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Spirit Cats Deck: Cute Cats, a Sprinkle of Magic and a Lot of Heart 9 Feb 2016 2:14 PM (9 years ago)

Kiala Givehand's Journal Page Response to My Challenge! 28 Dec 2015 7:29 PM (9 years ago)

"Passageways" by Kiala Givehand

I'm one of the guest instructors for Kiala Givehand's year-long online art journaling class "The Journey Within 2016". As a promo for the course, Kiala hosted in December a blog hop in which each teacher gave Kiala a journal page spread challenge.

I write about my challenge for Kiala in this post. One of my favorite altered book workshops I teach is Altered Books As a Way of Seeing. In it I teach how to use portals (doors, windows, stairs, paths) in altered books as a way to examine your life, your interests and passions, your dreams. Door and windows are particularly powerful because of their deep symbolic meaning over the centuries. They also speak of thresholds -- or moments of reflection -- as well as the more popular concept of future possibilities and opportunities yet to receive, achieve, or move into.

I love the image that Kiala uses in the spread above, because of its mirrored reflection. You actually have two portals with perhaps two different choices of possible movement -- one into the air (perhaps involving thought and mental concepts) and one into the water (perhaps involving emotions and feelings). Plus Kiala adds a smaller portal as a footnote to the page. Love that!

Here's Kiala's blog post on her response to my challenge page. 

My Journaling Challenge to Kiala Givehand for Day 28 of The Journey within Blog Hop 28 Dec 2015 12:00 AM (9 years ago)

Altered Book: "ABs as a Way of Seeing Course Syllabus"

The Journey Within 2016: A Year of Handmade Art Journals 27 Dec 2015 9:13 PM (9 years ago)

I'm considering it a real honor to be invited to be a guest instructor for mixed media book artist Kiala Givehand's year-long art journaling e-course -- The Journey Within. Each month you will receive 6 videos covering how to make the monthly book, page spread process, and art techniques. Not only will it be an opportunity to grow your creative repertoire -- but it will be a voyage of self-discovery!  Go here to find out more and to register and take a look at the line up of teachers below!

The Journey Within's Amazing Artists:

Last Day!!!! AEDM2015 Day 30: " 30 Nov 2015 9:49 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 30: "Protecting the Future"

AEDM2015 Days 28 & 29 29 Nov 2015 9:22 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Days 28: "All You Need Is Light"

AEDM2015 Days 29: "Reinvent Yourself"

AEDM2015 Day 27: Her Next Move 27 Nov 2015 8:01 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 27: Her Next Move

I'm starting to think about and brainstorm what I want to be doing artistically and with my art biz in 2016. I have had so little juice or energy to do anything this past year. It's been a year of moving through the grief process and delving into old processes and character traits that just don't serve me anymore.

I still don't know what 2016 will bring but i have a few ideas that I am going to act on, and I will let the details unfold by themselves. When I look at this collage it really seems to represent where I've been and where I'm going. The photo on the left is one I took a number of years ago in a Mexican cemetery. Beautiful and colorful, but there is also a clear separation between death and life. The eye -- looking forward is also seeing between the gap in the bars, and I have the feeling that the person belonging to the eye has the ability to move forward into life. Anyway that's what I see or feel from this piece. I enjoyed creating it -- and with none of this in mind!

AEDM2015 Day 26: "More Color" 27 Nov 2015 7:33 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 26: "More Color"

I was too lazy to create a page spread on Thanksgiving so I forgave myself for this lack of self-discipline (it went the way of the "I shalt not overindulge" commandment -- out the window). I was going through my images and found this African Bee eater. I fell in love with these birds when i attended the University of Nairobi as part of an exchange program. It was a magical experience for a 17-year-old in 1971 -- and the Bee Eater became a symbol for my once-in-a-lifetime trip. This image requires a neutral background to magnify its colors -- but I decided to do the opposite and see if I could incorporate its colors into the background. I used acrylics and rubberstamp ink pads and am pleased with my efforts.

