Day 7 - AEDM & Nablopomo - art journal page & inspiration

today was crazy busy so i didn't get a chance to achieve much at all

i also got to spend some time with my gorgeous granddaughter, mikayla.
SO much fun!

anywhoo, a background for one of my art journals will have to suffice for AEDM today

i used the end of a paintbrush to write words into the wet gessoed background then, when dry, i applied some acrylic colours.

serene

blues and greens RULE!!!

love

joy

still heaps to go but this is as far as i got

before i do any more art i will need to do some serious tidying up at my art desk. what a MESS!!! how's a girl supposed to work like this?!! me thinks i need to get some tips from my dear friend rita who is always so neat and orderly.

to view the posts of other AEDM members for Day 7
click here.

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more inspiration for you

my desert rose (b. Adenium Obesum) is flowering!

now i'm off to watch another episode in the final season of SMALLVILLE.

i'm looking forward to catching up with blogs tomorrow.

~ love, light and peace ~

HELLO February!

February has arrived DownUnder and I'm feeling quite happy that, during January, I managed to art journal daily, sketch weekly, and also take my self-portrait photos each week. Let's hope I can continue that way.

I did this sketch of Mikayla for January's Sketchbook Challenge.  The theme was 'Highly Prized' and Mikayla certainly fits into that category.  Isn't she cute?  It's my very first sketch of her and I'm sure there will be more.

Sketched free-hand using graphite pencils in large Moleskine sketchbook

Below is my art journal spread for the past week.

I used acrylics to paint in the sky for the background. 

I cut the dog image from an advertising pamphlet I received in the mail.  I pictured him in a pool on a very hot day craving a cold soft-serve ice-cream in a cone.  Heck, who wouldn't??!!  YUM!

Acrylics/mixed media in A4 journal

I thought I'd also get in early with this week's self-portrait.

I ADORE gypsy-style earrings....just love 'em!

HEALTH NEWS - Brad is no longer on Tegretol because, after a few days of being on it, he noticed a change in his hearing where music and songs sounded like they were playing back in a lower key. Brad adores his music and this was extremely frustrating for him and driving him nuts! Normally, Bradley can tell you in an instant what key a song is playing in.  I also noticed that Brad didn't seem to be hearing us if we called to him from an adjoining room.   I did some research and, sure enough, changes in hearing is a rare side effect that happens to approx. 1 in 10,000 people taking Tegretol.  It definitely helped to stop his right leg from seizing up but, unfortunately, it mucked up his hearing in the process. Brad is dependent on what hearing he has as he is already hearing impaired so we just couldn't risk the Tegretol causing more, and possibly permanent, damage so he stopped taking it. Thankfully, after 48 hours, his hearing returned to normal and he is a happy camper again.  Of course, the symptoms for which he started taking the Tegretol are back too....it's like a Catch 22, I guess.

Oh, and a weird thing that I've been experiencing - 

For a couple of days now, I've had this annoying sensation of a necklace being pulled tight around my neck but, here's the thing....I wasn't wearing a necklace!  I've lost count of the amount of times I've tried to loosen this imaginary necklace with my hand before I've realised I'm not wearing one. How weird is that??!  I was beginning to think I had a ghost hanging about who was mad at me. I did some research via Google and, surprisingly, I am not alone in this. From what I can gather, this can happen with stress or thyroid conditions.  Hmmmmm, may need to go back to the doctor again.   He is seriously going to think I'm a hypochondriac with all the things I've had going on with my body over the past year or so.

Anywhoo, I hope you all enjoy a beautiful start to February!

~ Love, light and peace ~

Another catch up....

I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted!!

I've been keeping busy with so many things.  Brad's computer finally died and it chose to go out in dramatic style by tripping the safety switch to the house causing all our power to go out...an easy fix.  Thank goodness for safety switches!  Brad now has a brand new twin to my computer tower. We LOVE our new computers....so much faster and heaps of harddrive space!

