2015 Documented Life Project :: First Quarter Recap

Week 1  ::  Book Paper

These are my lovely journal pages from the first quarter of 

The Documented Life Project 2015.
You can find more information on the DLP here. 

I really love this challenge...for me it's just the right combination of journaling, 

art, lists, calendar, quotes and stuff to keep me organized and creative.  

I'm just a smidy behind with the art pages, but no worries, I've got all year to catch up. 

As it turns out, being behind and not having posted 

these pages as I did them, worked out better...for this post anyway. 

 It's helpful to see the pages side by side...

I can instantly identify the pages I love and why...  

I see my style emerging!

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Week 2  ::  Gesso

Week 3  ::  The Color Wheel

Week 4  ::  Writing

Week 5  ::  Under Paper from my Art Table 

Week 7  ::  Cover Up the Good Stuff

Week 8  ::  Repeating Elements

Week 9  ::  Use at Least 5 Layers

Week 10  ::  Doodles and Marks as a Layer Elements

Week 11  ::  Borders

Week 12  ::  Doodles and Marks as a Focal Point

2015 The Documented Life Project

Front Cover

Excited and Motivated to start the New Year again with The Documented Life Project 2015 from Art to the 5th (check it out here). These are the front and back covers of one of the two journals i created and they were so fun to paint. The second journal will make sure I have enough room for my lengthy journal entries. Journaling has become a daily habit over the last year thanks to this project and I look forward to it each day. I love, love, love this cover. Urban graffiti feel and the image transfers make me so happy.

Back Cover

I'll admit I was a little stuck (fearful) on what to paint as the top layer because I was so attached to the previous layers and didn't want to ruin (risk) it. I thumbed thru my Inspiration Journal that i keep with clippings of images that catch my attention, other artists work, sketches of painting ideas and my own doodles and symbols. The top layer of images came directly from that journal. Its a valuable tool to spark creativity and I'm more inspired than ever to continue adding to it.

 Below is my journal from last year which has become a bit tattered and worn, but I thoroughly enjoy re-visiting the artwork I created, the quotes I recorded, and the memories I made (good and bad) as part of this Journey called LIFE! 

2014 The Documented Life Project Journal

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I Am A Warrior...Work in Progress

It's been a slow road back to the easel...moving, divorce, a new life, lack of focus, expanding my comfort zone, and simply living for today, all factors in my creative departure. As I settle in and become comfortable with who I am and what lies ahead, the creative fire is being reignited. I've noticed my thoughts returning to art, creating and purposeful pursuits instead of the distracting, time-consuming, self-defeating thinking that consumed me when I started this new journey. 

I started the painting above several years ago in Flora Bowley's online "Bloom True"
e-course. Since then it has sat in the garage with all the other rejected, partially finished paintings, quietly waiting for me to give it new life, transforming it into something Great! Using the existing painting as an under painting, I began the process of laying down color, collage and simply playing. That's the fun part - no mistakes, anything goes. 

It's a Work in Progress, just like me! 

And I'm excited by the possibilities!  

Journal Evolution

My attention has turned to art journaling lately as I continue to fumble my way through this artful journey. I've never been much of a journaler and I still struggle with what words are worthy of laying out on the page vs. the effort of writing longhand. I find that by the time I get my words on the page, the moment has passed and I can't remember where I was going with that thought. Or I think of things I would like to journal about, but when I sit down with journal in hand my mind comes up with nothin'.


A typical journal page for me. No frills, just the facts.
Not much to look at, but it does the job.

I have always been a list maker and I've started to document my life with a daily To Do list and hopefully a few notes or thoughts from the day. This is a doable task for me and by combining the lists and thoughts, I'll show a more complete picture of who I am. Back in December I wrote "This is how I'm going to start my journaling...little snipets along with my To Do list, because lists ARE who I am."

In January I noted "Thought I would use some sticker to make the pages look cuter. I'll bet I even write neater on a cute page." I have so many scrapbooking stickers that I will never use, so I thought I could make use of them in my journal. I do find it hard to make the time to journal, don't know if it's really finding the time or finding the creativity to do something great. One goal is to play with my materials so I can learn how I like working. I've used stamps, embossing powder, watercolor, pen, watersoluable crayon, acrylic and chalk pencil. Another goal is to continually exercise my right brain to keep it in a creative state. 

