Busy Time Play

It's been hard to fit in time to paint lately. Too many things to start a new year. I am signed up for two classes and had hoped to make progress in each of them this weekend, but alas, it was not to be.

Still I just had to listen to that voice that begs for expression. Some time ago I decided that I needed to create a forum for just such times. Using a thin journal I splashed paint on the pages, added ink and started adding extra paint/ink/stmaps from other projects. The concept of this book is that it would be easy enough to pull out and do 10 minutes of playing. Some of the pages have ended up favorites.

Too bad it lay forgotten - until tonight. I pulled it out and added color with abandon. It now looks nothing like the page it began as. Transformations are fun. The page wasn't the only thing energized. I was too.

Note to self: This should be a core activity and done so regularly that it is not forgotten in overwhelming times.

Hope you will make a play journal too. 

Artist's Retreat - July 2015

First meal of Artist's Retreat - on the shore at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Photograph altered with Brushstroke app. 

Artist’s Retreat. Doesn’t that sound romantic? Maybe expensive? Certainly illusive.

Well, at least that’s how I felt about it. Every year I’d talk to Cindi Huss, a dear friend who has moved far enough away that we don't see each other often. We’d say how we should run away for a weekend sometime and leave all our responsibilities behind us. Well, this year I called her up and said “Let’s have an artist’s retreat!” She was enthusiastic and so we started planning. Last week was the fruit of all those conversations.

Revel in these paint colors!

We had three full days together. Cindi had seen my art journaling work and was game to give it a go. Our plan was to do gelli printing, art journaling and gelli printing on silk scarves. Cindi also brought matching white moleskins in which we would record our retreat. I found some necklace findings which allow for a picture to be inserted. We would also have these as momentos of our time together.  Our other goals included food and laughter.

Gelli Printing

We took turns. Each of us printed a few and then handed the gelli plate to the other. We never washed the plate until we were done. This method allowed us to rif on each other’s work, gave us the challenge of using what was left on the plate to create a new print and resulted in some pretty amazing pulls in which we could see traces of each other in our prints. When finished we laid out Cindi’s prints to photograph them. Then we did the same with mine. It was amazing to see how even though we had the same materials with which to work, we made very different collections of prints. It was also really fun to see Cindi’s touch in the middle of my creations.

Cindi's gelli prints. 

My Prints. Notice how different the color scheme is. 

Art Journaling

Cindi made her journal by taking large paper, applying gesso, ripping it to size and sewing together. We actually applied gesso the first day so that we could use our pages as a place to blot excess paint from brayers, paintbrushes and fingers.

I suggested the added challenge of each of us using a gelli print the other made as the inspiration for the journal page. Even as I suggested it, I quaked in my boots. Cindi took up the challenge and off we sped. We each offered up prints that we could part with which added another level of structure vs. choice. 

(Left) Cindi's print. Red was going to be a challenge for me, but those shapes! Could be leaves. Could be paisley. (Right) My print. She was already seeing things in this print.

Working with these colors was definitely out of my comfort zone. We added background color, stamping, stencils, spray ink, collage and pen. I regret neglecting to introduce Cindi to the joys of bubble wrap printing.

You can see our pages. 

What do you know? I can use red.

The shapes were taken organically from the print. I stared at it until I could see the lines in the print.

The whole page felt organic to me. It didn't take much thinking. 

Working with Cindi was great. The message came easily in her presence. She is such a fountain of joy and compassion. 

Cindi's journal page. It was fun to see her expand her vision as she added layers. 

Gelli Printing on Silk Scarves

We had seen the tutorial on the Gelli Arts blog that shows using the round gelli plates to print of silk scarves. We both reacted very positively to that idea, so we forged ahead. One of Cindi’s many talents includes dyeing fabric. Go to her website or blog to read more about her work. She had some silk scarves and offered to bring them. 

After brushing on the paint I pressed a piece of lace into the paint. Here is the result. 

This piece of lace is brightly colored now from the number of times I used it as a pattern maker. 

Cindi and I took very different approaches to this project. I started out too rigid and lifeless in my thinking. I used the blocks as the rectangles they are, marking them by pressing a piece of lace into them. 

No limitations for Cindi! She did not conform to the shape of the plate. 

Cindi printed with wild abandon. Eventually I loosened up and added the circles – big and little. The circles were made with stamps I had made from styrofoam trays my vegetables came in. Cindi’s scarf was a wild garden full of vibrant flowers and leaves.

Taking the scarves off the freezer paper was awe-inspiring. We gasped when we saw how different the scarf look as it draped around my neck or on the table.

