Working Towards Creative Closure
Okay, blog post. Nothing really big to share this week. Mostly some progress updates, some cool books, and a friend/family arts plug. I started the week in complete zombie mode and so failed at doing anything that wasn't sitting on the couch and looking through magazines and books. It wasn't until yesterday (Wednesday) that I got back to the crud pile in the driveway. Today I did even more work: four wheelbarrow loads today and three yesterday. It's shrinking, even noticeably, but I won't get through it all this week as I'd hoped.
Yesterday I started and made good progress on the sixth and final angel for Kelly Rae Robert's Spirit Wings course. I'm not taking as much time or doing any extended soul-digging like I've done with the others. My confidence is pretty good and I've definitely grown since the start of the course back in October, I think it was. I'm seeing this as more of a closure project than a skill or growth project. The theme is "Embracing the Journey" and this is my Angel of Trust, so far:
I'm not quite through the first part, but nearly there. When I have time, I'm just going to try to push through, no letting her languish or linger. I'm ready to move on to the next things without this last project hanging out in the back of my mind.
In fact, I can see four works in progress right over there from my love seat, where I'm sprawled out while I hand write all these words first before staring at the computer screen where all the words get snatched from my brain before I get a chance to type them. Plus, distractions.
Posted recently on Instagram, here are some little journals I made, following project instruction in Dina Wakley's Art Journal Freedom.
I borrowed the book and the other one, Art Journal Courage, from my mother-in-law. They were full of so many awesome projects, techniques, and technical information, that I decided I would keep them and secretly order replacements for Mother-in-law. So, you guys, Art Journal Freedom has all this technical stuff, how and why art looks good or what makes it work. This is a big deal for me because it was exactly what I was lacking in my arting. I never had technical art schooling. Everything I do I read or watched or learned about in a few classes, but they were all techniques, how to do cool effects and stuff. But now! Just you wait! This book came along just in time for me to apply the new skills and knowledge to that Magic Industrial piece I shared in my previous post. I'm excited to see how I pull it off in future projects. I highly recommend both books if you either are lacking in technical knowledge or would like to up your writing game which is focused on in Art Journal Courage. I'm pretty confident in my ability to write cool words, but some of the projects look fun and it has some neat techniques that I haven't tried yet. Good books for someone interested in the mixed media and art journaling world.
And my plug for this week is for my husband who whined last week that I talked about our sister-in-law and not him. So, to appease the big baby, you will also find him at the Furlandia convention in Portland. He'll be sharing a table in the artists' area with his friend, selling prints of their collaborative anthropomorphic work. Husband does colors, friend does drawing and inks. You can find their work here, at DeviantArt. And look at Husband's digital work also at DeviantArt. Follow them both on Tumblr: Husband's adventures in antique radio restoration and friend's happy and informative wildflower photography. So there.
And I think that's about all I have to share for now. Today is a catch up day with chores and the battery died in my camera so with loads of laundry to throw around and waiting for the one special battery to charge so I can get the pictures off my camera, I don't know if I'll get around to posting this Thursday when it was originally written or Friday. Whatever.
Thank you for reading and following along with my crafty adventures.
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