New Paintings

In between journaling this past week I have been painting again. I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to be productive again. These are original paintings on a vintage wood patterns by the Gilson Bros. Factory in Fredonia, Wisconsin. The original tin pressed number from each pattern is also included. Click on each picture to see a close-up. The wood has a nice worn patina and adds to the vintage industrial feel to these art pieces. Visit my etsy shop to see these paintings and more.

GIRL AND OWL

15” X 27”

BARN OWL

20” X 24”

FrAgMENteD Journal Continued…

 

I had the idea of weaving together 3 year old Kim and OLDer Kim. I made the OLDer Kim into horizontal strips and the 3 year old Kim into vertical strips. First I wove them over and under one way, the design was ok but I decided to weave them the opposite way to see if it looked better.  It looked worse. Then I had the idea of a basket weave, which turned out to be the right mix.

This is the opposite page with more weaving. I cut strips from the American Craft magazine that caught my eye. “Strike a Balance” resonates within me.

FrAgMENteD Journal Pages

Additional pages from my FragMENteD Journal.

Do you ever wish that you could create art like someone else? My FrAgMENteD self often sees other peoples art and wish that I could create like them. In reality I want my art to reflect who I am. Teesha Moore is the inspiration for this journal spread. I had something very specific in my mind when I think of Teesha's pages but when I looked at her journal page site I was reminded of the variety of art that she creates. Teesha's style has been copied many times before but I can always tell that it isn't actually her art. She often uses vibrant colors and doodles over the top of her collage and her figures are often composites.

I used my face as a starting point, after all this journal is about me. I added big lashes and rosebud lipstick. How do you think I look? I never wear mascara as I tend to rub my eyes a lot. I found these cute little tights with herringbone socks. I would wear this outfit (ok, maybe just for halloween) if I ever attained my ideal weight. Circular shapes in the American Craft Magazine caught my eye. A theme was developing without even thinking about it, which is the wonderful magic of working with collage. Call for entries describes all of the shows and magazines that I have submitted to. Yes I have been making art for years. This was fun! Now what style should I experiment with?

How many ways can I illustrate FrAgMENtaTioN using the same old face? The grid of squares represents order and precision to me. This only lasts so long and then life starts to fall apart. Ideas break away and are lost. It is hard to think. There is no organization. The world is gray. On the outside I may show a smile, while inside I am fragmented. Don't feel too sorry for me. I have a wonderful life, migraines are my challenge!


After seeing the above page my sister suggested I explore this idea using circles. The round shape reminded me of a warm, sunny and bubbly atmosphere. I suppose a person can be both FrAgMENteD and happy.

Sometimes a person shouldn't say everything that they are thinking.

Evidence of a checkered past with some flourishes, wink. This page isn't completed yet.

October Sketchbook Challenge - View

The October Sketchbook Challenge is “View”. While sitting at the studio in Cedarburg for Arts Weekend I decided to journal. This is the “view” looking outside the window from the 3rd floor. A view of the rooftop of the stone building across the road. The heavy dark line in the middle of the page is from the wash of Golden acrylics that I applied before drawing in colored pencil and was too shiny for the pencil to adhere.

Assemblage Art Journals

#1 TUNING INTO CREATIVITY

A couple of years ago I started making these art journals for myself. I wanted to incorporate some of the jewelry making techniques I have been using to create a one of a kind journals. Although I have made myself other journals, this is my first one of this type. The cover started with the top and base from a wooden cigar box. The radio dial was the inspiration for the theme and style of the cutout brass plate. These are my everyday journals. I continually struggle with the desire to use a different journal for a different style of art or purpose. I have found that I usually didn’t have the right journal convenient when I needed it. This is the first journal that I have fully completed, other than a specific event journal that covered one topic such as an art retreat or vacation. I find the 6” x 8” journal a very comfortable size for me to use. The book is filled with 140# cold press watercolor paper that has been torn down from larger sheets and held together with coptic stitch binding. COMPLETED

#2 TUNING INTO CREATIVITY

A larger size cigar box dictated the 8” x 10” size for this journal. I continued the “Tuning into Creativity” theme but also included my name and the year into the etched brass. I made this journal shortly after creating the first one. Unfortunately I estimated my start time incorrectly and instead of 2009 didn’t begin working in the Journal until February 2010. COMPLETED

#3 FOCUS ON CREATIVITY

A shutter from a vintage Kodak camera was the inspiration for this journal. Focusing on creativity is definitely something that I am trying to accomplish. Incorporating my name and the date permanently on the cover adds and extra quality of personalization. I also added a piece of leather from a vintage suitcase that was beyond repair. Size 6” x 8”. COMPLETED

Close-up showing face from an antique engraving covered with a sheet of mica.

#4 JOURNAL

This is the journal that I am currently working in. I used a door escutcheon with an antique engraving of an eye in the bezel filled with resin. Beneath the escutcheon I placed some handmade paper and a vintage ticket for added texture and interest. Size 6” x 8”.

#5 CONFESSIONS OF A SINNER JOURNAL

As mentioned earlier in this entry it is challenging for me to work in one journal at a time. For the most part I want to be able to share my journals. I try not to write anything in them that I wouldn’t want anyone to read. This journal is an exception. I wanted a place to record my feelings about spirituality and organized religions. I replaced the Virgin Mary with my face in a brass icon, not because I think that I am Virgin Mary or even like the Virgin Mary but because I am “trying to understand”. The title “Confessions of a Sinner” was inspired by my experiences in parochial school and church. Size 6” x 8'”

#6 FRagMENted JOURNAL

Journal #4 wasn’t done yet but I had an idea for this journal and the pages inside of it. Yes, I am FRagMENted! For more information on this journal see this post.

New Profile Picture

 

I have had the same profile picture since the start of this blog in 2006. I am compelled to make a change. To flip up the blinders and look in different directions. This is my masked character RAEvN.  Some characters with dual identities and anonymity choose to duck in and out of their invincible roles. “The disguise has therefore become a mythical element. ... The character divides himself into two component parts, each part playing its role: the alter ego and the secret identity. The dream half (alter ego) expresses all that the author or designer — and with him the reader — would like to be; the other half, rooted in reality, is a symbol of the ordinary everyday man following the behaviour pattern ordained by society. It is a division of life into dream and reality ... and serves to strengthen the individual's self-confidence and to justify his personal way of thinking.” ^[4] 

To join me in my creative journey are my faithful companions… because who else could I convince to wear this costume :)

Spanky

 

Ziggy

  Edna

and Rufus.

Stay tuned for the artful adventures of RAEvN and her supporting canine cast.

Butterflies

 

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

Pages in my “FrAgMEntEd “ Journal

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!

Sketchbook Challenge Theme–Unfurled

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.

My New Art Journal!

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.

Another Art Journal Page

I drew this last night on a prepainted page in my journal. The face is larger than life so that was a challenge for me. I am not used to drawing such big eyes.

Goat Vignette

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.