Circle Game

Remember that Joni Mitchell song CIRCLE GAME? For some reason I found myself singing it as I was doing these two pages.The words just jumped onto the page. These are the last two pages of IN THE VAN moleskine. I am working in it backwards. I have discovered that although strengthening the pages with gesso was a good idea, it wasn't a good idea for using certain pens or markers, in fact, it messes them up. This is watercolor on top of gesso with a mixture of pens and markers.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Being an artist means ceasing to take seriously that very serious person we are when we are not an artist. ~Jose Ortega Y Gassett

I have been sitting on these images of these ladies for awhile. They were sent to me,royalty free or open downloads, or whatever you call them. The original photo had about 5-6 ladies but I cut out three. I couldn't help but wonder a lot of questions about the origin of this photo. Secret girlfriend society. Pajama party? Girls had too much to drink party? A play? I decided if I were to put myself in that photo, this is what I'd want the backdrop to look like. Kind of a secret garden. A secret garden of silliness, fun and laughter with a few good women friends.

So, I put them on a heavy layered page of gesso and acrylic paint and then ran with it. The more balloons and flowers I added, the more they seemed to smile. They were happy and so am I. I'm not sure this is done. I get the feeling since I've viewed it here. it needs more........... maybe white pen with "girls just wanna have fun." More lettering...more something... I dunno. We shall see. What do you think? Does this picture make you happy? Happy Day!! Jo

Just Playing

That's it. Just playing.

Budding

I have kept a very large sketchbook in my car for several years. Must have been that I began some work in it at home and then began to continue unfinished pages in the morning before work. Why I thought I could manipulate this large book on my lap under the steering wheel,(and juggle my coffee mug) is a mystery. Eventually, I forgot about the book and it lay buried in a catch-all junk milk crate that sits behind my seat. I found it the other day and came across a page that I had begun with gluing torn images down with a glue stick. Glue sticks are small. They work well in the car.
I brought the book back to the studio this weekend and started throwing paint down over the glued pieces. I discovered that metallic acrylic paint looks kind of cool when another acrylic is rubbed in on top of it. Added some more of my own torn and shredded pieces, scribbled on top of everything with a white Sakura pen, added more collaged layers and doodled some more. I finished it with some 10 year old red glitter that barely wanted to come out of the tube.
I am happy with this. I like the colors. They feel good. I am reminded that even in winter cold, things are happening, that budding and blooming will begin again. And that I am budding and blooming again.

Showing Up

We must show up for our own life.
Be brave, be messy. Be loud. Be strong.
Trust yourself.
~Sabrina Ward Harrison


I am just having a blast. What more can I say? Finding "nifty" things like plastic lids, metal lids, cheapo foam shapes from "Wally World" for stamping. Lots of color, collaged peices from my own art, more paint, more collage.. layers and layers. I dunno what I will do with these yet...... maybe more mail art, lol., maybe not.

I was working on four peices of cardstock at once-orginally thinking mail art and then I taped them together to take this picture. They just seemed to belong together.

If you would like a piece of mail art from me you can email me with your snail mail address, especially to the latest person who is following my blog. :)

Hoping you are having a peaceful day.

Cobalt Blue

Where did this come from?.......... I asked myself. It began with two pages of "smashed" acrylic paint and I didn't know what to do with them.

I began to just throw paint on..... blue.Some black.... This cobalt blue which I dearly love...... and the two doodled drawings just jumped onto the pages saying," Oooooh! Pick us! We belong in there with the blue!"
Then came the other doodling around the edges, the alien lettering.........

I think it's very strange.... coming from me....... but then........ maybe I am very strange.....Still, I had to chuckle.