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Brad had an appointment to see his Endocrinologist on Monday and we discussed whether or not he should start on Tegretol.  You may remember my rant about it here. Our stance has since changed a bit being that Brad's neurological condition started showing signs of deterioration a few weeks back where his right leg would suddenly seize up on him without warning whether he was carrying anything or not.  His Aunt's neurological condition started out mild and gradually became worse until it became extremely debilitating for her so we had some pretty big concerns.  After speaking to Brad's regular doctor and the Endocrinologist we felt much better about the Tegretol so now, Brad has added it to his daily medications.  So far, so good, and we noticed an improvement the very next day when Brad was actually able to carry his own cereal bowl to the dining table for the first time in weeks.
 
After the specialist visit, we walked down to Southbank Parklands which had been effected by the recent floods.  There is a section all along the river bank closed off to the public now while they work to get it back to its former glory.  The manmade beach and lagoons were wrecked by flood waters so no pictures of those.  I did get a pic of the bougainvillea arbour walkway and part of the park that wasn't effected by flood.

I don't know the name of these plants but they are HUGE!  They stand over 5 feet high and they're gorgeous! They make me think of Draceana but I don't know if there are giant varieties or not?

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a couple of self portraits

My hair is always up lately because it's been very hot and humid and we don't have air-con....it is summer after all.
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and yes, I have even managed some time to work in my art journals.  I really want to get more sketching done though....maybe today.

I didn't get a chance to take pics but, on Wednesday, we had a nice family lunch to celebrate Australia Day.  Mum, Dad, Michelle, Alex and Mikayla were here too and we all had a great time.

I will try to get a recent shot of Mikayla to show you soon.  She is such a cuddly bundle and I just can't get enough of her.

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To finish up this post......a cute pic of my boy, Cody, fast asleep.  This basket sits beside the computer table so Cody usually settles himself in for a nap when I'm working at the computer.

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I hope to get back to more regular blogging soon.

~ Love, light and peace ~

catching up

Hi everyone!

Yes, I'm still here but haven't had much time online because I've been busy getting used to my new computer and the windows 7 operating system.  Aaron and Brad also had trouble with their computers so I took on a new title of - computer tech - this past week while I researched and fixed Aaron's computer. I had to format and reinstall the operating system on Brad's computer hoping that would do the trick but, although it's behaving a little better now that it's back to scratch, we think his computer is dying a slow death. Anywhoo, this all meant late nights into the wee hours of morning.

I'm happy to say that I have been squeezing a little artwork here and there.

A sketch for the Flickr 'Julia Kay Portrait Party'

Graphite in Moleskine sketch book

Ref. image - here
NC Mallory photostream - here
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Another page in my art journal

acrylic/mixed media in A4 journal
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And, of course, I've been spending some precious time with Mikayla (my granddaughter) who is growing by the day!  She is really taking note of everything now.

Michelle, Mikayla, Aaron and I dropped over to visit Mum and Dad the other day as they hadn't seen Mikayla, their first great granddaughter, since they visited Michelle in hospital.  They were so happy to see her!

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I also squeezed in my weekly self-portrait....in my PJs with Jack, Aaron's little dog, lying between my feet.

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The massive flood clean-up has been under way over the past week.  The damage is mammoth and they say it will take at least two years for Queensland to get back on her feet. I wish I could physically get in and help but this body of mine is wracked with pain even after 30 minutes of weeding or housework.....my hands and feet suffer daily pain which isn't improving and, if anything, is getting worse.  I would only be in the way at the flood sites....my donation, thoughts and prayers will have to suffice. Our local supermarkets continue to ration staples due to shortage of supplies but, that's okay...there are people so much worse off.  Our southern states also copped the flooding in areas due to the rains.  Thankfully, we've had a break from the rain the past few days although, with temperatures in the 30's C (90's F), it isn't a great relief.  More rain is forecast....let's just hope it's not to the extent we've already had over the past month.

