Re- seeing old Art Journal Pages

Don't feel creative. Don't want to get supplies out. Don't want to get messy. Dont have energy or time soooooo.......I thought I'd find some new backgrounds from getting up close to old work....with a new camera and......it's filters. This macro setting on the Camera Effects App for Androids is giving me new eyes. I will then use these parts in digital collages which have been fitting my mood lately.

Negative Thinking

I sit all lot trying to condense the things I don't want to do or that I have to do so that I have time to write. Im obsessed with the idea really. I'm so overwhelmed with this story. Connections happen daily that make me feel I'm on some super natural wave. I feel debilitating pressure most of the time. all of life gets in the way of writing this. But if I truly believe that this story was given to me to tell, I must then believe that whom ever gave it to me felt strongly that I could manage it. I doubt this daily as well....Its this constant time sucking argument I have. Neglecting my children, my husband, my friends what if it's never read. What if it doesn't mean anything and is not really important? Blahg......If I did not argue with myself debating and configing my precious time I would actually have more time. So knowing that why do I still feel the need to blog my issues. I want to be authentic. I want this process to be the truth. I want others to relate to how difficult our goals can be to achieve. I also spend all lot of time on others blogs....truthfully I'm a bit tired of the ultra "you can do it....you are a goddess" mentality out there. Don't get me wrong. I'm inspired constantly but I think I would appreciate a bit of truth and reality mixed in... you know the real road to your dream process. So I will attempt to be truthful here so you don't feel alone when you want to smack all the perfect blogging success stories.  So easy just do this and this and this and then you are a famous person with thousands of followers. I feel most of these blogs are done by women who don't have other jobs and could possibly be a bit self centered and egomeniacal. Remember ladies that we are probably more average then we'd like to imagine and that is great too. I'm not saying don't go for the great beautiful blog building thing, just remember you are human and probably a mom and a wife and a good friend with another job and can't just whip it together like it seems others can. (That was me talking to me!) I so want too but I can only do one thing (no I really mean 5 things) at a time. But my latest solution.......for my birthday my friend got me a Crock Pot....

How cute is my alibi though!

You can see my dilema......

Writing with Children

You' ve heard of those mothers that say i gave up my dreams to raise you......I want to be that Mom.....but I cant. So my children will be deprived and neglected, and a bit dirty and hungry, and i will be selfishly continueing the  pursuit of writing this novel. As dramatic as it seems it's what goes on in my head. It's not true at all but I think I say it to myself as a sort of escape root just incase I fear failure so much that I want to give up.....and need a good valid "I'm putting my kids first" alibi. It just gets a bit tricky when my older kids take care of so much and they even say "We'll make dinners, you go write." Oh brother! there goes that alibi. It's all just games in my head to manipulate my fears really........so quitting is not an option apparently....there really isn't a choice. I really, really don't have any valid excuses to give up. So I take a big breath, smile at my five year old and organize the next scene in my mind while doing laundry and the dishes, and when i get a chance i write it down...and when I get the next chance I edit....etc.

Workshoppers work! Did I say work? Meant play.

Just few examples of what was made those late Tues afternoons. Here they are using fabric and stitching as another media we can mix in with paint and paper!

Workshop Shots from summer '11

This was an ideal spot really. I love being outside. We had a trellis over our heads and to the right we could witness the sun setting over the sea.

Art and Kraffe Mixed media Workshops

Another summer gone by in Santa Barbara and the outdoor studio is back to being the shed that stores the recycling bins. Its the saddest thing about leaving really....all the media that was not used up and now gets stored for nine lonley months in Grandmas attic. Here is a shot of this magical place where we met once a week on tues.

A Mixed Media painting "landscape" yikes!

So lanscapes are so not my thing....but mom needed a nice painting in her outdoor room that well reflected the garden grounds. So some newspaper mixed with a little encylopedia cut outs, music notes and real leaves....add in some 3d paint, tissue paper and wall paper and we have my idea of a landscape painting.

My handmade "From Scratch" pillow.

A "From Scratch" pillow I designed for my girlfriends birthday. Her mother has passes away and this pillkw is for her to remeber her by. A soft place for her put her head when she wants to cuddle once again. It is made from left over parts and pieces of t-shirts her mother wore alot, some beach class and large seqence.

YARDSALE Queen!

All you see here i got from a yardsale. Apparently an old principal who had some artistic interestes....for 25$. YOU HEARD ME! Like ten christmass's..i tell you i just kept rearranging them like i did when i was a kid and i was finished rearranging the stocking stuffer goodies.

Ok just one more birdhouse.

It was a relaxing little project......i gave it to my sister Lori in thanks for letting us spend a week with her up in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Dark little birdhouse girl challenge.

This birdcage was merely a challenge. The blank wood shell gettin dusty in one sisters garage came alive in my other sisters craft studio in southern California. Rest assure i will try not to get in the habit of making birdhouses.

This is a negitive filter that simply came with the phone

Droid X photo of my pencil drawing...

For journaling I`m going to take some photos using these interesting photo apps FILTERS. Zoom in and pull the images apart. This will give me lots of quick options for original images.

