Fill the Pages

The Documented Life Project 2015:

"Life is a book, we fill the pages."

Squares of painted paper cut into

1 3/4" squares and glued to

black card stock. I had plenty of

scraps to choose from!

Most are watercolor and Sharpie

pen, but some are acrylic paint.

(please pardon the shadows...the paper is really cream colored. 

I was having some difficulty getting the page on the scanner properly)

The theme for the week was supposed

to be all about the words...so I did write

some words on a few squares. But for

some reason the painted papers were

what really made me happy, so that's

my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Linking up with the T Tuesday

gang over at Bleubeard & Elizabeth's.

Sharing my drawing of a wonky tea cup and 

having my mocha coffee. (Yes, it's ok

to have a beverage other than tea)

Join us for a beverage of your choice,

a pastry, or maybe even some

creativity!

Painting on a Dryer Sheet

copyright Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

Painting on an unlikely surface

can be an interesting challenge...

how about a dryer sheet?

Watercolor and gouache, with

touches of white gel pen on a 

generic-brand, used dryer sheet.

copyright Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

It's a bit like trying to paint on 

Swiss cheese, as the surface is full

of holes. At first I had the dryer sheet

 on waxed paper as I painted.

When I realized how much paint (a lot!)

was ending up on the paper below it, I

just decided to glue it into my journal

and continue painting. It needed the

background surface to 'fill-in' the little

holes in the texture of the fabric.

copyright Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

This was a challenge from The

Documented Life Project~ The Journal, 2015.

Another suggestion was painting on dried

tea bags.  (Now I realize that it would have 

been perfect for tea day!) Tea bags or

dryer sheets are both free, recycled,

 translucent surfaces that can be

used for art. The texture of the finished

piece is very interesting...soft and blurry,

because the bumpy surface prevents

sharp details. The woman in this little

painting is modeled after a lovely black

and white vintage photo that I bought in

an antique shop. The hair-style was a

challenge, since I couldn't discern a lot of

detail in the old photo.  I decided to cut 

the dryer sheet into an oval shape and

make it resemble a piece of jewelry.

Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

Linking up with the T Tuesday group

over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog...

sharing a beverage, and whatever

else we are experiencing

at the moment. 

Stop by for a cup!

Here is a tea cup that I bought at a local

 thrift store this week. It's quite pretty, 

  and it was inexpensive! There was no

 matching saucer, as you might be able to

 see in the photo. I just picked out a saucer 

 a little similar to the cup and went with it. 

Think, mismatched "Mad Tea Party."

Wishing you warm cups of

whatever beverage you enjoy on a 

Fall harvest pumpkin kind of day...

Translucent Coverage: Torn Fabric

The Documented Life Project 2015~

The Journal.  One challenge this month

was to use vellum, which I didn't have.

But fabric I do have!  I think the very

sparkly translucent fabric I used on this 

page is organza, but I'm not sure. It's very

difficult to see in the scan above. A

loose stitched 'flap' covers two layers

of fabric, adding sparkle and mystery.

There are rows of vertical hand-stitching,

but I don't think they're visible in the scan.

Click on the photo for a better look...

Above, the organza has been lifted to

reveal the cotton fabric that has been

painted with a simple floral design in

watercolor. It echoes the designs in the

printed fabric beneath it. I drew around

the flowers in permanent Sharpie marker

for more definition, since the watercolor

naturally faded and bled into the fabric.

I also quilted around the flowers a bit 

to connect it with the floral fabric beneath.

When lifting all three layers of fabric,

journaling is revealed beneath...I 

like the initial splattered and swirled

watercolor background, but it is 

difficult for me to leave it alone and

not overwork it...

The facing page:  I drew this little

flower from a bouquet my husband 

brought home to me. It is 'pen direct to

paper,' (no pencil sketch first) and I rather

like the pink background showing through

the leaves of the painting. The bouquet

survived a night in the car, as my husband

forgot to bring them in to me when he

got home from work! Since it was in the 40'sF

that night, they were a bit wilted, but 

perked up when I put them in water!

A very nice surprise...

Here's the coffee mug I am having

my morning mocha in today...

linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for T Tuesday.  Enjoying my flowers,

both real and stitched. What are you

enjoying these days?

Autumn Journal Pages

I am influenced by the color

around me, including the

colors of the seasons.  This week

in Ohio, the light seemed golden, 

the autumn colors of the trees were

silhouetted against gorgeous blue

skies.  I spent quite a bit of time

walking at various parks this

week, enjoying the sunshine.

Above, a collage in my 

Documented Life Project journal.

The month of October challenge

was Translucent Papers.  The strip

of paper on the left of the spread is

Deli paper, painted with gouache.

 You may be able to see the 

yellow lined paper that is visible

beneath it.  The Jack-o-lantern and

moon are copies of watercolors

that I did, inspired by vintage images.

