Home Is Where I Store My Paint

I think I "Art Journaled" for the first time today. I usually do "art" in an altered book or a journal. Usually it's more about the art than the words.  Words about my feelings usually go in a private "word" journal.  

Today was different.  I was working on the Black & White challenge for the Creative Everyday and all I knew was I wanted layers.  Layers are not so easy with only two colors.  I'm a big color person so black and white was an additional challenge for me.  I slapped on some gesso and some pieces black paper I tore from a magazine ad. I actually used the gesso as the glue.  Then I added strips of white paper with black print from the same magazine.  Then I used sequin waste and stenciled with black craft paint.  The top left didn't look so great so I tried wiping it off and I got the grey smear which I didn't love.  

Next I tried putting a bit of black paint at the top of the page and spritzing it to make it run.  As you can read from what I did next... The paint wouldn't run.  I got a few grey streaks but no great black drips!  I now have a very wet page and NO drips.  It took me a while to dry the darn thing enough to try something else.

At this point I sat staring at the black paint I had left on my pallet (also know as the top of my gesso).  I picked up a toothpick that I'd used to mix paint the other day and started writing in black paint with the toothpick.  Yep, they giant words were written with a toothpick.  

At this point, I took a break and looked at a mixed media book.  There was a layout in it these cool hand drawn hearts.  I thought, "I sure wish I could draw cool hearts."  On my way back to the studio, I looked down and there on the floor was the heart stamp you see on this page. I have no idea what CD case (that's how I store my unmounted stamps) it fell out of because I have not used hearts stamps is a few years.  

You've heard the old staying... "God watching out for fools and drunks..."  I'm adding "and budding mixed media artists" to that saying.  That heart stamp got my muse going again.  I've wanted to try putting houses in one of pieces for a while.  I haven't because I've been trying to draw them with a pencil and I'm never happy with them. I thought, what the heck, all I can do is screw it up a little more... so I picked up a brush and painted houses. I think working with paint was easier for me than the pencil.  

In the middle of all this creative energy, I look down and I see I have drops of gesso stuck to my 1945 hardwood floor.  That lead my mind to another tangent.  Most people have a studio in their home.  I think my home is my studio. I have the room I actually create in and I have this other room that is going to be an additional creative space when the boxes get unpacked.  

My studio is off of my living room so my art spills into my living space all the time.  I actually like it this way.  Its cozy and makes me feel warm, fuzzy and comforted.  My mom would have a stroke if she could see it and my dad keeps asking if I have a table for eating dinner.  I do have a table but it's for art not dinner.  

Those thoughts lead to the quote over the houses.  For me, home is where I store my paint, ink, paper, glue, ephemera......  Thanks for stopping by and listening to my long story about this page.  I had a blast doing this page and in the end I got the gesso off the floor too.