FRagMENteD Journal - Entry

 

My FRagMENteD Journal is a place that I like to explore other artist’s styles. My fragmented self always is admiring other styles besides my own.

My friend Jill K. Berry recently introduced me to the work of artist Howard Finster.  I was drawn to the style of  his self portraits. Here is a self portrait of myself inspired by his work.

The journaling is rather frivolous talking mostly about my hair, but that is what popped in my head. I do like the cartoon style of the black marker on white paper and plan on exploring this further.

Junk Mail Journal Page – The Realist

 

Another page spread for my FRagMENteD Journal. For more pages in my FRagMENteD Journal type “fragmented” in the search box on this blog. I tend to journal about my journal process. I like to go back in my Journal and read what I was thinking.

The Realist Stereo slide is made with very thin metal, so it works well in my journal.

From this angle you can see the image in the stereo slide.,

The Sketchbook Project Journal – More than 300 Ways To Fill a Page

The dogs and I were quite surprised to receive a package from UPS on March 8. Enclosed was the Sketchbook Project Journal – More Than 300 Ways to Fill a Page by Steven Peterman & Shane Zucker. Included was a letter thanking me for participating in the Sketchbook Challenge Blog Hop last year. It also read “Please enjoy the journal and if you like it, please feel free to share it with the readers of your blog. I LIKE IT! So here you go readers, I’m sharing it with you. The book is available here.

Inside are creative prompts to start the creative energy flowing. I was particularly intrigued by this page "THREAD AND SURFACE Cross-stitch this page with a needle and thread".


I chose mustard yellow and black embroidery thread because I liked these colors from the cover. First I stitched with the mustard thread. Then as I was using the black thread I decided to play a bit with the composition. Last I stitched down some magazine images. I really like stitching on paper in a journal! Something I want to explore more in the future.


The stitching on backside of the above page then turned out like this. I’ll admit I tried to keep it neat looking and follow a pattern. It didn’t work out that way. I kind of like the disorder of it though. I wove some images from a library discard book about the Shakers. This page read “When you complete the next page, connect the stitches to create a constellation. So instead I drew some stars to represent a constellation.
I am looking forward to working some more in this book!

Dog Day Afternoon & Night

There is a lot of napping going on around here lately. It’s partially due to the Winter weather.

Fritz doesn’t like to lay on leather furniture. Spanky makes a nice bed.

Thy bed runneth over.

How many days until Spring?

Winter Snow Storm

 

What it looks like outside at my house today. More snow on the way. Inside my warm house dreaming of sunny days and flowers. It is pretty though.

Edna Wins Best in Specialty Show in New York Today!

 

Edna won the best in specialty show today in New York. This picture is a bit deceiving as New York was just dumped on by a lot of snow.

Edna is at Westminster

Here is our boston terrier Edna. Our daughter Brook Berth is with her at 2013 Westminster at Madison Square Garden in New York. Edna is also on the cover of this month’s ShowsSight magazine. Good luck Team Edna! Hopefully the blizzard doesn’t interfere with the show too much and most importantly people and dogs are safe!

Art Journal – Here Comes the Sun

 

This journal page is done for now. I enjoy how ideas develop as I go along using this type of collage technique. Perhaps the title should be “Thinking About Balance and Letting Go”.

Art Journal – Layers

 

Here is a start to a journal page that I am working on today. I collaged all of the elements yesterday. I had meant to photograph this before any drawing but my sister called and while I was talking to her I started working on it. The plus side is I actually started working on it.

The image of the girl was from a magazine. I had envisioned dark bold colors when I first began to collage. I suppose with dandelions and a phrase “Here Comes the Sun” my art was destined to follow another direction. I am at a stopping point. I’m not sure where to continue from here. I don’t want to overwork the image of the girl so much that the collage elements are completely covered. Stay tuned for my next post with more artwork and some journaling added.

Art Journal – Food

I am trying a restrictive diet to see if I have any food allergies. I decided to journal the process and draw some of the food that I am allowed to eat. An original sticker from the eaten banana on the sketched banana.


A sketch of my foot, just because it is a handy subject matter. A Cup of tea.


Ingredients for some homemade soup.

I am currently on day four of the seven most restrictive days of the diet. Wish me luck!

Journal Page – Migration

I’m still working from the same library discard book. The cold weather outside was the inspiration for my picture choices, plus the desire to migrate South. I glued the collage down into a pleasing arrangement. My original intention was to paint all over it.

Instead I decided that I liked the horizontal blank areas that I created to journal in. Next I flipped through a fashion magazine and picked the first face that caught my eye for inspiration. I like drawing with colored pencil over collaged images because you can see some of the image through the pencil marks.

Journal Page – Separation of Church and State

The design of this page was inspired by the art of Bob Fisher from the book Journal It by Editor Jenny Doh. I liked how Bob had used collage elements and then with pen and ink delineated images such as a traced hand. I never look at another artist’s inspiration piece while working on mine but rather work off of points that I remember. When I went back to Bob’s journal page spread I was surprised at what I had forgotten, which is good, because I want my pages to be about me, not be a copy of someone else’s work.

I began by tearing out pages from a library discard book. I was attracted to images of a church and the White House. The idea of separation of church and state came to mind. I found this message of “separation of church and state” in the text which I also adhered. Included in the text is “the gray day” which describes the weather while creating this piece. I painted watered down layers of black gesso to allow parts of the background collage to show through. I decided to leave the page black and white with the exception of gold to one of the crosses and a window in the White House. I could have added “brilliant colors” also included in the text. White tulips symbolize forgiveness, I think that I will leave them as is.

I have other thoughts about religion and politics swirling in my head, perhaps I have sparked some in yours.