AEDM2015 Day 25: "Way Station" 25 Nov 2015 6:00 PM (9 years ago)

This spread was a bit of a challenge. I'm posting it as is -- but I'll probably work on it a bit more.  I had originally created a half page within the two pages of the spread -- something I do occasionally to extend the story of a page. So it's really 2 spreads back to back but one of the spreads covers one and 1/2 pages. Like I said it was a challenge -- hard to describe and hard to photograph. I really need to film a clip of it but I'm too tired tonight!

I called it "Way Station" because to me this collage has the feeling of where we come from and where we are going to across our many possible -- or reincarnated lives -- and all of the variety and implications associated with that concept. I like the idea of it -- the execution -- well there's more to it and I'll leave it for another day!

Side One -- Middle flap closed to the right

Side One -- Middle flap completely opemed

Side Two -- Middle flap closed to the left

Side Two -- Spread completely opened

AEDM2015 Day 24: "Reading Clouds" 24 Nov 2015 8:26 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 24: Reading Clouds

AEDM2015 Day 23: Join the Celebration 23 Nov 2015 3:27 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 23: Join the Celebration

I have to say that things seem to be shifting in my life. I feel like I'm coming out of a long period of mourning. Maybe it's because enough time has passed since my mother's death in April. Maybe it's because I hired a personal trainer and I'm starting to work my way back into dancer's shape. Maybe it's because I'm meditating everyday. Maybe it's consciously setting intention and recommitting to doing art everyday. Maybe the new  bio-identicals and thyroid supplements I'm on are finally kicking in LOL. And then maybe it's because I've reached the age of 62 and I am no longer a "yute" and I'm finally stopped having a tantrum about that. All I know is that I feel lighter, and life moving forward seems so much more promising, despite the challenges that living in this world brings. And mostly I'm just grateful for the life I've led, the me I am now, and the person I'll discover tomorrow.

AEDM2015 Day 22: Regeneration 22 Nov 2015 4:41 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 21: What Would I Have Done? 21 Nov 2015 8:34 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 21:"What Would I Have Done?"

Today I was motivated to use purple -- which is unusual because it's not a color I usually work with. I used acrylic paint, and ink pads, then looked at the page and said "Now what?" I don't even remembering pulling this image from a magazine but I had thrown it into my "blue" color pile sometime ago. It was an unusual shade of purple -- but the best thing about it was the kid holding onto his/her puppy. It just brought up in me memories of holding my kittens and cats through the years. How I had a friend no matter how lonely I felt. How much pleasure they gave me. How much unconditional love was communicated.

Caught Up!!! AEDM2015 Days 19 & 20 20 Nov 2015 8:56 PM (9 years ago)

Yesterday was my father's birthday -- he would have been 103 years old! I though about him a lot as the day progressed. He had such a wonderful spirit and helped many people change their lives through his work as an AA sponsor. My father encouraged my spiritual searching and encouraged me to find some sort of program and work it. He opened the door for my journey -- one, it seems, of many unanswered questions. Yet more and more I accept the gifts of "not knowing" all the answers, and discovery and joy seem to be some of the byproducts. I look forward to seeing Daddy-O again one day.

AEDM2015 Day 19: Unanswered Questions

 What is essential: To life? To living? To loving? A mysterious question demanding a lifetime of answering.

AEDM2015 Day 20: What's Essential

Catch Up: AEDM2015 Days 16, 17,18 19 Nov 2015 9:11 PM (9 years ago)

Three more journal pages for my Art Every Day Month challenge...

AEDM2015 Day 16: Peace and Love

AEDM2015 Day 17: Plays Outside

AEDM2015 Day 18: You Will Travel...

Catch Up: AEDM Day 13, 14, 15 18 Nov 2015 8:28 PM (9 years ago)

Just like my life, my collages can sometimes be a jumble of images, words, ideas. Sometimes I am OK with that. Sometimes I revert back to my favored simpler style of using one or two images, which I've found to be a powerful technique, but definitely in my comfort zone. So when I push myself to fill my collages with a lot of stuff it often feels uncomfortable - but I usually end up liking what I've produced!

