Fabric of Our Lives

The fabric of our lives 

is woven by those with whom

we choose to spend our time...

The Documented Life Project 2015-

The Journal,  Week 18.

The challenge was to use fabric

on the page...one of my favorite

things to add to a collage!

Of course there had to be stitching

and painted papers too...and

I'm enjoying finding diagrams

to add to the mix.

Linking up to Elizabeth's

T Tuesday blog party...

visit Altered Book Lover blog

to see what the group

is sharing today.

Touch the Stream

Documented Life Project 2015

~The Journal:  Week 15

The challenge was acrylic paint,

the prompt was "Cry me a river."

I painted an imaginary scene by an

imaginary river, and added a quote.

Week 14 challenge was to

work with watercolors, and the

prompt was "water under the

bridge."  The border is watercolor

and pen cut from another piece

of painted paper, then glued to

the acrylic paint background,

and completed by another quote.

Linking up with Elizabeth

for T Tuesday, over at

Altered Book Lover Blog...

and sharing a 'tea' collage

from 2014.

Only a few days left for

this year's  Fake Journal ~ April's

International Fake Journal Month.

Visit Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal

to see what my character has been

up to in the Fake Journal. Maybe

you can guess what my character

does for a living. A couple of people

have figured it out so far...

leave me a comment with

your ideas!

Documenting Collage

Several weeks behind in

The Documented Life Project~

The Journal...

Week 13 was to create

your own design element.

I used some of my 

handmade painted papers

and graph paper to do profiles

of a woman's head, reversing

the position of the papers

in the second layout.

"Celebrate

your unique spirit."

My Fake Journal 2015

is over half done!  You can

see it unfold at

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal.

Considered Truths...

Coming Into Focus

Week 12 of the Documented Life Project-

the Journal.  Focal Point was the

challenge for the week. The dictionary defines

the Focal Point as the center of attention.

I tried to create the most detail in the

lily bloom, and high contrast between 

the background and the lily, in order to

 lead your eye to focus on it. 

Theoretically, the other shapes

 and spaces in the picture plane should

lead your eye around and back to the

focal point.  That's the definition I 

remember from art class. But most 

of the time I am not thinking about

those technical details when I make

a drawing. I just realize when the

drawing 'needs something.'

I also 'filtered out' extra details, as 

there were other stems in this 

potted lily, but I chose to draw 

just one plant.

  

The facing page, above.  You can always

use your own hand for a model! I have

rather small hands and short fingers,

but this does seem a bit distorted.

Linking up with Elizabeth for 

T Tuesday, and sharing my favorite

coffee cup.  I really need to do some

more cup drawings, and have been

thinking of comparing shapes of

coffee cup handles. I wonder how

long it will take for me to get 

'round to it?!

International Fake Journal Month

began on April 1, and I would love to 

have you visit my fake journal blog:

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal.

I pretend to be someone else, who

 makes an art journal that is different

from the art I would normally create.

 Stop by and see if you can guess

what my character is like, and

what he/she does for a living.

"An artist paints with his brains

and not with his hands."

~Michelangelo

WorTh RepeaTing: DocumenTing Life Journal

The Documented Life Project, Week 8:

"It's Worth Repeating."  In the

collage above, I repeated shapes, (cloud-

shapes, flame-shapes, circles)

types of lines -thick and thin, and colors.

The diagonal lines create movement.

Below, a reference to the Periodic

Table of Elements...

Below, Week 10: Mark-Making as a

Layer Element. The shape, thickness,

and direction of the marks (or lines)

on the page will lead your eye

around the composition.

I keep in mind that in Western Art, we 

"read" things from left to right, top

 to bottom, and I place the elements 

of the composition in a way

 that leads the eye over the page

without getting "stuck" in one spot.

There are two pages for each

week's spread, and I've chosen to

do them separately, rather than one

large composition, but with an effort

to make them work together.

Above, Week 11: Borders...

"Borderline, feels like I'm going to

lose my mind..."  

I decided to create a brain diagram

inspired by early drawings/theories.

This is not scientifically researched on

my part...I just wrote in some characteristics!

Linking up with Elizabeth for

T Tuesday, and offering this 

Pumpkin Pie~Apple Muffin recipe...

to go along with whatever

beverage you are having today.

