doodalicious...

I've been doodling on my journal pages again. Finding moments of meditative calm in the wirlwind summer days. Think I might have been inspired by fireworks in some of these. Things are crazy around here with kids at home, various trips, packings, unpackings, loads of laundry... that reminds me! gotta do laundry... sigh...

cat...

I do not remember the last time I drew a cat. Must have been in high school.. But down in North Carolina, a friendly neighborhood cat presented the opportunity to me. Every now and then when she would tire of allowing my children to pet her, she would lounge around long enough for me to do a quick sketch. Thus my journal sketches for those days... I better practice some more! I am experimenting with watercolor pencils, it's fun.

scenic North Carolina

It's just gorgeous here right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here are some scenery that I can't stop taking pictures of and journal pages drawn from my parents back yard.

new work and journals

Wow... it's been a while.. sorry! But I have got stuff to show! First I did a bunch of small new works that I was pretty happy with. My friend challenged me to create some new work using techniques that I have not used in a while. It was a challenge, but I persevered and was quite happy with the outcome. I can't show what I did because it's for a top secret project, but I did keep a piece all to myself 'cause I liked it so much. I can show that one without discussing the techniques, sorry. This is Piterskoie Okno/St. Pete Window 19:
My journal pages have lately been off shoots of projects I have been working on. I was printing dryer sheets and used the scraps in these two: Then I needed a fence for another project. I altered a photograph of mine in Photoshop to print on TAP sheets and these are my test printouts that I glued into my journal. I took a two day workshop with Jane Davila and carved stamps in it, that became fodder for my last few pages. As of tonight I am almost packed and ready for drive tomorrow to North Carolina. The girls and I are visiting my parents. I wonder what journal pages will NC inspire in me. I'm ready for that...

another journal round up

I seem to be playing a lot of catch up lately... who knew June would such a busy month? But it is as it is full of end-of-the-school-year activities and deadlines.
For ease of mind I went back to doodling on a few journal pages: Then I was in the mood for tissue paper collage and water-soluble crayons: How will the mood strike me next? Tune in to find out during the next journal catch up segment..........

journal sketch round up...

Here's what I've been up to with my journal sketches... I did a few more abstracts, just doodling on gessoed pages with water-soluble crayons. Here's my favorite of that bunch: and then I was challenged to paint roses, so I chose watercolors on gessoed paper.. hmmm... not my best work, but it was fun. And now I'm behind a few days, the pages are prepped, but the sketches not done. I'll get there...

wordless wednesday

costumes!

Better late then never, right? Remember when I talked about making costumes for the Russian School play, back in December? Probably not as I never posted pictures.. Well my friend Katya has finally sent great pictures so that I can share with everyone. The story is Moidodir/Мойдодыр, which literally translated means Wash-Until-There's-Holes... but basically it is a story of a boy that doesn't like to wash and how all his things run away from him and he is told to wash up by a washstand and a crocodile. Here's an old cartoon for your viewing pleasure so you can get the gist of the story. And here are pictures of costumes that I created with the help of some friends. It was a lot of fun and hard work and totally worth it all!

wordless wednesday

psychedelic?

...landscapes... is what my journal sketches seem to have become.. don't ask. I do not know why. But I am having fun with them. Still using acrylic gesso and paint as a base for water-soluble crayons. Try it, you might like it too...