Catch Up: AEDM2015 Days 10, 11, 12 17 Nov 2015 8:15 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 10: "La Vie Verte (Healing)

Continuing on with my catch-up posting of my Art Every Month journal collages. This collage is close to my heart. The two most healing things for me are cats and nature -- or green places in nature. I happened to run across this photo of a grey cat that I clipped sometime in the foggy past. This cat reminded me of a Russian Blue I had rescued in Midway, Kentucky during a college summer break. She was instrumental in the healing of my relationship with my alcoholic father who had recovered in my 16th year. I didn't know how to talk with him, or he with me until Roxanne came into our lives. She would intentionally lead me into my father's room -- or I would be looking for her and she would be there on his chest in his bedroom. We would start talking about Roxanne, then the family, then life, then spirituality and over the years my father and I built a loving, laugh-filled relationship. Thanks Roxanne wherever you are!

AEDM2015 Day 11: "Begin an Enduring Love Affair"

I love the feeling in this page that I created, perhaps because it speaks to me of my  journey through life. It is also a pop-up page -- the girl springs up when the page is opened -- you can see the shadow created by her face.

AEDM2015 Day 12: "The Search"

Might do some journaling on this page...

Catch Up: AEDM2015 Days 7,8,9 16 Nov 2015 4:24 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 7: "Secret"

During this year's challenge I find myself once again creating in my journal very simple collages -- sometimes it's only one or two images, with or without a painted background. When doing a creative challenge I've discovered that often simple is best -- otherwise I get discouraged or frustrated with how much time it takes -- or start to rebel and even quit. Like most people I have a busy life -- lots of obligations, lots of interests, tons of activities. Plus there are emotional challenges and a natural tendency to drift away from my creative, artistic self. I have found that if I keep my collages simple it's -- more often than not -- easy to carve out and stick with a daily creative time. And doing that for myself has so many benefits and pluses to the psyche and my emotional well being that I'm reinvigorated creatively by the end of a challenge or a project.

AEDM2015 Day 8: "Ask Yourself if this Is Important"

AEDM2015 Day 9: "Wildlife"

Catch Up: AEDM2015 Days 4,5,6 15 Nov 2015 8:30 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015 Day 4: Where I Am

Life keeps getting in the way of creating -- or at least it feels like it. Last Wednesday through this Monday we were in St. Thomas for a destination wedding. I took my journal and art supplies and had very good intentions of continuing on with my journal page spread a day for the Art Every ay Month Challenge. I confess I spent to much time on the beach or at wedding event, or having dinner with family and friends. Hence I didn't complete any collages that i could scan.

AEDM2015, Day 5: Whole New Ways to Make (A) Better World

I did however, spend some time pulling magazine images, and gluing pages, and laying down some color, and laying some images down, So I was technically being creative. Still I felt guilty. ANd this is a trap I am very aware of now. So I don't let it snowball me. I know that at some point I'll get back into the swing of creating. I have to be compassionate with myself and then all of sudden things will start to flow.

AEDM2015 Day 6: Welcoming You with Wonder

 So I'll continue to catch up as I move through this month and post my collages as I have the time. Starting with now!

AEDM2015, Day 3: The Sea Is in Deep Blue Trouble 3 Nov 2015 9:13 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM2015, Day 3: The Sea Is in Deep Blue Trouble (with pop-up closed)

Heading off to the Caribbean for a wedding so this image of a beach grabbed my eye. Then I just stared at it...nothing was coming to me and no other images popped out as I flicked through a magazine. Usually at this point my inner critic starts grumbling. The best tactic is to just ignore it and either walk away for a few minutes or just keep searching for the "right" pieces. Something always gives and for this collage things went a little bit wacky. I ended up making the fish into a "pop up" and the woman, well I just liked her facial expression -- she's either appalled at the dismal state of the oceans -- or she's in the process of becoming a mermaid!

