The Red Key: Show Me (I) and my very 1st hand-cut stencil!

WHAT IS YOUR MUSE TRYING TO SHOW YOU?
OPEN YOUR EYES AND YOUR JOURNAL...
DOODLING
SKETCHING
PAINTING

OTHERING

*your* way IN

*****

 *bounce bounce bounce* 

All excited... made my very 1st hand-cut stencil for this!

The imagery of a Keyhole keeps coming up again and again in my art and I wanted a Big A$$ Keyhole that could be traced, sprayed etc... that was almost all of a page. 

Printed off a suitable design and taped it to the underside of a 12"X12" piece of scrapbooking acetate. I have a ton of these that have come in page kits and are just not my thang'. Seeing many more stencils in my future. *wink wink* Used an exacto knife, cutting carefully to get it out in 1 piece... so there would be both the 'hole' and 'filler' to use as stencils. It's perfect!!!

 Laid down the filler piece 1st, sprayed and sprayed... Then lifted it and rubbed all the yummy leftover off on another piece of paper for later.

The placed the outline over top and sprayed and stenciled inside the 'hole.

Pen outlined and added some 3D depth with markers... and journaling.

My Muse is still running with the Garden beyond the Gate Theme...

Journaling:

To fully enjoy the wondrous beauty of the roses in the garden of life a little blood may have to be shed on the thorns. If no 'blood' is shed, no pain endured than one may not fully appreciate what one has earned with the struggle to tame the obstacles. A goal is all the sweeter met when earned.

 Tape and Cut...

 Spray and Flip... 

Rubbed extra off on another piece of paper for later...

 Lots of yummy rub-off papers for later!

Tea with the Muse: Daily Spark Days 4 and 5

Day 4:

Ask your Muse if there is something she has been wanting to tell you for a while... 

*****

After meditating on this for a bit...  got a pretty clear image and  knew what she had to say...

STOP hiding your light!

I get embarrassed when people compliment my Art. 

There... said it, it's out.

I have natural talent no one 'taught' me to be creative, my brain is just programmed to 'think outside the box', which can be both a blessing and a curse depending on the circumstances. I was also blessed enough to have a Grandmother who saw this untutored talent and sent me off for 'official' training... though I always felt like I had hand-cuffs on when required to follow the lessons 'just so'. The issue is: I feel I don't own this talent, it owns me... so *I* Don't deserve the compliments. I get embarrassed and do not know what to say when my Art is complimented. I can't stand there and take the compliments face-to-face. I would rather send my Art in or post it then run away... I don't know what to say when I know a simple 'Thank-You' would suffice. 

So many, many times I will 'dumb-down' what I am capable of... especially in circles where there are many people Art-ing and I don't want to *shine* I just want to participate. 

Muse... she don't like that, she wants to kick that bushel over and stomp on it so I can't use it again to cover my light.

Day 5:
Write a note from your Muse to your critic and include the words:
won't
can't
no more
thank you
sizzle
and love 

******
The journaling for this one is very private so I slipped it into a wee envelope and then attached it right into my Art Journal. Special Delivery from Muse to Critic!

Book of Days: July 17th - July 31st

Massssssoooooove page dump...

Time was stolen from me with pain/medication for a few days in here...

We're starting to pack and ready the house for moving...

All of which has left me largely un-a-MUSE-d. 

Many are quick pages scratched out and saved up to blog.

This may well be the pattern until post-move, there is SO much to do.

First job is packing up the Studio... 

Culling down to the bare Art Journaling basics so expect to see more collage and use of left-over bits and doodling.

MAJOR waste-not-want-not-damn-I-don't-want-to-pack-*this*-too! Style journaling in the near future, lol. 

***********

Multi Day Spread #19 DONE on July 20th.

