Mad Tea Party 2016

It is that time again. Mad Tea Party Time! This year is a unique year. So a unique interpertation of this theme seems in order, don't you think? I've got something up my sleeve and I'm excited to share it with you. So sneak around by on Saturday and see what is cooking on the blog. I assure you it will be Assam. Oh Darjeeling, you must drop by. 

Transformation

Transformation - it's everywhere. 

Especially in this season. 

I attended a art journaling hangout on Google with Amy Maricle a few months ago. She has some really helpful things on her website, so make sure you go and check it out. 

Today looking through a spread I did during that time I decided to take my pens out and start the transformation process. 

Here's the page I decided to transform. 

First I switched directions and turned the journal on it's side. The circles definitely looked like roses to me, so roses they became. I added tendrils and leaves. 

After a few layers I added some words.

Viola! It is transformed. 

The really nifty thing about it is this: 

I am transformed as well. 

Paint on My Fingers Again!

See the paint on my fingers? It was great to see it there and even more thrilling to see the design of the stencil printed on my fingers. 

It's been a busy month for so many reasons, not the least of which is preparation and the beginning of a new school year in tandem with taking a 5 week course for Professional Development. 

After submitting my last assignment today I decided to fling some paint around in my art journal. Remember that journal? 

Not my usual color scheme, but this page started when I spread excess paint on it from another project some time ago. I don't even remember what project that would have been, but it's fun to go with it and see what happens.

Here in New England we are starting to see trees changing colors. The serious business of fall foliage season is still a ways off, but we are heading towards Autumn in small increments. This color scheme reflects that, despite my resistance. 

I included this picture to show where I used a mesh vegetable bag and some spray color. It created a really subtle mesh pattern. I wanted something more. You can see lines created by the stitched end of the mesh bag dipped in paint. (below) I am looking forward to seeing where this piece takes me. 

Time to phone a friend - Self Care Saturday

I jumped the gun on Self Care Saturday this week and scheduled a call on Friday with dear friend and fiber artist, Cindi Huss. So when I sat down with my journal to do this week's page, I was amazed to see two faces and two phones staring out of the paper at me. The pages were prepped last week as excess paint from other projects and some torn gelli prints. The prep was done before the phone call. Yet there were those two faces. Neither is in a style I would usually create, but they demanded to be set free and so they were.

Cindi and I have been friends for many years. She is one of those rare people with whom I can be my whole wacky, outrageous self. I don't have to limit my love of language (other people do not delight in my favorite words - rancorous, recalcitrant, obstreperous….), I don't have to be serious. I don't have to reign in my dreaming. Our emails and phone calls of late tend toward planning an artist retreat for the two of us. This dreaming and scheming is filling my soul. 

Hope your Self Care Saturday filled you up. 

You can see some of Cindi's work at her blog Dancing Threads.

Flowers for you

A few weeks ago I made my yearly sojourn to Hartford to Elizabeth Park to see the roses. It was a lovely day and the fragrance of the roses could be smelled before you even entered the garden.

Perfection!