Monday, October 31, 2011

The Collage Cafe -- October's Photos and November Date

Daniel Doing Some Serious Stamping
The Next Collage Cafe is Saturday, November 19th, 2-5pm!
I've had two Collage Cafes this month, and really, I have so much fun at them that in the New Year I am going to offer them 3 times a month! I am there in the studio most Saturdays anyway -- so I can't really think of a more pleasurable time than to spend it in the creative company of others! At the Collage Cafes, people bring projects they are working on or want to get started on, and I supply the tools, supplies, and gentle guidance.
Ingrid's Gift Box for Doree

Daniel and Ingrid have come to several of my Collage Cafes and Express Yourself! workshops. Ingrid is a certified Pilates Master Instructor and Daniel is a gaming designer. Both seem to enjoy exploring the mysteries of creative self-expression and literally throw themselves into the process. Daniel is like this whirling dervish -- give him a prompt and he's totally off in a different direction that I can only call WILD-ly CREATIVE -- it is thrilling to watch. Ingrid has gone past her initial doubt of her ability to create beautiful pages and objects filled with feeling.

Daniel's Transformation of a Board Book on Love and Romance

In My Travels: Happy Halloween

Kentucky Pumpkins

In the Studio: Greens for Chrissy

Altered Books and Journals on My Table

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 830

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 830: Meet Me in the Middle

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 829

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 829: Do I Feel the Life I Want?

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 828

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 828: Transformation Through Love

Friday, October 28, 2011

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 827

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 827: Transformation Through Love

Je Dessine ("I Draw") Show-and-Tell Monday

Sabrina and Magic
acrylic, watersoluble crayons
Hey it's Friday! Yep. I'm just r-e-a-l slow these days! Here's a picture I drew of Sabrina, my teacher, holding my stuffed pinto pony. Sabrina really liked the background treatment I did (different yellows, then scumbling with a paper towel), as well as the shadow of the pony's head that I accidentally left in. Sabrina said that it doesn't matter if it was unintentional or not -- everything is intentional in the learning process.

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 826

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 826: Get More Beautiful

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 825

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 825: Who Walks Away

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 824

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 824: Lessons from Another Life

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Express Yourself! Workshop September

  Emma's "Anatomy of the Heart" Altered Book Spread
This was my first Express Yourself! workshop held in my new art studio. I had four participants -- one who had been to quite a few earlier in the year, and three others who hadn't been before. I think the photos speak for themselves. Obviously something grabs hold of you when you open a used book and start laying down color. From a teaching POV -- it's often like watching a brush fire take hold, maybe the spark smolders a while, but then KABOOM! things start happening! Emma's talent was kind of awesome to behold -- her use of paint and color and images was totally different than anyone else's I've seen so far.

 Ingrid's Finished Pocket Spread -- "Beauty"
Ingrid has been to several of my workshops in the past and had returned to finish up some pages and complete a book. This pocket spread is bursting with color and embellishments, and she brilliantly brought the arms and hands out of slots cut into the image's head so that they would appear to stream along with her hair.

Shara's "Feel the Heat" Spread





Shara, with her typical jump-in-with-all-ya'-got style, took a fairy book for children and started to transform into a wildlife sanctuary that speaks of her kinship with animals. Love the boldness and use of the floral reeds!

Cecile's "Through Hell into Heaven" AB Spread
Cecile's strong design sense came with a BANG to the surface in her first-ever book spread. She was totally excited about what came out of her. And what a yummy use of browns and tans.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 820


Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 820 Side A -- Desire and Envy

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 820 Side B -- Envy and Desire

Je Dessine Mondays: Miss Pegge in Her Parlor

This is a recent acrylic painting inspired by my mother. My teacher, Sabrina instructed me to paint fast and not think too hard. Also it didn't matter if it didn't look like my mother. Once I finished, I felt pretty good about the doing of it, and it definitely captured some characteristics of my mother. I emailed the photo to my brother to show her. They both liked it a lot!

And this is a photo of my teacher, Sabrina TerHeune, 89 years young. A fount of knowledge, a force to be reckoned with! The teacher I had been looking for all of my life! We laugh a lot! Thank you Sabrina!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Daily Journal page Challenge -- Day 819

Daily Journal page Challenge...Day 819: Wild at Heart (Embrace the Moment)

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 818

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 818: Embrace the Truth

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 817

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 817: Go Ahead, Jump!

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 816

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 816: Making It Work

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 815


Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 815 Side A -- Are You Ready (To Change)
Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 815 Side B -- Are You Ready (For Freedom)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 811

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 811: Free-Spirited

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 810

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 810 Side A: Conflicted (Maybe It's Time)

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 810 Side B: Conflicted (Go Ahead Flaunt)

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 810 Side C: Conflicted (Imagine You Discover)

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 809

Daily Journal Page Challenge,,,Day 809: A Whole New Way

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 808

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 808: Wild. Pure. Delicious.

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 807

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 807: Unconventional Wisdom

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 806

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 805: The Conversation Starter. And Ender.

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 805

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 805: Ripe for Discovery