Next, I used painted tissue paper

on the pages above and below. The

 tissue was painted with watercolor,

let dry, and torn into leaf shapes.

Wet tissue paper is very delicate and

tears easily! Let dry after gluing, and 

draw outlines and details. (I used purple

gel pen) The oval leaves are from

 a vintage child's 'Shape Book.'

I think the above page is actually

my favorite.  The torn tissue paper shapes

were glued down for the leaves and the

shapes of the trees at the bottom. I also

used some highlighter, and fluorescent

gel pen, but not sure that detail is 

visible on the scan. (click to enlarge)

A 'Happy Halloween'

Artist Trading Card...

washi tape, markers, pen

and scrapbook paper.

Linking up with 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth for

T Tuesday, when I generally

have coffee instead of tea...

but no one seems to hold it

against me as we are all very

individual in our tastes!

Stop by Elizabeth's blog for

 a cup of something...

◘  ♦  ◘

Self-Portrait and a Verse

The prompt last week for 

The Documented Life Project~ The Journal

was a self-portrait.  The guest artist was

Pam Carriker, who did a painting with

graphite, white and black paint. 

 I decided to try the monochromatic

technique she demonstrated.  I think

it does resemble me, but people tell

me they think of me as usually smiling.

  However,  it is difficult to maintain

 a smile while you're painting yourself, 

so that's why the serious expression. 

Would you recognize me in a dark alley?

I do recommend practicing self-portraits...

you can work from a photo or a mirror

(as I did) and it really doesn't matter if

the drawing ends up looking like you.

Getting practice drawing faces is

the main idea, and you are always

available to model!

I came across a beautiful image

of an antique sampler on Pinterest,

and decided to write down the

verse in one of my journals, along

with some of the motifs on the sampler.

I'm afraid life as a 'lady' in 1727 was

very restricted. I am not quite sure what

the phrase "modes of France" means,

other than British and American 

conservative Christian homes thought 

of French society as the height of

decadence and indulgence...?

I love the old angels on samplers 

and graveyard stones,

but I did 'pretty her up' a bit...

Linking up with T Tuesday

over at Altered Book Lover...

sipping my coffee and recycling

an image of a tea cup for my

beverage this morning.

We Make Things. It is Fun.

Week 28 of the Documented Life Project 2015:

Time keeps on ticking...

I made some color copies of a journal page

I had painted of vintage bottles, cut them out

and glued onto this new page. In this

newer incarnation, I included

a Jim Croce song lyric.

Other painted papers, graph paper, and

 origami papers are also part of the collage.

For the second half of the Week 28 spread I used

some vintage illustrations from an old health textbook.

I love that this elementary school

 textbook presented arts and crafts 

as part of a balanced,

 healthy development - 

along with brushing your teeth! 

Watercolor and assorted papers 

and pen drawing complete the collage.

Week 39, "At this Moment..."

another collage with my own drawing of

a flower and clouds, painted papers, and stamping.

The bird image is a commercial rubber stamp,

and the leaf image is a stamp that I carved.

Enjoy Summer Fun...an Artist Trading Card

that I made earlier in the summer, just seemed

to fit here in this collage. It is taped hinge-style

on one side. Beneath the atc reads

"enjoy the now."

And I hope you are enjoying 

the now! Whether it's quiet moments

with friends and family, or exciting

new adventures!

Linking up with 

Art Journal Every Day

over at Balzer Designs, and

Art Journal Journey.

Travel Journaling ~ on T Tuesday

Travel Journaling is the theme for

The Documented Life Project for June 2015.

This week the challenge was 

illustrative journaling. Of course I chose

to draw, but there are many other ways of

illustrating your experiences while traveling.

Collaging illustrations from travel brochures,

 maps, and photos would all be great possibilities.

As usual, I did some sketching while hubby

drove the car.  It's kind of amazing the

 things you can see along the road

 to draw ~ when you are looking

for them!  The crumpled orange barrel

still makes me smile...a classic icon for

driver frustration.  Please do click on the image

to see the details, especially the

'Blasting Ahead' sign!

(There were no signs of actual 'blasting'

as we drove through the area, however,

thank goodness!)

We had a wonderful time in Tennessee for

a couple of days, just visiting our son's family

and spending time at the pool. 

I draw in my calendar/agenda...after 

participating in The

Documented Life Project 2014, I wasn't

ready to give up decorating an 

agenda-type journal.  This isn't

 nearly as complex as last 

year's, but has enough space to draw

and collage when the inspiration strikes.

Linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for the T Tuesday blog hop, in which

we share a beverage, and what we've

been 'up to.'  Visit the link to

join us for tea! (or coffee, or whatever)

Artist Trading Card: watercolor & pen

  I hope you are having

some summer fun, and 

enjoying each moment 

to the fullest!