Lady Tree

Stay Grounded, Reach for the Stars

Metallic markers (Office Max), Pitt pen

Stand Strong, Be Fruitful

Metallic markers (Office Max), Pitt pen

These are a couple of "Lady Tree" images that I have been doodling since the early '80s.  I think this image is important to me because it reminds me about my relationship to earth and sky.  "Stay Grounded" and "Reach for the Heavens".  I used this image on the cover of some of the invitations I sent when I ran a woman's group called "The Year of Women Dancing".  It was an empowerment group based on the power of the group and of being heard when you state what you want to create in the future.  The group ran for many years and was my impetus for going to graduate school to get my Art Therapy Masters.  I think I like the more lyrical/abstract woman tree although I like them both.  I doodled both of these images while watching a Time Life movie about Ancient civilizations in one of my Art History classes that I teach.

Impressions of the Gardens ATC (Students)

Karen E., Joe W., Stephanie K, Ben K. Jennifer H.,
Anne Marie F., Stephanie K, Shannon B, Joe W.

Karen E., Deb S., Julie B., Karen B., Jennifer S., Jennifer S.

Ruth J., Vicki M., Shannon B., Jennifer H., Jennifer He.,
Stephanie K., Patricia L., Lisa J., Megan S.

I teach a 6 week long class at the Denver Botanic Gardens through the Colorado Free University, I think I've mentioned this before.  It is the source of much of my delight in life.  On the last week of class I ask students to bring a botanical trading card that they have made during the class, one for each of the other students, and me of course!  Some used colored pencils, watercolor pencils, watercolor, markers, even photoshop to add some final pizazz. 

This is an adult education course that is held in 6 week increments throughout the year.  Students are (to name a few backgrounds), software engineers, librarians, college students, nurses, doctors, graphic designers, entomologists, grade school teachers, artist with experience and artists just beginning.  We learn to see and create like artists through observation, practice, learning about techniques and materials and the art elements and principles. 

Mainly its a time to relate, relax in the Denver Botanic Gardens, experiment, be in a creative and supportive environment and de-stress in general.  I'm not sure who has the most fun--probably me.  And I fall in love with my students and their art again and again.  Just had to show you what they made and traded!

Art History Trade "Ancient"

Ancient Greece Collage Cards

Greek images (Porch of the Maidens, The Arechtheum,

Acropolis, Athens),  Shrine stamp

(Stampers Anonymous), embossing, text: Picasa.

I've really enjoyed teaching Humanities and Art History classes and have found myself sketching images from each of the chapters we've studied.  So I found a group on yahoo that had been doing an Art History trade and even became the host.  Last month we did "Prehistoric", this month it's "Ancient".  I chose Ancient Greece.  I found images from the Porch of the Maidens, part of the Acropolis.  I got to looking at the maidens, holding up all that weight, and it made me think of all the things I support in my life and how heavy the weight feels at times. 

I've also been going through exercises in "The Creative Entrepreneur", by Lisa Sonora Beam, and was asked what I would like to stop doing that does not have Heart and Meaning, and does not align with my Gifts and Flow in life.  Of course I would like to drop vacuuming, washing dishes and doing the laundry, as well as working the jobs that pay the bills.  But those things support the functionality of my life.  I think I will stop teaching a couple courses that pay next to nothing and revision the topics into a more profitable form. 

I will also make steps to stop exhausting myself with worry and comparison with others whose lives look more rich and successful.  We all have our own karma and process and I have learned that other's lives often look shiny and perfect on the surface, but everyone has their own life tasks they are working on, and everyone suffers and has joy along the way.  I think I just need to stop supporting ways of thinking, things, people, businesses, that I don't believe in.  Something to think about and work on step by step.

More Packing Tape Collage Art Cards

"PackingTapeCollage"

Acrylic paint, newspaper scraps, ripped
silver envelope, clear packing tape

"Tower Collage"

Artist card created acrylic paint, with clear packing
tape, newspaper clips, torn silver paper.

