Personal Collection of Figures

Am building a collection of figures that I can trace and overlay. Ashley Garrettson, a fellow grad student was doing this, life-size version in 1992.
Am sort of following along with whatever happens to interest me. Its quite indulgent. Well, feels that way. Its a good idea for me because I can get fraught and tangled in "shoulds". My very favorite advice from my very first therapist in 1969 was "should-hood is shit-hood". Brilliant. And true.
Meanwhile, our house is getting a S L O W re-examine. I use the house quite differently now that I am here all day. Things just don't work for me as it is. Lots of purging going on. Not as fast as I would like. Baby Step Progress.
Sacroiliac Joint is also Baby Step Progress.
Color me Grateful.

I don't know until I try!

Is what I say when I try something and it doesn't work. Yesterday I tried sauteing radishes because I read that they can taste like potatoes. (I really miss potatoes but now I am a Keto-Eater and potatoes have too many carbohydrates) THEY DON'T TASTE LIKE POTATOES! So all that good butter right in to the compost! Ah well the microorganisms will enjoy them!
Same with the brilliant idea I have to re-make a wide-brim-inexpensive-straw hat into a Boater.

Its because I want to wear one and I had the straw hat and found a tutorial and I love to make...so...The Boater is not done. But maybe it will work, but if I didn't try I wouldn't know.

Today's journal page led to new discoveries about surfaces! I love when that happens! I've been using stencils in unusual ways to add depth to plain paper backgrounds. I have been inking the stencil, misting the page and burnishing the stencil to transfer the negative area of the stencil. Its so beautiful to me.

Frida Dog calendar is nearly ready for photos! Its a low-tech job as is most everything I do.

POOF! Journal Entry # 3997

Am visited by negative voices that tell me yuck about myself and my work. It seems to be a common occurrence. I understand the usefulness of such insights but many times its unproductive and dangerous. I really don't want to censor my ideas. I'd rather let them see the light of day and make them better.
Made a journal entry about it.
My creative energy (purple poof) has sent it scurrying!
Frida Dog calendar is all printed. I am waiting for the binding rings to come so I can bind them together.

Recovery Day

Continuing Frida Dog Collage Calendar Project. This is the October Beauty!
I was making dog pictures with Frida (Kahlo) headgear in my visual journal last December. A friend suggested this would be a good idea for a calendar. That's what I'm doing. Utilitarian + Aesthetic! I am saving the actual calendar bits for the final stage of all 12 images.
Yesterday was Recovery Day.
I had a brilliant massage on Wednesday. The brilliant massage unleashed bunch of stuff and it takes a day to recover.
I napped.
I read.
I rested.
And I built all the heads for the Pixie Ghost Ring for the front yard. I am hoping I can store these from year to year and reassemble for each October.
My collages are NOT digital.They are all hand cut and glued.
Its a Captain Kangaroo thing. The sound of his scissors determined the course of my life.

Its my Dear Sister's Birthday! I am 6 years older & she is my best friend. She lives on the other side of the country though.
Need to keep using the editing software on PC so I can stay in shape.
Moon is waning after its huge-ness.
Dog walking in moonlight.
Book Character Day next week. I am going to be a starry sky. There are plenty of starry skies in children's stories.

A year ago I kept a journal from Autumn Equinox to Winter Solstice. It was a fun departure from a 365 page beast (which I do LOVE). I have been reading those entries as I finish each current entry; keeping an eye on my life from a year ago.
I adore this time of the year. I adore Halloween but being the person I am, I rarely have a fun time on Halloween. Making spooky pages for the month of October is my gratifying way of celebrating days.
Celebrating Days. 

Have such a glorious time making these journals:

1. Covers are collage, each set of front & back are made together. I use transparency overlay for layers of visual dee-light
2. Interior pages are a mish-mash of various papers & perhaps a pocket or envelope to store collections
3. Spiral bind allows book to lay flat for maximum use
4. Each is unique

Had to re-teach myself lots of skills to get this photo to my PC. I guess that's good. I do tend to get a little pissy.
I need to find a market & thought I might like to try various book festivals. Will be begin that research.
I LOVE BOOK FESTIVALS!

Journal Cover Wednesday & Preserved Lemons

This is a cover on good old chipboard that I scored for free when all teachers got packets encased in chipboard. I asked everyone for theirs & they were so generous. I have quite a large supply.
What is it that makes materials gleaned in this way extra special? I love the word "Glean". There was a brilliant French movie about "Gleaners". Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse, 2000.

I preserved lemons in salt & let them brew for 3 weeks. Finally used them last evening in Moraccan Chicken with Olives. What a taste sensation! Totally new!

