Letter Love 101

  When I was in high school I took a class in calligraphy.  It was a challenge but I ended up enjoying it.  I still admire beautiful handwriting and interesting fonts.
  Artist and author Kate Johnson encouraged me to share my art journal pages in her facebook group Artist's Journal Workshop.  I had my doubts that my journals belonged in that amazing group because my pages have more hand writing on them than sketches and drawings.  She assured me they belonged in the group because there are all kinds of ways to keep an art journal.
  I think it was the artist and avid journaler Danny Gregory that said in one of his books that "writing is drawing".  That phrase stuck with me.  I don't always have the time and patience to draw something.  But I'm always writing something.  (I thought of becoming a writer back in high school too.)  If I'm writing something, it doesn't take long for me to add a little flourish here or there.  Ta daaaah!  I'm writing and drawing-two things I immensely love, in my journal.
  Yesterday I saw that artist Joanne Sharpe has an on-line class called "Letter Love 101" where she teaches different forms of lettering.  During the class students will make three journals and fill them with their lessons.  I wondered how did I miss this?!
  The first lesson was to get a simple composition tablet and decorate the cover.  This was what I made this morning.  It's very simple because I don't usually make the cover for a journal first.  But I see that this has potential because as class goes on, I'll be writing on its cover.  After all, that's what I did to my tablets when I was in high school.

 

Morning Spill Pages

I used to journal in black and white with a black Uniball Vision Elite pen.  Lately if time allows, I've added color.
At a used book store I scored a book filled with different alphabets.  I'd like to experiment with more lettering.
I took a calligraphy class when I was in high school.  It was a challenge being a lefty, but I managed.
The thing with calligraphy and me is that it's also a challenge for me to slow down and letter.  I think with more practice that will change.
As time allows.
I don't know sometimes what I'm in such a hurry for!

Making Time for Art

My "Morning Spills" journal:

  If I compared myself to other artists, I'd come up woefully short in the "Productive" department. But one thing I do fairly consistently is write or draw in my journal(s). They are places I can unload my restless brain to.  Thank goodness!

  Here are my pages for my monthly calendar journal.  I'm surprised that I'm still sticking with this project since I have a hard time committing to on line projects.  Maybe I shouldn't pat myself on the back so soon, as I've only started this journal in November of 2011.

Juggling Journals

  I've never had so many journals going on at one time.  They are:

1.  my daily journal, which currently is in a Little Prince special edition moleskine.  I didn't like the thin, un-lined paper in it, so I tipped in lined papers of all kinds.  It's fat and gapes wide open.  It's my favorite journal of all so far.
2.  my calendar journal-a monthly journal in squared format.  I create the background and cut out squares for each day of the month.  It's turning out to be a quick, fun account of my monthly activity.
3.  my Smash book-I glue stuff that interests me in this one, such as articles about archaeology from the newspapers or magazines
4. my bird journal-quick drawings of birds,especially finches
5. my chameleon journal-drawings of chameleons.  I started this in memory of Peach
6. my bird clippings journal-bird ephemera I've collected and am finally putting in one book
7. a nature journal-real feathers, pods, seeds, etc. that I've collected from my back yard in Tucson

  This is a spread in my Little Prince daily journal.

Shaking Things Up

  Monday I rearranged the chameleon/sun room.  Tuesday I re-did the area where I throw paint around and cut and paste paper.  Today I feel like redoing the area where I lose beads and drop needles on.  In order to do that, there will be some switching of furniture.
  How badly I want an area rearranged adds up to creating the biggest mess possible.

  I just finished this pencil, charcoal and Panpastel drawing.  I usually draw just using black.  I'm getting more comfortable using color in my drawings.  PanPastels has a lot to do with that ease and comfort.  It's like applying makeup to the subject being drawn.

"Little Friend"

Getting Busy

  There are three sayings that I am fond of.  The first one is "No regrets."  The second is "It's a beautiful day", straight out of U2's tune.  And lastly there is "Action is the antidote to despair".
  I lost my first chameleon, Peaches, on Monday.  I've never been a person to get inside my head and myself when it comes to sadness or grief.  I have to do something.  And by doing something, that action often honors who or what I have lost.
  Yesterday I completely rearranged the sun room.  It used to be a place where all the exercise equipment was.  Then I convinced my husband, well, whined, that my chameleon cages and the 55 gallon aquarium would look GREAT in the sun room.  My husband graciously gave it up and helped me move cages and various paraphernalia into the room.
  I've rearranged the room twice now but it looks even better this second time.  I worked so hard at it that I slept like a rock last night.
  Then there's my studio.  I'm lucky to have a very large space that is dedicated to all the things I like to create with.  It has big windows all the way around it and is very sunny and inviting.  We had two "solatubes" installed, so the cave-like darkness is gone. I have a sewing area, a jewelry/bead area and a paper/journaling/paint area.
  This morning I swept my studio and arranged some storage carts.  I really like how it turned out.  I took some photos so I can remember what the table top looks like when it's not buried under various projects.
  It will probably revert back to an archaeologist's dream by tomorrow.

  My desk area.  Looking over me as I create is a very long wood staff with a raven's head carved at the end of it.  I got it at the gem show last year.  I painted the eyes red.  The staff is one of my favorite things since I respect all birds.

  Here is a photo of a make believe fish I beaded.  I think I'll probably attach it to a coral branch for decoration.

  I feel the tired good that comes from getting stuff done.  Now I'll probably work on something in my chameleon drawing journal.

Artifacts

  When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist.  I love ancient things and mythology too.
  A vendor at the recent Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil show had some very interesting things for sale.  An old necklace caught my eye.
  The necklace was made of Roman glass, each bead individually formed.  I've always loved Roman glass and had never seen beads like those.
  So I bought it. The price was far below what I thought it would cost--a real deal.  I love the beads and the various colors.  This necklace is my favorite purchase from the gem show.
  I'm going to re-string it.  And yes, I'm going to wear it.