AEDM 2015 Day 2: A Landscape I Didn't Know Existed 2 Nov 2015 8:58 PM (9 years ago)

AEDM 2015 Day 2: A Landscape I Didn't Know Existed

How do I come up with the collages I create? I'm really not sure. Often I'll run across images that resonate with me on a deep level. I may not understand why or for what reason I am drawn to an image or a setting (such as this room), but I will add them into my journal and let them "percolate". I may eventually add other images to it and the story will start to unfold. Or I may add a line of text because it also resonates with me in conjunction with the image. Or the image may prompt me to journal. Sometimes I'll just leave the image as is -- just because I like it -- and I've come to see that there is creative payback in doing just that.

November Is Art Every Day Month! 1 Nov 2015 7:29 PM (9 years ago)

Day 1 AEDM, "Commitment: I Will Participate".

It's cool that Art Every Day Month has rolled around again -- just at the right time for me.  I will be making a collage spread a day over the next 30 days and will be using one of my small Paperblanks journals. I had an Open Studio to day at the Novato Arts Center, and decided to work on my first spread while I was there. This is really my first piece of completed art in 5 months! I really have had little desire to move past the sorting of collage images and just a general puttering around my studio. 

Nevertheless when I sat down in front of the journal I had selected for this art challenge -- I knew that my desire to create would overcome my inertia as well as those inner critics that bounce around in my head. I was a bit awkward with the color and text and images -- but I pushed past my inner critic and "just kept moving". This is the 3rd time I've done AEDM (plus i did my own personal art challenge (Daily Journal Page Challenge) for 3.5 years) so I know the benefits of setting an intention and sticking with it. 

I must say it felt so-o-o-o-o good to create this spread! It's also serving as a visual statement of my commitment to continuing on with my creative journey.

Drop by Leah Piken Kolidas' website Creative Every Day and sign up for one of her art challenges -- it's not too late!

My Creative Life Got Hijacked By Life... 25 Oct 2015 4:41 PM (9 years ago)

From my "Portals Syllabus" Altered Book

Sigh....I think I danced away from the creative muse again....

Little energy, desire, or ability to focus. Gray moods and/or impromptu, random tears. Worry and anxiety buzzing like bees around my head. Both studios messy, chaotic and little room to move around -- or breathe. No new art to think of. Signing up for a gazillion inspirational e-courses and only getting past the first email, video, or comment/share. No desire to teach. Just want to sleep.

Does any of this ring a bell in the back of your mind? It seemed too, too familiar to me. And i was fearful that this time I'd move way for good from the creative process...and never come back.

Then I talked to a dear friend (her skill sets include being an artist and a therapist). After listening to my "symptoms" she said "Virginia, you need to give yourself a break - you're still in the grief process from your mother dying. Plus you had a 6-week total kitchen renovation. Plus you are caretaking and worrying about your beloved, but aging, 20-year old kitties". That's a lot of stress and you need to be easy with yourself. You'll return to your flow after you integrate all of these changes...."

And once she said that to me, my behavior made a bit more sense. It also allowed me to take a step back and take a deep breath. When the crying jags come out of the blue, I can stand back a bit and watch them rip, and then go on with what I am doing. It's also OK if I can only do things in bits or small chunks. It's OK if I only want to look through magazines for collage fodder. 

What i am seeing is that I am in process -- I am in the process of life -- and whatever that looks like -- that's OK.

And sooner or later my mojo will return -- it may just look a bit different than it did. And that's OK too.

Drawing Yourself Back to Nature: Nature's Whispers 14 Apr 2015 12:00 AM (9 years ago)

Whisperings from Angelina and the Wild Onions Journal Spread

Welcome to the second leg of the Draw Yourself Back to Nature Blog Hop! This nature journaling e-course promises a delightful journey and I am looking forward to getting to know and visually chronicling my backyard and neighborhood parks! If you would like to know

Kelly asked me to take an activity from the course and create a journal page around it. I chose "Nature's Whispers" because I am always feeling Nature is speaking to me -- sometimes loudly calling, sometimes softly in whispers. The above journal page is a result of me responding to Nature "whispering" to me. If you would like to know how I created this journal page go here.

If you would like to enter my raffle to win a hand-decorated Paperblanks journal leave a comment in this post's comment section and click on my Join This List button in the right-hand column.

