Bit of a break again....Thought I'd check in even though I have not done any art for months :( Life has been getting in the way again. It's been a busy few months. I have had a major creative project that I was obsessively immersed in - my daughter's 14th Birthday party. My creative juices went into overdrive as I discovered the abundance of breathtaking party blogs on the net. I saw this as my last chance to do 'girly' stuff (don't think she'll want a traditional style home party again) so I took my opportunities :) We had a vintage theme with lots of creams, pinks, lace etc. The centre-piece of the party was an Ice-Cream Sundae Buffet. Mum & daughter were very happy with the result. Here is a taste.





Anyway, the after-effect of the party is that I have had no easy access to my art materials. For months prior to the party, I took over the family dining table pretty much permanently. Next to the dining table, I had a trestle table full of art things with boxes underneath with more art things. As I needed both tables for the party, everything got packed away, fairly randomly in boxes which are now stacked up in the study. So now I have a chance to re-invent my art space. Oh how I dream of an art room!....That's not going to happen in this house...so I have to come up with a better solution here. I really like having a clear dining table...but I need to spread out with my art too...What to do?!
It's Sunday tomorrow & I'm planning to re-organise my boxes (the clear plastic, snap lock ones) I'm even thinking of labelling them. Is that too AR? The only solution that I have come up with is to stack them like a modular tower (or 2) in the only available space in the house - the formal lounge. It will be seen from the front door... :/ It is also a much much darker space than my casual dining are at the back of the house where I like doing art. I'm thinking I will set up my trestle table there as a work station with the box tower/s next to it & only have what I'm using for a current project out on the table. Will keep you posted.

Any (cheap) storage ideas are most welcome.
Lena :)

ATC Challenge

In the spirit of the promise to myself to get more involved in the online Mixed-Media community, I have just joined the 82 ATC Challenge run by Elli at www.peonyblue.com

I have played around a bit with ATCs a few years ago early on in my explorations/learning of the world of Mixed-Media and absolutely loved it. The mini-artworks are so fun to make and to admire afterwards. I have to admit that the only aspect that didn't sit well with me is the fact that you trade them ie. give away your babies ;) Yep, I don't think I'd be good at making art for a living.

I am an absolute pack rat when it comes to saving all my scraps of paper and ephemera and ATCs are a great way to use the tiniest bits for collage, as well as using up excess paint on backgrounds.

The challenge starts in a few days and I am really looking forward to playing along. Feeling a bit concerned that I will have to balance this committment with the 2 other projects I am currently doing. I am still going through the LaSirena course with Suzi Blu as well as doing the Strathmore workshop. Not to mention any Art Journalling I may want to do! But, as they say, the busiest people get the most done so I will trust that I can fit art into my everyday life better than I did in 2010.

Till next time :)

Stages of a page

Having never blogged before, I had no need for progress photos of a page. I have just discovered that I 'accidentally' have a pic of a background of a page that I have now completed. Thought it was a good opportunity to show it off.



I was at a friend's house for a catch-up. She had some beautiful paper napkins on the table with our tea & cake. Well, being an art journaller (one track mind), one is seeing ephemera possibilities everywhere ;) Thank goodness it was a good friend who knows my 'madness' and before I could ask, she laughed and said:"you want that serviette, don't you?" (And gave me a hand-full of course).

Anyway, I created a pink paint background with a view to layer that napkin on it. I really love the imperfection of the wrinkles that form when you peel a layer of a tissue off a 3ply napkin. I then stencilled some sequin waste on top. The page came to a sudden halt. It was too pretty to touch.

A few months later, I was searching through my focal images....and was floored. Here she was! A perfect image for my page (in her Hawaiian sarong, the colour was perfect, love how she faces away). I cut that image from a magazine a very long time ago. She was waiting for that background all that time. I love the magic, the serendipity of the Art Journalling process.


Until next time,
Lena :)

A new year, a fresh start....

I'm not usually one for new year's resolutions, but I have a strong intention to commit to regular postings on my Blog in 2011.

In the second part of 2010, my art journalling has taken a bit of a back-seat as I have come back to making cards again and challenged myself to push my comfort zone. I have been doing an on-line class with the one & only Suzi Blu. The La Sirena course was something I just had to do - it forced me to brave drawing/illustrating. Up till now I have been enjoying mixed media using mainly collage & painting techniques. I have learned so much. I now know how to make "pretty pretty girls" as Suzi says by perfecting facial symmetry using a formula. Quite a revelation.

In the absence of any new completed work, I will continue to post my old journal pages for now.


This is a very simple journal page done quickly. I spread some 'sea colours' using a credit card technique, hand cut fish from an old music book & doodled a bit with a white paint pen and a white gel pen. The page looked so peaceful & clean that I didn't feel like making it any busier. Yes, it was a challenge giving myself permission to just go with my instinct & not try & make it more arty. I decided to just put a lovely quote on it that I saved from a blog.

Take 2.

Well, that was rather a long break....When I decided to start my blog, my family was going through the most challenging time of our life. It seems I was not ready to relax & reach out to the online art community. We have been under severe financial stress, an all consuming, stressful 6 months which left me emotionally & mentally exhausted. The situation is now resolved (or at least well on the way there) so I am re-starting my blog.

Where do I start?
I think with the present ;)

My current Art Journal is an altered book. This is the first 'real' old book I used. My previous Art Journals have all been spiral bound sketch books. I am really enjoying the format. Even though I pretty much block out any original writing on most pages, it's a lovely surprise to reveal a window with random statements here & there and get a slight hint of something underneath.



I tend to journal when I am churned up with some sort of internal conflict. This page was spurred on by ruminations on my "baggage". Nothing terribly deep, just a reflection on some personal issues.

In terms of the art, I wanted to try a book tearing technique that I saw recently. A few weeks ago, I visited some artists as part of a local open artist studios week-end. It was such an enriching & inspiring experience.
The tree is something similar to a technique that one of the artists does with incredible finesse (mine is a crude version of it). I also tried the shading method she used for her trees. Quite fun. The images I used were all from Google images. I also used a strip of the tear-off edge from old printer paper (for those of you old enough to remember them) ;) This was my symbolic "old" to go with the theme of the page.

Till next time,
Lena

The Beginning....

OK. It is time to take the plunge....

I have been planning to start this Blog for some time now. To quote a well-worn slogan: "Just do it"!

A bit about myself:
I was very creative as a child. I really enjoyed drawing and collage. As I came into my teenage years, arty play had to take a backseat to the 'more important' & more productive studying. I do not recall any art classes in school so they were obviously not very memorable. After 25 + years of focusing on study, work, being a wife and mother, my creativity has now resurfaced (with a vengeance).

The last 5 years has been a journey of discovery for me. My creative expression has progressed from card-making to altered art and mixed media. I voraciously explored the internet and learned scrap-booking techniques which I used in card-making. I knew that pure scrap-booking wasn't for me. I always gravitated towards mixed media type art. I then stumbled upon the one and only, Suzi Blu and discovered the world of Art Journalling.

Interesting how things have come full circle. I am now doing what I was attracted to as a child. Faces and busy & dimensional collages. Hmmm....funny how some of us take a while to listen to one's soul.

I am not exactly sure what my blog will be like but I am prepared to just let go & share my Art and my thoughts and see what develops. That is a lesson I have learnt from art journaling.

Until next time.
Lena :)