This is the biggest book I’ve made so far…It’s the thickest, even with pages stuck together on purpose (for strength)

Good times with stickers:

Talking to Ponyboy…

Truth:

I scare more than cheerleaders, but still…

Decided to try making faces:

Rob Thomas:

Alter Bridge:

Dreaming:

I love the Fall…

There’s a lot of Art here:

Smash book style:

So random:

Trying to stay that way:

Not achieved thus far…

Good times:

It’s crazy here…

Was at the demonstration. Grateful that there were trucks blocking vehicle access to us.

Never again:

Stay positive:

Better:

Imagine Dragons:

Give it a shot

I played the Bond Villain in this show:

AM a mermaid!

More faces:

James Blunt:

Back when it was fun:

Then it stopped being fun:

Mexican proverb:

Don’t let me stop you…

Try to stay:

Heh:

True story:

Rock God:

Imagine Dragons:

Pinterest:

Saw Eddie Izzard with my friend, Natasha:

Simple:

Fly

Yes, and…

Consider

This will be finished once I print the photos of my #1 nephew and I at this event:

Not too subtle?

Reminder:

Train:

Can you hear?

Autobiography:

It’s all about the color

Seriously. Fuck. ICE.

My beautiful friend…

Reminds me of Merry & Pippin

Slide…

Always

Sticker love

Back cover:

That’s a lot, I know…I made it and I’m impressed, too…the biggest one, as I said…56 photos is a lot.

Sorrynotsorry

…that’s how long I’ve been on this planet.

I’m visiting 2 brothers and many friends in my home town of Fresno until tomorrow.

I was able to visit my favorite art supply store, Allard’s, for their back to school sale for a stencil, a mask, and some tiny, detail brushes.

Then I cleared Michael’s out of watercolor pads in 7×10 at BOGO free time, so that’s 4 for the price of 2.

I’m nearly (more than halfway) finished with my last 2 art journals from the last series I worked on, so am already thinking ahead to the next set.

My dear friend, Juli, gave me a huge (96ct) set of watercolor brush pens, so there will be those to play with.

I don’t have any magic words or ideas to move forward in my life successfully, I just do the best I can with what I have.

I’ve been making art for 8 years now, but I’m not a teacher, just a painter/stencil-user/gluing fool…

My second nephew has moved into my apartment with me while he goes to EMT training. He is currently bonding with Emily. Today is her 10th birthday.

I had hoped to go swimming somewhere on this trip, but sitting in everyone’s house, soaking up their AC, is a good alternative.

Happy birthday to me.

…on all kinds of art, including 4 illustrations for the book I’m working on……as well as more art journaling in my teal (big) and blue (bigger) journals.

They are both over half full so there is an innate pressure to finish them soon.Oh, wait…that’s just me then…

Look what I found stuck in my mailbox:

That’s right, postcard #9 from Texas.

WhatcanIsay? I have a weird mailbox where things can hide, apparently…

Anyway, yay for postcards!

But it’s a half day so I had time to work on Effy’s July BOD lesson that I started last night

Drinking coffee and playing with paint is my favorite solo AM combination.There’s going to be pink up in all that green as I stenciled a layer of watercolor ground on top of this…

Work was grand, especially when a worked-up 7yo slapped the papers off my clipboard.

No, I did NOT choke him out, but I am continually reminded that babies are cute so we don’t kill them in their sleep before they can become humans…

Anyway…I do art in the wild, like in my car at the laundromat:

Or when I meet up with some like-minded friends…

I went all out of order painting her, had the background for a while and just painted a face shape then figured out where the features go…see…backwards

Inspired by Effy Wild, I’m going to make more faces…

…besides the book illustrations…Art Journal things:

Random quotes:

Un/Finished faces:

Potentially finished pages:

Parts of pages made from paper and old paint:

And the flowers I bought this week:

Because sharing is caring…

10 things like Effy Wild is posting…

1) painting the illustration for the book’s title song, “The Golden Heart”

2) And the full, sky background for, “Let There Be Light”

3) While bing-watching “Sonic Highways” by the Foo Fighters

4) and enjoying my farmer’s market flowers

5) While waiting to hear from the car place that my car is ready (getting detailed, Shelley is…),

6) Also, making a salad with everything I can throw in it for lunch…

7) looking forward to a potential visit from my Juli next month

8) I’m popping with ideas for my Anjo canvas (my bestie is my inspiration)

9) it’s not as easy as you’d think to think of 10 of anything

10) I’m trying to do a lot more of that self-care stuff, like mani/pedis, and regular gym runs, but also going to bed earlier and fixing up my car, as I spend so much time in it.

Whew!

…of cat sitting.

My dear friend, Judy, is off traveling again, so I am watching her drama queen, Tallulah:

For dropping by on occasion to top up his food and water, it’s not much of a chore, but my Judy made a card for me

that is so adorable

And cracks me up

Because Judy is hilarious

And THEN, she found this awesome book for me:

On top of all of that, Tallulah LOVES me so being a little helpful turns into a love-fest…