I think I will end up with a series of around 10 packing tape art cards. They pretty much have all been created using a newspaper section that featured a Colorado swim team. I loved the colors of the water and the pattern/texture of the edge of the pool and the red lap markers. Yellow ochre acrylic paint ended up being a nice starting point/contrast to the blue tones.

The first one, above, reminds me of clouds or fluttering bits of burning paper. The second looks like a sky scrapper. It somehow reminds me of one of the twin trade towers and that makes me a little sad to think of that part of US and World History.

No matter what this card series "means" I have fallen hard for this collage technique. I love the transparent layers and the shiny surfaces.

I talked about the fun and easy technique in the previous entry but to recap: just put clear packing tape over images and words for the Sunday newspaper. Rinse the paper side with warm water and peel or rub the paper off. The ink will adhere to the tape. The tape will remain sticky enough to stick down to your collage in process. I started with heavy cardstock coated with acrylic paint in a color that contrasted with the color of the ink I'd lifted. I also taped down scraps of color from the same pictures without washing off the paper.

You know I think I could make collages only using wonderful picture and image fodder from the local Newspaper for the next 20 years. Think I might try making some collages using the funnies this Sunday. Don't know why this is so yummy to me but it sure is.

Packing Tape Transfer

"Still Life with Rain and Swimmer"

Packing tape, patterned tape, magazine clips,
newspaper clips, metallic marker on chipboard.

"StayCollage2"

Clear packing tape collage using packing tape
transfers and clear packing tape as an adhesive for layer build up.
Acrylic paint, newspaper, calendar and magazine images.

I've just started a new blog dedicated to the medium of collage.

See it at http://creativecollage4journaling.blogspot.com/

The above collages are also an artist cards. This is such a fun and spontaneous technique. Instead of using liquid adhesive I used clear packing tape for image transfers and also to tape down scrapes and bits of texture to further the design.

The word "stay" was part of a dymo tape scrap laying on my art table. I really like the contrasting blue scraps with the orange background and the images that look like a window and a door. Can't wait to try this collage technique in a larger size.

Pencil and Pen "Embossing"

Pencil Embossed Poppies

Pencil, Office Max brand mellic markers, Target brand gel pens.

Pansey Chain

Metallic markers, pencil, gel pens

Botanical Pattern

Metallic markers, gel pens, Derwent Intense Watercolor pencils

I've found that chipboard, the support I use for my artist cards, can be given and "embossed" look (or is it engraved?) by going over lines repeatedly with gel pens or a pencil. I'm sticking to my botanical theme (the beauty of nature continues to life my heart) but am experiementing with more abstract images.

"Insect" Theme Trade

Botanical Drawings with Office Max Metallic Markers,
Derwent Watercolor Pencils, Target brand gel pens, Pitt marker. Butterfly and
Dragonfly images from K and Company  ephemera pack (at Michaels).

Went to the Denver Make 'Em Trade 'Em Group Trade at Core on Saturday. Added transparent insect images to some of my botanical cards. It's a new idea for me to add pre-made images to my Gardens drawings. Now it makes all my previous botanical cards look boring. I especially like the way the drawing shows through the transparent wings in some of the cards. I got some cool cards too. I'll put some in my next post.

November Holly

November Holly

Derwent Intense Watercolor Pencils, Office Depot brand metalic marker.

It's been a while since a posted a new card but back to it as of today. Had a great day today, taught an "Affirmation Card" class: making artist cards with inspirational sayings for Holiday gifts. I did not make an affirmation card myself but made a sketch from the Denver Botanic Gardens into a card while my group was working. I'm going to start making my Botanic Gardens sketches into cards each week. I'll also post some of the affirmation cards I made as examples for this class in the next couple of days.

Lady Trees

Stay Rooted

Doodle with pit fine point marker, black,
metallic markers and dymo labels.

Lady Tree

Created with metallic markers and Pit fine point. Based on a doodles drawn in the Humanities class I teach while the students were watching a Time-Life movie about "The Search for Eden", which is a movie about ancient cultures and the Bible as a historical document as supported by archaeological research.

