31 day Challenge Continued...

Though I didn't "sketch" everyday, I did work through quite a bit during the month of January. 

A lot of it deeply personal, some of it just for fun. Most of it with the idea of expanding on pages. The book I worked in is a very small moleskine type sketchbook with thin pages. I loved the size, but wish I would have put all these in my daily visual journal. I've decided to sew the pages into my visual journal so as not to loose the pages, and to keep them in order of my life. I've come to appreciate the chronological order of my books. I can see where I have been, how my life has changed, the challenges I've faced, how I have grown or how I fight the growth. It is life. 

Day 16: "court ordered"

A very long day, sketched this while waiting for a meeting to start at the courthouse. 

Day 17:
A little bit on the lighter side. fun sketch of my Junker Jane bird that hangs out in my studio

Day 18: 

Sketched while waiting for my daughter to give a make-up presentation to her teacher. Spent the morning conferencing with all her teachers and counselor trying to figure out how to salvage the semester. She has been so ill that I've kept her home for the past three weeks. Ugh!!

Day 21: few days behind... :/
goofing around, not very successful, but what is goofing around for anyway

various inks and acrylics (mostly applied with my fingers)

After sitting with this piece for awhile I decided I do like it after all. Now I'm going to paint some larger versions on wood. 

Day 22: first night of teaching the "Savage Mirror" workshop to a few friends... 

This was the beginning of a demo.

Day 23-
2nd night of teaching my "Savage Mirror" workshop. 

This technique uses water soluble graphite and gloss medium.
I still need to add a bit of text, but I don't know what it will be just yet... waiting for her to tell me.

After much thought this quote resonated:

You get your intuition back when you make space for it, when you stop the chattering of the rational mind. The rational mind doesn’t nourish you. You assume that it gives you the truth, because the rational mind is the golden calf that this culture worships, but this is not true. Rationality squeezes out much that is rich and juicy and fascinating.”

-Anne Lamott

Day 26:
Sneak preview sketch of the piece I am working on tonight... will make it's way to Flying M tomorrow for the annual Valentine for AIDS art auction.

Day 28- 30

 And the finished piece for the silent Art Auction.

"A Wasted Love" ~ with a Bleeding Heart Dove

mixed media ~ acrylic, ink, paper maché, string, old book cover

31 Days of Sketching Challenge

It has been a long time since I have worked in my daily visual journal. 2012 was a challenging year... watching, waiting, searching, unexpected growth, physical healing, what feels like a death and now rebirth of the soul. I couldn't bare to put pen/brush to paper and look at it all. I was too vulnerable, felt too raw and exposed ... I am inspired right now. I can't seem to have enough alone time. Enough time in the studio, processing, and sitting with myself.

I was given the challenge by a friend to sketch everyday this month... so I grabbed the nearest small sketchbook (crappy paper and all) and began my 31 Days of Sketching Challenge. I started late and don't have enough time in the day to work on these every day, regardless here is what I've been working on the past few weeks.

I am attempting to quickly get all the ideas, concepts, thoughts and "stuff" out of my head and onto paper.... an attempt to find those snippets that mean something important and need to be worked on in depth in my other journals. Perhaps larger on canvas.

Days 3-4: "Fear of losing ones self"

working through some ideas/thumbnails for an entry into my Book of Dreams visual journal. dreamt of a salamander and toad. took me all day to decipher the symbolism, but I hear my subconscious loud and clear.

Day 5: 

though not a "sketch" I am prepping pages for new visual journal work and adding to incomplete pages/spreads... so I am kind of sketching in a way...

Day 6-7: "Love Deeply"

Working through some new bird imagery. This is a bleeding heart dove... I recently did a monotype print of one of these birds and am really drawn to them right now. SO, she will probably show up again.

Day 8: "old skin"

Working up some more concepts that have been mulling around in my brain for far too long.

Day 9: "muscle & bone memories"

I've been trying to figure out how to work this idea out on the page... going to work out a few more ideas over the next couple days... bare with me.

Day 13 or 14: "Truths be told..."

Looked up and this is the reflection staring back at me in the window. My mind was heavy in thought. Finished this up with some journaling off to the side.

Day 15: "ability"

this quote stuck with me most of the day...