Journal Cover 3

I broke down & bought new accessories for journal covers. Tim Holtz makes stuff I don't mind using like the arrow spinner on this cover. I also bought some of his tissue music note tape which you see on the back cover. Its fun!
I am timid about pain. Its been a constant in my life since 2008. There have been brief interludes of absence of pain & for that I am grateful. At this point I have very little pain having taken care of those things that were the cause. So when I feel pain I over react & become on the edge of terror. Its important to remember I will be okay.
I saw that movie about Roger Ebert, Life Itself, & didn't like it. I couldn't help thinking, "whats the point of such life extension?" It was too painful to watch. Valiant? I'm not sure. Not for me I guess.

Swings Journal Cover

Standing on the swing pumping like crazy to go higher, higher. It felt a little dangerous. How curious at 63 I can still imagine that little stomach jump & the rush of wind as I fly down backward after the up-swing.
Left is cover, right is back.
I have a lot of stamps & sorted them by color into a stamp collector's notebook. It is a delicious thing!
Tracing out fish today on painted plywood. Getting ready for the mosaic re-visitation. I'll let you know how it goes.
I am excited!

New Journal Covers!

On the left is the back cover & one the right is the front cover. I have been steadily making journal covers & was surprised at my tall stack. Its time to bind pages within.

This set is made of very thin single ply cardboard that is quite wonderful in color & texture. I will spiral bind with 1 inch coil.

I am re-visiting my love affair with FISH SHAPES. You see the new stencil from transparency sheets that no one uses anymore? Well, maybe we do.....

Blank Journal Page #28

#28 for posting today.
Some clay tile work & a puppy. What could be better?
I have another idea! I am very excited about my next blank journal project!
I have loved doing "ABCEDARIANS" for all sorts of things. My favorite is the one I did, as an edition, about my trip to Spain. I was planning on doing an Abcedarian for summer adventures (which I plan on having) & I have always wanted to do one on "Mythological Micanopy".
BLANK JOURNAL IDEA TWO!

#13, April First

Today is a palindrome: 4-1-14! Been out of studio for 2 days--felt bliss to be back among my papers, scissors & glue. Still using from the table pile. Of course, I am tempted by all sorts of new images calling to me from within pages of books & mags.
Who is that guy on the beautiful 50 Cent Poste Italiane stamp? I don't know yet, but I know where to look. I think.

#10 Journal Page

Still working with things on the table. I found myself leafing though a book & had to put it away. Using what is in front of me. Another gray day here. It is still cool which I dee-light in. The heat will be here all too soon & over stay it's welcome.

#8 Journal Page

This is my NEW RULE (that I imposed on myself after a very tall stack of images that I have been hoarding fell to the floor & I had to pick them all up) I must use what is on my tabletop. I am not allowed to go looking for new imagery until I've made a dent in what I have so carefully been collecting. This is another "Creator taking stock" composition. One of my very favorites of layouts. I re-visit it ALOT.
The stamps are from a magazine so they are not real, they commemorate the 70th anniversary of the German Derby. They are barely readable.

2 More Pages

For the last 2 mornings I have not been able to get anything going on paper. That is very unusual & this morning I understood why. Gone was the Little that I depend on when making these collages. I had shut her out again & was trying to make "Art". Not a good idea. Without my Little making decisions my work is boring & contrived, when she is in charge it is lively & unpredictable. Reunited, la la  la   la    laaaah.....

#2 Blank Journal Page

So the way I figure it I have to stay a day ahead of myself if I want to keep working in the journal that I presently keep. On this page I will write just to the right of the hand. AND it seems to crying for a postage stamp right under the fingers. Purple? Turquoise?
A little while ago I bought a stamp collectors album with little transparent half sleeves so I could organize all the stamps by color. Ooooo...I love it.

Hummie & Hands

This collage is not numbered so its not one of the 'starters'. Still using up those brilliant hummingbird images from the National Geo.
Yesterday I started making a book of collage. I had an old withdrawn book from the library & had tipped in pages & used it for a journal for only 5 days in 2011. I painted over all that & started in with collage. No journal writing. I found myself not taking it seriously, just in a hurry to fill up the pages so I could call it done even though I'd only just started. Typical. Had to do some re-working. I will start posting those collages.

New Work for me

I am going to bind this book for Bonefolder Bind-O-Rama. At first I thought, nope, mostly this must be for those who do closed spine books & mine are open Coptic & quite humble. Changed my mind & am going to use my favorite materials & if I can figure out how to get my images the right size (its still a mystery to me) I will enter the online exhibition.
Have been gone a long time.
New beginnings for me. Changes in what has been for me. New & sort of different. One big thing is the reconfiguration of my Studio South to accommodate painting. Painting for me is really hard & really dee-vine.