Fake Journal. Real Flowers.

The Fake Journal continues...

watercolor and pen on Canson Mi Tientes paper.

Red gel pen used to create a "chop,"

the date, and time of the art's completion.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Pink faded petals

torn leaves with crisp brown edges,

yet sunshine touches.

Real Art. Fake Journal.

where would you like

to be to make a drawing?

a serene landscape

with infinite possibilities

and unlimited time to

draw and paint

would be ideal...










a twisted tree
makes wonderful shapes
in the surrounding space...
our lives take many


unexpected
twists and turns...
savor each moment.







FAKE JOURNAL 2012

'Fake' Journal Pages

Seek design balance

deceptive simplicity,

harder than it looks.

International Fake Journal Month, April 2012

April is International Fake Journal Month,

a challenge by Roz Stendahl of Roz Wound Up...

create a 'fake' journal.

You can click on the icon in the side bar

to find out more about the challenge,

or to join in.

What if I had an alter ego.

or

what if there were another 'me'

in an alternate universe?

or

what if I were someone else entirely?

What would my art journal look like?

Would I even keep one?

For the month of April 2012,

I will explore an alternate awareness.

This little journal is Canson Mi Tientes paper.

It doesn't have many pages since it's only

going to be used for one month.

Pages are watercolor and pen.

Explore this new identity with me...

April Fool

April Fool's Day

is a day when people play jokes on

each other. The Roman festival of 

Hilaria, held on March 25th, and the

Medieval Festival of Fools, on Dec.28th,

may be the beginnings of April Fools Day.

Iranians play jokes on each other on the 13th

day of the Persian New Year, which falls on

April 1st or 2nd, and many believe that it

is the origin of April Fool's Day.

A "fool" is also a term for a court jester,

who entertained the king and court.

According to Wikipedia, "The fool's status

was one of privilege within a royal or noble 

household. His folly could be regarded as the

ravings of a madman, but was often deemed

divinely inspired."  Jesters served not only

to amuse, but to criticize their master

and mistress, or guests.

The jester could mock and freely dispense

insight, while a nobleman could find himself

in the dungeon for similar remarks!

"What soap is to the body,

laughter is to the soul."

~ Yiddish Proverb

Have you had a good laugh today?

Art Journal Thoughts

Art journal pages can be many things.

These pages are expressions of

what was on my mind this week...

unseasonably warm weather, 

blessed green buds and the

joy of spring blooms...

Renewal is something that nature

shows us in dramatic ways.

People also need to be renewed

in spirit, nourishment, thought,

and in fun!

Incorporated in this journal page is

a shopping list and some images from

posters that I used for a talk that I gave.

Lots of doodles and fabric create

additional color and texture.

Food for Thought, and healthy

Food for the Body are both

important priorities...

and art helps feed my spirit.

Pink Journal Completed

The little pink journal that had 

just 24 pages, is complete...

here are some pages that have

been posted on the blog in the past.

The "barracuda" page is my favorite...

I have left these drawings (above) without color,

but am not sure I will be able to resist adding it.

The detail of a statue (right) is drawn from an art history

textbook...such a serene expression on this queen.

She looks very Buddha-like...

Slay your dragon, whatever it may be...

jump in and make art!

Trying Out Gouache

Gouache is an opaque water-based paint.

It handles a lot like poster paints, and

has a matte finish.

(click on any image to view enlargement)

There are only a couple of blank

pages left in this little journal made

from pink drawing paper.

This pen drawing is similar to one I did

for a swap, here, in which the theme was East Indian

art. I liked the textures and patterns so much,

that I did a page for myself in this journal.

I think I may have to add watercolor

to this.  Do you think it needs color?

Another page using gouache,

where I used up the colors left on my 

palette.  When I start to think that my

journal pages are becoming too similar

to each other, it's time to try something different,

like no words, just shapes-texture-color!

Seek Something Delightful

Art journaling in my visual art journal

makes a cold gray day more bearable...

watercolor, drawing, and collage

give me an outlet to express

frustrations, sadness or joy...

quotes can often be a starting point.

(click on any image for a larger view.)

Seek something delightful

each day.

Fill your day with color!

Mini Book from ATC's

I made a mini book from Artist Trading Card

sized bits of recycled cardboard.  I used

illustrations and text from an old

book about Alaska.

This ATC mini-book also combines

fabric scraps, assorted papers, and

my watercolor and pen drawings.
(click on any image to enlarge)

Most of the pages have minimal additions

to the background image.

I used words cut from the text

to create a "found poem."

I liked the contrast of the Northwest

art images and the watercolor, right.

This was a new way for me to 

use the Artist Trading Card size format.

I put this together while watching television,

trying not to over think the process and

using what I had on hand.

It's a format that has infinite possibilities...

The text reads:

nomads adapting to the signs
In the chapel
printed in Japanese
reviving interest in
the Northwest Indian arts
hostile beauty
faded into the distance.