Journal - All That I Am

Prompt 3 is All That I Am. I decided to tell how it all got started in my life and why I am drawn to all things artistic, all the different mediums, styles and how the fragments of Who you are or will become are reflected in the art you create.



I added this spread that I call my excuses...we all have them,right? And because this is a journal and not just pictoral art, I added a page to show how the WORD can be art too.

Revival page 2

The 2nd Prompt from Autumn of Autumn's Antics on this journal is 'Beautiful Things' and we are asked to make a list of things that are beautiful to you and an excerpt on your choices. The things that we find beauty in vary so greatly from person to person.
Thinking hard on how this relates to my revival back to art, I’ve reflected on my own creative habits and found that Solitude describes the most 'beautiful' ingredient. 'Beautiful' is very visual, but Solitude is a feeling or an environment needed to create beauty in whatever form it comes. Love my ME time.

Writers, Photographers,designers and artists will all tell you that their best work comes from a place of solitude.
My List:
* Live a Creative Life
* Moderate Expectations
* Shake Your Tree
* Do What Inspires
* Breaks Molds
* Put a Lid On All That Noise (Autumn's Blog Music)
* Reach inside Yourself
* Participate

But how can you have Solitude and Participation???

I need inspiration from without to have creation from within. Magezines, books, blogs, forums, street art, and art friends sharing....is how I Participate. That is why I felt I needed to add a wonderful hanging, made from a friend Joan W from my AAWA group. I have enjoyed it on my studio door for over a year, but it has a new home in this journal to represent the inspiration and the sharing of other gifted art friends through swaps. ThankYou Joan. While it seems contridictory to Solitude, when it comes time to nurturing creativity, I need to Participate...and that's 2 very beautful things.

Nature's Sick Humor

I'm just sick....
The best garden and yard that I have had in years just got pounded into the ground by Mother Nature. 80 mile /hr wind and golfball size hail will do a number on things.
Today was spent salvaging what little there was in the garden and some cleanup until depression hit me. Here are a few before and afters....

Revived, my journey back

‘A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu

I have been on a travel...never really left home, but I have been away from my art interests, including this blog, for well over a year. Life just takes you down different paths that take you to destinations not planned. I seem to have circled back and need to Revive my art spirit.

My friends at AAWA - An Affair With Art - have graciously accepted me back into their circle and invited me to participate in their Journal project guided by Autumn Clark who is a wonderful visual art journalist. Inspiration and prompts are on her website at: http://autumnsantics.blogspot.com/

So here we go....and I call it my "Revival".
Tearing the covers off an old vintage book and gathering up papers, here's the intro beginning.



It's been so long, I am having trouble finding the right pens to write with on all the different textures. What are your favorite pens to use?