Dodging raindrops

Hello my sweetie pies!
I try to post every Tuesday and Friday, but I missed this Tuesday.  I was outside dodging raindrops doing this to my yard.......

Extended my weeds, er I mean flowers to the whole side of my dilapidated garage in an effort to camouflage the immense horribleness of the said building.  For good measure I added some of our old deck boards that I have painstakingly removed to make a barrier to keep the weeds,  flowers in check .  Yeah going for the rustic look I guess.

Yet again removing more weeds, I mean flowers and caging them up again so I may have grass instead of an overgrowth of lilies!

Again I had a bright idea of trying to distract the attention for the garage to something a little bit nicer.  I dug a bed in the front for trellising some beans or cukes.  See those rocks?  They were all in the that little teeny tiny patch of ground I dug.  Yes, seriously.  But once I started I had to finish!!!!  They made a nice border for around the bed at least!

Amid the digging and weeding and pulling and nailing I did manage to eek out a small amount of time to create a little bit.  Not a lot though.  Most of that time was used in making thank you gifts for teachers and students of Saul's class.  His last day of school is today!  Next year I can't believe he will be in 4th grade!  I had a great idea (said sarcastically now, but full of joy then) to sew each child in his class a little thank you note for their support of his special Olympics, with a piece of candy of course:)  I started and much like the above garden bed, it was a bit bigger project than I had really anticipated.  But as with the garden, once I started I had to finish!  I am pleased with the end product!

I did it and also teacher gifts, which I didn't snap a photo.  I was pleased with the end result though.  Saul has such a wonderful school staff from his teacher to his bus drivers, I think that they need a special thank you for all the effort they give my little boy!  Thank You!!!!!

One last pic and then on to Friday's fab 5 for Link Love.  I had it in my head one rainy day this week that I wanted to draw a fox, kind of in a whimsical style.  I don't know why a fox.  That is all I could think of though, so I went with it.  I am loving the results.  It is a culmination of all the feelings that are raging inside of me.  I am happy and I am sad.  I am down but up at the same time.  One large contradiction. It will be interesting what I come up with for reasoning why I drew what I did.  It may not make sense now, but usually I understand later!  So here is my sweet fox friend, maybe she will show up more in my journal, we shall see.

Alright on to Linky Love for Tammy at Daisy Yellow.  I have to admit I haven't had a lot of time to be blog hopping this week.  I will share a few of my favorites though that I always go back to time and time again!  

• First, I know I just sent a link over to Tammy already but I want to bring up again her Index card a day or as a lot of us lovingly call it ICAD.   It is going to be fun!!!  COME AND JOIN IN!!!
• Karen Michel I really enjoy her blog, her pictures are beautifully taken!  *wish* I could take photo's like her!!!
• Paulette Insall just YES!!  I just discovered her blog and most importantly her art!  *HEART* it.  Look at this bird!!!!!! (I know, me and birds right.....)
• JoAnn at Whimspirations always amazes me with her lettering and doodles.....note to self, must work on lettering and doodles.
• Last but not least is my beautiful friend Sweet Red Clover.  She blogs about how her process of drawing faces. I am always so interested in how others do their art!!!

So there my lovelies!  There is a look into my life this week.  Hope that I will be able to get upstairs and paint a bit this coming week!  At least I have the index cards to do!!!!  

Love and hugs

Jennifer

In a funk

I am in a funk.  A creative funk.  A life funk. Even a weather funk. Just a plain old FUNK!!!  I feel like doing NOTHING, but yet need to do EVERYTHING.  I am sure a lot of people can understand.  But it is Tuesday and I have made a commitment to myself to do Daisy Yellow''s Prompt 6, and if I can't count on myself who CAN I count on?  So this morning I drug my sorry behind upstairs and sat down with a paintbrush and made myself take time for it.  It isn't my favorite, but I do like the meaning behind it.  I do feel like throwing a white flag up and surrendering.  It is AMAZING though how this helps me through,  creative energy runs through me, even when I feel like it is blocked.  If I once start it all comes pouring out, it doesn't have to be perfect, it is life showing up on the page and we all know life is not perfect-far from it.  SO just let yourself go, give yourself permission to embrace the imperfection.  Instead of surrendering to the rain, surrender to the sunshine!!!!

