Studio work

 The last week or so I have been taking Louise Fletcher's

Find your Joy Taster Class

It was tremendous fun and also thought provoking.

This free "taster " course is to introduce you to Louise

if you don't already know her, and then many students go on to take

her year long course which I hear is tremendous. 

I won't go into the object of each lesson just show

you the fun projects and the experimentation I enjoyed.

These were quick mark making studies.

The paper is sectioned off with tape and

 you paint the entire study then remove tape.

My tape stuck a little but it won't matter when I turn into note cards.

Below was using foreign materials and foreign to you techniques and tools. 

I sketched with pencil onto a wood plank,

finger painted the background, finger-painted metallic inks onto deli paper

and then collaged. This was far outside the class idea, as I watched everyone 

else but well, it's where the path took me.  

Trying out collaging metallic deli papers

Very much outside my usual, but 

then that is where the exploration comes in.

We all get stuck in our "box" and repeat

the familiar and comfortable.

For me, these classes are not for 

finished art work so much as educating my own 

eye and techniques that I am unfamiliar with, 

or even better, uncomfortable with.

This process then applies to many aspects of my life.

My life veered off radically the past couple decades,

and I've taken a ride I never could have imagined. 

I've hung on for dear life, and managed to 

educate, graduate and watch my kids soar onto new heights.

They are in loving relationships, highly successful careers, and 

are just good people. 

Becoming ill threw me for a loop, I will admit,

but 6 years later I am still here, and was shocked to hear my primary Dr

tell me at my last visit that she wasn't sure that I would see 70.

I need to amend this : What I should have written was

that the Dr had not been sure that I would see 70 

because of how ill I was. Poor sentence structure-my bad.

I can see why several folks thought my Dr was awful- she's not - she's wonderful 

and I am  fortunate that we have such a great rapport. 

All my life, since I was first cutting up paper samples my dad brought home

when I was in elementary school,

I have turned to creative pursuits for my sanity and escape.

Paper, fabric, paint, bead, hooking, knitting, home design...

Art therapy has seen me through it all.

I'm still at it.  

Geli squares

A little project that kept me busy for a couple days. 

I had a pile of geli printed papers I had made a few months back

 and decided I would try another style of collage.

 I had already made paper quilts and desired something a little 

more rustic, textured or rough?

I adhered the geli paper to mixed media paper 

and then cut into 2x2" squares. 

I had a nice thick 12x 24" canvas stored so....

I did not want them adhered flat and 

also did not want a smooth appearance,

hence the word rough, so I let the wrinkles 

and curled edges come as they wished, 

and in some cases encouraged.

I finished the sides in geli strips.

It was a fun exercise,

though laborious for sure.

Purists will cringe at the wrinkles etc but 

you've seen my house,

do I care about such things?

Creating is so good for the soul,

my free therapy.