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I'm trying to get around and visit blogs as I can....I have missed my daily interaction with my blogging friends. I hope you're all enjoying a beautiful week!

~ Love, light and peace ~

just when you thought you had escaped my...

self portraits....UP pops another one!!!

i did try '52 weeks of me' back in 2009 but i only got as far as 19 self portraits.

you can check them out here.
so i figure i'm going to try again and, hopefully, this time i will reach 52...after all, it will be my 52nd birthday this year so that might be a good sign I can do it. lol

i think the self portrait project fits in well with my 'SELF' word for the year.  i've never been a photogenic person plus i'm the one who usually blinks JUST as someone snaps a photo....at least, with self-portraits, i have a little more control.  viewing myself from different perspectives may also help with my low self-esteem.  i'm not going to choose a specific day so, be warned, i may pop up on your screen any time of the week.

YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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i have been playing in my art journal daily so here's a peek

and i'm back to doing portrait sketches for the 'julia kay portrait party' flickr group.

Freehand graphite sketch in Moleskine sketchbook - © Serena Lewis
Reference photo here.
Mariah's Flickr Photostream here.

so far, i've been quite pleased with my SELF in getting some daily art done, riding the exercise bike and doing my daily meditations.  stay tuned...

~ love, light and peace ~

my word for 2011

i hadn't given much thought to my word for 2011 until around two weeks ago when the word 'SELF' kept popping into my head over and over again...it suddenly hit me...of course! i've been feeling disconnected from my higher self for some time now, my daily meditations fell to the wayside months ago and i haven't done a lot of art or sketching these past few months either.  on top of that, i have gained excess weight over the past year after i giving up my vegan diet and going back to being pescetarian (a vegetarian who eats seafood)....i believe the weight gain was due to the sudden influx of dairy fats back into my system coupled with onset of menopause.  if you follow my blog, you will also know that i've been coping with aches and pains over the past year and my health has become an issue for me. 

so it stands to reason that i need to focus on my 'SELF' and its many facets - including mind, body and spirit! better time management is a must!

as from tomorrow i plan to -

• meditate daily
• eat healthier
• walk regularly
• ride the exercise bike daily
• journal daily
• work in my sketchbooks regularly
• smile often

all of the above will hopefully get me back on track to being a healthier, happier, more creative and connected ME!

to encourage these endeavours, i have signed up to a few sketch and journaling projects which are listed in my sidebar under '2011 participation'.  i figure i can encompass the lot into my daily art/sketch work.  i'm not going to put any pressure on myself in finishing a page a day but i will at least spend a little time each day working on a page until it's completed. below is my first art journal page for the year featuring my word for 2011.

i prepared the page spread first with a couple of layers of gesso, then painted a layer of yellow-green and warm white using acrylic paints roughly cross-hatched to blend them a little.   using an old credit card, i then scraped on some red and orange acrylics.  when dry, i used my graphite pencils to sketch a self-portrait. RATS! i always tend to make my face longer and more narrow than it is...a little more practice is needed.

then i used aqua acrylic paint to stencil on some contrasts.  i also used some rub-on lettering.

i painted '2011' in aqua acrylic paint and outlined it with my pigma micron pen.  i used stickers for 'self' and a little writing finished off the page.  it felt so good working in my art journal over the past two days.

i hope to show more pages from my art journals and sketch books each week.

have you chosen a word for 2011? 

or do you prefer to set yourself goals?

or neither?

anywhoo, whatever way you choose to take it on, i wish you all the very best for 2011!!!

~ love, light and peace ~

Emerging Artist

Lifebook page - AcrylicsClick on image to enlarge
For the past week or so, the word 'emergence' kept popping into my head. So much so that I decided to create a page in my lifebook/journal. In my list of goals at the beginning of the year, I said that I wanted to explore other media and I have found myself wanting to experiment more and more. I feel like I am emerging as an artist into new and exciting areas and I'm loving it. So that became the basis for this page...one by one, images of the different elements crept into my mind. I kept it simple but dramatic. When I look at this page I think of a Phoenix rising from the ashes....I think this symbolises how I am currently feeling about my artistic journey. I am so excited about exploring new horizons in my art.

