A face a day will keep the doctor away?

If you read here at all, you know that I’m going through my obsession with the BHG (Big headed girl). I’ve now taken a few varying classes on how to draw the BHG in various poses and levels of realism. I’m in no way…good when it comes to drawing a face, so I rely on my art being…folky. And amateurish. That being said, they say drawing is not a skill that people are born talented at, but rather a skill you require. So, I intend to work on acquiring it to a better level. I’m going to expand my love of the BHG and try to tackle a new years challenge. I want to try to draw a face a day, every day, in 2012. I guess I’ll also share my faces here. I don’t think it needs to be any formal focus but I’d like to try varying techniques to see if I can’t hit on what feels comfortable in my approach to learning. I’ve never tried sketching from life so..why not? Blind contour? Fantasy? BHGs and BHBs? I’d also like to extend a welcome to anybody who would like to join along with me in this to jump in and dash some ideas. Maybe we could start an informal “Face” group? A facebook “face” page? Ha! okay…that might be a bit grand in thinking but…always an idea!

Lemme know what you think?

Gesso as a metaphor for forgiveness

 

A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels."

One of the first “Art Journaling” books I purchased was Diana Trout’s “Journal Spilling”. I love and treasure this book for it’s encouragement to make a MESS and thrill in it. To make art only for yourself and give yourself permission to have it be a blurred, smeared, dripped and glopped riot on a page, with words invoking meaning. Or having no meaning at all. She has a whole section on quieting the inner critic by allowing him a space to speak his/her mind before shutting him up. She talks of Gesso as a metaphor for forgiveness….

Ah, there’s an idea to latch onto.. Using art to spread over all the pain and anxiety that festers and brews within each one of us is not a new concept. We send folks to school to become art therapists and we write books upon books on the subject. But using it to forgive? Well, I think this is the key, isn’t it? It’s not about forgiving the world, it’s about FORGIVING ourselves for the time needed to endeavor on this healing journey. Forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we’ve made, bad parenting choices, toxic relationships we let fester and spread, poor work or life ethics, bad philosophical practices…what if we could just spread on a layer thick white Gesso and start fresh, letting the bottom layers peak through to give our lives depth and purpose. Meaning and variety. We can…can’t we? That’s a very Christian notion. I’m not Christian, no, but I believe the idea of forgiveness is powerful. If we believe God has forgiven us, isn’t it then easier to forgive ourselves? Who are we compared to God after all?

We have to be able to make mistakes or how else are we to grow into deeper beings? Regardless of the spiritual path you walk, or don’t walk if you’re an atheist, self forgiveness lends it’s way to finding those depths within ourselves, the power to heal and grow, to regenerate our wounds and come back stronger. It’s an amazing ability and profoundly human. I’m glad for the metaphor, to give me something tangible to grasp in my mind as I struggle with my own inner “demons” along my life’s walk. I can forgive myself, I have the tools. Simply paint over it, and start again. The layers make everything more beautiful.

Sometimes she makes art:

Grappling with my idolatrous ways while living in a Christian household. I’m moving down a shamanic/neo-celtic path. Wanna join me?

Long necked girls are hot.

Yes, boss lady. I understand how it’s gonna be. Now STFU.

My “idealized” self.

My watercolor paper pilled leaving this BHG with a sort of lupus look about her. Still cute though. I’ll gesso over her and keep playing.

Because random rocks.

The Goddess as Drew Barrymore. Or…vice versa.

When all else escapes you…draw a bee.

I can operate scissors. Sometimes with a purpose.

I was trying out comfortable shoe’s technique of “automatic drawing” I think this was an “Otherside” sort of visionary statement. Or just….random doodlage. You be the judge.

Collage or higher spirituality?

Hmmmm….well it was good practice.

I have an unholy love of purple….

Okay, so I’m feeling a little less ARTSY and a little more CRAFTY here these past few weeks. Sue me! I’m drawing still. I’ve got several more BHGs completed, but I’m sure you all are sick of my BHGs by now, with their wonky eyes and oddly colored hairs! So I’ll subject you to shots of my knitting instead! Mwuahahahahahahahahahaha! (That was an evil cackle, if you wondered.)

This was made using Elesabeth Lavold Silky Wool yarn. I love the yarn. I despised the pattern. I thought it would be so pretty with it’s flippant picot edging but…the picot was a pain in the rear, fiddly and a bit to flippant for my tastes. I am now doomed to complete the second glove however….because my Grandma loves them.

To damn bad I only had ONE skein of that gorgeous purple color….if I make second glove there will be NONE left for myself! Sigh.

The Ripple-A-Long finished product!

