Sewn Journal Pages

I love my new journal.  I sewed the pages and now they are the perfect playground on which to play.  I've been practicing all the super sonic drawing techniques I learned while attending Alisa Burke's Journal Making workshop up in Oregon this past spring.  Who knew using a simple fat black magic marker could be such a fun supply.  Well it sure is when you add the Signo uniball into the mix along with it..

Let the Jewelry Making Begin - Again

Can I get a whup-whup?  I finally got into my little studio and started making jewelry again.  Yay!  I’m an artist who makes jewelry but I make a lot of other things too.  For some reason, that I really can’t quite explain, I hit a wall with my metal making endeavors about 6 months. I’m sure you can relate to this if you’re a fellow creative.  It wasn’t because I was burned out or uninspired.  I actually felt enormously inspired, but just wanted to make other things.  I guess I’ve just decided that I’ll never be one “type” of artist.   And while that may not be good for a working artist, who’s running a creative business, it’s still good for me as a person.  I think it’s safe to say I make something every day.  Lately my studio has been over-run with paints, brushes, gesso, gel medium, pens and other supplies.  Pretty much you name it , and it’s recently made it’s way into my studio.  I’ve been having a blast with it all.  But it’s time to get focused – as much as someone like me can get focused at least.  I have some jewelry shows coming up this fall and I can’t wait.  But I really must start preparing.  Focus – Focus - Focus

My Creative Art Journal

I've been playing with art journal making techniques that I learned in Oregon.  That’s where I recently attended one of Alisa Burke’s workshops.  Since then I’ve been working with paints, pens and colored pencils.  And I’ve been trying hard to blend my own creative voice into all that my brain soaked up while I was there.  I think it’s important to mix all of the “me” that I can into whatever I learn from others.  I don’t ever want to be accused of copying other artists.  It’s hard because we all learn so much from each other and we get inspired by others.  But whenever I come back from a creative workshop the first thing I do is ponder and work to figure out how I can take all I learned and turn it into something that has a robust amount of “me” in it.  I don't know if my erasable Crayola pencil collection counts as a robust amount of "me" - but hey, it's a start.  

I also sewed my journal together rather than binding it with the metal binder machine I learned how to use up there.  I love sewing paper.  This to me was another perfect opportunity for just that.