the adjoining page

Detail

This is how far i've gotten with my journal page spread. The words haven't come to me yet! I had fun with it though. The vines were painted on and the flower and heart were collage pieces. The bouquet of flowers was cut from a magazine.

I'll be blogging a bit more later since i have some early morning errands to run! See you later aligator! Sorry i didn't come back.....got tied up with stuff! It's kind of difficult for me to blog in the middle of the day - i'm such a creature of habit - i prefer to blog first thing in the morning! Guess that's it folks....see you in the morning! xo

This is the signature i created with watercolour papers. I placed a piece of wax paper behind the page so i wouldn't mess it up too much while painting.

Next i brushed water all over the two pages and then brushed on some fluid acrylics.

I shook some salt onto the wet paper to create a dotted pattern (try it sometimes...it's fun!)

Next i added some diluted fluid acrylics to the top of the page and let the excess run down to create a cool drippy texture!

With a bit of diluted gesso and a toothbrush i flicked on some paint here and there.

With some copper acrylic paint i added another texture by pouncing the paint through a piece of sequin waste aka punchinella.

With my finger i smeared some extra copper paint around the edges.

I will have to tear parts of the woman illustration to help integrate her better into the background. I'm thinking that there will be a painted vine growing on the opposite page......but that could change. As you can see it's an ongoing process. On monday i'll show you the finished spread....i have no idea what the message will be.....it's still a mystery to me.....to be continued!

As you know i don't always create this way. Sometimes i just like to draw on a piece of paper, ink the images and words in and add a bit of colour - sometimes i ignore the background and focus more on the message like this piece.

I'm not even sure which method i like better - it's sort of like asking a mother which child she likes better! I LOVE THEM BOTH!!! When i was creating my book i noticed that the editors were really into mixed media......they wanted pieces with more texture and interest than simply drawing. I suppose they were the visionaries knowing what the public was actually clamouring for. The way i look at it is that it doesn't really matter which technique you use as long as you are creating and fulfilling that deep inner need and desire to express yourself. To make something , feel good about it and to be able to say (either to just yourself or to the world) - HEY! I made this! I was here! It's sort of like the "Kilroy was here" cartoon which spread like wildfire (check out the story of the origins of Kilroy....kind of cool!) during the war.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend and manage to squeeze in a bit of creativity here and there!

Love, Violette xox

I'm creating a journal page and thought you might be interested to see a part of the process - it varies every time. God forbid that i would do the same technique twice in a row! Generally speaking though i begin by doodling. I doodled this face on a cheap piece of computer paper (thin). I was sitting in front of the computer when i started doodling.....then moved to the kitchen counter when things started to get interesting for me :). I doodled some more and then began shading a bit with my pencil. I decided that i liked it enough to want to add some watercolour to it but the paper i was working on was too thin to achieve the look i was after. So i used some carbon paper to transfer the design to a piece of watercolour paper. Ordinarily i would use Graphite paper but someone with the name that begins with Mr. G used up my Graphite paper for tracing kayak ribs onto wood. That's the carbon paper sitting beneath my illustrations. Now i'm a bit cheap/frugal/economical/prudent etc......and normally just use cardstock i buy in bulk at the Office Supply store but this time i bought a piece of 10 dollar watercolour paper so that i could achieve a nice watercoloury effect. The paper simply does accept the paint much better than regular cardstock does - the colours are so much brighter. I used twinkling H2O's (notice the purple twinkle under one eye?) to water colour the face. I was thinking of fashion illustration when i began creating the face. I'll be cutting it out and then adhereing it to a signature i'm creating (making into a book). The background will be watercoloured too and then textured. Actually i rarely know how a page will end up as my muse is constantly informing me what to do. If the page REALLY TURNS OUT CRAPPY you can always blame your muse. You can say "It's not my fault....my Muse made me do it!" Ha! The funny thing is though in my experience when i listen to my muse rather than following what i think i should do or what someone else is doing i usually wind up with a better creation - a journal page that i am satisfied with and proud to show the world.