The woman or "Lady Tree" is an image I have played with before. I think it is an image of Mother Nature as well as a personal symbol for a balanced awareness. Roots in the earth--arms reaching to heaven. When I watch trees sway, especially at night, I am reminded of how we are all part of Earth's closed ecological system. The ocean of air that sways leaves and branches flows over the whole earth in rivers and eddies. Complex gas and chemical exchanges allow the tree and me to breathe and sustain life. Of all apparently non-sentient life trees have always seemed the most alive to me.

GO

GO

Gameboard blank, Jupiter sticker, Tim Holtz spinner, Martha Steward punch (negative). Letter stickers, Plaid Liquid Embossing Fluid.

Here I am making a journey along with my son. In the game it is usually a good thing to pass Go. Jupiter is the planet of good fortune, but how things turn out often seems like the random results of the spin of a spinner. The arrow is pointing up, perhaps reminding me to trust in Higher Power to lead me. I must do what I need to do each day but trust that my daily right actions will take me where I need to go. Stay or go? The card says GO.

Elixir for Clarity

Elixir C

Redline stamps: text, "message" bottle. Ranger archival ink (sepia). Various clips for herbal elements. Butterfly from K & Company. Blue denim blank, yellow plastic blank, Plaid Liquid Embossing Fluid (clear).

I feel like I haven't posted in a while. I've been trying to decide what to do about my living situation and things are still up in the air. My prayer with this elixir card is for clarity. It contains an encouragement to open the door of creativity, a pencil (for writing, drawing), an admonition towards transformation/change (butterfly) and the practical and nurturing beauty of simple flowers. Beauty always softens my heart and raises my spirits.

I need to reduce living expenses but don't want my son to go to live with his dad and don't want to move to a dangerous neighborhood. Each 100.00 that comes off the rent moves us farther from our gentrified surrounds. I've lived in several urban areas in the past where I would rather not raise a kid. Things are different now that I am older, have a son just emerging into the teens, and know better what is at risk, and have seen some of those risks face to face.

Need to get back to trusting the Universe and myself--have been in panic mode where I think I have to control everything and force the results. Of course that never, ever works well. Get that adrenalin rush and start gripping my weapons and looking for the enemy. I think the only actual enemy is my fear. A cliche because it shows itself to be true, again and again.

More Elixirs

Elixir B

Redline stamps, K & Company embellishments, glitter, photo clips, letter sticker, yellow plastic and blue denim blank. Ranger archival ink (sepia). Plaid liquid embossing fluid.

Today I was thinking about how these cards with the bottles of elixirs remind me of going to an institute of Chinese medicine in Denver and getting my mixtures of exotic looking herbs, berries and pods to take home and simmer and drink. It was when I was in my late 30's, had had a miscarriage, and had finally realized that having children in one's lifetime wasn't as simple as deciding to have one and then getting pregnant at will. Not that it isn't for some. But miscarrying an unplanned pregnancy made me realize that I didn't control such things after all.

Worried about being close to 40 and not knowing when I would meet Mr. Right I began to worry about my fertility. The cliche of the biological alarm going off proved true. A Chinese doctor was sympathetic. I diligently took my herbal concoctions and endured acupuncture.

Years later it seemed to have worked. I met Mr. Right Then and got pregnant, just as if I'd planned it, at age 45. I'm sitting across from my perfect 13 year old as I write this. Life is miraculous. But something larger than us spins the wonder. We do what we can and sometimes, thankfully, have just the luck we need.

Elixirs

Elixirs

Redline stamp "message". Sepia Ranger archival ink on yellow plastic. Stickers from Paper Chase (Borders). Bee and butterfly image from K and Company. Plaid liquid embossing fluid, clear. Background K and Company scrapbook paper, "Life's Journey". Glitter.