Loves to you all and remember you are AMAZING!!!

Jennifer

        Don't forget to get your index cards ready to make into little pieces of art!!!  

Come check it out at ICAD!!!!!!!!!  It is going to be so fun!!! Be careful though, they are addicting!!

Sharing the Love mini version!!

Hello lovelies!

Today is going to be a short little post.  My son was in special Olympics today so I am running out of time, but I really want to spread some love for Tammy at Daisy Yellow.  First, because I am such a proud mama here is video and pics of Saul at his event and winning his wheelchair race....bonus is that he went straight, finished AND didn't run anyone over!!  Love this boy SOOOO MUCH, I am so lucky to have found him!!!!

His entire 3rd grade class came to cheer him on, they even made signs for him!!!!  LOVE THIS SCHOOL SO MUCH!!!!

Saul Hamming it up!!! 

A very Proud mama with the best boy in the world!!!  

So anyways, between this and some other things going on this week my creative productivity has been lacking.  I think that I will just count my son as being my creative piece this week!  I have a little love though for a few blogs that I peeked in on, despite my lack of art time.  So the mini version of the Friday fabulous five!!!( it is only 2 but fab five sounds so much better rolling off the tongue doesn't it??)

I love the Messy Canvas, lots of fun mojo going on there!!!

and Corine at Sparkle Day Studios, I want to paint this big!  I am going to have to go in the garage and see if I any sheets of wood I can steal for a large painting....Love this!!!!

Thanks for understanding the shortness of the post, and let's give my boy lots of LOVE!!!!

Jennifer

"leaf"ing me alone, I am good enough!

Tammy at Daisy Yellow is still doing her Prompt 6 until the end of May, then on to ICAD (index card a day-YAY)  I have enjoyed these prompts for my art journal immensely, they take me out of my comfort zone sometimes, but I almost always end up with something I like and my "own"  I have missed a couple here and there, but I am kind of proud of myself.  I have stuck with this probably the longest I have with anything in my life (except my family of course haha)  I give myself a star for this accomplishment!!!  I plan on continuing with my creative time, I have found it is essential to my well being.  We all need to find that THING in which we can find peace, we can quiet our mind and listen to what our hearts are saying to us.  Not everyone will understand what you do, whatever that may be, but remember it is not for THEM, it is for YOU!!!  This was a huge hurdle that I had to (and still struggle with) get over.  It is our longing for acceptance and perfection.  Well, guess what?  Not everyone is going to like you or the things you do, and we will NEVER reach perfection.  There will always be something better that you could have done or said.  Pay no heed to this though, you are doing this for yourself and not for the end product.  Whatever you do, whether it is art, gardening, cooking WHATEVER, just do it for the sheer enjoyment of it, with no thought of how it will turn out, and if we can do this just imagine how our life will be opened to new possibilities.  Our hearts and head will be opened to new experiences and we will grow in more ways than we can count!  I am still trying to follow through with this advice, but being a people pleasing, perfection seeking, somewhat insecure woman, I struggle through with it.  But I won't give up! I need to leave myself alone and let what will happen happen!!  Remember you are AMAZING!!!  Loves and hugs!

Jennifer

Friday Link love and another peek at my art this week....

Have you ever had a week that seemed like it lasted for a month?  That has been week for me!  A lot has went on this week.  It started out so bright, hopeful and full of sun and now it is ending in opposite!  It is times like these that I am so glad that I art journal.  It is a release for me, a way of getting out fear, aggression, happiness and excitement!  It is a way I can actually *feel* what is going on in a way that I can connect with.  I won't get into all the stuff going on in life, no worries!  We will come out on top, but I do like to look back and see what I have done this week and see how my art has been affected by my moods and life around me!  So here is a glance into my art and heart.

