Work & Play

Finding a balance of work and play is important to me, 

and sometimes difficult to do. 

We own a small rustic styled shack on a few acres of land on the shores of this lake, 

and have spent many family hours there. 

But the shack was in desperate need of some work, 

so my hubby has been spending some time giving it some well deserved TLC.

I joined him this past weekend, and helped him where I could. 

I also spent some time at my outdoor table creating in my 

'For the Love of Play' journal.

While I was there I finished the page on the right (I think it is finished....) 

The other pages I am showing here I have worked on during the past couple of weeks. 

It was a perfect blend of work & play.

About Little

Another Little Creation

made with layers of paper glued down 

to a base of folded watercolour paper

with added gesso, paint and graphite

I am beginning to realize that I often work little

as I only have little bits of creative time. 

I wonder if I would work bigger if I had big chunks of creative time?

  

More journal page creations from the online course

with Katie Kendrik - "Grit and Grace"

There are numerous assignments each week

that for now I am completing the ones that grab me 

and I have time for - this may be a year long project! 

I started another new journal 

(I have SO many on the go right now!)

This one is an old book that I am collaging and painting on

..... trying for a looser style 

and letting out whatever shows up.

I really enjoyed this exercise on a paper bag.

Collage Play

I love the work of Magaly Ohika, and last summer 

she posted a free tutorial on how she creates her lovely collage girls.

I finally had some play time and gave it a try.

My girl, of course looks nothing like hers - which is fine. 

And one girl lead to another 

which lead me to make a copy of the second girl

to which I added some lines, shading and some ink. 

I then decided to decorate some paper that I could use in future collages. 

I am pretty sure there are more to come!

Forest Girl

It has been a long time since I have joined in the weekly drawing challenge.

This weeks prompt was 'hair'

And my girl's hair came straight from the forest. 

While I was working on it, I kept hearing Mary Oliver's beautiful poem in my head. 

Sleeping In The Forest

I thought the earth remembered me, she

took me back so tenderly, arranging

her dark skirts, her pockets

full of lichens and seeds. I slept

as never before, a stone

on the riverbed, nothing

between me and the white fire of the stars

but my thoughts, and they floated

light as moths among the branches

of the perfect trees.  All night

I heard the small kingdoms breathing

around me, the insects, and the birds 

who do their work in the darkness. All night

I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling

with a luminous doom. By morning

I had vanished at least a dozen times

into something better.

- Mary Oliver

Which made me want to see what she looked like in my fig tree. 

For more interpretation of 'hair' make sure to visit the blog of  tiny WOOLF

Emerging

 

 

 

 

 

 

After many hours and many layers of paint  she emerged.

 

 

 

She is created from a piece of wood that I covered with paper and tea bags to provide some texture.

 

 

 

 

I continue to be comfortable working on pieces around this size or smaller. 

And so for now that is where I will stay.

 

 

I love the idea of scribbling on a creation, so I continued to try it out here.

 

 

 

Some of the leaves were made from a hand carved stamp I made,

I then continued to add leaves by scribbling them on with my pen.

 

I wonder what will emerge from the next project???

 

I have many things started, so I hope to finish one of them before beginning anything else brand new.

Listening To The Whispers

 

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful then the risk it took to blossom."

-Anais Nin

Even though I have bits and pieces of jewelry that are waiting patiently to be finished I do not seem to have the creative energy to finish them.  Instead I felt a great need to create a collage. It had to happen .... there were no ifs or buts... just the need to create a collage.  And so I cut little bits and pieces and moved them around and around  - drew a little face and moved the pieces again and again until the puzzle was completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I thought about Jane Davies and her request for postcards to try and keep her little post office open, and decided I should alter it and make it into a postcard to send to her.  Not sure if it will be the version above .... below.... or at the beginning of this post. 

Constant State of Becoming

This piece is one that is presently on my desk.

I started it many months ago. It is a painting on a plaster covered cradle board.

and although it has had many different looks I forgot to take pictures along the way.

This is how it looks today. I am not sure if it is finished or not

as she, like me is in a constant state of becoming....

I did hang her on the wall to take a picture .... which usually means the piece is done, but I have taken an "on the wall picture" of her three times already, (which I deleted so I don't have them to share) and continued to add to her. I will leave her for a while and see what she becomes....

Journal Page #1

I have been a maker of books for a few years now, but I have never been a journaller. I have wanted to write in these books, but I never managed to. So when Judy Wise offered up a class on journaling, I jumped at the opportunity to take it. It helped that I made a new journal that I knew I was going to throw paint into, and not worry about messing up.

And here is my first page in my journal.

I am far behind in the lessons, as Judy has many ideas on page development and writing prompts - but I will get there. I will continue to work at the speed that I am able to . Learning, trying and growing.