Sometimes The Paint Takes You By Surprise

You know how sometimes you start out to create something, and end up with something else entirely? That happened to me this week when I was journaling. I sat down thinking I would paint a funky girl with polka dot tights. The paintbrush had other plans. I got dots alright, but on a cheetah!

Now, I love cats, big and small. If family members weren't highly allergic, I would have a cat. Don't tell Jensen and Buttercup that. But of the cat family, male lions, and cheetahs have never really drawn me in. And yet, here was this big cat showing up in my journal.

On doing some research, I found that cheetahs are about focus, and goal achievement. Since this is exactly where I want my attention to be this year, this spotted beauty is perfect. Turns out the paintbrush knows me better than I know myself!

The subconscious is amazing, isn't it? Did anything surprising turn up in your creative work this week?  If it did, I hope you were as happy with it  as I was with my cat.

There is lots more to see at Paint Party Friday. Have fun!

Left Over Paint

I hate to waste paint, but I often find that I have put too much on my palette for what I'm working on. Frequently, I will smear the leftovers on a journal page, usually a page much farther along in the book than I am currently working. That is how my hat lady got started. She's very orange, not because of too much "tan in a bottle", but because that's the color paint that was on the page.

 

I'm the kind of person who buys hats, but never wears them except in front of the bathroom mirror. Since I'm working on not letting fear run my life, maybe this will be the year that I actually leave the house with one on. What about you? Do you wear your hat out in public? If you do, what does your hat say about you?  Does it give you confidence, make you feel beautiful, or show off your creativity or sense of humor?   

 

To see more paintings, check out the goings on over at Paint Party Friday. And, have a great weekend!

Art Journaling On Monday

You may have seen it around the webs. Over the last few years, art journaling has become quite a hot topic (you can find some basics here). I wasn't that interested to start with. All the examples that I saw were way beyond my fledgling art abilities, and the participants seemed extremely serious and earnest about their journal work, with lots of large social and spiritual subjects being addressed.

Then, my life started to change. The last year and a half have seen a transition, from one phase of my life to another. I've had a lot of decisions to make, and stuff to deal with, both my own, and my larger family. Early in this phase, I started keeping an art journal to help me cope. I was very formal about it, setting aside specific time for it, meditating first, trying to delve deep into the issues at hand. It was helpful, but I just couldn't keep it going.

Since that first effort, I have taken several art courses, in person, and on-line. Although I'm not all the way there yet, I've gotten more comfortable with paint, and drawing, and maybe even with myself. I'm not a formal, organized person, and that's just the way it is (you may have noticed that!). There is hardly a piece of paper around here that doesn't end up with doodles on it. This includes newspapers, bills, grocery lists, Yahtzee score sheets, everything.  With the painting classes, I am always finding myself with extra, unused paint on my palette that I hate to see go to waste. So, I've been creating a new art journal, and this is some of the stuff that is going into it.

1. Doodles on scraps of paper
2. Leftover paint
3. Pictures that I find inspirational
4. Quotes
5. My own writing
6. Lists
7. Sketches for other projects

And over the top, more painting, drawing, writing, a little of everything. It's going to travel with me, sit with me in front of the Patriot's games on TV, spend time on the kitchen counter, and probably get coffee and spaghetti sauce stains on it. And it's going to be fun. I still have a lot of adjustiments to make in my life, some easy, some not. But I intend to keep having fun in my art journal along the way.

Here is a recent page, that started with leftover paint. In the smears I saw an angel, so I invited her to come forward.

 

I'm not much of a glitter person, but her wings seemed to need some. Now, of course, there is glitter everywhere! And below, you can see the facing page. Definitely not formal, but fun! If you are wondering about the tape, it's because the pages of this mixed-media notebook have perforations, and when I get the pages really wet, they tend to want to separate. That's OK, because it gives me a chance to play with some of the cool tapes that are on the market these days.

 

I know that there are some very creative and talented people who read this blog. Have you ever tried art journaling? What did you think of it? How has your style developed over time? If you haven't tried it, I encourage you to grab a grocery list, and start doodling some fun!