My scarf unveiled.

Cindi wearing the scarf on the way home. 

Cindi's scarf off the freezer paper. 

Moleskine Notebooks

A silly picture we took with the APP Snap Dash. The caption reads "You're a pig being carried to a luau."

We wrote in our notebooks. What we did. How we did things. Things we wanted to remember. Food we ate. Pieces of the work we did. Photographs of us being silly. Working in these books helped us to think about what we had created and to take it to the next level. They are wonderful reminders of these days spent together and of our friendship. I will cherish mine.

Necklaces

The pieces we gave to each other. (Left) from me (Right) from Cindi.

We each chose a gelli print to cut a piece out to put in our necklaces. We each wrote a message to the other on the piece of paper we gave. Then we put them together with a piece of our own and closed the latch. Lovely charms for us to wear and shine.

It was hard to let Cindi go when the time came. Yet instead of that old feeling that things were coming to a close, I had a strange feeling that something was beginning. Guess we’ll just have to do it again. Can’t wait.

Want to see more about Cindi? You can see some of her work at http://www.cindihuss.com or her blog Dancing Threads. 

Mother's Day Gelli Prints - Stamping and Printing Sunday

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and to the fathers out there who have to fill in a mother's shoes. 

I wanted to send you flowers so here are a couple of gelli printed flowers. I don't know whether I will leave them as is or whether I will choose to fill them in. 

 My family had our meal out yesterday and so today was a lovely day for sleeping in. Just what I wanted! 

I hadn't gelli printed in a few weeks and I was eager to do some. Here are some of my favorites from today. 

I love the prints as they are, as part of my art journaling, and also as a layer in my double exposure photos. I love the way they combine with other photos. 

I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day. It was great for me to celebrate yesterday (less crowd in the restaurant) and have today to loll about. If you could plan your own Mother's Day event, what would be most meaningful to you? Now that you've thought about it, how about asking for it?

Books, Books, Books - Self Care Saturday

Self Care Saturday is here and I don't have a page spread done to share. 

But hey, Self Care Saturday is about self care and I decided that pushing myself this late in the day to create a spread was going to end in a sad looking spread. 

So what do librarians do for fun? 

Here is a video for National Library Month that sums up why I love my job:

If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.

Would it surprise you that today's self care included going to someone else's library, finding books to read over the vacation and then hitting up a Barnes and Noble? 

(I also slept in, had a great meal and took a nap!)

Self Care Saturday

I started this blog as a venue for my happiness. That includes family, art, travel, poetry, creativity, nature and intention. Life, however, interceded testing my resolve. In the scheme of things Life won quite a few of the skirmishes, but I did not give up. One thing I have heard over and over is that caretakers need to find time for self-care. That is so hard to do.

This piece has taken many days to emerge. One day the background and another was a first attempt of creating stamps from grocery store packaging. Each day I am taking a moment to add to the journal page. It gives me a few minutes of delight. This morning it seemed perfect for the theme of self care. In the photo, the glitter paint obscures the pattern of the print, but I like it so it remains.

In addition to finishing up this spread, I indulged in a leisurely cup of Harney's and Sons tea. I love their teas and order them online. This morning's cuppa was bliss.

I hope this will be a regular post here. Join me and link your Self Care Saturday post in the comments if you like. If there is interest I will create an InLinkz group. 

Adding Depth

Yesterday I put down color. Today I added depth. I used a paint trowel, a packing peanut and my fingers. I found a rhythm, a groove, a momentum and freedom I haven't felt in the creative process for some time. It was fun and refreshing. 

When I first looked at it I didn't think I liked it, though I tried to look without judgement. I worried about covering the pink and yellow that I loved so much. As I look at it several hours later I love it. I love the colors and the motion. I love how it embodies the theme I'm going for. 

I'm eager to see how it evolves and changes.

For now I'll just soak up the vibes and wallow in color.

Joy Still Coursing Through

I’m still joyfully coursing through Vivienne McMaster’s Be Your Own Beloved: Self Care through Self Portraiture course. The photo above was taken as part of an attempt at studying movement and stillness. I wasn’t at all sure how this was going to go….it has been some time since I stopped thinking of myself as being  skilled at movement. Thinking of capturing my movements in a photograph was a dubious task, or so I thought.

The results of the experiment thought otherwise. I came out with some very stunning specimens (if I do say so myself).

