I clearly love to write and create. I have kept many journals over the years and at some point I wanted to start combining things as I started simplifying my life. I started a new art journal that includes a lot of bits and pieces from old journals as well as some new ideas. My art world is somewhat organized chaos. Not a lot of it makes sense but some of it does, and if it doesn't who cares? It's my place to put my thoughts and my abstractions and just have fun. It's where I go when I want to doodle or throw some paint down and see what happens.
Here are a few pages...
These are a couple pages I am still working on. Thanks for checking out a bit of my journal xoxo
I had seen these photo montages chronicling pregnancy and I knew if I ever got pregnant I so wanted to do it...so I did! Unfortunately the first twelve weeks I was very sick and did not have a great urge to try to look decent and document my journey. I could barely get off the couch and make it in to work or really do much of anything. By about fourteen weeks I was feeling much better and started this process.
I am not much of a photographer, hence the varying lighting, sometimes fuzzy shots and various distance issues but I thought for a final product these turned out incredible! In addition to the first thirteen weeks I missed a week here and there but you get the picture, heehee!
Scrolling through these again is so interesting to me, watching my body grow and change, seeing the joy on my face as well as some of the more tired moments. Those honestly weren't captured too much because those were typically the weeks I missed out photographing.
I have a chalkboard wall in my art room so that is the back drop. I set up a camera on a stack of books on a ladder and used the ten second timer to go back to my place by the wall and snap a picture. The bigger I got the slower I moved so some of those last few weeks took many, many attempts to get a decent shot.
I am really proud of this project, the art of creation. I was kicking myself a bit for not doing any art work for many months until I looked at all of these photographs together. This was my art and I am very, very proud and happy. Thanks to everyone on facebook for sharing this journey as well, these pictures probably look familiar to everyone who put up with seeing my belly grow in my profile pic each week. I appreciate all of the love you shared with me, helping me see the beauty when sometimes I did not feel so beautiful with the physical changes. Your lovely comments meant a lot.
A big thanks and credit to Cassie Rosch who took the final picture with me and Oliver during our newborn session two weeks after his birth. Check out her site, she is an exceptional photographer and captures the most beautiful moments in her work.
ps. I laugh at myself now because at 21 weeks I thought I was huge, little did I know what huge was going to mean...
And these are some outtakes! Mainly with my sweet dog Cooper who always wants to be a part of the action.
Do you ever look at the things around you and think about what they have been through?
I have had many moments in packing and unpacking boxes where I really take a look at the objects I am wrapping and unwrapping, placing and replacing, forgetting and remembering again and again.
In my history I have moved. A lot. I mean, seriously A LOT. The packing and unpacking of boxes stays with me.
My dad was in the air force so being a military family, we moved every couple of years.
I'm conflicted.
I was able to live all over the world and all over this country too and I am really grateful for that. I think this history has helped shape me as a person, as an artist, as someone who is truly comfortable with change which is really helpful in an ever-changing world and life. I have seen a lot, more than a lot, more than most people can dream of and I would never give it back.
I'm also sad sometimes. I'm sad I was never able to really put down roots. I'm sad for great friendships come and gone because distance and time proved too much. I'm sad to get the delicious flavor of something but to have the cake taken away from me before I've finished even once slice.
Oh, but the art...the art...it's such a plus. I have seen a lot of art.
Maybe it's why I love all things artistic so much?
My mom was great with me and my brother; she really helped us experience the various cultures we lived in by taking us to so many different places. She had a lot of time with us while my dad was working and she made the most of it, making sure we did as well.
I have seen Aborigine's dot painting.
I have seen beautiful dragons in Japanese Festivals.
I have been within fingertips reach of the great masterworks of our art world.
I have seen so much...
The art that exists within my packed up boxes and inside my heart is something else I would never give back.
This little snips from above are from my drawing board. I have had this drawing board since I was a freshman in college so its lifetime with me has been twelve years so far.
When I thought about this post I went searching for my drawing board...I couldn't find it anywhere until I remembered I had stashed it in our garage after we moved into our house. I had no idea just how much "history" existed on the board until I took it out to photograph. Pieces of paper, charcoal, ink, tape, paint and most likely many tears have washed over this board.
It's a beautiful part of both my art and personal history and I can't wait to add some more to the story.
I have a ton of scrap pieces of paper and canvas. I will trim the edges of my canvas after stretching and because I usually apply most paint to my paintings pre-stretch there are usually some interesting, beautiful, weird and random leftovers.
I typically keep these bits and pieces so I can re-use them later. You never know what creative inspiration might strike from a leftover bit of painted on paper...
Here are a few of them!
And check out my cute chair! on clearance...and the perfect color too.
