Journal Pages...Tropical

Tropical

Ever get the feeling . . .
somebody’s watching you?

I don't know why I decided to make this a journal spread.

I think I may have had more luck with a different surface.

I started with blobs of ink: purple and blue.
Then added acrylics, watercolor crayons,
colored pencil, and more ink until I had
a right good mess. Tried to clean it up
with more white colored pencil and now
have officially given up. I may try this again
on canvas or something...

The theme at Inspiration Avenue this week is Tropical,

and I have proved my theory once again that 

I have the most trouble on the weeks I host the challenge.

I am so late with my entry that I am typing
this post before the paint is dry.

Will have to scan it quickly as soon as it dries... Sheesh.

See all the awesome Tropical entries Sunday afternoon
on Inspiration Avenue!
Have a happy Sunday :)

Paint Party Friday

I've been doing a lot of journal pages lately, maybe 

because of all the delicious workshops offered in

21 Secrets. I'm loving 21 Secrets!

This is a journal spread I finished recently.

I hate my handwriting in general and specifically

in my artwork, and can't wait to cover it up with gesso!

So the quote which you can't read says:

“Childhood is the world of miracle and wonder;

as if creation rose, bathed in the light,

out of darkness, utterly new and

fresh and astonishing.

The end of childhood is when things 

cease to astonish us.”

~Eugene Ionesco

I'm happy to say, I'm usually astonished by something 

on a daily basis . . . so much for growing up :)

 Visit here for some astonishing talent!

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

Sacred / Ancient / Symbolic Art

The challenge this week is bought to us 

by Kat of Wright Story.

A thought-provoking theme 

with so many directions to go!

I've always been intrigued by mandalas,

and have never drawn one before,

so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Drawing the design was fun, relaxing

and meditative, and seemed to just evolve by itself.

BUT then came the color ~ 

I don't think I've concentrated so hard on 

staying inside the lines since the third grade!

My head came very close to exploding!

How do people do the really complicated ones??

This one is relatively simple.

Maybe I should have been meditating while I colored.

Actually, maybe I was, and that's how I got through it.

Still, I think it's a pretty little design and I rather enjoy 

looking at it now that all the coloring is done :)

It's colored pencils and water color, just to list the FYI stuff.

Stop over at Inspiration Avenue on Sunday afternoon

to see all the inspiring sacred and symbolic art!

Work in Progress

Paint Party Friday

This was a fun mixed media project inspired by
Tam's "Collage, Paint, and Soul" workshop

on the 21 Secrets Workshop.

We were to include a human figure and an animal,

both originating with magazine photos which

we then painted over. It's amazing how the finished

figures don't resemble the photos!

This is my deer totem painting.

Some of the words associated with 

a deer in animal symbolism are

beauty

grace

regrowth

peace

creativity

swiftness

benevolence

and watchfulness

I always have the most trouble adding words
to my painting. Something I have to work on.
Putting paint on the page seems to come intuitively,
but adding words is something I think too long on
and over-analyze until I'm never happy with the result.
I guess, like with anything, practice is the key!

Hop over to PAINT PARTY FRIDAY

and take a look at what people are working on!