Art Journals and Other Stuff

Before I get to the Art Journal part a bit more on the quilt.  I showed you some close ups of what Beth did with the quilting, here are some close ups of patches I did, some of what makes it special....

Practicing some embroidery

Old Man Winter

Part of Ed's baby pillow
 

Some of Grandma's lace

Now on to the Art Journaling....

Seems that art journaling has been around for a long time and I was never sure exactly what it was all about.  The images I saw were way different than what I do in my sketchbook which is what most art journals are.  This is the type of thing I normally do... done last Tuesday with my Tuesday Painters group.

 

But what I see as an art journal looks more like this....

 

As I am sorting and purging in my studio I notice I do a lot of this too; however, it's in a variety of different journals.  That's because I make journals.  I'm not a bookmaker but I do like to make different types of books and every time I think... hmmmm... that could become an art journal and I do a page or two and set it aside.  I have several and I will show you a few pages that I've done over the years but first... why I'm talking about this.

 

My focus this year is to try different media and different styles... It's been a couple years since I've done any major work of art and I realize it's because what I had been doing bores me.  I started doing some different things and loved doing different things so, time to try that.  I've also decided I really do need to get rid of a lot of things that are just taking up space or that I just don't have a need for. 

 

Purging meant I found some of those journals I'd made with one or two pages done.  Well, what do you know, I do art journals... and they are experimental....

 

In fact, one that I found, an old one, is something that had just recently decided I would try, cold wax collage.... I have no idea when I did this but it's cold wax collage....

And here are a few more... some starts that I've finished in the past few days and some that I did awhile back.  I plan to finish some of the books I started.... and maybe make some new ones.  Some I find I like working in, some not so much.  I will just have to see where this takes me....

 



And here is one of the books I made...

It's an old book that was in pretty bad shape.  The insides came out, the cover got a make over and new pages were inserted.  I think I'll make more like this one if I find more old books that are in need of repair.

 

Another Square for the blanket

The more I looked at him the more I thought he ought to be the center block.  I may end up making this block larger than the others.  I'll have to look at it for awhile before I decide.

Last post I said I need to get back to color.  This is a piece of pillow ticking that I'm using to practice some stitches that I like but need to practice more and to add some color.  It may become a small bag to carry my stitching tools in.  Once again, we shall see.

And I haven't given up painting entirely.  I still paint with my Tuesday Morning group and I plan to take a sketchbook with me to France.  This is yesterday's effort.  It was a grey day but I added color in the name, we were at a local restaurant, Jelly's.

More Work On The Winter Blanket and Sorting

I'm working on the winter blanket, a bit at a time.  I did a bit more on the center block, the one I didn't like.  Since I have so much lace I decided to add some to this one

and since I was using things I already had, something I like to do, this fish got a spot on the quilt but it needed water so I added a few waves.

this is a wallet to go with the bag I use for a purse when we travel.  The bag is big enough for some sketching materials and a purse so I can carry it on along with my carry on bag.  The wallet will hold a passport or other papers.

Another project, sorting old photos and I realize I was once much more colorful than I am now.  That's me in the white with colorful strips.  It's a jacket I designed and made, no pattern but I think I could repeat it.  It's crochet and I do still have some yarn.  The one below is me with my parents.  I know I made the white top but look how colorful the shirt is.  I need to get back to colorful.

Ahh, but alas, I looked at the yarn I have left and it appears that I have either used up or given away all that is colorful.  Parting with old things is hard for me to do.  I looked in the cedar chest and the only color I found left were these... not going to make it without some that is a whole lot brighter..  Guess I'll need to visit a yarn shop.

Another Silly One and a Blanket Block

I haven't decided, is she an angel or just throwing up her arms wondering what the h#%l was she thinking when she stitched me.  Whichever, I like her and I think she'll live on my studio wall with some other dolls that hang there.  They'll like her company.

I worked a bit more on one of the blocks for our winter blanket.  Her face is trapunto, there's a bit of old lace (have to use some of that stash) and now I'm adding some embroidery.  I'll be doing more embroidery on this one but haven't decided where or what.

That's it for today, I can't believe I have been so good about posting this week.  Spring Break and my grandson isn't here every morning before the bus so I have time early morning.  That will change next week.