The caterpillar dies so the butterfly could be born. And, yet, the caterpillar lives in the butterfly and they are but one. So, when I die, it will be that I have been transformed from the caterpillar of earth to the butterfly of the universe.
--- John Harricharan
I decided to incorporate and journal about my first and second prototypes for the cover to show how my idea developed.
I had a lot of leftover parts from the journal cover so I decided to create another collage of myself. I like the idea of repurposing less than “perfect” copies for journaling.
Yes it is true, I don’t work in my journal in an orderly fashion. After creating the page above I decided that I needed a different cover page so I pasted in another piece of paper. A circle cutout gives a peephole to the next page.
Now that I have this art journal that I love I need to start working in it. I put in just what I am thinking about “Looking for Inspiration”. To add literal meaning and an interactive component I make my eyes moveable.
Yes I do look a bit crazy! LOL!
The theme for this month’s Sketchbook Challenge is “unfurled”. I plan on using photographs of myself a lot in my “Fragmented” journal. Since my art is already in some way about myself, I want to explore this idea more literally. I also want to incorporate more interactive elements to this journal.
As Kim journaled with each mark, thought and idea put to paper…
More marks, thoughts and ideas unfurled…
More marks, thoughts and ideas unfurled…
The three dimensional moveable layout has yielded several opportunities for different photos. With the addition of light and shadows there are even more possibilities. After looking at this journal entry on the blog I see that there is a need for some marks and a journal date. To be continued…
Finished…at least for now.
I have been trying to complete my journals before I start a new one but I just couldn’t resist. This journal is about me. Yes I am “fragmented” which only further explains my inability to complete a journal before beginning a new one. So information from this year will be found in multiple journals. Also, I have the habit of not writing in my journal on consecutive pages. This happens when I want to work over a previously painted page and the next one in my book isn’t the color(s) I want to draw or journal on. Perhaps I am happy and want to write on a sunny yellow background so I skip the Pthalo blue/ Burnt Umber page.
The idea for this fragmented picture came from an article that Angela Cartwright had written in one of Stampington’s publications. In that article she had collaged a face from various photos of herself from different ages. I have been wanting to explore that idea for years. It takes a lot of prep work though. First you have to find a variety of pictures of yourself at different ages, then scan them into the computer and print them out in the sizes you want.
I came up with the idea for incorporating the apple slicer while creating one of my assemblage figures (Which I’ll blog about in the future.) Each slice captures different moments in time in my life.
First I etched the title of my journal, them I torched the copper to give it a nice patina. I love the rich colors that copper can have! I only applied the antiquing solution to the title area. Then I sprayed on a glossy clear coat to protect the finish.
Being creative and organized doesn’t work together for me. When I am in one of my most creative moods I like to work quickly to keep the ideas flowing. Being organized is a hindrance for my creative self. Then when the creative flurry is over or I can’t stand the mess anymore I organize. My creativity and organizational skills are fragmented. But in a way I use creativity and organization both to help defragment myself. Getting ideas out of my head and onto paper helps to declutter my brain. Organizing helps to compartmentalize and put ideas and memories in their place.
So what if I’m fragmented! THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ART FOR ME IS TO KEEP CREATING! It also helps my organized side that I date each journal entry.
I made this journal with coptic binding. The pages are torn down to size from sheets of 140# watercolor paper. The cover is a bit bulky with the apple slicer but doesn’t seem to hinder working in it for me. I find the journal to be very inspiring in itself and have all sorts of ideas to fill it with.
A little goat vignette. The angora goats in the frame above are Little Lulu and Baby Dumpling. That picture was taken about 14 years ago. The clock portrays the passing of time on my little hobby farm. I used to collect goat related items, before I had even heard of eBay. Goats were hard to find then. The internet has changed that. I am trying not to collect anything these days. I don't like to part with anything in order to make room for the new. I attach memories and feelings to objects.
The Cedarburg Cultural Center is one of my favorite places to visit for inspiration. They are sponsoring monthly Artist in Residence programs. This month the featured artist is my friend Lisa Brobst, who specializes in fabric collage as well as woodworking and furniture design. You can see her creating on Thursdays from noon-3pm. This is my window view from last Thursday (much better in person without camera glare!)
In addition, Lisa will conduct a special workshop on fabric collage for families on:
Saturday, September 24: 10 am - 1 pm
Here is where the bench usually is in the kitchen (see previous post). The jug terrarium was Mark's and has survived for over 30 years. The grandmother clock was from a kit that my grandma Eleanore's husband put together. The hoya plant on the top of the clock was mine since I was a teenager, so it probably is almost 40 years old. They are very hardy plants. I only have a few plants, these are ones that have survived years of neglect. The wooden boards that hold my curtains are eveners from an old wagon. They even out the animals when they are pulling the wagon. Other than the pillows and potted flowers in the window this is a regular view from my kitchen. Bonus -This was a good incentive to wash my windows inside and out.