 

I never thought I’d finish, but I did! I made it WAY to wide, so I turned it vertically and called it done! It still nearly fits across my queen sized bed! It’d fit a double bed no problem.

It’s Bernat “Berella”, Wool-Ease, Vanna’s Choice…..all from my stash. All acrylics and one strip of “washable wool” I wanted to use up. It’s not the ripple-a-long pattern, but one my mom knew. Super easy to follow really.

Doll Dreams style BHGs (Big Headed Girls)

 

In lieu of nothing of my own to post…

 

I’m glad to be back “Online”. More or less. Thanks to returning to working at home…I can be. Not to the extent that I’ve lived my life online before, but I can at least once again bring my "online” world back into the fold.

I’m glad to see somebody whose art I admire a lot is back to making instructional Youtube videos. I have to hand it to people who do this, because I know it has to take up a lot of time and effort to put out these ‘freebies’ for the rest of us. Those like me who are random explorers of the world of art, who’ve never taken any sort of class in a classroom. Who are shy about it. Those of us who struggle for inspiration to keep pursuing art journaling. Or art in general.

So, that being said. Check out Comfortable Shoe Studios and the amazing You tube videos put out there.  Other favorites are The Artistic Biker, Diana Trout, and Milliande. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be comfortable enough to put my own stuff out there?

52 books in 52 weeks: I’m up to 48!

January:

1. What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz (finished 1/2/11)
2. Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (finished 1/5/11)
3. The Book Thief (Finished 1/6/11)
4. Collage Journey (Finished 1/9/11)
5. Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton (Finished 1/14/11)
6. Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton (Finished 1/15/11)
7. Roma by Steven Saylor (audiobook finished 1/15/11)
8. Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton
9. Mercy by Annabelle Josef (Finished 1/23/11)
10. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

February

1. Living Magical Arts by R.J. Stewart
2. The White Queen By Phillipa Gregory
3. Collage Unleashed By Traci Bautista
4. Making handmade Books By Alisa Golden

March

1. A Clash of Kings George R.R. Martin
2. Advanced Magical Arts by R.J. Stewart

April

1. A Song of Swords George R.R. Martin
2. True Vision by L.K. Ludwig
3. Life’s Companion by Christina Baldwin
4. Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts
5. Art at the Speed of Life by Pam Carriker
6. Singing the Soul Back Home by Caitlin Matthews

May

1. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
2. Celtic Religion in Pre-Christian Histoy Edward Anwyl
3. Maggie’s Mates by Bronwyn Green
4. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
5. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

June

1. Dead as a Doornail By Charlaine Harris
2. Definately Dead by Charlaine Harris (I also caught up completely with the series on TV, thanks to HBOgo!)
3. Altogether Dead by Charlaine Harris
4. Spirit in the Wires By Charles De Lint

July

1. From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris
2. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
3. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

August

1. The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory
2. The Bolyen Inheritence by Phillipa Gregory
3. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
4. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

September

1. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
2. The minimalist by Francine Jay
3. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
4. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

October

1. Hood by Stephen Lawhead
2. Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (re-read but…I can’t help it!)
4. The Help by Katheryn Stockett

November

1. Water for Elephants
2. The Red Queen by Phillipa Gregory

Total: 48

A return to the blog-o-sphere

Yes, I am returning after a brief respite from being wordy, witty and wise. My life has cumulated once again into chaos, careening carelessly through an array of changes. Mostly for the better but some have been a bit hard.

For instance, my telecommuter status was temporarily revoked, leaving me almost no time not spent commuting to and fro across the state of PA in a state of drudgery known as work. This was all a result of a power trip by my curly headed boss lady who likes to flex her authority. It makes her feel better about herself. She’s not really smart, you see, and I am, so she takes it out on me. Or at least that’s how I like to imagine it, in my poorly self esteemed state. At any rate she decided my work was ‘inadequate” and made me go back into the office for a month to redeem myself. But never fear, blog readers. I’ve returned for the time back to home, feeling more chaffed than humbled and more irritated than corrected.

Secondly, I moved. Back in with my folks. Oh yes. Oh boy. Why, would I undertake such an undertaking, you ask? I’m 31 years old! “GET a damn job and support yourself!” I can hear you screaming it as you read. Well, it’s not that at all. See, they need goes the other way. My folks need ME. Failing health, failing grandparental health and multiple special needs kids running amuck and it’s to much to handle on my menopausal mother’s nerves, so I came back in to try to create a measure of calm control…..or something like that. Partly too, the move was aimed at Simon. As I’ve blogged before, he’d chosen previously to live here, at home with grandma and grandpa as opposed to living with me. Well, this weighed on me more an more and I decided that my being here was the best solution, rather than forcing him to move back ‘home’. So here I am, in a house with, at this time, 8 people. Two parents, two grandparents, two sisters, my son and myself. Oh, and two dogs of differing temperaments. It’s a blast! Really, it is. It’s busy and chaotic but there’s support and love by the barrelful.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to these past few months. Trying to tread water, trying to participate in NaNoWriMo, trying to find a niche of time to call my own, to art journal and sketch. It’s been a busy few months, but I’m glad to be back!