I'm having a bumpy ride in life right now, overwhelmed by having to pack and move in 20 days and my body is feeling the stress. I need to focus on keeping a positive attitude and a certainty that, no matter what, I will be settling into a new, nice place by month's end. I've been feeling that I was a little over my head with the rent payment for some time and the move will be a good adjustment to finances. Here's where the elixirs come in.

In order to avoid feeling like I've taken a fall down a long flight of stairs I need to use these elixirs: nature, color, whimsy, beauty, creativity. I like making these little bottles and think that I will probably make a few before I'm done.

Take Your Medicine

Take Your Medicine

I used two Redline stamps: "Message" and an ATC background/script stamp. Blue denium atc card stock. Ranger archival ink. Yellow plastic. Planet stickers (Paper House Productions).

Saturn is the planet of "long hard lessons". Add a little mercury, the planet of communications. Sometimes bitter medicine, but its a learning opportunity, really.

I found out on Tuesday that I need to move by month's end. Something I had been contemplating but had decided to stay put. It's not to be. I like the opportunity to downsize, throw out junk, clean and clear. Makes me tired to look at all my books, papers, art supplies and artwork I need to pack and unpack. Yikes. Wish me luck.

House 7

House 7

Chipboard base, netting, house-shaped cut-out of embossed scrapbook paper. Watercolor crayons, watercolor pencils (Staedtler), metallic markers, Plaid liquid embossing, clear. Gold border tape (Mrs. Grossman's).

No matter where I go in the world, or my dreams, home remains a treasure, a gift. My last 7 cards have been house/home themed. In terms of astrology I am a "Cancer" sunsign, related to the mother and home; so the idea of home and creating home has always been active for me. In this artist card the moon, my ruling "planet", shines.

The "net" of sky/stars is literally a "net". I like the idea of the "holes" in the sky containing starlight. I like that the energy of the masculine (door) unconsciously appeared. Symbolically the active/creative points to the open window. On this full moon night the upper rooms are reserved (passage from the base desires sealed) for celebrating my view of the mystic moon.

This artist card is what became of the "Energy Dots" card. Sometime I just keep on working until a piece feels really complete. I'm also thinking that although there is a line blocking outer interaction between masculine and feminine, that on the inside, (I've had repeated dreams of being married) there are stairs and many other unknown conduits connecting all parts of myself.

Nourish the Flame

Nourish the Flame

I started this card with a "house" stamp (Teesha Moore), using archival ink (Ranger), sepia. The blueberry and apple images are from a Wednesday flyer for produce from a local grocery store. Embellished with watercolor pencils (Staedtler aquarelle and Derwent Intense), watercolor crayons (Caran D' Ache), Liquid Embossing (Plaid), clear.

For me this card is about nourishing ourselves as creatives. This means literally feeding the flame of creativity through feeding the body with fresh food, the eyes and heart with beauty, the mind with fresh ideas. I am also realizing that I need to nourish my muscles and bones with movement and rest.

Lots of Dots

Energy Dots

Background texture stamp, acrylic paint (Golden). Metallic markers (Office Max and EK Success). Acrylic embellishment (K & Company, no longer visible).

This card got a little (a lot) busy but I'm going to leave it the way it is. One of those cards that got worked on and worked on over a number of days and the "finish" just eluded me. It started out looking kind of like a Klimt--lots of pattern and gold. I glued on a piece of embossed star scrapbook paper in the shape of a house. Then added an acrylic embellishment that I ended up painting over with acrylic paint.

I called it "Energy Dots" because this card reminds me of all the atoms that never stop jiggling on the subatomic level of life. There the subatomic particles of say, my art table, are as active as an excited puppy, or that's my understanding. Interesting.

I'm Just watching the wind blowing and bouncing the branches of a tree as if the leaves were being washed by a great air ocean. That's the world we live in, every day. Or maybe its just me.