It reminds me to:

Keep moving

Keeping smiling

Keep chasing dreams

Be Playful

With the admonition to "be playful" when taking my self portrait, I went out walking in Providence last weekend. When I came upon Big Nazo Lab, I knew I'd found the whimsical feeling I needed to invoke a sense of playfulness. As you can see, the guy in back of me is green with envy. 

Feeling Grounded

I’ve found it hard to fit time for myself into my schedule this year. While I am exhilarated by my work and find satisfaction in spending time with loved ones, I still need to find time to be alone with myself. A time to create, to dance and to dream. A time to get grounded.That time has been elusive.

I always find that Emmy Blue recharges my inner happiness machine. Wishing I had visited her blog and renewed my view doesn’t make it so. I’ll try to do that.

The folks at #pblitchat helped me to see this morning that I need to retool my writing routine. I had found a routine that worked well for me for a few years, but life changes. My routine has become inaccessible for me - at least for now. So I need to find a new way.  I feel much gratitude to my fellow picture book writers for spurring this AHA moment.

Meanwhile, I dove into something I’d wanted to do for a while. Vivienne MacMaster is a photographer who hosts ecourses. I saw that Joanna Harness of #amwriting fame, had taken a course with Vivienne. I liked the photographs I saw and asked for info. That was some time ago. I finally took the plunge and signed up for the course that ran this summer – The Chakra Photo Workshop. I’ll tell you honestly that it was not the one I would most have been interested in, but the timing was good.

Lucky for me, this course was just what the doctor ordered. Well, actually the doctor ordered PT and I’m doing that too, but this is helping me to get my groove back. 

I’m seeing the world in a different way. I’m feeling inspired by my senses. I’m excited to see what more I can create. I chose to do this at a time when I was having trouble finding time. I know full well that I will get the most out of this if I put more time into it. Frankly, though, I signed up for it because I thought I could manage something. It might not be much, but it would be better than not doing it. Sometimes when you can sneak in a moment for yourself you find that more opens up. So I’m stealing moments for me and relishing them. And I'm getting grounded. 

Fishercat Alarm

Winter is over

fishercats growl all night long

hungry for living

Penvy

Wish I had a pen
'cause this point once again
needs sharpening
Pencil

No Rhyme Like the Present

Today was a great day of poetry with my students. We worked on our rhyming skills. The competition in our 3 minute rhyming rounds was intense. We all enjoyed the rhyming bean bag game I came up with. 


To hold myself accountable, I told them that I planned to write a poem every day. Today I wrote two - one to share with them and one just for the blog. 


Students bent over their work
like fiddleheads' tight curls
when the bell rings
"pop" they spring
I watch as new growth unfurls. 




I played with a format I learned during Kat Apel's Month of Poetry in January. 


Bloodshot eyes
can't help but cry
Hay fever.

A Month of Berets

April is National Poetry Month. This year I plan to indulge myself in celebrating by wearing berets. Never having mastered the art of pulling off an artful beret, it took my breath away to see some well tilted toppers around town this year. Quite frankly, I have the tendency to look like a muffin head. When I questioned a parent who cut a particularly dashing figure in his beret about his secrets for wearing a beret so fetchingly, he replied “It all boils down to having a bad hair day.” He appended his statement by telling me not to overthink it.  If I have a whole month to get it right, perhaps I can pull it off.

Berets are not the ubiquitous headwarmers they were when I was younger. Something about a beret makes me think of The Beat Poets, Greenwich Village and basement poetry readings.

Years ago, I accompanied a poet friend of mine to her mentor’s reading in Manhattan. It was in a high-rise, full of glass and comfortable seating. Scarves dominated the fashion where berets once reigned. I remember feeling grown up and cultured, though I was neither of those things.

For years I have wanted to hold a salon gathering of poetry. Dim lights, men with beards, maybe a set of bongos or two.

This April I settle for a month of berets. The violet fluffy one I sport as I write this I knit for no other reason than to use up yarn bought merely for its’ beauty. I hope to find the royal blue beret I embroidered silk flowers on inspired by Victoria Magazine in the ‘90s. Maybe I’ll even finish the one I’m knitting now.

So pull your beret out of the mothballs and wear it will me in April. Let me know what you’re writing and join me in A Month of Berets..

A month full of berets

Soft and fluffy or scratchy old wool

Hanging jauntily at half mast

Remembering the poets who inspired us

The Beats or the Romantics

Sporting small glasses

but hardly what you’d call myopic

Full of pain or joy

Sharing it all uncensored

Putting it on paper

Or pixels upon the screen

Can you hear our laughter

Cringe with every scream?

A month full of berets

Reading, breathing, writing

Poetry.