Sketchbook Pages: Week 42

I haven't been consistent about working in my "daily" sketchbook everyday... but that's mostly because I've been working on more detailed pages in my Amber or other art books. And I'm OK with that. The whole point of this goal was to make art daily - doesn't matter where or in what form. But when I'm short on time, this space is the best.

10/15 Fall Washi
10/17 Autumn

10/18 Anger Unleashed
10/19 Pink Baseball

Materials used:

• assorted papers (magazine, scrapbooking)
• washi tape
• Sharpie pens (black, purple, silver, gold)
• ballpoint pen

Altered Book Pages: Autumn Leaves

I'm really working hard to reach my goal of finishing my altered Amber vintage book. Recently, I finished up a page that I started ages ago. I just looked back through my photos and found the "completed" background in July. But I know the first steps are much older than that... years old! It feels good to be able to call this one done!

Here's the background first:

It's been so long, I don't exactly remember the steps I took for the background, but I have a vague idea based on these photos. When I was working on it in July, I know I already had a layer of paint down. Bright colours and some black. Anyway, I then added some collage elements and washi tape and a thin wash of gesso... and that's where it sat until last week. Here's what I did with that:

In July, all those colours were warm and summery. In October, they reminded me of fall foliage. So I roughly sketched out two leaves and painted their outline in black (with a hint of purple and blue). I added some copper paint to the leaves to really bring that autumn touch. A few doodles and ink splatter and I was done. I love the sketchy feel of those leaves!

Materials used:

• assorted papers (handmade, tissue paper)
• washi tape
• paint and gesso
• Sharpie pens (white, bronze)
• India ink (black, orange)

Wordless Wednesday: Amber Altered Book

Altered Book Pages: Guiding Light

I signed up for Laly Mille's free week-long workshop / preview for her "Layers of Light" class. It was incredibly inspiring. I completed this page in my altered Amber book as a result and I think it might be one of my favourite spreads yet. I didn't follow the exact steps she took for her painting in the class, but I let it lead me to my own guiding light.

Before we began painting, Laly guided us through a meditation to focus on our inner light, our true North star. She gave us some hints and tips for finding and listening to our star. I immediately cleared my desk - the clutter was blocking my flow and I hadn't even noticed until I got rid of it all! I gathered a few items that were really inspiring to me and placed them in front of me. Next, since Laly used tarot cards for her inspiration, I decided to do a 3 card spread using my Klimt deck. Oh. My. Goodness!!!

Normally I wouldn't share this as readings are personal, but just look what turned up! Here are the meanings: past = birth (umm.. hello, I'm on my mat leave right now!); present = identity crisis (totally still finding my place as a mother/artist/scientist); future = hope (THE STARS! I mean, seriously? That's what this entire class is about!). I seriously got chills when I turned up The Stars. Serendipitous.

Anyway, here's my "inspiration board" plus some of the papers I pulled out to start the collage:

That little cog / star-shaped wheel is what guided the shape of my star. I was visualizing it sending rays of light across a dark night sky. And that's exactly what I painted:

I cannot emphasize enough just how much I love this piece! The texture and shimmer make my heart sing. I found it interesting how my inspiration board was very golden but my page ended up bathed in silvery moonlight. Something to explore further for sure!

If you're interested, you can see the steps I took below. I would highly recommend taking Laly's Layers of Light class - she has such an intuitive way of painting and her soothing voice will surely guide you to find your own inner light.

Layers:

1. gesso
2. journaling (black Sharpie)
3. collage
4. gelatos (black around edges, purple/blue/silver in centre)
5. India ink drips 
6. paint (alternating between dark and light)
7. a bit more collage, a bit more paint
8. collage tissue paper rays
9. finishing touches (izink, gelato, journaling with white and silver Sharpies)

Materials used:

• assorted papers (scrapbooking, recycled papers, vintage book pages, patterns, tissue paper, ephemera)
•  gelatos (metallic blue, metallic purple, metallic silver, black, white)
• paint (Paynes gray, anthraquinone blue, oxide black, permanent blue violet, titanium buff light)
• gesso
• India ink (purple, black)
• izink pigment (opaline)
• Sharpie pens (black, white, silver)

Sketchbook Pages: September

I was looking back through my photos to see if there was anything I had been meaning to post but hadn't yet... and here we are. A few pages from my newest, large sketchbook.