Love this page :)

When I put in the time and effort, the pages are progressing. When I'm busy the pages remain plain and simple. But that's okay too. Life cycles and other things get our attention when necessary. I'm teaching myself to doodle. It's not a natural process for me, so I'm using my journal to experiment and copy other doodlers. I also want to get better with lettering, so I practice in here as well.

To me, this is the perfect journal page.
It's fun to look at, there's little bits and pieces everywhere
to keep you moving around the page, it's cute and it makes me happy!

I really love simple journal pages that express a feeling or mood with just a few words and images. I'm also finding song lyrics helpful in expressing what I feel better than I can.

On more creative days, my pages look like the one above or below.

 

Work In Progress



Here's the progression of my final assignment for Wyanne's Paint Free Class (named #8 in my 50 Painting Practice Series). I was starting to become way too attached to this concept and became afraid to do anything for fear I would ruin it. So I just stood there, staring at it, not knowing what to do next. I knew it wasn't finished and thought it was looking a little boring. I want my paintings to be interesting, and this just isn't.

So I got brave and just started making marks.

Again, I stood there gazing and staring, baffled at what to do next. I spent more time just standing there than painting.  I decided to just do something, whether it's right or wrong. So I took away the abstractness (which I love) and made it cute (which I'm not so fond of)! Unsure if I ruined it, decided to put it away and come back another day when I'm less judgemental about it and see the possibilities.

So I moved on to #4. The first layer of this collage was a piece I started last spring in Paul Gardner's Mixed Media Workshop. Didn't really like it (big surprise huh?) and it just sat there waiting for me to be brave and just do something with it. So a few weeks ago I painted some designs over the first layer. Being my critical self, didn't like it, so there it sat a while longer.



 So I messed around with it a little more.

Added some statements.

Then added some really watered down paint with drips and swirls to the top. This is on watercolor paper that doesn't lay very flat anymore because of all the collage materials in it, so the watery paint pooled in certain areas where it looks muddy. The brighter circles are where I applied masking fluid and have now removed it. So there's my under painting.

Yesterday I started to play with it adding some trees, flowery pods and color. I'd like it to have a landscapey feeling, but not in the traditional sense. I want it to be more fun and interesting and not really make sense. That's hard for the left brain person I truly am!

Love the Layers

Image 1

Image 2

"Release" 16"x24" Acrylic on Canvas

Week four of Wyanne's Paint Free e-course (which I started this summer and can finally say I am half way through...yikes!) was an awesome lesson on layering. The assignment was to write a message then cover part or all of it with paint. We could either sketch in a subject or just paint abstractly. I chose to simply start adding paint to the canvas (I even limited my palette to only 5 colors). After several layers I chose an area I found interesting and used masking fluid in the shape of a heart to save the painting underneath. After adding a little more paint (image 1 above), I saw what looked to me like the shoulders and back of a woman in a low-backed gown gazing at the trees. Even though I have no interest in painting figures, I had to move forward with this vision (image 2 above). I am very pleased with results...I love the FREEdom of painting in this style, no expectations, less frustration, and just FUN!

A Recommended Read - The Alchemist

photo from Stillwater Free Library

Just finished reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I thoroughly enjoyed this book not only for its simplicity but also for its inspiring story. This book is a must read for anyone on a journey of their own to discover their path in life, to realize a dream or to better understand who they are as a person. It's filled with wisdom about discovering the treasures within ourselves and about listening and following our hearts. It encourages us "to realize one's Personal Legend" and that "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" if you can read the signs and open your heart to it. So many quotable and thought provoking passages...such as "Because I don't live in either my past or my future, I'm interested in only the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man." And "That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too." Definitely a book that will stay on my bookshelf forever.

Courage To Begin "The Journey"

…there is no better way to develop skills than through trial and error. It is a matter of having the courage, in every painting, to try something new and to work without fear of making mistakes. Results are invariably more effective and ideas tend to evolve with far greater energy and impact when the painting process is positive and uninhibited. The ability to work with confidence and skill relies on experience, and this in turn comes from a willingness to experiment and learn from the consequent successes and failures.  – Artist, Claire Harrigan

While reading Clair Harrigan's book "Abstract and Color Techniques in Painting" the above passage really spoke to me and about me. I'm so concerned with making a mistake that I hardly get anything done. I tell myself that a canvas with anything but a perfect painting is wasted. I fear ruining something I worked really hard to achieve by adding the wrong color. I'm so afraid of screwing up that I can't paint freely. I know art journaling helps the creative process and helps develop skills, but I think I hide in my journal because it doesn't matter what I create...it's just a journal right?