July 17th

 July 17th:

Full Day Spread

 

July 18th

July 18th:

Full Spread

 July 19th

 

July 19th:

Full Spread

July 20th

July 20th:

Full Spread

July 21st

July 21st:

Full Spread

July 22nd

July 22nd:

Full Spread

July 23rd

July 23rd:

Full Spread

July 24th

July 24th:

Full Spread

July 25th-26th-27th

July 27th:

Full Spread

July 28th:

Full Page Spread

July 29th

July 29th:

Full Spread

July 30th

July 30th:

Full Spread

July 31st

July 31st:

Full Spread

Little Goth Gurl -Mixed Media-

Another Art Journal Group Prompt... which I took outside of a book.

UN-SheArt.

There is a lot of gorgeous SheArt style pictures floating around and we got talking about some 'alternative' versions... this is my take...

Little Goth Gurl.

She preferred Vampires that didn't Sparkle. 

 

Created on a 6" X 8" hard-backed canvas board. 

Good thing because there are many, many, many layers on this piece. 

Started with ripped papers, then paint, ink, stamps, more papers, rub-ons etc...

Added some to her fascinator, 

drew a chain and added her lovely purse, 

sketched on ripped fishnets

and took the prongs off a brad for her locket.

Took 3 pictures because the glossy shine was making it a PITA to get one 'perfect' shot. 

Shine on the Left...

Shine on the Right...

Shades of ORANGE

This week's prompt is "Shades of_____________"

-Fill in the blank with your choice of colour and create a page or peice using shades of that colour.

*******

This was a prompt from an Art Journal group on FB... 

Brought to you by discussions of 50 Shades of Grey. *wink wink*

It was hard to get pictures because I used Gloss Gel Medium for pasting.

Layers of ripped paper... good use for all those *ewwwy* Pad Pack Papers.

Covered in Mulberry Papers...

Then a paint wash...

Stamping and then a printed quote. 

 

Elements: Fire -Passion in Motion

Running a little behind for 'Fire Week' in Elements... 

 The basic run-down without getting into the course specifics were to:

 *Focus on a 'burning  desire' 

*Then ART the living crud out of it... 

NO thinking allowed once you start making a mess!

...and it had to be to a soundtrack we created specific to this lesson. 

(I've included some YouTube links to a few select songs off my soundtrack below)

 Layers upon layers... and a HUGE mess in the Studio later...

My piece:

 

Tried to remember to stop and take a few photos as I went.

Paper Collage Layer...

 

 Splashed on some paint... 

 Then folded the pages over and squished...

 Grabbed a leftover sheet I'd cut stars out for another project on and Glimmer Misted. 

Then flipped the wet sheet over and pressed it into the other side...

 More paper elements added and candy wrapped foil...

 

Then I highlighted a bit with pens and added the title. 

Soundtrack Sampling:

Sarah McLachlan - Into The Fire

Lie to me - Theme Song

Albannach - Hornpipes (Live)

Loreena McKennitt -Beltane Fire Dance

Tea with the Muse: Daily Spark Day 3

Today we were to ask our Muse a certain type of question...

Then:

Ask her to reply in a shape or symbol
Draw what you see and write down the answer your Muse gives you.

*****

I asked and put the pencil to paper and in my mind's eye I could see it clear so I started sketching before I even opened my eyes... saw a Silver Salmon jumping out of the water.

 Wasn't sure what to make of it so I went looking for symbol meaning online and at:

http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/dictionary_of_wateranimals.html

 

Found this:
Salmon:
Transformation of the spirit, shows how to feel and sense others, will help clarify issues in life. Fish in general show how to swim the currents of life, use of intuition to navigate effectively, aids in attuning to the world of emotions, the un/subconscious and other-worlds, heightened senses including visions, dreams and related psychic abilities. Salmon teaches using intuitions and instincts and listening to the stillness. Do you currently feel stuck? Salmon demonstrates a time to rest and a time to move. Salmon can show how to swim into new adventures. She teaches survival, migration and movement, journeys, beginnings and endings. Which stage are you currently in? Salmon shows how to cope with physical transformation during this transition time. Salmon's lesson covers 1-3 months so have patience as you adapt. She will show how to integrate the changes with a perfect sense of timing as well as finding where you truly belong. Salmon will guide you in this journey of the mind, body and spirit.

 

It makes perfect sense and totally answered my question.

Thank-You Muse.