and Jim.

Tuesday--I guess I was feeling a little Picasso-ish on the top one. It's a doodle in Moly wc book, where I outlined all the lines in a black ultra-fine sharpie instead of pulling out a specific image. I was going to leave it like stained glass, but after I filled in all the spaces with watercolor, this head emerged, so I used white gouache over the background, outlined the head in heavier sharpie with a red inktense pencil line on top, and embellished the eye. I actually kept going back to it over 3-4 days and doing stuff to it, but I did the doodle today. :)

The rabbit is a doodle in the M sketchbook. The image has been pulled out with a heavier pencil line. There could be something else to pull out, but I like it like it is. Color will come later.

I also re-joined Facebook, per a friend's invitation and worked on setting up my page.

Chasing Rabbits
Wednesday--Touched up the Picasso-ish page above, drew doodle of the sleeping dog in M sketchbook, and studied it for more images. There may be some more to it when I get time to focus. Sleeping dogs seem to be a recurring theme for the time being. Could be because I'm a sleepyhead. Also spent time with a dear friend chatting, drinking coffee, and laughing.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Thursday--I drew and pulled the image above out of a doodle. I don't know what it means, but this was daddy's birthday and I was missing him so much. I also wrote a personal piece post on Scribbles about my week's mishaps. I've collected some very creative boo-boos this week. :)

Group Hug

Friday--Doodle sketch in M wc book, pulled out image, added watercolor to dampened page and let bleed together. Went over outlines with black sharpie and re inktense pencil, then spattered paint on, just for fun. I toned down some parts of the "Hart" canvas painting with acrylic washes. I made three photos of Sammidog and the cats, then painted another layer of acrylic on ptg, and we rented the movie "Max Payne" on PPV and ate popcorn. Pretty good flick.

2 Kittens and a cow skull

Dancing With The Moon

Saturday--I watched a video on Black-eyed Suzie's blog. It was from Etsy featuring her making doll portraits. Pretty interesting. I also played with my camera and made a bunch of dog/cat photos, then painted some more on "Hart" painting. The above image emerged from my doodles in the M sketchbook. These sketchbook images will all become journal entries as I write on them.

I Do Not Have A Nose Problem!
Sunday--Played on my Facebook page some more, pulled the above image from the doodle marks in the M sketchbook, made photos of drawings and uploaded, and posted to blog. Took a loooooong, soothing, lovely shower and ate a pancake breakfast with Jim while we watched the tractor pulls on TV.

Hart Strings

This is the second photo of the "Hart" painting. It is still waaaaay too intense, even for me, but I'm getting there. I thought I'd have it done for the Artygirls challenge this week, which is wire, but I'm not going to. I'm going to put copper wire for the strings on the hart that she is playing, once I get the rest to suit me. I'm thinking about adding a layer of white unruyu paper to it to add texture and to dull it down a bit. The colors will still show through, only not as intense. I'm still pondering though.

This is what I do. I get about half way through a project, then can't decide how I want to finish it. So I move on to something else for a while. Frustrating!

Oh, well, it'll come to me eventually. :) So this was my creative journey this week. Hope you enjoyed making the trek with me. Can't wait to see how my journey continues next week. :)

Have a wonderful, creative week!

Creative Every Day Challenge

WOW! Three posts in one day! That's a record for me. :) I've also posted my creative endeavors for the "Getting to the HeART of it" festival on Valentine's day (click on the exploring my heart badge on the sidebar for details) and this week's Arty Girlz challenge. Now for this week's Creative Every Day creativity efforts.

I've been faithful in keeping a log of what I'm doing, which hasn't been that much this week, I'm afraid. We had a death in the family and my husband got home. He's retired now, so I'm going to have to get creative about my creative time, I guess. :)

Art Journal Pages

Monday...Mama and I had breakfast at the truck stop in town with my aunt and her family. We don't get to see them often. We had some creative conversation over chocolate gravy and biscuits, which was delicious. Back at home I read some inspiring blogs and typed some email letters to friends. I also worked on softening up some air dry clay that had hardened in the box. I added water to it. I had had it so long that when I got the urge to use it to make a doll it was already hard as a rock. :)

Tuesday...I decided to do one of my doodle drawings on a gallery wrapped canvas (below), drew out the image, and layed in the base colors in acrylics. The colors are not exactly accurate and there is a glare at the top, but you get the idea. She is playing a stringed "hart" (a cross between a heart and a harp). I'll post another photo when I finish it. I also posted some journal art and wrote comments to go with it for the HeArt Festival on my writing blog. Read some inspiring blogs. Worked on the clay some more.

Work In Progress-canvas ptg
Wednesday...Answered emails, thought of challenge ideas, touched up a painting done previously, danced with joy, and finally figured out how to add a cute background to my blog, however, after several try-ons couldn't find one that fit and left it plain for the time being. The clay was beginning to soften.

Thursday...It was beautiful, but cold, day and Sammidog and I took the long way around through the woods and fields to check on the cows. The big pond has an ice skim fozen over it and the sun was shining on it and the ochre/sienna colored sage grass around it. Beautiful. We had a good time. Also did a lot of online reading while I thawed out. The clay was getting very soft and moist.

Friday... Mama and I took an hour's drive each way through beautiful, unfamiliar country, crossing the bridge with spectacular views of the river on either side, to pick up hubby. It was a beautiful day for a drive in the country. My clay finally softened back up, so as soon as I have time, I'm going to try an art doll out of it.

Saturday... I did a small doodle sketch and painted it for this week's artygirlz challenge, and picked out an art journal page for the HeART Fest. Read online. Had a long, creative nap.

Sunday...Made photos of art and posted for challenges (see two previous posts--today's date) and added digital touches (the words and the digital spiral) to the art journal pages shared on this post, which are watercolor and black sharpie. That's it so far. If I do anything else today I will come back and add it. Now I need to get creative with housecleaning. :) Thanks for visiting! Have a great week.

Sammie-Dog Finds A Home

On the right of the blog (right under Loopy's photo), and here, is a picture of the newest member of our family. This one is the day he came to us starved. The one on the right is after he'd been here a few days. We are blessed that he found us.

Go here to read about him and see other pics: http://scribblesfromrabbithop.blogspot.com/

Waiting & My 2nd Blog Has Been Born

"Waiting" -quirky art journal sketch-pencil, black sharpie, wc pencils in sketchbook---Looks like they're getting impatient, doesn't it? :)

Drawing these images out from the doodles is still great fun to me. I look forward to getting up in the mornings to start doodling and sketching. It's become a habit that I hope I don't lose.

I did another brave thing, for me, yesterday (click on the Be Brave Project button at right-click for explanation). I've been thinking about a second blog for a while now, and yesterday I got up the nerve to give birth to one.

Moxie Blue will now contain my art related interests, photos of my creative experiments, etc., and the 2nd blog, Scribbles From Rabbit Hop, will hold my writing related interests, stories, personal experience pieces, things I've had published, etc.

I haven't been doing much writing on this blog except a little about my creative dabblings, but I've been wanting to. My other writing just didn't seem to really feel at home here. Now it has it's own home. I'm still getting things adjusted and set up, which may take a while, but I would love it if you would check it out sometime and leave a comment to say hello. Wish me luck with both my "blog babies." OK? :)

I've been trying for a while to get this post to publish correctly. The paragraphs are fine when I type and save them, but when I publish they all run together. I don't know what the problem is yet. Sorry!