Small Things

A very quick journal page in
my hard-back art journal...
this started with writing down the haiku
then adding the quote from a book
that I was reading. ( I recommend it by the way. It is actually for young readers, but definitely fun!)
These were written down several days apart.
Then some leftover scraps of fabric
were added, and some painted paper.
I really liked the color & pattern
combinations of
these scraps, so even though they were only
about one-half inch in size, I slapped them
on the page anyway, and then
added doodles.
I don't usually leave the page white, and
am wondering if I should add a watercolor
wash, but hesitate to mess it up. Will live
with it for a while and revisit the decision.
The dots are from punching holes for
binding an art swap project...again-
I couldn't just throw them away.
The colors were fun and
added whimsy!

Green Journal Bingo

The first page, above, from the Green Journal, sent to me by Elizabeth. I got in a hurry and glued on a bit of cranberry tea packaging before I remembered to scan the page for a "before" shot! Don't you just love the little bird sticking up on one of the following pages? Below is what I did with this fun substrate...



I put a thin coat of gesso on the Bingo card, added painted papers, drawings with marker and a fabric strip at the bottom. The text is cut from a book to create "found poetry." It reads:

Sometimes I feel like
spirit and energy brings
seeds
simple, profound, golden
a garden.
I whispered
create
vision
unimagined.

You can click on any image to see a larger view. Below is the next page, with some text already begun on the page. A clear sleeve is cleverly attached to the edge of the previous page, so it folds out and can be filled with whatever I like. I am working on little collages to fit into the space.

My journals are usually about the visual art rather than the writing, but I am going to try to do a mix for this journal...I often use quotes that strike my fancy, but for this journal I am going to try to include some personal insights...moving out of my comfort zone a bit! Either way, visual art or writing most prominent, I find that it is relaxing and healing...

A Journal Gift

I have received a wonderful gift
from Elizabeth of the Altered Book Lover blog.
She constructed this lovely journal from paper
and fabric, fiber and scraps. It is a joy!
The cover is a green cotton with a sheer
fabric overlay that has a glittery pattern.
The ribbon is also sheer with gold
sparkles.

Inside the front cover is sewn
a pocket from fabric with a "country" design.
The pocket has two narrow sections
sewn vertically.

Above, are my additions to the journal cover.
I sewed on two mini-collages
that are 1 1/2 inches square.
The vertical rectangle is a "Moo Card"
that I made from another mini collage
and had color copied. I hand sewed them
to the cover with embroidery floss.
The words were stamped on fabric
that has been painted with
craft acrylic paints, and then glued on.

On the inside cover, to hide
the back side of my stitching, I glued
on some hand-made paper
and another mini-collage.
The hand-made paper is also a gift
from Elizabeth (many years ago...
ok, I've been kinda hoarding this!)
and its texture is wonderful.
I created a tag (on the right) and
a narrow envelope (left) to hold the lovely note
that Elizabeth sent with my surprise package.

There are so many beautiful pages
to play with in this journal,
and it will be challenging for me
to work in it, because I find myself
not wanting to cover up anything!
But I know it's meant for more art-making,
and I am so lucky to have a friend
in Elizabeth! She has been a faithful
"Swap" coordinator, and has
been a wonderful teacher in
all things 'altered books...'
I hope you'll visit Elizabeth's
blog Altered Book Lover to see
her adventures in art.
Thanks for all you do E!

Illustrations in my Art Journal

Pen and watercolor in my Art Journal.
Reflections and sights from a visit
to "Amish country" in Ohio.
An Amish community that is
affluent from the tourism,
but that very tourism has created
what could be considered an
adverse effect on the area.

The Amish continue to follow their
'plain' lifestyle, but many gift shops,
antique malls, and other businesses
have made the area much more commercial.
It is still a beautiful rural area, but
also much changed.
You can still see baby Swiss cheese being
made, buy Amish baked goods at the
bakery or market, or purchase a
hand-quilted quilt.
I always enjoy seeing the barefoot children,
the horse and buggies, and colorful laundry
blowing in the breeze on the line.
A lot of the Amish were
riding their bicycles. A local auction
caused some interesting sights
created by Amish families hauling their
purchases home in their wagon or buggy.
A delightful day-trip on a sunny summer day...

Mail Art

FISH MAIL

Postcard created from recycled cardboard
with collage over the 'printed' side.
Collage created from cotton fabric,
scraps of handmade paper and an ad,
a scrap of watercolor and ink,
stamping, hand-drawn swirls,
and the canceled postage image.
An extra fine-point Sharpie marker will
write on almost anything, including fabric.

What is Mail Art?

Mail art is art which uses the postal system as a medium. The term mail art can refer to an individual message, the medium through which it is sent, or an artistic genre. Mail art is also known as postal art and is sometimes referred to as Correspondence/Mail Art (CMA).

Mail artists typically exchange ephemera in the form of illustrated letters, zines, rubber stamped, decorated or illustrated envelopes, artist trading cards, postcards, artistamps, faux postage, mail-interviews, naked mail, friendship books, decos, and three-dimensional objects.

An amorphous international mail art network, involving thousands of participants in over fifty countries, evolved between the 1950s and the 1990s. It was influenced by other movements, including Dada and Fluxus.

One theme in mail art is that of commerce-free exchange; early mail art was, in part, a snub of gallery art, juried shows, and exclusivity in art. A saying in the mail art movement is "senders receive", meaning that one must not expect mail art to be sent to oneself unless one is also actively participating in the movement.

Excerpted from Wikipedia on-line article.

MAKE (AND SEND) SOME MAIL ART TODAY!