For the love of Journalfest

It has already been weeks since I returned from Journalfest 2011, the week after returning my body and mind shut down and only wanted to sleep, and then sleep some more. All those long nights & days of 3-5 hours of sleep for weeks on end, prior to driving to Seattle, had finally caught up to me. Regardless, this didn't and still hasn't dampened my creative high I am still on. My mind has been on a constant fast forward, thoughts and ideas have been rushing in SO fast I can barely keep up with them. Even as I write this all I truly want to do is turn on the music, turn off the computer and phone and submerge myself in my studio. I don't want to work on upcoming Christmas gifts, cards, and all the other items that have become my tradition over the years. I want to be selfish and work out some of these ideas in my head that are starting too ooze out my ears only to be lost moments later. I really need to keep a notebook next to me at all times so that I don't forget all these ideas. It would really come in handy for the days and weeks that I can't think of a thing to create.

I am still working on the journal pages I started that week...So I will post them as I complete each page. For now I want to share some pics I (and new friends) took while at Journalfest.

My first day of workshops began selfishly, I wasn't teaching and I wanted the day to be about me and absorbing the class I was signed up to attend. Wanting to go a little incognito for the day, I tucked my hair under my favorite green cap, grabbed a quick cup of coffee and quietly slid into my classroom chair. Little did I know Mardie Rhodes, whom I had met over the summer at Tracey Moore's workshop, was to be my table neighbor. (She is such a wonderful woman!) Then Julianna Coles entered the room wearing her cowboy hat, boots, and hip holster (with cap guns)! She is a bundle of pure joy, I took a liking to her instantly.

She ended up squishing us together into very uncomfortable quarters, nobody's personal bubbles were safe! And don't get me started on her choice of music to put icing on the uncomfortableness... It was all for a reason and I just went with it.... She took me to places I hadn't gone since my college days in art classes.

"over 40 years" ~ mixed media

This "mess" truly took me out of my comfort zone, but I went in with an open mind and no judgments. In doing so, I found a little piece of unexpected authenticity. My heart strings are drawn to this little figure that emerged in the fog. She has a lot to tell me, and as I work on this page I think her voice will be heard. Even as I write this, I am seeing and hearing more of what she has to tell me. (click on the image to see it bigger)

"he loves me...he loves me not..." ~ mixed media

While starting this next page all the drama of one's relationship with a first "love" kept creeping into my mind. My sweet daughter had been calling me during the week giving updates and asking advice about her first big crush...which brought up lots of memories for me... so naturally I had to capture the moment.

"cut to the core" ~ mixed media

This page began as an experiment of drawing on masking tape (loved it!) and ended up being the "bridge" between the next to drawings. I saw it as a "cutting away the negative to make room for the positive"

"beauty...negative" ~ mixed media

 We were to draw the ideal beautiful person, then write down negative traits we think we have around her.

"Shadow Self - positive"

Next we were to draw one of our table neighbors, they became our Shadow Self (the part of us who tries to discourage our efforts) then we were to list positive attributes we think we have around the shadow self. [David Baxter and I were paired up. He was great fun to draw and an even better sport about it.] The "bridge" was the reconciliation between the two portraits. Not sure if it all makes sense the way I have described it, but I guess as long as it makes sense to me that is what is important.

It was an exhausting day, and I loved every moment of it! I did exactly what I set out to do, renewed my creative juices and didn't question the process. It was refreshing. To top it all off, over the follow few days I had a chance to get to know Julianna more. Words alone can not express the connection I felt with her. The closest I can come to describing it is a "soul sister". That isn't meant to sound cheesy or anything. It is what it is.

Julianna and I at the masquerade journal jam on the last night of Journalfest

Next up, the classes I taught and the wonderful "students" that shared the next two days with me!!!

Friday was a day full of origami and image transfers, as the Transferring Memories class learned over a dozen different image transfer techniques that they were able to incorporate into two little origami books.

Here are the class examples:

I think my favorite part of teaching is just after giving a demo and everyone heads back to their seats. You can hear a pin drop, very clearly. I love hearing the creative juices flowing and the occasional hmm from someones iPod. Next best thing would be to walk around the room and see what everyone is creating. So much food for the soul.

Diane and Jody hard at "work"

Tammy made a fun book full of fairies, trolls and creepy little characters... so cool

Ty and Marcia were getting VERY experimental with their transfers. It was fantastic to see. My favorite part, during the time I spent with them, was when I told Ty I'd get him some clean water to remove the paper from his transfer... and he told me, "Why? I have water right here." then he proceeded to soak his transfer in the dirty paint water... LOL... Hillarious!!!

Jody England Hansen took a moment to look up for me. :) She is such a sweet woman, I so enjoyed her positive energy!! She makes some amazingly beautiful books which she taught the following day.

Diana created a travel journal about a recent trip she and her husband had taken. It was very fun to watch her figure out how she was going to  use her image transfer techniques in this book. I look forward to seeing the finished book!

Tammy proudly presents her little origami book! 

This sweet young lady worked SO hard on her book and was determined to leave the class with a finished book. It took some doing but we got it all together by the end of the day!!

Saturday's workshop to come soon!!