A Virtual Show and Tell
It's funny but when i was a child i was pretty petrified of being in front of the class, talking (afraid my voice would croak - and it did), afraid my dress might be stuck in my underpants etc.....so i did not like show and tell. Now i get to do a virtual show and tell every day! How cool is that? Gone is the shyness of my childhood and the fear that i will be laughed at....well y'all might be laughing at me NOW but i can't hear you! Ha!

Back to the eyes.....
People often have problems drawing eyes and ask me how i do it and how do you get the eyes exactly the same. I rarely do get them the same - humans are not symmetrical creatures? How boring would that be? I don't worry if one eye is a tiny bit smaller than the other - but if i was worried about it (like a virgo might be) i would use tracing paper to trace over one eye then flip the paper over to the other side and then burnish over the eye so that the graphite from the pencil would transfer. Another thing you could do is draw a grid across your face so that you could draw an exact replica of the eyes by staying within the grid....measuring...adjusting. Quite frankly that would drive me nuts. Another thing to bear in mind when drawing eyes is that the lids partly cover the iris. You don't see the entire eyeball ordinarily unless the person is very surprised! Notice how my girl has bushy eyebrows? That's because i do so i thought i'd sneak that into it. Practise drawing eyes, look at the eyes of the people around you and notice how they look. Draw pages and pages of eyes and you will eventually notice your eyes begin to look more realistic. I found cartooning books very helpful when it came to drawing facial features. Well i hope that helps you if you wanted to know a bit more about drawing eyes!

Close-up of the things on my pegboard - i painted three tin cans and hung them up to hold pens and pens

The tiny "shrine area" - there are three cool matchboxes my daughter Jess gave me.

Those of you who know me know that one of my biggest struggles is with organization. It's a constant challenge. The corkboard that used to be in the spot where the pegboard is was so overun with newspaper clippings, postcards, doodads that it no longer inspired me - it was just too plain chaotic for that. So since i see the board constantly while at the computer (and i spend a ton of time here) i needed to feel more at peace and not so chaotic. I needed to be albe to find my tools at a glance, to have a bit of colour up there like the painted tins that hold pens and pencils, and needed small containers for push-pins, paperclips and elastic bands. My Virgin Mary statues and the wee Indebele (african) doll, as well as my colourful matchboxes and Ideal client needed to find a home. Unfortunately there were lying on my desk rather unceremoniously collecting dust and lying beneath paper rubble. Now i need to tackle the rest of the room which is in dire need of attention - with books and magazines lying EVERYWHERE. Thankfully Mr. G is good at making things so he'll be making another bookshelf for me. He made the pegboard for me - i went off to the Hardware store and bought the board (it was only 6 dollars) and he added a frame and the Shrine shelf for me. Psychologically i feel better just looking at the pegboard.

Is there some place where you create that you could bring more order to? If you do something like i did then you'll free your mind up for doing creative work and the bonus is you'll be able to find your "most used items" quickly! You could add a shelf or designate a certain area for an altar or shrine to inspire yourself every day!

Art Saving lives
The reason why i'm such a fanatic about art is that it pretty much saved my life. When i was a child i was afraid of my father who was a pretty strict guy. There were all kinds of rules in the home - you had to sit quietly, could never disagree, couldn't talk or play with boys until the age of 16 etc. There were tons of rules.....and for a person who inherently pretty much likes to disregard most rules you can imagine how incredibly stiffling it was. My constant friend was my sketchbook which became populated with drawings of myself behind bars and later fashion illustrations. Again and again i turned to my silent companion for solace. When i discovered how amazingly transformative it was to put art and words together...well.....i guess you could say i was really hooked. It was then that i wanted to teach visual journaling - or what some people call it - art journaling. If it could help me turn my life around, help me come up with solutions to problems and issues that kept repeating themselves then it could help others too! There is a definite message of hope in creating art - the end result is not as important as the journey to get there. Getting engrossed and lost in the process is reward enough in my book! And speaking of how art saves lives - if you want to be inspired by the stories that other crafters tell how they were transformed check out Craft for Health's latest blogposts. You'll find a very inspiring story of how art journaling helped a woman who was suffering from Uterine Fibroids. If you have a story to tell why not e-mail them?