I have a pile of my grandparents old postcards that I have not known what to do with. But I couldn't bear to toss them, so I decided to stitch them together with the sewing machine (which is also my grandma's)  I am not sure what I am going to do with this yet, probably just stick it on my wall somewhere.  I love how it turned out though!

Sewing on paper....YUMMO!!!

I am doing a little challenge from April Cole (a new blog I found who is AWESOME!!! Continue to Link Love for a Link)  This month is about flowers.  I did a watercolor sketch of a few tulips in my front flowerbed that are budding out. I enjoyed the freedom of the paint going where ever it wanted to!

I have been perusing through a collage book from the library and  wanted to try something a little different than my normal type of collage work.  I will have to say that I had a BLAST with this.  It is a little tongue in cheek humor for us art journalist....one of the motto's we live for is that there are NO rules. SO when I saw this graphic stating the rules for painting....I had to use it!  I like that it is just a FUN page, no deep meanings, nothing hidden.  Just plain unadulterated  "funness" on one page! 

Just playing with watercolor and acrylic paint.

The start of a background.  I was using the straw technique for blowing paint around on the page.  Note to self,  CAUTION: maybe cause you to be lightheaded.....

First completed Mandala, Jennifer style.  I have wanted to do mandala's but have not been happy with the results.  I am happy with this grungy looking mess I have going on here.  I will do more in this type of style in the future.

hello toes photo bombing my blog picture.....

I try to do a face or two a week to keep honing my skills of shading and drawing.  I did it at a different angle this time, and am just *ok* with the result.  I did like how she looked strong though. I felt strong that day!

Another may flower !

Just for good measure....PIXIE...my sweet little puppy! Give her a little love, she had a rough day on Friday when my son ran over her tiny paw with his 300+ wheelchair.....she is ok though, not broken just bruised.

Surprise surprise,a bird!  Playing with collage again.

What I felt like.

sketching in my art journal

OK. That's enough of that :)  Stick around because now it is time for LINKY LOVE!!!  My favorite time of the week!!!!  Get your blog seat belts fastened to go for a trip into some amazing creative soaked minds!!!!!

Here are the Fab Five of Friday for Daisy Yellow, check her out!!!

•  April Cole, I just discovered her and LOVE her and her art!  Just go look!!!
• Alma Stoller shows an alternative to bought canvas's and we all know how I am all about CHEAP!
• Robin has a beautiful way with words and her art!!!!  So colorful and bold!!!  I need to be more like this!!!!
• Kate.....oh wow is all I have to say....that and can someone hand me a napkin I am drooling all over her junk journals.....me thinks I have to try this!!!
• Last and not least is Renee I love how she photographed her start of the page and then how it ended up in the end.  So many times I start with something completely different in the beginning than what it ends up to be!  So fun and she is so talented!

Lots of love and don't forget...

You are AMAZING!!!

Jennifer

A serious journal and linky love!

This time of year is bittersweet for me. I love the spring and green coming back (even though we had a foot of snow dumped on yesterday, not normal) I love the birds and their singing.  I love my flip flops getting dusted off for the season and my toes being able to be free from the evil confines of socks (I hate HATE socks....).  But it is also hard because it is close to mother's day, and fishing opener.  I get terribly lonesome for my family this time of year.  I grew up in a family business, a bait shop.  When I think of going home, I think of the Shop.  It has always been there, a constant in a childhood fraught with change. Opener is almost always on mother's day weekend.  It was nice in a way, that after mom died the long weekend of working long hours made the pain a little less intense, a little more manageable, a little bit more able to forget that instead of a mom waiting at home for me, she was laying in a grave.  Dark I know, but this is real life.  Mother's day has not gotten any easier. I am very fortunate to have been able to adopt a beautiful boy, but it hurts a little still that I cannot have my own.  I don't want to sound ungrateful by any means.  There are some loved ones of mine that struggle with this EVERYDAY, and here I am with a son, sounding like I am complaining.  I am not complaining, more like just sharing my feelings of failure.  It seems that everyone is either having a baby, or had a baby.  I am so happy for them.  Kind of. I mean I truly am happy, but.....there is is this....resentment at the same time.  It is the same feeling I struggled with when I would see kids give their moms something on mothers day....I tried to combat this by getting something for my dad instead....but the resentment continued.  I am a kind person, but deep down I harbor resentment, anger and disappointment.  We all do probably.  I held a baby a month or so ago.  It was almost too much for me to take, the feeling of failing and that nasty resentment had red in my eyes.  SO, how do I get past this, over this or through this.  Well I know that I won't get past it, if it hasn't happened yet it never will, it is a scar on my heart.  There is no getting OVER something like these things either. BUT, I can get through it.  I chose to release my emotions in my art journal.  I have been hesitant to write this blog, I don't want to sound dark and wallowing in self misery.  But, this is real life.  It is my real life, not all sunshine and roses, but weeds and clouds.  The first page is about my mom I did several months ago, and the second is an entry of my inner turmoil with chronic miscarriages.  It helps.  To get it out into a visual thing helps so much!  