Dear Blog,

I’m going to take a small break from you, as I’ve not been doing much art. I’m in the middle of making a move (back to my parents house because…they need me. Simon needs them. And my grandparents need all of us.) And moving back into the office (for some indefinite time). I’ll be back after it all settles down, I promise!

Dear Blog,

I have nothing to say to you today. I’m irritated that nobody reads you but even more irritated that I don’t have anything interesting to say to change that.

Try to be more amusing and I’ll do the same.

Jen

No update, just a state of mind

My bacteria has done the wild thing

That’s right, I have created bacterial harmony in the form of creamy yogurt!

This is much creamier and milder than Greek yogurt purchased in the store, not to mention a WHOLE lot cheaper. My purchases for this included a half gallon of organic whole milk $3.50 and a cup of organic plain greek yogurt, $1.60. I could have used plain old plain danon yogurt of the non-greek variety but I didn’t want to ruin the organicness of it all. Next time, can use MY OWN yogurt as the starter! I ended up with a big batch of at least 12 servings. YUM! I ate two bowls of it today with honey and organic granola (granola is next on my list of things to make myself!)

Here’s a random photo for you:

I love this sign and admire it’s rustic beauty everytime I drive by it. It belongs to the chinese buffet in town, where my son LOVES to eat. (I’ve never seen an 11 year old so into chinese food…). So on our last outing there, I decided to take it’s picture. The road is Electric Avenue. Which makes me want to sing everytime I drive on it:

Isn’t this just the most awesome song? EVER? Oh yes, I think it is.I should play this next time my bacteria are doing the wild thing….

A little art, A little kitchen craft, a little life.

I spent the weekend over at my folks house, watching football (NOT my cup of tea but my dad drug the whole family in a fantasy football league, so I’m doing it for him and the kids….) making home made egg noodles and doodling.

Oh, and I also made laundry soap! I posted about it to great debate on facebook, so I won’t go into it any further here, but the soap does clean wonderfully so far as I can tell from m first few loads! I used this recipe here:

1-72 oz  box Borax
1-  box washing soda
1- 1lb pound box baking soda
3- bars soap grated (I used Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap, Lavender) 

Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub (I used a plastic cat litter container….)

• Use 1 tablespoon for full load or 2 tablespoons for extra soiled loads

Nice! It smells lovely like lavender but the clothes don’t have much scent after washing, they just smell super fresh!

I’m also in the process of making Yogurt today using this recipe: The Farmer's wife tells all, home made greek yogurt.

Mine is incubating now!

I’ll let you know tomorrow how it came out!

And lastly…a little art!

She kinda reminds me of Hermione Granger….hmmmmm.

Sketch challenge:

So, I’m totally going with my lack of experience in drawing on these, and making them as BAD as they want to be (Which is to say…BAD). Let’s call it “Interpretive art” as in..why don’t you tell me what you think it is supposed to be, and that is right! Hahahahahaha!

Fav Place: The Oregon Coast. Complete with tide pools.

Fav Book: The Three Musketeers! All for one and one for…hey! what happened to our faces??!!

Fav Movie: Lord of the Rings

Fav Animated Character: Sailor Moon. I used to watch this show in the wee hours of the morning while getting ready for school. I haven’t watched cartoons since….

Fav TV Show: American Pickers. Frank…Mike….I’m so sorry!

Fav Candy: Heath Bar.

Okay now wasn’t that fun?

Photo Challenge…I haven’t given up on you!

I know, I’ve been distracted with sketching and…cooking. But I haven’t given up on completing the photo challenge! I’m rather enjoying it, in fact!

Pretty Pattern: This is my ripple-a-long blanket that I am making with Holly on Ravelry. No, I’m not any further than this. Why? Because it’s summer and…..yeah. That’s my story.

What I read: A Dance with Dragons! I drug this book out as LONG as I could…because I didn’t want it to be over, knowing there will now be a wait for the next installment. It was worth every single drawn out moment. I adored it…even though it was highly critiqued for not moving the story along further. I loved it. I’m frightened for Jon Snow and Dany Targaryen. I’m oddly rooting for Cersei Lannister…that she’s NOT as beaten down as she seems. I’m pondering Varys’ motives…I’m sad it’s over! (Oh by the way…My Kindle…AWESOME!)