Can you see the Forsythia bush peeking out behind my van? I love the juicy yellow colour! It's early this year - we've had an early spring however this morning it was close to zero which is rather frosty (centigrade) - i hope the sudden cool weather does not kill all of the blossoming trees and spring flowers that have graced us with their presence at least one month ahead of time!

This morning i decided to brave the cold in my jammies of course......and take a picture of the back end of my van with the forsythia bush in the background. As i ducked down to take this artful photo a bird whizzed by almost beaning me in the head.....i'm serious. It never saw me there ducking down. Next to the van is the old Lexus my son Ryan gave me a couple of years ago - how could i say no to a gift of a reliable Lexus? I knew that my beloved van needed some work and quite frankly i couldn't afford it so i took the Lexus. I haven't had the heart to sell my van (it needs some work but was certainly drive-able when i received the Lexus). If you are interested in buying my van please let me know. I wish i could dismantle it and then reassemble it in the backyard but i'm sure that would also be a costly venture.

Where the Heck is the party girl?
Back to the Lexus......i still keep losing it in parking lots and sometimes end up in tears because well......it's pretty much beige.......and even though i've been talking about creating a decal of a mandala or something cool for the front hood i haven't done it yet. I'm not into painting the entire thing - gone are the days that i want to be so obvious and take part in artcar parades like i used to. It seems that i enjoy a quieter existence. I actually enjoy anonymity much to many people's surprise. And the party girl in me has taken a backseat to the person who enjoys quiet, art, being in nature and meaningful conversations and exchanges. It's funny but i almost feel guilty changing - maybe it's because i feel like i've let other people down - the friends who enjoyed all of the parties i threw, or the folks who like to pigeonhole me and expect me to stay frozen FOREVER in one way of being! Oh good grief.......that would be scary wouldn't it?

I believe that menopause has played a role in the changes but also meeting Mr. G who has definitely been a calming and stabilizing influence on me. I think when we accept the changes in our lives rather than buck them or try to be what others may want us to be then we feel a certain serenity and quiet joy. I'll all about the Joy! Bring it on!

I have FINALLY finished the video for our bathroom revamp - i guess editing is not one of my favourite things to do! Anyways i hope you like the video - in it i show you how i painted the bathroom counter with polka dots, varnished it 5 times and sprinkled on ultrafine glitter. I also show you how i painted words on the perimeter of the "toilet room". You will see how i used spackle on the walls to add texture and hide a host of imperfections! I'm quite happy with how bright and spiffy it now looks. Of course there was a lot of elbow grease that went into it! You might be wondering why i put the recycled caddy in the bathroom (it's meant for sewing supplies). I just thought it looked good in there with the checkerboard picking up the checks on the floor. Because this is such a tiny house everything is close together - if i need sewing supplies i am not too far away from them!

You can infuse your personality and your artistry in your home decor projects - i could not image revamping a room without doing something creative to it. What room in your home can use a bit of paint, glitter and writing on the wall? If you do decide to add a creative flair to a room in your home you'll be happy every time you enter that room. I know i am!

Di Mezzo Il Mare
Please check out Di Mezzo Il Mare. Di Mezzo Il Mare is a new online journal of literature and art connected to Wellness and Writing Retreats in Italy. I was fortunate enough to have some of my journal pages included on their blog - i also have some images up on their February 28th entry. You can submit too!