Of course, mine is coffee, rather

than tea. Join the T Tuesday 

gang for coffee, tea, art, or

whatever is going on!

Tomorrow begins my adventure into

Fake Journaling for the month of April.  

You can click on the pink (dog) icon

in the sidebar to read more about

International Fake Journal Month,

or visit me at

Cottonwood Counterfeit Journal

to see my real journal, by a 

fake character! No foolin'.

You might even decide

to try an alternate

reality and join us

in making a

Fake Journal!

Considered Truths...

Layers of Documented Life

The Documented Life Project~the Journal,

is focusing on Layers this month.  Above,

the art journal spread for pages that were

to have five layers (or more) built up to

create the final art piece.

1.) I began by adhering different types

 of paper to the pages, including 

vintage book text and illustrations, 

ledger paper, and 

security envelope designs.

2.) A thin layer of gesso paint went on

next. I left the illustrations 'as-is' 

 just because I liked them that way.

3.) Now some fabric bits, more book text,

and a scrap of painted paper.

4.) Acrylic and watercolor paint were

added, and some small bits of embroidery.

The colors contrast with

 the black and white illustrations

The final layer is Sharpie pen.  I try to

repeat motifs from elsewhere in the 

composition into the pen work. The flower

drawings are repeated from 

the fabric scraps.

The words that came out

onto the page point up the

difference from the 'sweet' colors

and vintage illustrations.  

"In 2015 it seems that there is nothing left

to privacy any more...from television

commercials discussing our most

intimate bodily functions, to Tweets and

internet posts--nothing seems to be

off limits or Too Much Information!?

When did we trade our Dignity for money

and a consuming desire for attention?

(she said as she prepared to 

post her art work on-line)"

Linking up with Elizabeth's

T Tuesday party, and sharing yet 

another coffee cup drawing...

Wishing you a lovely St. Patrick's Day

with lots of Irish Luck, shades of

green, and sunshine!

Documenting Life in Layers

"Words with art friends."

I recorded phrases that I've heard from

art friends when we get together, from

blogger friends, and 

things I've said to them as well...

Let's face it. Friends make life a

lot more fun! This is a spread in my

Documented Life Project journal, and the

challenge was 'Writing -- Words with friends.'

"What lies beneath?"

The challenge was to use 'under-paper' from

your work table. Since I was away on vacation,

I used some paper that I had painted on

with my granddaughter, in addition to

other elements.

"When not to stop."

The month of February is all about layering.

Don't stop 'til you get enough...I liked this quote:

"A painting is never finished, it simply stops 

in interesting places."

This collage was influenced by the colors and

textures of the beach.

"Going undercover 1."

Sometimes you have to cover up portions of

an art piece that you like. Maybe it doesn't 

work with the rest of the piece, or maybe 

you are looking for the depth created by

many layers.  In this case, I decided to do

two separate pages instead of one spread.

Above, materials include origami paper,

painted paper, watercolor and Sharpie pen,

Asian calendar illustration, white gel pen,

and a hand-colored photocopy.

"Going undercover 2."  Layers:

1. Watercolor background

2.  highlighters and colored pen

3. cream acrylic paint 

4. book text and assorted design/painted papers

5. more watercolor (black ovals and shading)

 and Sharpie pen

I admit that vacation put me a bit behind on

the challenges, but I will take time this week

to get caught up on the three that are

percolating...

--Repeating elements

--Use at least 5 layers

--Mark Making as a layer element

Linking up with Elizabeth for T Tuesday, 

and posting a sketch from several years ago

 of my white nondescript coffee mug and

 thin bagel. Visit E. to see 

what the other participants are

sharing today, and what

 beverage they're drinking!

I'm also thinking about the annual

International Fake Journal Month

project coming up in April.  You can

see my Fake Journal from 2014 here.

I'm thinking about who my character 

should be, and how much time I will be

able to spend on a journal page each day.

So far, I've been a student of Japanese art,

a Shaman, and a cake decorator/event planner.

What should I be next?

If you think you might be interested in doing

a Fake Journal this year, click on the 

pink bulldog logo in the sidebar to go to

Roz Stendahl's IFJM blog.  It's a lot of fun

and you can pretend to be anyone you want to!