December Art Journal

The journal theme that I am working on this month is autumn colors. I believe that fall gives us the most beautiful sunsets. Since we typically close our gallery at sunset, I rarely miss seeing them.

For this journal I have been working on a series of watercolor sunsets with pen and ink trees. Pen and ink was my favorite medium in high school, since our ceramics department was extremely limited. I prefer to work with an old fashioned ink pen and nib with India ink. I have used, and still own, an Osmiroid cartridge pen, but find they don't work well for me. I blame it on left handedness, but perhaps that's my own excuse! I am waaay out of practice, but this has been a fun art journal to work on. I'll take photos of the various artist's fall inspired artwork when I have completed my contribution.

I can't believe I haven't blogged in a week! Christmas really kicked my ass, but now I have taken a short break and I am ready for an exciting 2014.

Art Journal - Circles - Round

 Michèle Hastings (me)

 Cindy Payne (journal creator)

 Cindy Payne

 J. Bossert

Cindy Payne

The missing journals were all found and I ended up with three of them in November. I have no clue how I did it during this busy season but they are all completed. This one is headed to New Jersey this afternoon. My December journal has already arrived. I think I will work on it between Christmas and New Years!

Patterns in Nature

Patterns in Nature was the theme of the most recent art journal I received...

 My ginkgo leaves fit nicely with the theme

 This is one of Leah Chulak's pages, she is the owner of this journal. Not only a talented ceramic artist, but illustrator as well.

 Linda Fletcher, another ceramic artist that does beautiful drawings and paintings.

Cindy Payne, and yes, she too is a ceramic artist. Cindy is the coordinator of the Art Journal Project 2013.

Not everyone in the group is into clay, but a large number of us are. The next journal theme is "Doubles/Twins". I will have to think on that one a bit!

The Art Journal Project

The art journal project has gotten a little off track. It started the first month when one of the journals was lost in the mail. Luckily the USPS pulled through, and it was returned to it's owner. Somehow a few of the other journals have been mixed up, I think that Lori Buff received two this month! For some strange reason I wasn't my usual last minute getting it done. If I had, it would still be sitting on my art table, since my shoulder decided to call it quits last week.

I snapped a few photos of the book before it went off in the mail. The theme is "Nature's Song".

 Lori, is this yours? It wasn't signed.

 This my entry. When we first moved to Seagrove we had an anole climbing up the plated glass window in front of Jeff's wheel. He looked cool stuck to the glass that was splattered with clay.

Linda Fletcher, the owner of this journal, also included an additional project at the back of her book; Artist Trading Cards. She invited us to create a card based on our journal theme and take one of hers that was based on "Songs of Nature".

Shoulder update:
I am doing much better! No more constant pain and slowly gaining more range of motion. I even went back to work on Tuesday, putting together some piggy banks. I am taking it slow... it took me two days to assemble eleven. I doubt I will even attempt the wheel for at least another week.
Thank you all once again for sending me good healing energy and sound advice.

Putting brush to paper

I have been spending a couple of hours in the evenings working on my July art journal. This month's theme is "Rebirth". Since Jeff brought me that nice brush from Seoul, I figured it was about time I got out the watercolors and gave it a go. I like to work on two paintings at a time. That way my impatience of waiting for things to dry doesn't make me turn colors into mud.
The journal this month is small, 8"x 5". I prefer a larger format, but working with what you have is half the challenge. One of these paintings will span two pages and I will still have to trim it down quite a bit. I actually like cutting up paintings when I am done. Creating new angles and paper shapes. Sometimes I am happier with the finished work after hacking it up some!
Occasionally I like to add some pen and ink to watercolor paintings, or even sharpie markers. I haven't decided about these yet. Once my entry is done, I will take some photos of the journal, including entries by the three previous artists.
Last night I dreamed of painting half the night... they were peaceful dreams. The night before I made coasters in my sleep... and I woke up tired! I think I should put brush to paper every evening.

Wishing all an art-filled weekend, filled with peaceful dreams.

Art Journal Finished on June 26th... I am not always a procrastinator

I can't believe it. I have finished my art journal this month with FOUR days to spare! This has to be a record for me. I even remembered to photograph it.

The journal I received this month was potter Lori Buff's. The theme was inspirational places. My greatest inspiration these days comes from the nature that is right outside my studio door.

 Lori's pages reflected on her time spent at Penland and how much this special place inspired her work.

Joanne's page in Lori's journal is a castle and it appears to be her inside of it... no explanation. I am left to ponder it's meaning.

I was feeling so smug about finishing this journal early. I actually had my painting done two weeks ago, and glued it into the book last week. Lo and behold, a few days ago Joanne sent me the July journal... she was a few days ahead of me!
The next theme is "Rebirth".
I will have to think on that one a bit.

better late than never?

 I was really hoping to coordinate an art journal group this year, but I never seemed to have the time to get it off the ground. My good friend Cindy managed to pulled it all together. Cindy is one of those friends that you can always count on.

I was on the ball with choosing my theme and had completed my cover a month ago. My big plan was to use the time that Jeff was in Korea to finish a couple more pages and get everything glued in place. But as you know, life through me a curve ball and the next thing I knew I was on a plane to New Hampshire. I have been home for a couple of days, which have been spent doing laundry, book work, and buttoning up this journal.

Today it's finished and I am waiting for some of the glue and paint to dry before sending it off. In many ways my theme of "HOME" seems even more fitting after what the last week and a half has brought to me. I realize that I now have two homes. North Carolina and New Hampshire.

The beginning of my journal is the north. A portion of a map of New England and ginkgo leaves representing the tree outside of my NH pottery studio.

The back of the journal is south. A map of central NC and the "705" sign... my new home in Seagrove.

Now to start on the next journal in the queue... the theme is doppelganger. I have NO clue where I am going with that one, but I am determined not to be late!