Category Archives: Art Journal

#3* Art Journal

*The Magic number. So sayeth Schoolhouse Rock.

Always love how the cover gets beat up in my art bag.

The fattest journal I’ve made so far.

Inside cover.

During both of my grateful visits at Evangel Home women’s shelter in Fresno, CA, I slept in the Mary Magdalene room.

I gots a soft spot for the ones everyone talks smack about.

I’ll write something in the cup eventually.

Made this for a Moonshine session.

I’ll fill in the day once I figure out what day it was.

Butterflies give me hope.

This makes me laugh at my spiral Art Journals.

The white face was harder to do than I thought it would be. I learned a lot, though.

My blood type/birthsone/hair color…coffee!

Heh. Mirror stickers.

Collage is fun.

Truth.

I wish that stabilo-all pencils came in more colors.

The world is on fire.

Just need to pay attention.

My ❤️ is in Fresno.

Yup.

In honor of my BFF, Anjo.

I wish the glitter showed up better in photos.

My cleansing song. I can get rid of ear worms with this. Thus, it’s my favorite.

Travel and reading.

Reading and travel.

My dear friend, Judy Whiting, sent me a card package for my birthday that I made this spread with.

Miss Judy drew us both.

FCC. I’m a proud Ram alumni.

Dedicated to my beloved Sister-in-law, Susan.

Fuck Yeah.

More truth.

Playing with magazine photos is fun.

Words to live by.

*poof*

I gots the music in me.

True story, probably one of those that makes others uncomfortable, but it’s just something that happened.

My Daddy as a baby.

8yo? 10?

Before WWII arrived.

The work badge photo is what he looked like to me when I was a kid.

Always.

Back cover.

That’s it. The 2nd of my 6 journals is done. The next will likely be #5 as it has 3 pages left to do, but time will tell.

I didn’t set out to finish the odd numbered books first, but it tracks.

Thanks for looking…feel free to comment here.

Journal 52 – 2019

2019.

Yes.

5 years after I began this journal, it is now complete. 

I Rule.

Front cover

Inside cover/title page

1. Portal

2. Hope

3. Strange 4. Listen

5. Anticipation

6. Dream

7. Dawn

8. Stillness

9. Emerge

Truth

Gentle

Balance

Seed

Horizon

Soft

Rise

Wonder

Mother

Connect

Soar

Blossom

Abide

Unfurl

Ripen

Sweetness

Grow

Speak

Gather

Reverence

Pluck

Plenty

Whisper

Attend

Leaning

Presence

Ebb

Fall

Glory

Nurture

Strength

Descent

Seek

Lineage

Boundaries

Self-care

Touch

Shine

Reflect

Peace

Release

Desire

See

List of prompts

Back cover

There are 4 ‘extra’ pages at the end (A to D) that are private to me.

I generally show y’all everything, but they’re mine, and I get to decide these things.

I have 5 other journals in rotation, currently (#s 2 through 6), so I’m never without options.

✌️♥️🤘

Day 12 blog along. Day 1 Aries Moon Vow.

That’s right…I have been keeping up with Effy’s blog along so far, and I love this shit.

In addition, in my Art Class on Saturday, I vowed on the dark of the Aries Moon that I will get paint on my fingertips.

I did this with my fingers.

I was testing out my new paint from yesterday in one of my art journals.

I anticipate that these iridescent colors will REALLY pop on black paper.

Also, I ❤ Iris Apfel.

It’s Me! In the Thing!

I’m so happy to be making something Arty!

Tonight was my journey back to my place, to prepare for my work week.

She’s licking my fingers cuz I had salmon for dinner.

I came home to her, so all is well…

Over the past month or so…

I have been working on faces.

Drawing, activating watercolor pencil, spraying with workable fixative, painting, stenciling, shading faces.

Love her.
The arrows are raised (3-D). I like her heart shaped face.
She just showed up from FAR away…
She just came out. I think she’s as incredulous about current events as I am.
I love her. She looks beautiful in spite of having too many tabs open (story of my life).
I started all of these in one week.
Step one: drawing with watercolor pencil.
Shading
Activated watercolor pencil on hair, etc.
Activated the rest of the shading
Painted

The pic above is an homage to my HS friends, Andrea and Lorri. Andrea is still my dearest friend.

Back in the day

I have received a Commission to paint a work mate’s portrait. This will be my 2nd Commission.

I am an artist. Apparently I am becoming a professional artist.

I rule, ya’ll.

Art Basics Video from work

https://fb.watch/1k7m-GR_QB/

In it, I explain some differences in black pens, types of paper, and gesso.

This video was filmed and edited by my coworker, Sean Smith, who is truly awesome and made me look pretty good.

I hope you like it.

This was filmed for and through Solano County Library, using equipment from The Makery at the JFK branch in Vallejo, California.

I’d make more if there was interest…

I made this …

Put gesso on a paper bag, then just went for it.

I kinda like her.

I’m in painting mode again, now that my gear is at Matt’s. I can paint on the weekends when I actually have some time.

I have a crazy busy week with Dr. Appointments and job interviews!

I’m interviewing on Friday for a supervising librarian position in my current system.

No pressure…

Feeling the fruits of practice

I have been taking year-long, online art classes from Effy Wild. I started with Journal 52 when Effy took it over from the prior instructor, then in 2019 I participated in Book of Days, and now I’m in Moonshine for 2020. What a year so far!

Our latest lesson was a blast and I’m really starting to feel like I’m discovering my artistic style

I used my water-soluble pencil for the first time and I LOVE the watercolor effect

Liked it so much, I almost didn’t want to go further and “mess her up”

I dont have the exact supplies as my instructor but I make do with what I have.

I used red, white, and blue glitter paint as I didn’t have violet. I tried my red over the gold for the background but I thought it was too pink…
…so I covered it with Pyrole Red and wiped some back off. If I’d thought it through, I’d have used a more transparent red.

After I covered her glittery hair with nickel azo gold, I used a stencil to put the swirly gold marks.

Then I worked on her face. I’ve been sketching and shading at least a face per day for a few weeks now and I can absolutely see improvement in in my technique over that amount of time…

The quote is, “She’s mad but she’s magic. There’s no lie in her fire.” – Bukowski

I think this creation is inspiring me to work on canvas so that I can show some of my work in a local spot (I live and work in the downtown arts district).

I call myself an Artist now. Without sarcasm.

Stay tuned!

My First Commissioned Work

My second Brother,  the most fatherly of my Brohim, asked me to create a painting for a dear family friend. We have known Mike since I was about 8, so it’s a long time we’re talking about here.

Pages from an old book of Mozart scores makes the first layer…

Mike plays guitar and my Brother, Joe, plays the tenor saxophone, so I included an image of a Gibson Les Paul and a tenor sax.

A tenor sax is only a few inches shorter than a Les Paul…close enough.

I added layers of ultramarine glaze to the background.

So…I have a thing for circles and decided to add one here.  Modeling paste is a blast to work with…I love the texture.
I decided to shift the layers to convey movement.
Gold glazing to shine it all up some
This is the final version under one type of lighting
The final version in different lighting, complete with gilded edges and my signature on the back.

I delivered this to my Bro yesterday, and even though it’s belated, Happy Birthday Mike!

This was my second completed canvas…