Another Journal Journey

Slow Lane

2010-03-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

Why is it that everything I do takes me forever? I'm slow making decisions, I'm slow getting started, I'm slow in working on any project, and let's not even talk about finishing! I mentioned earlier about getting back to my art journal-notebook. I did manage another page, although it took me 2 days to finish and another 2 to get it scanned.

The found magazine picture reminded me of an abandoned road through tall pines where I'd walk as a kid. When I think about that, I remember the slow pace, not just in the walks, but in everyday life. Time spent reading --by myself or looking at a new magazine with my mom; time to examine the details of nature --from the sky to the ground; time to climb trees and build things and play. No rush. No hurry.

I'm trying to accept that that's who I am.

I'd like to be one of those people who bounces about, high-energy, always excited, leaving a trail of fireworks and laughter and things accomplished. But I'm not. I'm me. I have a sense of humor, I smile a lot, dance sometimes, and shout out now and then. But I'm mostly contemplative and introspective. And that's who I need to be. Myself. Trying to match the pace of the rest of the world is not good for my stress-levels.

So part of me (most of me!) will always be walking that quiet path, thinking and dreaming, and taking it slow. I think I'm a pretty good candidate for The Slow Movement. Come on along; just leave the cell phone behind!

(originally posted Sept 19, '09 on my other blog)

Time & Solitude

2009-09-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I can't! After 3 years I'm updating my art journal notebook and this blog. Three years!
I really don't know why I got out of the habit. Maybe it's partly because of the way I over-work everything. This was supposed to be a quick painted background and altered magazine cutout. I was pretty fast and loose with the background, but I had too much fun completely transforming the cutout of a girl with sunglasses and hippie attire. Three days later I had her in a black sack-dress and I was ready to write a few lines.
Oh, well! I'll try to be more relaxed on the next page. Which --hopefully-- won't be another 3 years away!

The Happiest Girl in the World

2006-10-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

This spread started with a magazine picture of a girl, altered with acrylic paint. The crown was cut from a page of an old book. I noticed the part that said "I was the happiest girl in the world" and started to wonder about that claim. It's usually made regarding a fleeting moment.
But if there were really a girl (or person) who was the happiest in the world, wouldn't I love to meet her!! I would have to know her secret!!

Rediscovered Joy

2006-09-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

Doing this page (and eating breakfast while the paint dried), I had the revelation that rediscovered joys are something special... when you're surprised at how great something can be, something forgotten, then remembered. ....Like spreading paint around after a break from it, or eating raspberry jam for the first time in ages...
I feel like I'm not really doing any art in this journal (not that anybody said I had to), and I'm not really reminiscing like I'd intended; in fact, I'm not really saying anything. So I've dug up some old things I may stick in and build around now and then. Or maybe I'll brainstorm some memories I want to create around. It's hard to find a lot of time to devote to it, but this journal needs a little more direction, I think... Maybe in the process I'll discover something...
:-)

Days Go By

2006-08-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

From way back in July... I kept wanting to add something, a cut-out maybe, below the words on the right. Never found anything so here it is. Who knows, I may find something that reminds me of July 2006 to add there later...
The colors and paisley stamping make me think "gypsy", which is how I feel sometimes.

Many Moons

2006-07-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

June '06
Yeah, I really stalled on this project... Where did March, April and May go? Once gone, they're hard to remember... I meant to do a special page for Drew's 16th birthday in April, but I didn't. Then Noel had his first piano recital in May. And Mom broke her foot right after that and I stayed a while with her. But I didn't document any of it.
I decided to start including more day-to-day ephemera in my journals (if I can keep them up). If they last that long, I want my future grandchildren to have these momentos from the first decade of the 2000s.
On the left side of this spread, I made pockets to hold notes and bits and pieces. I wrote about a moment one morning on our patio... me with my coffee and Noel with a popsicle. On the right side, I wrote these thoughts about the night sky, which I notice a lot in summer: "There's something about the night sky.... looking up into the expanse of it... I feel so small, yet not insignificant. The darkness of it seems to blanket the countryside and say, 'hush', 'be still'. I think because the stars are glittering --no, BLAZING!-- I feel the awesome presence of God all around me, within me. His magnificence is there, both deep and bright, both still and strong."

Calico Pie

2006-02-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

February 24...
I didn't even realize how much I missed adding to my journal until I finally got back to it this week! With so many things keeping me busy, plus health concerns --my family's and my own-- I still had to do this page in stages. It was just a wandering kind of thing where I doodled with water soluble crayons a bit... later added paint... then ribbon and birds... finally some journaling! (I used a light blue Sharpie pen, and I like the way the text is almost a watermark effect.) Really, I can't deny it's fun to see how things end up when there's no special plan in mind.
The words down the side are from a song called "Calico Pie" by Edward Lear (1812-1888) I love his nonsense!

There's only one TODAY.

2006-01-26T08:20:00.000-08:00

January 26....
My kids were playing around outdoors; from inside I could hear them laughing and having a great time. I was thinking how terrific that is, because their "kid days" will be gone in the blink of an eye. Then it occured to me that we only have one chance at each day. I'm sure I'm not the first Deep Thinker to realize that, but it came to me all on its own; the thought wasn't inspired by a quote or something. It just really hit me that we should make the most of every day we get and LIVE, because there will never be another day like this one. It may not be an especially memorable day, we may not do anything significant, but we should make it count. For good.
On this spread, the more paint I added, the better it looked. I glued in pages from the last book I altered as a journal. (Told you I missed the text!) I cut windows in each and wrote quotes in the windows. I hate my handwriting, but it is MY handwriting, which means its totally unique, plus I'm often too lazy to print and cut out what I want. So I wrote the following quotes in the windows:
"A child's laughter is sunshine that you can hear." --Mike Boudreaux and
"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." --John Burroughs (1837-1921)
These summed up so perfectly my thoughts for this day!

Play, Balalaika

2006-01-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

First journal entry in my new book.
I was a bit skeptical about using pages like these, after being so used to a regular, hard-back book. But I was reassured by Kathleen Marie and Dawn (whose works I really admire!) And they were right. I really do like the new size, although I have to scan it in 2 runs and stitch the halves together. I also think the notebook format is more suited to my lower expectations: maybe one entry a month; probably not much more than that, but we shall see! ;-)
This first entry commemorates a song, an instrument, a memory of singing in grade school, and singing my children off to sleep when they were young.

First page (intro)

2006-01-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

not quite finished. Picture to follow.

New book

2006-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

...to journal my days.
This one's a composition notebook 9.75 x 7.5 inches.