Art Journal Sansarian Illlustrations Done!

I make these pages on illustration board and in all different sizes. As it flips it creates new combinations of images, color and balance. It's a fun way to work and a bit more complex and challenging. I'm working on a video flip of the whole thing and hopefully it will be ready this afternoon. I cannot fit anymore pages in these three ring binder attachment so I will work in a regular old book for a while. Now I'd better do so more writing. It is interesting to see this story unfold visually and very theraputic for writers block. Its is not really a block it is just I'm a visual person and I need a quick reference to keep me motivated and entertained. For more information and speed mixed media video's go to  Liverson2's Youtube Channel. Now go get creative.

Hypatia Philosopher, mathematician of the Stars

Hypatia of Alexandria died in 415AD. She was considered the first notable woman educator in math,  philosophy and astronomy. She taught many of the powerful young men of those times but in the end her pagan background and rooted scientific mind was brutally killed by the Christians who feared she was causing religious turmoil. This was back in the time of Roman occupied Egypt and the Great Alexandrian Library. Her father was the mathematician there. Great movie to see about her life is called "Agora". (It's on Netflix)

Sansaria will have to go there won't she. I figure she must go and warn Hypatia to hide her scrolls so the won't burn and the rest of time could prosper from her wisdom. I'm thinking pivital point in women history....I'm thinking another art journal page for my spring break. 

An Immortal Cell

Today a local Brooklyn artist Kimberly Becoat came by the classroom and told of us of a very important African American Women who has done more for the medical world then anyone person on the planet. After her death 60 years ago from cancer, they found that her cancer cell was immortal....meaning that it duplicates and never dies. This cell is currently still being used in all cellular research. It is the only one ever found. More of her story  http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immortal-Cells.html.

So this week coming up I thought I would make a journal page honoring her. Wish me luck.

Spirit Guide Art Journal Page

I made a video of this levitating guide. Check out Sansaria's youtube channel for more action.

Today I was looking back at an old art journal that I made and i realized that even then I was working out the details of Sansarian's world. It's a funny process writing a novel...at least a one like this. It can take over every aspect of your life...at least the imaginary ones where anything can be made sense of. This is a wall I made in my class of all my students junk journals. What freeing energy it creates for our school environment.

My Youtube channel is getting new subscribers everyday. (Link is to the right) This inspires me. I do like to entertain. I always have. In every way, whether it be at first, through dance and then through a dance club and music and then through my jewelry company and my bed and breakfast...that was pretty funky too. Now I suppose I am pretty entertaining as an art teacher at least I try to be, as the kids think I'm funny and bold.....OK a bit crazy is what they really say. Anyway BIG THANKS to my new subscribers and welcome to my new blog as well. It feels kind of like applause. The more viewers, the more I try to be entertaining for you. I don't know why this is so important to some, but it definitely wakes me up in the morning."smile". 

More Art Journal Pages

Art Journal Page Video SS# 5 Asian Empress

Asian Empress

She came from the mosaic glass decantor on the tile floor. Entering a new world with new smells and a new way of writing, it was oddly familiar yet she recognized nothing. She was so different from them but they did not even notice. Maybe it was her translucent skin picking up thier identity. Feeling the complex city intruding on her usually calm mind, gave her a new sense of purpose and intrigue. 

Art Journal Page Video SS#4 Black Ink Wisdom

Sansarian Altered Shoes.

Although Sansaria doesn't often wear shoes Oria wears these ballet type slippers because of a secret talent of hers.
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Barbie clothes altering.

Thought I'd vamp up some ethic dolls I found at a yard sale. I think she was originally Swedish....now she is Sansarian.

SS#3 From The Water

From the very beginning I've had this attachment to things that are old and worn. Over the years it has become popular and acceptable. When I was young, my pre-teen years it was a bit odd. Now it is strange to see grunging and antiquing and distressing used so commonly. I'm conflicted just a bit because I liked the feeling of being unique and different. But now I do enjoy seeing prefab old stuff like emphemera, distress inks and pre-printed paper that looks old. I realize though that half the value for me was the hunt, and I rarely buy those things. It just makes my hunt more challenging. After writing a comment to Tim Holtz begging him to stop watering down the creative process and making such awesome stuff, I realized that I wouldn't stop if I were him and realized I was just jealous because I could have gone into manufacturing these things but he does it so well there could be no competition. So periodically I thought I'd show you my finds....then I thought I show you how I would use them in decor, art and/or writing. 

Ask yourself why do you like things that are old or worn?

 In Sansarian Scripts there is belief or should I say a truth that old things have a type of soul or memory that it holds.

When you touch that thing it takes on your memory and anyone elses who has ever touched it. Imagine what we could learn if we could read these objects of curiosity! What stories could they share with us?

Indian Elephant

Found this little guy at a yard sale in Santa Barbara. He is made by one single wire of brass, coiled and sculpted and who knows how else. I love to imagine where he has been and the stories he could tell if I could read his sacred little soul.
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Art Journal Page SS#2 "Spirit Notes"

Art Journal Page SS#1 "Indigenous Respect"