A couple of journal pages I did recently

It is pouring rain here and I find it very calming and restful. I'm also thinking, "Thank God, I mowed the lawn yesterday!" For my birthday, Mum and Dad bought me a brand new lawnmower so I tried it out yesterday and I love it! I've called it 'Herc' as it's a Hercules (Masport) brand. I know....not very creative, is it? lol

Anyhoo, I thought I'd share a couple more pages with you from my Life Book (Art Journal). The thing I love most about art journaling is that I can give myself permission to do crappy art though 'crappy' is probably not the right word. 'Messy art' may be more a more fitting term. On a You Tube video I watched recently, the mixed media artist said that being fast and messy is a way of being creative because you're not allowing time for the left brain (linear thinking mind) to step in and 'organise' the page. I have always found it difficult to loosen up artistically because I mostly paint realism so that generally means....detail, detail and more detail. With my journal pages I can just be messy without constraints and it really is a liberating process. Of course, I can still see I need to 'let go' a lot more in my pages but I'm getting there.

My Power Animal

Journal a flower

These pages are assignments from a SuziBlu. I discovered SuziBlu via a mixed media art blog and have watched several of her You Tube videos. I feel so inspired by her quirky and fun nature.

There are so many wonderful mixed media art blogs that I have found and loved that I will be adding some links to the right-hand column of this blog soon. Maybe they will inspire you too.

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

I decorated a page in my Life Book to celebrate the day ~
Click on image to enlarge

Life Book page, Handcrafts & EDM #22 - Draw piece of clothing

LIFE BOOKS (ART JOURNALS)
I have taken an interest in Life Books (Art Journals) of late so I've been busy browsing blogs for inspiration. Here is one of my first attempts featuring my batik, wrap-around skirt which I bought around 20 years ago! I guess this might also cover one of my EDM challenges (#22 - Draw a piece of clothing). I have always loved wrap-around skirts and this was a steadfast favourite. I love anything in batik design and the colours just drew me in. My skirt is a little faded and thread-bare in places from so much washing but I do still wear it, mainly around the house. I felt it deserved a place of note in my Life Book. Do you have an item of clothing that you just would not, could not, throw away? For me, I think it's this skirt. Maybe I will recycle it into a cushion or maybe it will remain the way it is but I know that I could not throw it away.


One of my first art journal attempts

Close up of Batik Wrap skirt - Pigma Micron .03 pen & Watercolour crayons on cardstock

HANDCRAFTS
A couple of days ago, I handsewed blind hems on two pairs of my sister's work pants. I remembered that my High School Homecraft teacher, Mrs Savage, would constantly remind us to pick up ONLY a single thread from the weave of the material. I smiled to myself to think that a memory over 30 years old would pop into my head like that. My teacher would also say that every sewn garment should be as neat on the inside as it is on the outside and that is another thing that has remained with me. Even when I learned fabric craft, I would carefully 'V' cut the curved edges to avoid bulk when the pieces were glued together. My friend would tell me repeatedly that it was unnecessary for me to do that but I did it anyway. lol My Homecraft classes have certainly served me well over the years and, looking through the family albums recently, I came across so many pics of my family wearing clothes that I had sewn for them. I would sew my own clothes, my kids' clothes, my Mum's clothes, my sister's clothes and her kids' clothes. I was quite the knitter too in those days. I would knit or crochet numerous layettes for my babies while I was pregnant with each of them. I can't speak for everyone but, nowadays, the majority of young girls don't seem interested in learning these skills which I think is kinda sad. Since art came into my life, I don't sew as much as I used to but I do feel a sense of pride that I learned these age-old crafts.

Hems to be sewed

Matching outfits for Brad and Michelle made by me

Beau in the knitted jacket and bonnet set I knitted. It also had matching bootees.