I will:  

• have the courage to develop my skill through trial and error ON THE CANVAS
• work without fear of making mistakes and try something new
• think positive and work with confidence
• think of failure as a stepping stone to success
• put in the brush time to gain the skill to accomplish my goals
• JUST DO IT!

Commit, Renew and Family

Still plugging along with my 52 Words project. I'm having fun playing with new techniques and materials and just seeing what happens. I got behind for a few weeks and finally caught up today. Who knew creating one page a week could be so hard. A few of the words and pages just didn't come together for me...like Appreciative and Prompt. I got behind and tried to combine them on one page...well, that just didn't work so I won't even post the results. My journaling leaves a lot to the imagination. By the time I finish the page, I forget what I wanted to write on it. I wait for something profound to strike me...but it never does. Oh well, it's a great exercise in creativity, soul searching and just plain fun...with not too much pressure.

Happiness is a Choice

"Choose Happy" is a 16x20" mixed media painting I created to remind myself everyday that I need to choose to be happy. The text at the bottom reads "The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart." A verse from The Dhammapada, a Buddhist scripture.

Happiness is a choice. I can choose to be happy or I can choose to be something else (sad, bitter, grouchy, unhappy, or insert your own emotion here). I can dwell on the misfortunes in my life or I can focus on the good in my life. I cannot expect someone else's words or actions to make me happy. I need to be happy on the inside, for myself, because of myself, in spite of myself. I need to purposefully "Choose Happy." We only have this one life to experience, so...Choose Happy!

I've thought a lot about this happy thing...trying to figure out if I was happy. I had forgotten what even made me happy while I was busy living each day as it was dished out to me. Busy doing everything for everyone else. Busy running a household while everyone else did thing they liked to do, knowing all the necessities in life would be taken care of for them. I knew I was the one who let this happen and I was the only one who could change it. So I set out on a journey to find the things that make me happy...a topic for another day.

When I finished this painting, I was looking around my home for a place of prominence to hang it. I wanted to see it on a regular basis as a little mood reminder to myself. I found a location, held it up to the wall and realized it was too small. It needed other stuff around it. That's when the light bulb went on for a Words of Wisdom Wall. I'll create more paintings, in various sizes, highlighting words of wisdom to remind me (and hopefully my family) how important it is to live our lives according to the values we cherish. I can't wait to get started.

My Inspiration

Three back issues of Artful Blogging arrived in my mailbox yesterday. I couldn't wait to dive in and read every word. Though I had no intention of starting a blog, at least not for a while, I still enjoy reading about how blogging changes lives, or connects people who would otherwise remain strangers or inspires artists/crafters to create. By the time I got to page 20 of the 2007 Premier Issue I had decided to start a blog. I was reading about Kerri Posson's "Adventures in Art & Life" and she wrote "...my blog has become a tool for documenting my creative journey for myself." It was her words that helped me realize I could begin my blog now, for myself, with no expectations to meet. I don't have to tell anyone about my blog until I'm ready. I don't have to make it look beautiful right away. I don't have to plan it all out beforehand. I don't have to write what people will read, I just have to be me. I may not be as funny, or as insightful, or as creative, or as talented as other bloggers, but I do have a story to tell...Mine!

I am not a writer nor am I a journaler (although secretly I wouldn't mind being both). I am, however, interested in learning more about who I am. The art journals of Judy Wise captivated me about a year ago and I've tried to be like her, but it just wasn't working for me. I guess I don't have enough discipline or enough time (three kids can do that to a person). I still love the art journal idea though. I also like Julia Cameron's morning pages philosophy. The thought of spilling everything onto the page to free up my mind for other, more creative tasks totally make sense. Well, guess what...not so good at doing that either. Perhaps taking pieces of both methods and putting them together to suit my style will work better for me. I just need to figure out how to do that. But for now, documenting my creative journey on this blog is a good place to start.