Oddball Challenge

Tags

100 Mandalas, Buddha, Cee Photo Challenge, pattern, photograph, quotes, texture

This morning it was -10′ F. I want to hibernate today. Even with the furnace and a space heater running it is cold in the house today. I am leaving for Hawaii (80′ hooray!) tomorrow morning and will be taking a vacation from blogging. I’m guessing I may get some nice photos to share while I am gone. Before I go I want to share some odd and ends that I like for Cee’s Oddball Challenge. I most certainly claim the oddball title for my self and I like to photograph textures and patterns that catch my fancy. Here are a few:

bark

bathroom window

And here is a simple sky photo embellished with a quote I particularly enjoy:

May you feel love

Valentines and Gratitude

Tags

100 Mandalas, Altered book, gratitude, gratitude journal, Journal, Journal 52, migraine, serendipity

Here is my journal page for the Journal 52 Challenge on the topic of “Valentines.” I was so happy that my Mandala I did for the Diva’s Challenge last week would complete the page so nicely. You may notice it is the only mandala on the page. In my attempt to adhere to the 100 mandala challenge, I have veered off my path of gratitude. I am enjoying the mandalas, but I really need to work on the gratitude every day for my physical and mental health. My migraines have been getting a little worse (which makes mandala making beyond me) and my doctors and I haven’t quite been able to tease out why. I have been considering looking for some paying work or applying for Social Security Disability insurance and the increased pain levels make me think I need to go the latter route. That is really depressing. So, gratitude.

Here is my 2 page spread for the past week.  One of the things I love about altered books is the serendipity of what is on the page I’m going to use for any given week. I really love the photographs in this book. Look how the huge rock suggests a huge heart. It works so well with the Lao Tzu quote, too. I played with some patterned papers to accent the photos and  did some journaling about my week and my love. I hope you have a lovely week.

The quotes, in case they aren’t very legible:

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply give you courage.      Lao Tzu

Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.     Shakespeare

This week I’m grateful for things coming together nicely and the fun word serendipity. How about you?

Diva Challenge: Valentangle Mandala

Tags

100 Mandalas, Diva Challenge, gratitude, Mandala, Valentine, Zentangles

I have been busy with different art projects and life in general and I hope that this Valentangle will tide you over until I can catch up on my gratitude art journal posts. I am so grateful for the love of my life. He is so smart and kind and funny. We have been married for over 20 years and I still look forward to spending time with him. I hope you have someone you can work on a good relationship with and that you are willing to do the work. It is so worth it! Whose love are you grateful for this week? Check out some more great art at

Seneca Embelished

Tags

Italy, Life, photograph, quotes, Seneca

I took this photo out the window of the villa we rented in Italy. Going to Italy was one of my goals in life and I would be very happy to achieve this one again! I may make a poster of this to help me live my best life.

Ciao!

While listening to the Orchardist

Tags

100 Mandalas, altered art, art journal, gel pens, gratitude, Mandala

The challenge for Journal52 this week was television. I don’t watch a lot of television, but I like to knit or embroider while I do. So this first mandala was made while watching Castle, Idiot Abroad, and the movie The Fault In Our Stars – although that made me cry so much I didn’t get much done.

Usually I listen to audiobooks while I make art and I have been listening to the Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. There is something satisfying about working on an altered book while listening to an audiobook. Anyway, we learned this week that my younger son was accepted in the college he really wants to attend. So some of the text and symbolism is about that. The images are from last weeks’ theme at Journal 52 of  silhouettes – I really love them. Here is another image of my yoga teacher that I used as a mask. I am working on an altered journal as a gift for a young person I know and this page has the mandala where I was auditioning different patterns in the design.

And finally, here is a page that I started off the week with. I traced my hand and decided to fill it in with gesso. I really liked the way that looked on the page and I debated how and if I wanted to incorporate mandalas on this page. I used a variety of papers on the cover of the altered journal that I’m working on and cut out shaps from the leftovers and arranged them into this mandala that is being held in place by my hand. Then I started an experimental gel pen mandala. I’m having a lot of problems iwth smeary gel pens and layering with them. I tried laying down a solid layer of color with a gel pen and using it as a base if it would totally dry. The results were not great, but I am learning more about this fun media. They take longer to dry than I think.