Who's up for a Traveling Painting project?????

I have been wanting to do this for a while.....a long time actually. I have four 8x10 panels ready to go. They have been on my desk for over a year now. But I have been full of fear. The little voice in my head says things to me like, "nobody will want to play." Well, today I am embracing my new word FEARLESS (thanks Lee!) Email your address to me privately at travelpainting@optimum.net and I'll start sending them out. You just have to let me know who the painting is going to when you are ready to send it on so I can keep track. Let's try for four paintings to reach at least 10 people before it comes back to me. Let's have fun!

Painting One...........

Painting Two..........

Painting Three......

Painting Four.........

Day One....

I don't believe in waiting for a specific day to start a new resolution. For me, today is the day that I start my New Year's Resolutions. Actually, it was yesterday. Started on Nutrisystem yesterday, today I made an art journal page so unlike me. I started with a black background and used colors I don't normally use. I just went with my gut.

Here is the beginning....

then I added some punches and used the reverse for a stencil.....

then I added some letter stickers, brayered some white paint, journaling and a picture of my sweet grandchild when she was only three months....

Journaling reads..."So unlike anything I've ever done. Today is a day of play, taking chances, risks with my art. A day to live, laugh, love and find harmony in play. Today is day One."

Time to start participating in my life....

My mom died last June and since then it has been hard for me to post. She died a few days after my last post. Although I knew she was going to die form her illness it has hit me pretty hard. I am posting some old art journal pages, some that were posted before but most of them not...as we come to the end of 2010 I have been doing some serious reflecting on my life. If I don't start to move forward i fear i'll drown in self pity. Thanks for listening.

FOund.................

I am starting to find myself again.............last post I was lost and feeling scattered. I do not like that feeling. To start over I gessoed and collaged the Lost painting and pulled out my Sennelier oil pastels for my face. I like them so much better than acrylic. I am going to call this one Found. Will post when it is complete.

When you don't know where to start...............start anywhere

Been a little lost lately and feel like my life is a mess. I am going to start documenting my journey to recovery Starting today. Calling it a year in the life of an art blog. As I was walking my lake this morning this one word kept popping into my head...LOST...I feel lost. I started this painting on Sunday and am not liking it at all. Then it occured to me what the block is...her eyes, they look lost. So I came home and gave it a title. On the side it reads, "and she thought about the situation which was her life. And as she stared out the window she wondered what she should do." I am now considering this complete! I am starting anywhere.

Painting pretty angels.....by the lake

I live right on a beautiful lake, thus the inspiration for my latest paining. Been working in my art journal and working through stuff. A peace came over me yesterday and I had to paint a tranquil angel....life is good.

Every woman should have.....

It's been a long time since my last post. I think I am done hiding behind that mask. Been thinking a lot about Maya Angelou's poem, "Every Woman Should Have..." It reminds me of what my mother always told me when I was growing into woman hood, she said, "always have your own bank account, you shouldn't have to rely on a man for money."

Ever feel like your hiding behind a mask?

Painting in process.....Masquerade 1

Masquerade 2

Masquerade complete

It's been a while since my last post....I took an informal hiatus. Been feeling like I hide behind a mask, the mask I put on for the world. Don't get me wrong, I love my life-it is more than my wildest dreams-but changes are coming and I'm hiding.......

Not taking myself so seriously today....

I painted this girl in January this year, inspired by Suzi's Petite DOll Class. While looking through some of my work in the past year it dawned on me that I too often take myself so seriously....NOT TODAY...life is for living. I am working in my journal today, my underlying thought: "i am exactly the person i want to be today...all is right with the world":-) I will post it when I am done.

Playing with Senneilier oil paint sticks and Reflecting

I bought sennelier paint sticks to play with last December. I love the flesh tones they produced and love working with them. It takes a little patients though as you have to wait for the oils to dry when you want to add another layer without blending.....

Been reflecting on my life a lot lately.....am I the person I want to be right now?????

Inspired by One....

More angel faces...inspired by the number One today. The word just popped in my head on my walk today...it became my mantra ;-)

This is a two page spread, it reads"one day at a time..one moment at a time...one singular sensation...one moment in time....one fine day...once upon a time...The journey of a thousand miles begins with the FIRST step....one step at a time...

Just checking in....

Been painting in my handmade journal, FACES. Here's a peek...

Permission to be me...

Finding my angel and giving myself permission to be.....

Looking for balance....

This is a journal page from January but works for me today. Been trying to put balance in my life, it's not been easy lately. My mom has stage 4 lung cancer and I feel awful about that. I picked up Life is a Verb--NO COINCIDENCES--Patty Digh's book is written in memory of her step father who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and lived only 37 days after diagnosis. This book is about living with intention and taking action. I started the 37 Challenge on Tuesday and committed to free writing for 10 minutes in a journal every day. That's it...just one thing...not 50...just one thing that is doable every day ;-)

Check it out.... http://www.37days.typepad.com/37days/ Post a comment if you want to take the challenge together.

Playing in my journal....

I've been lazy lately and way over due to post. I've been drawing angels....here is one of them. It says in the heart, "always be happy". Not always easy to do, but always a choice. I am experimenting and finding my style. This little angel is in progress. I drew her in pencil over the background page. Then I gessoed (is that a word?) over her. The pencil blends in with the gesso but I like the effect. I went over her face in ink last. Next to do is find the flesh tones, but I'm liking the way she looks now. What do you think?

March is almost here....How'd that happen?

Stephanie's Myspace picture in December.


Robert's Myspace picture taken on his phone...upside down

Jasper...our adopted Puggle @ three months old. He'll be 5 months tomorrow.

Where do the years go???? I swear it was just yesterday my twins were born and on Sunday they will turn 15! How did that happen? I make art everyday yet only post once a month...where do the days go????? I sat down at the desktop to check my email....that was two hours ago....where do the hours go????

Whispers...

I have been reading Kelly Rae Robert's book, Taking Flight, and have been inspired to make a Whispers Art Journal. Here is the cover....

Whispers...make art, take a painting class, start an art journal group, live, laugh and love more.

Thankful....

I am so thankful for many people I have been blessed to have in my life.  You make my world complete.  I'd like to give thanks to non-tangibles as well...things such a peace (inside), art and my job working as a special education teacher working with learning and reading disabled children.

Work in progress

Just a quick post to show a work in progress. This is where I make my art, currently working on Les Petites Angels.....this is the first one.

Today I commit....

Today I commit to blogging on a regular basis. Today I commit to art journal daily, to get back on track with my diet and exercise routine, to love more and live deeply. Today I commit to preserve my memories and scrapbook regularly. I went to an all day crop yesterday and got rejuvinated. Today I woke up and felt inspired.

Had some fun at http://wordle.net/ Here is my wordle "Today I commit". Check it out and have some fun. Will post my art journal page later....

I can't figure out how to get the picture of my wordle larger. Comment to me if you know how to enlarge images, thanks. Lyn