Joyful Purpose

Lucky Shoe Painting Collection on Sale

Now for Sale in my Etsy Shop

Lucky Feet

The "Lucky Feet" series

I love horseshoes - obviously I love the feet they are on - and what they represent - good fortune, luck, prosperity, and the noble steed.  So I have decided to do a series of 6x6 paintings based on color and emotion.  I like them grouped together to make a whole other piece.

Thematic Journal Workshop - Part Three

Now is the time to start going back through pages and adding new elements and details to them.  I find that time away from the page gives you a new perspective and angle to your work.  Above I used tape to block out parts of the title page and to highlight the title of the

Book - A Simple Path

journaling desk

Journaling Page ~ Namaste

step 1

step 2

 step 3                                                                      

• using paints and pencil draw images and layer them with paint
• add painted images or shapes to integrate the pages together
• repeat shapes, symbols and designs on both pages to unify them.

 

Lesson with the Master ~ Miss Juliana

Sitting on a shelf above my journaling desk are a few essential books for reference~

Risking Everything ~ 110 poems

Mary Oliver New and selected Vol I

Mary Oliver New and Selected Vol.II

Rumi ~ Hidden Music

and a collection of the teachings, writings, musings, and workshops of the Master of Art Journaling (in my humble opinion)

Miss Juliana Coles

Over the years I have taken many classes from Jules - and I must say above all people she has influenced my work the most.  So I have compiled a book of all of her workshop guides into one Master Tome ~ it is kind of like having her there - pushing me, irking me, pissing me off, making me cry which of course all results in making me grow, evolve, learn, and become more in touch with myself.  No, it's not the same thing as having her magical presence, but in my head I can hear her voice and swear I can see those eyes glaring at me with pursed lips and raised eyebrows!  That's what a great teacher does for you - they push you - hard - to give more of yourself - to be better ...

My goal is to collect them all so I am off to her Etsy shop to purchase the ones - the few that I don't have.

So if you haven't taken a class with Jules - DO - you will never be the same!

Thematic Journal Workshop - Part Two

The second part of the Thematic journal project is to start laying down the beginnings of pages.

• choose some of your favorite photos and print them out on matter photo paper
• tear edges with a metal ruler or your fingers to create an organic edge
• go through pages in book and glue down photos on pages
• using caran d'ache and colored pencils add overlapping images - picking up a design or image and drawing it to connect the two pages.
• choose poems or quotes and add them to the pages

Charmed I'm Sure

 


New in my Etsy Shop - Charm Bracelets

FORTIES FLAIR

HEARTS GALORE

A glimpse of Heaven

The eyes have it to be sure.  I have always been fascinated by a horse's eye.  They tell you so much about them and you most definitely get a glimpse into their soul.











and when it comes to painting them - the eye is key - if you can capture their eye - you can capture their essence.







They say "The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." 

But I say that you can see the glimpse of Heaven through their eyes.

Looky, Looky, what was left on my doorstep

Look what UPS delivered  ....

My friend LK Ludwig's newest book

Collaborative Art Journals

It's FABULOUS  - you will love it! 

Thematic Journal Workshop - Part One

I have been working on a series of "thematic journals"

that I will be teaching at an upcoming workshop and thought that I would pass this along to all of you.  Over the next few weeks I will post instructions and progress.  If you would like to join in please comment and leave your link and I will post them so that others can enjoy the process.

Part One: Journal Prep

Materials:

• A hardback picture book that has a theme that speaks to you and has great images.  (Barnes and Noble bargain section is great, yard sales, etc)
• gesso in black and white
• craft paint
• pens, markers
• colored pencils
• caran d'ache neo color II
• stapler
• brushes
• glue stick
• metal ruler
• brayer
• bone folder
• variety of papers

Step 1:
Select a book

Step 2:
Go through book and mark pages that you really like to highlight.

Step 3:
Glue together pages that you don't care for to give pages that you do more weight.

Step 4:
Gesso pages

• paint over whole text pages
• paint over page but highlight an image or portion of an image
• frame images

Step 5:
Tear down pages

• using a metal ruler placed at the spine of the book tear down two pages at a time.
• insert a variety of papers by gluing into the middle of this leftover tab.
• tabs can be gessoed or painted over

*I use dyed papers, watercolor paper, printed paper, etc.

Step 6:
Add paper elements to pages using matte medium or glue.

p.s. I lovvvvveee black gesso - can you tell ;)

Part II shall be forthcoming ....

 

Painter's Progress ~ Finale

"Fanniya"                                                                                acrylic   18x24

The painting - The "Mare" is finished.  Now I can show you what I was working from start to finish ~

Start:


photo



#1



#2


 
#3


 
#4


Finish