I used pencil crayons to create these four portraits - inspired directly by Jane Davenport's book Beautiful Faces.

As you can see on that last page, I broke out some wax crayons and let Marc play with them... he didn't really colour so much as eat them while watching me make marks. I'll have to try again soon!

Materials used:

• pencil crayons
• wax crayons
• pens

Sketchbook Pages: Week 41

Still working in my sketchbook almost daily - bouncing around between scribbling with a pen and mixed-media collaging, depending on how much time I have to spend each day.

10/9 Happy Thanksgiving
10/10 Eggplant

10/11 Scribbles
10/13 Once..

10/13 Semi-Drunken Thoughts on a Friday Night

Materials used:

• assorted papers (scrapbooking paper, book pages, ephemera)
• washi tape
• stickers
• ballpoint pen
• Sharpie paint pen (white)

8 Months Old

I've been meaning to get this post up for a couple of weeks now - before the lines start blurring and I no longer know what milestones Marc reached in months 8 or 9. I'm going to try to keep this to things he was doing 2 weeks ago (already there are new things he can do!). This little man is growing way way WAY too quickly!

This month wasn't so much about learning new tricks as it was about finessing. Marc is practising everything he can do: crawling, standing, climbing, walking and exploring everything he can get his hands (and mouth) on. He can creep all the way around the living room now - from TV stand to window to chair to couch. He's still army crawling, but is really trying to lift his belly more and more. He can climb up the stairs like a pro (mastered that on his first try!) and opens any drawer he gets his hands on. He's getting stronger and stronger every day.

He has his two bottom teeth and 2 bumps at the top (the two beside the two front teeth). Those bumps have been there a while though - a lot longer than the bottom ones before those erupted. They've come through now, but they weren't out yet when Marc turned 8 months. He's babbling a lot more, making tons of "nanana" and "bababa" and similar sounds. He gives the sweetest "kisses" (mouth wide open - "aaaaah" - eyes closed, shaking his head side to side as he head butts you). He eats like a champ (though dislikes any new vegetables until he's tried them a few times, usually mixed with a favourite) and has 3 solid meals now (plus his morning bottle). I'm still making all of his food and having so much fun with it.

Marc loves the pool: we're there at least twice a week. We went downtown twice (he was amazing on the train both times). We go to a drop-in session at an early years centre (in an old age home) once a week - he loves investigating all the new toys there, especially the big trucks. We bought a little cart / toy box on wheels at IKEA and he loves pushing it back and forth across the living room (on his knees as it rolls too fast for him to get up... or at least it was up until a couple of days ago). Marc loves books and is constantly pulling them off his (or my) bookshelf and pages through them (or munches on them).

We secured daycare this month. I'm so not looking forward to February! It's going to be hard. He'll have his own little life that I'm not a part of anymore... but he'll be fine. Once we settle into a routine, I know he's going to love it.

Marc is the best part of each day. Watching him with his daddy makes my heart explode every time. Here's to another fun-filled month of discovery! 

Sketchbook Pages: Week 40

This daily sketchbook practice is getting more and more routine. If I miss a day, I get right back into it. After years of having "sketchbook daily" as an annual goal, I can finally cross it off! Of course, although I may not include it as a goal for next year, this is a ritual that I hope to continue.

10/1 Cornucopia
10/2 Our Weekly Schedule

10/3 Crushing It
10/4 Strong

10/6 Work It

10/7 Family

Materials used:

• assorted scrapbooking paper
• markers
• ballpoint pen