Trees: This tree is on the side of my building, right next to the wall and has grown HUGELY wild, considering the proximity of it to the building. I don’t mind it, but down the line it’s roots are bound to cause some havoc to the support of the building. It’s beautiful though!

Sunflare: More of my wild tree and Good morning Sun!

A smile: My mother has the most beautiful of smiles. So does my Grandmother, but she smiles so rarely.

Something Old: I’m using this for a “journal”. Or..I want to. the pages are slick coated with a protective covering so the paint is doing interesting things, like..sliding! The book is beautiful by itself though, really. Maybe I can use the cover for something…

And this photo is completely random:

My neighbor is adorable! He’s about my age. He’s got a tiny little potted garden going on our shared back patio. The trouble is, he’s gone a lot! I don’t know where he goes, but he is gone for days at a time it seems. Thus his little garden is sad! This is one of the beautiful cucumbers he’s grown, a bit overgrown as you can see, for the variety. I snuck out to snap a picture of it and heard him hocking up something in his kitchen through the window. Hahahahaha…I wonder if he thought  I was stealing it? Nope..it was just to cute not to notice!

Sketch magic

She’s just to cute to mess with!

“Remind me how I forgot to be brave….”

~Shipwreck by Chris Pureka

Ah, how I love Chris Pureka….her lyrics haunt me. Today in particular this song makes me thing about how I often cower in my own little world, hiding from the outer world at large. It’s easy to do. I work at home so my contact with coworkers is limited to email and phone calls. A lot of my ‘friendships’ are online. Even my longstanding, 8 year romance has been carried out online….I live far to much in a virtual world and not enough in the real world. I think I struggle with agoraphobia as part of my depression/anxiety, but no doctor has ever confirmed that. I can go out of my house right? I just..prefer not to. Ah well. I’m not really in a bad mood today, that song had just come on through itunes shuffle and made me pensive.

So here are my doodles from yesterday and today:

Favorite animal: I don’t know if an owl if my favorite but I am, of late, fascinated with them. I love that old 70’s/80’s style owls are making a comeback. They are fantastic predatory animals, full of symbolism and mystery and Magick….

I did this very simply, sticking to the “Doodle” idea in an effort not to overcomplicate things. It’s pen, pencil and crayola crayon. He’s rather dashing, isn’t he?

Favorite food: Is coffee a food group? It should be. Just saying. More crayon and pencil. Quick. Fun. Simple.

Doodle/drawing challenge Day #1 and reflections

 

This is more the me I’d like to be than actually…me. But I do love the way she came out!

So, my grandparents left Saturday for home. It was deeply bittersweet. I grew up being fairly close to them and having them so far away..hurts. I was struck by it last night when we were having supper, how quiet it was without them. I’m glad we had a wonderful visit though and I hope to see them again SOON.

More challenge fun…and a new challenge!

 

Today’s challenge pic..yes! I’m caught up!

Where I slept: you can see that during the day my bed is taken over by furred beings. The bed REALLY belongs to them….they just let me borrow it at night.

 

This has nothing to do with anything but I thought it was amazing! I found this at a thrift shop in Bellefonte. PA. The colors are amazing and fit with my semi-retro kitchen theme…(not really. My kitchen is…ecclectic.)

But I love this! I do! What to do with it? Any ideas?

So my Girlfriend and I decided to try to do a doodle drawing challenge that I found randomly on the web. I apologize for not knowing the original source of this challenge, but I found it here: Kitty Pink Star. I think it will be fun! A way to play around with drawing more! So…here’s to another challenge!

More photo challenge fun:

 

Flowers:

These bags were made by my mom’s friend at Sew a Fine Seam. She’s an AMAZING seamstress. These bags are better than any you’ll find in the store!

My shoes:

99 cent slippers from Walmart (I have a love hate relationship with that store…) They are to big but oh so comfortable. I wear them a lot aorund the house. And check out the AWESOME skirtage!

On the Shelf: I couldn’t decide so you’re getting three pics for this one. This is what should be a video cassette shelf…I had other ideas. Tolkien, Amber, De Lint….ah.

Candles, knick knacks and a vase of knitting needles. Not to mention some Whyte and Cornwall.

Arthur Arthur Arthur….

Okay..moving on. What I ate: a whole grain, 100cal english muffin…slathered in Nutella. Yum.

In my bag: my wallet, my pills, my keys, some Airborne defense for germs…usually also in here are my kindle, my LuLu(ipod touch), some yarn, some pencils and pens…lots of coins….some needles…

Thanks for viewing!