Totem Animals spread

I've had Louise's scrummy journal a while now, trying to gather the courage to get going in it... finally I did. I knew how I wanted it to look, and it's always a challenge so I tend to do anything but... and now I've done all my swaps for the month...

here it is...

Journey with my animal totem

I used acrylic paints, gesso,photos of mine, white gel pens and black technical pens. The cat doodle is embossed from a linocut and over-inked to highlight, gold/silver and bronze on black. Hope Louise likes it....

Flip section with cat doodle

Embossed and inked print/ linocut

Seed Journaling again...

What with all the yucky weather and ice outside I decided Sunday was a day for catching up in my seed journal. I hadn't been working in any particular order, but I had drawn and inked out my sketch for "Vessel" last week so that needed finishing. I'm staying with the same materials for the time being- a novelty for me, who's usually flitting between projects to vary my addiction, so again I'm using acrylic inks and technical pens. I'm also staying with a limited palette to emphasise the theme of seeds/ nature, although I may use one new colour in each spread.

This is "Vessel" completed...

I also chose to do the "S" words prompt

I spent some time thinking about seeds, growth, how it all relates to my life and made a list of appropriate words. I wanted to work in a precise way rather than just plop words over the page, so I began with a central seed, and created radials  to separate the words. After that it was all impromptu, choose a word and find a relevant visual symbol to accent it...

I used the same materials and colours as before, but with alot more emphasis on contrasts and shapes rather than natural shading...

Four more spreads and I'm up to date... yay!

Release... another prompt

I was really on a roll yesterday, I caught up with 2 prompts.... My word for the year BELIEVE, and the prompt RELEASE- what would I like to discard this year... I could go on about how I fluctuate between manic depression and mild hysteria, but it's not what I like to post about- everyone has their own demons... but I know that I really would like to make this year lighter and brighter, especially after my health scares over the last year.

They always say it takes a life-threatening experience to find God, well I guess it's true- only I'm not a God person in the slightest- I believe in what I can see- trees, birds,earth, moon ... so I promised myself I would actually begin to research deeper this year, and stop prevaricating. I'm on my spiritual journey at last...

And so... instead of a dark, broody, scary spread full of fear, self-loathing and dark, dark dreams I went for the complete opposite! Why should I dwell where I don't want to be? I choose to remind myself of the brighter possibilities and lighter way. Light is in everyone, it's just a case of finding it- we all have the potential to fulfill our dreams, we have to believe it, and release the negativity... off soap-box now!

I'm not sure it's finished yet- I feel some doodling calling, but in the main she's ready. Believe in the impossible to make it possible!

Sorry guys, not sure why, but it's bugging me more and more- perfectly focused pics are showing fuzzy here lately, not crisp at all... not sure if Blog put them though a filter like Flickr were? Not sure what I can do to remedy that... they're crystal clear on my pc....
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BELIEVE...oh I do! I do!!

I'm on a roll, it feels good! I just finished another spread (having done the background yesterday). One of our prompts for the Book of Days  was choose a word to signify your year, or at least the current situation. I struggle with typical artist/Cancerian insecurities, and whenever I get brave and feel better I'm usually self-destructive. Sad I know, I do try to be positive but you know how it goes... up and down, round and round...

So... as a mantra, affirmation, reminder, whatever... I choose BELIEVE as my word for the year. If repeating it over and over, and arting it in my books doesn't do it, well, then there's no hope for me- shoot me now! But I'll be having fun in the meantime...

mixed media, acrylic paints, pastels, picutres, embossed papers, gel medium, gesso, stamps/ stencils, sharpies and technical pens