Thank you for letting  me share this, it is therapeutic in itself!

Now let's get a little less serious!!! It is Linky Love Friday at Daisy Yellow.  Tammy has extended it to the month of May as well!!  So here is this weeks Fab 5!!!  LOVE and HUGS !!!

1. Karen michel Beautiful dream catcher in progress!!!
2. Natalie Malik , just gives me inspiration looking at the whole blog!!!
3. Kristin Dudish ...just YES!!!!!!
4. Natasha White I know I have already put down Natasha once before....sue me...but I am so intrigued by her journey through the artist way book....that and I LOVE HER!!!!!! seriously.  She is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
5. Rachel Ashe this is so COOL, I mean really it is made of PAPER!!!!!

Go spread so Link LOVE!!!

Prompt 6 time again!!!

I have a set deadline for me to finish my weekly prompt 6 art journal page from Tammy Garcia at Daisy Yellow.  She puts a new one out on Tuesdays, so I tell myself that I have to get it done by then.  It is like the ONE thing I *make* myself finish.  Well, I am late.  BUT at least it is done.  I can't be too strict with myself or I get bull headed and not finish things on purpose...you know just to stick it to the *man* so to speak.  Yes I fight with myself ALL the time.  It is an inner struggle....I want to do things but as soon as I have to I get stubborn and dig in my heals.  So yes, it is late., but is finished and I am happy with it.  Actually I am late AND early.  I did this weeks prompt too!!  Yay, I am ahead of the game!  So here is Daisy Yellow Prompt #17!

I used a bit more of a simplistic approach to this entry.  Few layers, few colors, mostly just sketching and writing.  Just for the info, I did NOT draw that girl, I traced her from an old text book image onto vellum.  I changed her hair and lips though....I didn't like the short hair she had in the image, nor the HUGE smile she had either.  I wanted the feeling of contemplating instead.  The journaling reads (for some reason my camera cut off a little on each side) She opened the envelope to her heart and let it lead her to her own palace. Check over at Daisy Yellow for the prompts and see if you can find them on my page!

 

This is for Daisy Yellow Prompt 6 #18

I really enjoyed this one, I made myself embrace the red prompt.  I am not a huge *red* person.  I think it is because it is my sisters favorite color.  Not that there is anything wrong with my sister.  It is just that I have always called "Denise" since like forever! We supposedly look a great deal alike....I don't think so...but hey whatever!  Anyways, so I tend to do as much things as I can different from her, maybe so I can set myself apart from her!  I don't know....anyways, I rarely use straight reds in my art.  It is too .....well...too red.  But I wanted to stretch out of my nice comfortable color scheme box.  I used just three, black white and red.  Simple but effective in what I was wanting.  After I took a picture of it I noticed I forgot to type the word *of* in the quote.  whoops....but hey this is my art journal, it doesn't have to be perfect!!!  

I hope all is well with everyone!  I will be back on Friday for spreading the Link love and showing you all what I have been doing in my art room!  (why do I find it so hard to call it a studio?  That is its purpose...but I have the same problem calling myself an *artist* as well....sounds like something to work out!!!)