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.

EEK!

A bit of everything that I make:
Frida Dog Calendar
Found Object Jewelry
Mosaics
Cornell Boxes
Journals
Zip Pouches
EEK!


I KNOW there is a Niche for the things I make, but it is not here where I live.
I've had a day job that has allowed me to fail at craft shows.
Making things specifically to sell has been violent poison for me. I've tried it and suffered for it.
Now I have the luxury of time and I am listening to my Impulse to make. That Impulse gets to be the leader.
New Adventures!

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.

BIG MAGIC and Fish Mosaics

Am listening to Elizabeth Gilbert's BIG MAGIC. Having fought the battle of making for all of my life, this book is a brilliant "Hell Yeah! Right On!" Got it as e-audio book from my public library.
Came upon this page in last year's journal. I've never made this apron, but I'm glad I drew down the pockets because I really want to try this double pocket idea! It may be on the agenda for today.
All of a sudden, my fish mosaics came in to my brain. I have a stack of them out in Studio South. They are all ready for their black grout. I wanted to find new solution to edging and I thought I had but I never drew it down and now I can't remember my brilliant idea. Today I will start drawing solutions. If my previous idea was a good one I trust that it will come back once it finds out I need it again.
Lesson # 674,300, 822: Draw ideas DOWN! when I have them!
Thinking Pixie Ghost Ring Too!

Re-Start! Use it UP!

Just retired in June. Been an educator since 1988. 
I was ready to switch lanes...2 years ago I was ready. 
I kept seeing my true strength as solving pictorial and narrative problems, not behavioral or educational politics. 
There was never enough time for making. 
And then add aging to the mix and the energy became limited too. 
Here I am....I am finding my way. 
Its challenging.
I am so glad I learned years ago how to listen to the true source of my creativity.
I call her "my little".
She always knows best and is way better at pictorial and narrative problems than I am.
She is so sure of herself that she leads me astray only to guide me to new discoveries!
I had to make these little birds.
I have a thing about boxes
...and resin
...and found things
...and birds
...and wings
...and buttons
and about using up my collections. No more "saving". 
Only using!

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.....

Coping Tools for Not Belonging

Studio. Making. Husband. Sister. Dogs. Music. Home.

These are the things I depend on to enrich my day. I don’t fit into my job world very well at all. It seems like everyone else has gotten the script and knows how to navigate. Like a deer in the headlights I continually feel stunned.

Out of place.

There is no one to talk to about how the 2 images I found that morning make my soul dance.

There is no one at school to share the beauty of the frog skeleton that I found.

The loneliness makes me feel like an alien.

The repetition of days and weeks make me feel like a lunatic in a straitjacket. I fear over my continual exhaustion, but I think that I am suffering from the job that I do and the world that it’s done in.

BUT.

The job has kept me safe. It’s kept me in house and security and independence. I have developed coping skills to pay back what is leeched from me. I used to think it had to be people but lacking the skills necessary or even the interest, at this time, it is not.

I need to make. That is the end of every sentence. I am so happy about it! For most of my life I thought it was totally secondary. Now after a lifetime I find out it is primary. Now  a whole world opens each time I engage in making. Struggles, failures, disappointments. All of it marvelous and magical.

Weeks have gone by...

Sooooo.....I found these little weird shadow boxes at one of those $ stores, did a minor deconstruction & voila! SHADOW BOX! My Favorite!
Now I am running out of boxes. Scary.......
I had a very creative time 5 weeks ago & got diverted by less important things.
I miss it so I have to run on fumes.
Making boxes, journal entries & learning to meditate.

Fishes

Back to stenciling fishes. Lots of them.
I guess I am adding words to the work. Seems the right thing to do.
The rain woke me up.

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.

Everything & Everyone with Bears & Mona.

I love these bears. They are very old timey rubber stamps that I got at Renninger's in January. I am able to build collages again. My Little was busy being an adult & the energy was not there. I kept my journal up but collages have to say everything & not just be surroundings for words.

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.....