And don't forget to continue on the blog hop by clicking on these links:
April 13 Kelly Johnson
April 14 YOU ARE HERE NOW (Also registration opens now for Drawing Yourself Back to Nature)
April 15 Grace Howes
April 16 Kiala Givehand
April 17 Kelly Johnson


Angelina and I often take walks around our yard and gardens, giving me a well-needed break from the computer or housework. I find these moments comforting, meditative, often playful. On a recent mid-afternoon walk, she led me to the far left-hand corner of out back yard, which faces the wetlands. Two river birches have grown up into that corner.


Angie stopped and sat about 6 feet from the second birch and the open wire fencing and stared out into the wetlands. I wondered what she was looking at and walked closer. Nothing was in the wetlands and them my gaze was drawn to the river birch beside me and I saw these delicate white wildflowers growing near the trees base.


I "knew" this was what I was supposed to notice -- these tiny trumpet like blooms. Just one little bunch. How did they arrive at this place? I wondered if they were a rare wildflower. They had such beautiful green lines inside of them and small golden stamen filled with pollen. I took a few pics and wandered back inside.

Finding them took me back to a childhood memory. I remember wandering in a small "woods" abutting a neighbor's yard. Really it was just a few scrawny saplings but it called to me (just like the blooms in my here-and-now yard). As I wove through my childhood "forest" I spied groups of bright white, tiny blossom -- all lined up in a row on one stalk. I was fascinated with their v-shaped little blooms with bright yellow tops. An unusual shape -- they were like magic finding them in such an odd place. Later on I identified them as "Dutchman's Breeches".

The blooms in my yard were only wild onions -- very common in this area of Northern California. In fact, we actually have tons of them in our front yard. But none in the back yard so these took me by surprise. But the memories they sparked in me were Magic!

To read about how I created my "Nature Whispers" journal page visit this page.

If you would like to enter my raffle to win the hand-decorated Paperblanks journal pictured below sign up for my newsletter here, and then leave a comment in this post's comments section. I will announce the winner on Monay, April 20th in a blog post.


To continue on the blog hop by clicking on these links:
April 13 Kelly Johnson
April 14 YOU ARE HERE NOW (Also registration opens now for Drawing Yourself Back to Nature)
April 15 Grace Howes
April 16 Kiala Givehand
April 17 Kelly Johnson

Enjoy the Draw Yourself Back to Nature E-Course! I'm already totally psyched about it! 

Nature's Whispers: What Called Out to Me the Other Day 8 Apr 2015 4:58 PM (9 years ago)

Do You See What I See?

YAY! I've been asked by Kelly Johnson to illustrate one of the activities from her upcoming e-course "Draw Yourself Back to Nature" (registration opens April 13th). I chose the prompt "Nature's Whispers" with the task of creating a journal spread around that theme. Kelly describes nature's whispers as the little things in our surrounding environment that may go unnoticed, yet have great impact on us if we seek out and explore them closer.

This photo is for me an a perfect example of nature's whispers. I was walking on my favorite trail at Deer Island reserve and was drawn to a limb stump on this big beautiful oak tree, which had fallen from Sudden Oak Disease over the winter.

Do You See a Manta Ray or Horseshoe Crab?

I went over to look at it because there was an interesting shadow cast on it. The shape reminded me of a ray or skate or horseshoe crab. It reminded me of all the times as a child that I used to run on the ocean's edge on Captiva and Sanibel Islands. I was always so excited when the big, prehistoric-looking horseshoe crabs would wash up on the beach.

My Eye was Drawn to the Hollowed Out Limb Stump...

Then my eye was drawn down to a hollowed out place where a limb had broken way from the tree. The inside was filled with shredding wood and my eye was drawn again to a shape. I leaned closer and the image of a horse's began to take shape in my mind's eye...

A Horse's Head and Neck in the Crook of the Hollow?

Nature whispers...yes, She does! I'll be giving a sneak peak of my journal pages using the prompt "Nature's Whispers" tomorrow

If you'd like to learn more about Kelly's e-course "Draw Yourself Back to Nature : Art Journaling for Everyone" go here.

And to join the blog hop and a chance to win free seats to the e-course and some great prizes -- go here!