A Lesson in Calm

Inchies are 1 inch squares of art.  This page is a grid of inchies I did for the Souling Journaling workshop I'm doing.  This prompt didn't really speak to me when I started it.  I was given a set of words and phrases to find picture of in magazines.  This didn't feel to "arty" at first.  As I searched I realized that there were things in magazines, especially gift catalogs, that I really liked. In the end, I went back and cut some of those things out as well and added them to my set of 24 inchies. A few of the ones I added are: the compass, the steampunk boot, the acorn, the creek rocks and the large butterfly on the insert. I love that large butterfly that was meant to hang on someone's wall.  

By the time I was finished with this page, I felt like it was almost an exercise in meditation. Last night I took out those same magazines and I started again, looking for a specific color pallet this time.  I looked for creams, beiges, browns and tans. These are not my usually colors.  They are my friend, Pam's, colors of choice.  It was very soothing and Zin like for me to think of Pam as I cut out those calm colors.  I don't know if I'll make a collage out of them or not but it was a very calming exercise for me. 

My non art life has been a bit chaotic the last few weeks.  I really needed that exercise in calm last evening.  My art continues to enrich my life in ways I never expected.  I live my art in all kind of ways these days... I didn't expect that.

Link to:  Artist Play Room (check out that steampunk boot) and Paint Party Friday.

Soul Journaling with Sarah Whitmire

I started my Soul Journal this week.  I heard about it from Jean Parker when she did an Art Journal demo at Plaza Arts in Nashville.  Click the link to learn all about Sarah Whitmire's Soul Journaling.  

These are my Claiming My Journal pages. It was fun to think of all the ways to write my name and some of the variations of what I'm called by my friends.



This was the prompt for starting the armour....
I want you to think about what you need to protect and nourish your creative spirit. Think about the things that sustain you. What’s needed to shield you from outside criticism and your inner critic?  

I enjoyed this prompt because I've done a lot of work on this question. I was excited to put what I'd learned in my art journal.  My shield says: GIVE IT TO GOD, BE POSITIVE, SELF CARING BEHAVIOR. I usually know what nourishes me these days. I didn't for a long time. My art has changed as I learned more about who I am and have accepted myself as I am.  I'm not going to paint portraits or draw an exact likeness of my dog. That is not where my talent lies and that's OK with me.  I hope that I will continue to learn new things and stretch as an artist.  My stretch on these pages is the eyes. I'm not so great at drawing a face but I'm getting better with eyes so for today... I added eyes. Those are my feet in my favorite Mephisto sandals. Anyone who knows me, knows I live in flip flops and sandals.

Link to Book of Days, Artist Play Room