Heart's Mobile Home

Heart's Mobile Home

Home is where the heart is--right? So wherever I go, I'm "home". One of Teesha Moore's "House" stamps, felt heart, key embellishment from Blue Moon, hand-cut and decorated paper wings, patterned tape (maps, scrolls) and "peel and stick gemstones" from Chenille Kraft. Details with Plaid "All Night Media" liquid embossing fluid, and stamp ink (Ranger, Tsukineko).

Since my 20's I've lived in apartments and rental condos. I've lost track of how many roommates I've had, dogs, girlfriends or boyfriends my roommates have had, cat's I've had, well, you get the picture. Since my son was born in 1997 it has been mostly him and me in our apartments, except for a period of around 3 to 4 years when I either lived with or was married to his dad.

Even though my son is pretty happy to call two places home (dad's and mine) his home with me has changed physically as I've moved, about once a year, all my son's childhood. I'm not sure why I move so much. I've begun to suspect that moving is how I deal with the need to clear space, get rid of clutter, start fresh. But I always have a "good" reason or two. Too cheap, too expensive, creepy neighbors, traffic noise, want to be closer to my teaching job, want to be closer to my son's school.

Which brings me to the next challenge. In this last school year I've been driving myself crazy trying to decide which high school would best suit my son. He's been in a charter school for most of K-8. I would like to move to the proximity of his high school to be--but I can't get a feel for it. He is not athletic so a high school that emphasizes sports is out. He is a "gifted-talented" kiddo but he is not an "A" type personality so an AP program might not be a fit. Not driven, not that interested in all A's. Man.

I think that this card is a reminder about being happy and at home wherever I am, physically, right now. If "home is where the heart is" then wherever my heart continues to pump that red stuff around, from my toes to my crown--that's home. Welcome home.

Buttoned Up Tight in the Magic Night

Buttoned Up Tight in the Magic Night

I made this card using a Teesha Moore "House" stamp (see previous entry for link to this stamp series on her site). I printed the stamp with Ranger archival sepia pigment ink. This card really is quite busy with embellishment. Meant it to be higher contrast and simpler but didn't want to stop adding textures and shine. Details with embossed star scrapbooking paper (Michael's), embossing powder (Kalidoscope from Stampendous) with a Versamark watermark pen. Circular stickers are "peel & stick gemstones" from Scrapbookin' Kids (Michael's). Other details with Tsukineko Brilliance pigment ink and Staedtler aquarell pencils. My newest addition to my toolkit is Plaid "All Night Media" liquid embossing fluid. It comes in finetip 1.1 oz bottles and 6 neutral/metallic colors. A little to thin too control like you can the Ranger Glossy Accents but good for looser raised glossy effects. Clearanced at Michael's, how could I resist? The "clear glass finish" on the measuring tape is where I used it.

At first I was going to call this card "princess" because the image ended up looking like a princess confined by her "notions" (please forgive the button pun). Then, when I continued to think about being confined inside and the "magic night" I came up with "Buttoned Up Tight in the Magic Night". To me it is the protected "princess" part of myself that fears the deep, wild magic of the unknown. Or maybe it is just the optimist part of myself looking out into the night and wondering what the pessimist part of myself will say next to rattle her cage. Of course "reality" lies in the balance between these two extreme world views. A bit overcast today. The perfect weather for a fairytale.

Clouds and Joni

Clouds and Joni

This card was started with one of Teesha Moore's "house" stamps. I stamped with Ranger Archival Ink (Sepia). I embellished the card using watercolor pencils, gel pens and metallic markers (office max), and also Crayola Glitter Glue. You can see more of Teesha's unique stamps at http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/php/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=7

As I worked on this card it reminded me of day dreaming. When the face at the top of the house started to look like Joni Mitchell, and clouds began floating around the house I thought of the song that I've always called "Clouds" but is actually called "Both Sides Now". It's about finding images in clouds, and the illusions and the mysteries in life. Also about dreams that never get acted on. "So many things I would have done, but clouds got in my way". I went to Youtube and found a version of Both Sides Now with Joni singing and the lyrics. Melancholy. Wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1hKYsXEN0o&feature=related