Art Junk Girl~

painting on the side~

Noticed this yesterday when picking up daughter from camp... Note to self: Check for paint on body be-fore leaving the house...

collage therapy.

Dear Friends~
Today I wanted to share a few things with you from my evening collage party. For some reason, I end up doing alot of my artwork in the evening as it is a time when I am most relaxed. The other day was particularly stressful, so when I gathered my things to sit and have another drawing "lesson", I decided to get out one of my little collage bins (I have many of them, but we won't go there now). Although I do love many artistic mediums, I find this one the most therapeutic. I think it's because it's multi-sensory. I love the texture of paper, the colors, and assembling something is sort of like doing a puzzle and making random things come together as a whole. I can't explain what it is about it that is so intriguing, but I do love it so. Here is a collage I completed the other night entitled, "the apology". I'll be back tomorrow with some painting I did as well. I have to go right now, but wanted to share this with you all. xo lia

drawing tales and babblings~

Dear Friends~
So, the drawing obsession continues, in true art junk fashion....because, after all, I can't do anything artsy/crafty in moderation. So, with the exception of spending time doing the "necessaries", I've been pretty much reading everything and anything I can get my hands on regarding drawing/sketching/illustrating/etc. etc. I have even recruited a few companions along the way, although one of them is off at camp right now, so I don't have her help. You see, a child just see's all the things we don't. Our cluttered minds make things so complicated. My youngest comes along and says, "mom, see, you have to erase the practice line's now." I look and say, "oh". Ok. I can do this. Yes. I learned to draw when I was young. My father taught me to draw faces, etc and I would fill many sketchbooks (and school notebooks) with them.

Did I forget to draw? Is drawing hard? Yes and no. I think that anything new and unfamiliar is a challenge. I believe that without practice, we forget even those things we've already learned. I truly, truly believe that we can all draw, do art, be creative. I've had people say to me, "I don't have a creative bone in my body". I wonder who told them that or when they convinced themselves of that. I think we are creative beings. There is something we all do well, and we just have to apply those concepts to the new or unfamiliar thing we want to pursue. Now, I can tell you right now that there is a large dose of patience that must be added to the mix. Especially where I am concerned! The difference between a ten year old and a 40 year old learning/re-learning to draw is that the 40 year old has 40 years of societal messages saying, "you can't, your too old, it's not perfect, draw inside the lines, edit, edit, edit, it's bad, go do your dishes and stop this nonsense." At least this 40-ahem-something one does. After all, I was told to put my art aside by someone near and dear because "artist's didn't make any money". Now, this particular someone, I know now, only did it because she thought it was best for me, but it happened none the less. Several years later I've found myself taking up where I left off. Now I have only myself to blame for not continuing on my artistic path.
So, I digress. I think I was getting to a point, but I suppose I got off tangent. I think my point is that when you want to create something and there is a yearning inside you to do it, tell the critic to go away and go on your merry way exploring and learning. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to make you a gagillionaire. It just has to be something you retreat to in this crazy-busy world where you give yourself permission to create. No one is stopping you. Only you, of course. Sometimes we make excuses that we "don't have time", etc. etc. but it's really only ourselves resisting the unfamiliar or perhaps, the inevitable mistakes we will make along the way. So, I suppose I've made a little recipe for creative success. It doesn't include "the right supplies", for whatever you have around the house will do for now. It only requires you to sit down and start. Add some patience, some perseverence and some positive self-talk. It's not always easy, but it can be very rewarding. It will overflow into other aspects of your life. At least this has been the case with me. So, enough talk, let's go make something! xo lia

P.S. Here's another great illustration/artist linkI found this weekend~
Carla Sonheim's Blog (drawing challenge post). What a great idea!

still in the drawing room...

I worked on a few more sketches last night, experimenting with both watercolor crayons and acrylic paints. I think I like acrylic paints better, although watercolor crayons are super easy and I have to admit, it's fun adding water and watching the instant transformation. Today I will try out some the watercolor pencils I have as well. Here are a few of my experiments...
Today I'm off to the library to get more sketching books, most likely from the kids section. Oh, and we need food. Yes, food is important. Can't forget that...

more soon, Lia

In the Drawing Room....

Dear Friends~

Aside from the usual creative chaos, I've been spending some time here and there practicing the art of drawing. In the past I haven't been too interested, but all of the sudden I've been "drawn" to it. Lol. Anyway, a kind reader sent me a link a while back that I finally checked out called, Drawspace. It's a really good site. Chalk full of drawing lessons, step-by-step, easy to follow. I have yet to explore all it has to offer, but so far I am very pleased. I am sketching in a larger moleskine sketchbook.
I've also tried to further challenge myself by joining in on my friend Andrea's illustration challenge called FaunaFolk. I like it because you can pick from a list of animals and then a few whimsy words. So, here is my practice thus far for the new challenge,
So, if you are interested in drawing as well, check both of these sites out! Oh, and my fave, fave, illustrators/artists which have really made me want to learn to draw are AliJ and Emily Martin of the Black Apple. I would eventually love to make my own "characters", particularly the storybook variety. I know (and have been told by a few that I need to start with fruit!) Of course, I skip a bit ahead. But I'm learning to be more patient and may be going back to square one soon. Speaking of squares, I've been working on some squares for a mail trade. Here they sit on the top of my sketchbook. Talk about Art Add. lol. Ok, that's my bit for now. I have a few more things to share soon, including more mail art, so stay tuned. Don't worry if you don't know what mail art is, I'll explain in a future post. talk soon friends. xo lia

Monthly Mosaic and other tidbits~

Dear Friends~

So glad you liked my little artjournal "tutorial". I will have to do a few more of those soon! It's been a while since I've posted a "monthly mosaic". I can't believe it is July already! Posted above are a few snipets of last months crafty activities. I am in a very crafty mood this summer. I've been up to all sorts of mischief. I will share some little projects with you very soon! "Pinky swear" as my youngest says..

Yesterday, I start "Week 1" in Melba's Creating in the Midst Book and Group. I love this little book. In week one, one of the exercises is to simply take time to breathe. Take time to be in the moment.
Now, I don't want to give away all that is in the book, but this is how it begins and if I do this alone, I will have benefited from this journey. You see, when women in my family try to breathe, we start hyperventilating. We are a high-strung group. Yes. So, I've been "practicing". I have yet to be asked what I'm doing, but I'm sure "they", meaning my family will notice soon.

Be back soon. :) Lia

How to art journal, junk style.

journal spread, originally uploaded by artjunkgirl.

1. Day 1. Write notes on a blank page.
2. Paint over it.
3. Go to the next page.
4. Dry brush the next page.
5. Go to sleep.
6. Open up book again. Draw some lines. or circles. or squares.
7. Take some random scraps and glue them down.
8. Doodle over that.
9. Take a fine marker and write in little spaces.
10. Date the page.

Any questions?
LK