Fulfilling That Vision, Black Serendipity ~ September 14, 2013

Arriving two days preceding the start of our "Women's Journaling Retreat" allows this sweet cushion of time, in which we can do exactly what we want. Which is exactly what I proceed to do.

You know from the previous blog post that I'm in the midst of this new journal format and now am upon a black page. So when I flip the page to see the back side of the black seed pod paper, I'm no longer perturbed at not wanting to sketch upon it. Instead I'm charmed by the journal serendipity that pops up in ways that can ONLY happen in a journal. These blonde seed pods, flattened and preserved in the black handmade paper echo the shape and color of the hole I'd cut to accommodate my earlier paper clay insert! Love these magical happenings.

On the adjacent page ~ I'm going to do want I was aching to do when we were up at Mosquito Lake ~ I'm going to watercolor the water lilies in the water surface. But this page is mere writing paper ... so I'm trying this possibility of glueing in a small piece of watercolor paper and painting what I'd wanted. I'm pleased with my watercolor painting and find it kind of fun to try and trickle off the watercolor paper onto the journal's regular paper. It does ripple some ... but integrates the square watercolor paper into the whole page. AND - I got to paint what I really envisioned.

As I look a the full spread open, I'm again wiggling in joy at the balance that occurred unplanned. Look how the strong dark values in the lily painting even's out that strong black seed pod page. I just thrill in how journals seem to design themselves ... way better than I could have even imagined!! Now ... on to the start of the retreat!

Birthday Traditions ~ September 3, 2013

When I made this journal, I wanted to challenge myself. I was feeling like I'd become kind of 'cookie-cutter' with my journal page designs in my ole' big Canson 10 x 14 inch journal. I chose to make the shape and size different as well as mix in un-predictable papers. So already, just four pages into this new journal I'm feeling "bothered" that some of the paper is watercolor paper and some is mere writing paper. My watercolor paintings ripple the pages and I have to use less and less water. I notice I'm feeling "squeezed" into this smaller 8 1/4 x 8 1/2 inch page format. I'm wondering why I decided to be innovative!!!? But I need to remember - - that stretching one's self is never comfortable. And it is through these feelings that we get new experiences and creative
stimulation. Ok? Ok!

Notice what a fun element the back side of the Paper Clay insert has become on these following pages? And even what is pages ahead, like that yellow glowing area showing through the hole on the right page, has an effect upon the page design. I'm often surprised with the serendipity and how wonderfully it works out!

But with all that aside, on these two pages, I celebrate my birthday. Roland gifted me with my favorite dessert, the Marion-berry Cobbler from the Standingstone Brewery in Ashland and it of course, landed on my journal page. It was a time of confusion and crazy unplanned mishaps ... between visitors dropping in to a disappointing dinner out to cancellations for my Women's Journaling Retreat ... one of the cheery-est memories I could pluck from that time is my favorite cut-outs from birthday cards. For two years in a row now, my dear "Aunt Karen" has won out as my most favorite card! See the little kitten in the back pocket of a pair of jeans? That's it! This page always makes me smile!

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 ...