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” - Dr. Suess

Yesterday while clearing off the counter for dinner I started walking towards the back door with my crow caddy to put it outside in the Studio. I heard a little voice in my head say “wait a minute....you like it so much why don't you leave it on the counter as a center piece?” My next thought was that Martha Stewart would have a bird (no pun intended). The next thing I thought about was the Dr. Suess quote about being who you are! So I left the caddy on the counter – simply because it makes me happy to see the bright happy colours and the art supplies which have fed me in a creative way. It seemed so appropriate to have both creative sustenance and physical sustenance together on the same table/counter! They seemed kind of happy together. The thought that it's important to surround yourself with things that make you happy is constantly on my mind. We care too much what other people think. If they love you they would be totally accepting of your ways.

If you have just joined me you might not know that I have a two part video on the making of the crow caddy. You can find the videos here.

Remember – Be who you are and say what you feel!

The Caddy was in the Studios Magazine - which means it was gone for about 2 or 3 months while the magazine took pics of it. I was sad to see it go because i had become so attached to it! When the caddy was sent back i was delighted to begin using it. I used it the other day when i taught the graffiti purse project and the children loved it. Maybe i should teach a class on making your own caddy - but then it wouldn't be wise to do a free tutorial online for it eh?

Heather from Simply Feather has a fun challenge happening called "Paint with me!" - do check it out if you are up for some creative goodness!

I hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

Love, Violette xox

I'm trying to make some boxes from painted papers - you cut the boxes out from a flat piece of painted paper. Tiny brads hold the sides together. I wish i had taken 2-D design in school. This little project would have been so much easier. I'm creating some boxes in anticipation of my little grandson Sammy (who is only 2 months old) being ready to colour. I'd say i'm going to have to wait another 10 to 16 months....what do you think? It makes me happy to see a wee box of crayons like this. It reminds me of being a kid and being given a new box of crayons. They always had such a neat distinctive smell....and oh the colours...all the gorgeous, juicy colours really excited me!

This post is going to be brief since i'm getting ready to see my little grandson and do some business in the big city of Vancouver - I'm such a country bumpkin i tell ya! See you tomorrow! Ciao for now. xox

Above are some of the clutches/bags the kids made. Cool eh? Some of the kids decided to make their bags into lunch bags or they were planning on adding straps later on.

This is the purse i created yesterday to show the kids what they could do - i felt the other one was a bit elaborate!

Yesterday's Graffiti purse class was a big hit! There were 21 kid's between the ages of 10 and 13 in attendance - a couple of them were boys and the rest girls. The School room we were creating in became a colourful, glittery magical kingdom! I wasn't sure if the janitor would have agreed with us! A great big thank you goes to Cindi and Danielle of Camp Alex for helping out during the workshop! Camp Alex funded the event - they have actually hired me a few times to create with kids and teens. Camp Alex Neighbourhood house has done many wonderful things for the community. Hopefully they will continue to be funded so that they can continue their good works. I know that due to the poor economy there have been cutbacks - when that happens the arts are usually the first to suffer.

After the workshop i was pretty exhausted......it certainly reminded me of my age - 55......I am not as sparky as i used to be. Recently someone e-mailed me to ask if i wanted to do kids parties....you know....come over and do arts and crafts with little kids. I might have wanted to do that 10 or 20 years ago but not now. It's odd but when people see my book Journal Bliss the cover leads them to believe it's for kids. I have to keep saying "No....it's for adults but teens also like it!" I'm not sure if it's the whimsical nature of the cover or what that makes them think that way.

ADD Diva
I find that since becoming menopausal i have become more and more "ADD - like" in how i am in the world.......it's been very frustrating as i can't focus on one thing - every little shiny thing (just like a crow) attracts me and draws me away from what i am doing (for example i have left this post several times to check out websites). So i was happily surprised to find out that there is a website dedicated to Menopausal women with ADD called Addiva. Check it out if you get the chance and take the test if you suspect you might have ADD!

I'll be teaching purse creating at the local elementary school today - teaching 20 kids around the age of 11. This is the clutch purse i made on youtube a while back and it's seen better days so i need to make another one to show the kids - it will be less elaborate since they only have 2 hours to complete the project. I have a couple of other deadlines to get to so don't have much to say! I'll be back with more tomorrow! Ciao for now! xox