Autumn ~ In Sights and Sounds

I adore these two pages in my journal. They carry the epitome of the serendipity that charges my journaling with joy and a momentum to keep going with each new page. Not only are autumn days some of my favorite of the year ... so I'm already smiling with the onset of the page ... but ... well, I'll just tell you the story ...

I was on my way into the Ashland Art Center, November 16th, with the day ahead holding my monthly Journaling "Clinic". This month our topic was "Fall Colors" so I already had photos selected for me to do my demo from and for the participants to

choose from for their painting. As I walk towards the back door, I see a square of pure white laying on the asphalt ahead of me. When I get closer, I realize it's one of those company labels usually dangling from an object of clothing. The tiny hole in the top encouraged me to flip the already run over label just to see the front. And guess what glowed a beautiful red on the other side ... a print of a delicate maple leaf. Inner happiness spilled out onto my face, quiet giggles and smiles. I completed my lil' demo of the glorious colors along the autumn Rogue River and placed the brilliant red maple tag nested in the inner corner of the page. I love serendipity!

Across from autumn in blossom resonates the sounds of November 19th, 2012. I have a beloved artist friend, Irene Brady (do go check out her amazing talents with a ballpoint pen and water soluble colored pencils at: http://www.natureworkspress.com/) who likes to go to the Black Sheep in Ashland. No, not for the food but (what else do artists do?) to sketch. On Sunday's they have a gathering of Celtic musicians who play for nearly 2-3 hours ... just jamming and frolicking in the rhythms. Now the music was contagious but the outfits (fitting any charming Irish lass or WHAT fun! I snapped many photos too and once I was home took to filling in some of the personalities and instruments. A sheer delight was the ole' British phone booth in the corner - a great backdrop!

laddie, yes, even the children!) and the natural poses struck by the listeners and the performers was classic. Irene took on doing more thorough individual people, I took to playing with a contour drawing.

But I wasn't content just with the sketching and painting, I had to have one of these comical coasters. I took it home too and planned to just split the coaster's thickness so that it would lay more flat in my journal. But to my demise this "creature" would not nicely split. It tore and came out pretty bumpy ... but it still did not escape my journal page. I mean ... the color helps tie together my autumn pages!! Really now!!!

Some journal pages just come together for us artists ... and we are just as surprised as ever. And actually feel quite smitten with the visual impact, quite like someone else had designed and created the pages. Huuummmmm . . . perhaps someone or something else did create it ...