Art Junk Girl~

Where's Artjunkgirl?

Art Junk Girl is still on a blog-posting hiatus.. there has been "sightings" of her, however, at odd hours of the night... squirrelled away in her studio, cleaning, clearing, and creating a magical cozy area to create in. She wanted me to write and tell you that all is well in her little corner of the blog-iverse. Not to worry, she will keep creating art and writing about it and making more and more and more little squares...but, right now, there are big people in her house that are home and calling her "MOM" again and asking for car keys and looking for food. She's been seen waiting up in the middle of the night watching the clock, making squares and watching bad tv. Yes, 57 channels and nothing on...but she keeps plugging away. She's also been sighted in her storage area, taking out decorations and plotting this years Christmas decorating theme...yes, she has a theme every year...and this year it's not nutcrackers, it's something else. What that is, she hasn't cooked up yet, but she will, for she is very imaginative. She'll be back when she can, as soon as she "digs out" of her creative mess and makes things all pretty and cozy again. She wishes all her creative cohorts well and hopes they are doing the same..gearing up for the end of year festivities and creating and dreaming and doing things they love, even if it's in their dungeon room (where she is right now)...she pretends it's an empty basement studio in Italy where she's been sent to study squares. Yes, she's been watching, "Under the Tuscan Sun" and other such movies and imagining such fun adventures. She will be back when there is less on her desk and more art and funny stories to share. Happy Holidays to everyone and to everyone a good night. wink. wink. ***

Check out my Slide Show!

~under construction~

Getting squared away....

inchies, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

Here are a few of the squares I've worked on this month.

I wish everyone a happy holiday! I'm in the process of reworking my website. Be back soon! Thanks, L.

have art junk, will travel...

Dear Friends,
Thank you for all your comments! Oh MY! I didn't mean to lead everyone to think I was throwing in my glue stick! I guess that's how it came across, but it's so nice to hear your support and encouragement. I've decided to make friends with my mess and look at it all as part of what I do...as following my passion....as being who I am...not that my art defines me or makes me who I am...it's more what is in my heart. I've lived on a constant pendulum of resisting my creative self...it's time for me to not be afraid of what I'm seeing and what people will think...I just need to keep just being me. Anyhow...thanks for listening. It's amazing how many of you out there totally identify. I've been using this "down time" or this "creative reflection" time to do lots and lots of reading about Artists, both living and not. I'm simply fascinated in reading the similariites (and that even the most famous, accomplished & talented suffer from such doubts, fears, etc)...and this is across the board in all creative endeavors, whether it be writing, acting, singing, what have you. So many times, we can become our own worst enemy..but I hold this quote always close to my heart when I get afraid of what will happen next...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
~Marianne Williamson

So, I leave with this thought today as I pack my messenger bag and hit the road for a weekend away. I will be toting my artjunk or "mess" if you will as I've come to look at it as really being my security blanket...as really being home. my home. my words. my colors. my heart. Have a great weekend friends. xo lia

blog breaks, bed rest & a few new creative battles....

Dear Friends, (this is gonna be a long one.....)
A funny thing happened on the way to taking a little blog break... you see, I just wanted to take a break, ok? just a little break... to re-group, get some of my art projects organized and just have an online "breather" in general. Well, actually, a few things happened. Let me splain....it's never a short story with me...especially when it's been "long time, no talk".
Well, first of all...I got hit with a "forced break". A time out that I didn't want. I guess all the running around I'd been doing the last two months wore me down and I came down with a bad case of strep throat. I am now on my second batch of antibiotics and very, very slowly recovering. I've had 2 tests for mono. Both negative. Thank goodness. I have not been a happy camper. I guess my body did know that I had to take a break, but I guess I did it a little late, then ka-bloom. I've pretty much been on bed rest and of no use to anyone for more than 10 days now. This has been especially hard for me because, well, a) I normally hit the ground running and I wanna do stuff b) I have kids and people who look at me expecting caregiving and simply don't understand that Moms, do, infact, get sick. We are also suseptible to the common cold. Yes, we are. Don't look at me that way. Get your own cereal for crying out loud! Make yourself a dang quesadilla...

Let's just say, I've slept loads. The hubs has picked up alot of slack for me. The counter tops, I"m sure, will need MAJOR toothbrush scrub down, ie. crumb patrol, it's not clean 'til it squeeks kind of cleaning, when I get better. Things are "picked up", I occasionally wake up out of my antibiotic stooper and "reboot" the laundry....then that is "all she wrote for the day".. but they are doing a good job, yes. They love me, they want me to get better. Ok, so I digressed a bit here...
So,...where was I? Oh, yeah...since I've been "on the mend"...I've had a lot of time to think about junk....especially art junk. Since I haven't been in the throws of doing much art lately (which is unusual since that's my mojo everyday), I've had time to think about "it". I've basically looked around at the big huge "mess" I've created in my life. I've had some time to let some "doubt" creep in....some of that, "am I on the right path here?" kind of stuff...."am I too old for crayons?"....kind of stuff....that kind of, "pack up your mess and go get a 'real job' kind of voices"...yes, this is what glue stick and gesso withdrawal can do to a girl.....I didn't know that even silly little 'ole me was suseptible to "those" voices. After all, I'm just following my bliss out here is suburbia, minding my own glue stick. writing about how happy squares make me. I'm not busting my butt making a living with my art. So, what's my point....well, my point is, I'm making a hell of a mess of my house in the meantime and I don't have alot to show for it...other than a load of squares.. Anyhow. What I'm saying is...A while back when I was in the throws of my square bliss, I was wondering why I had hung up all my art junk years back and why I waited so long...and then I remembered...funny, how we forget. I remembered why. I remember why I had put it all the shelf. I remember WHY I had put it all away. It was because of one little four letter word....and that is, the MESS.

Yes, it was the mess. I was sick of my crafty mess. I remember it distinctly. The looks of disapproval I would get from friends and family members.....the frustration I would have in projects left undone....the fact the I couldn't find things. The guilt I had about allowing myself to devote myself to create pursuits and be a "good mom" at the same time. I remember now.

Then, I read a book that opened my heart and made me remember how much I loved color and art and how happy it made me feel and I got the mess out again....and it's been out for the past 2 years. It's been a great two years and me and you and the blog that's morphed from I don't know where and the great friends I've made online, and the awesome flickr groups and artists and swaps I've been in have all been the most fantastic ride I could EVER have imagined. It's like the universe just opened up for me. I can't even begin to mention how many people have embraced and supported me creatively from the day one of this new quest.....but NO one told me about this unwelcome party crasher....the one that comes in and tells you to put away your mess again and that you are silly and don't belong doing this anymore.
My closest art friend tells me that this means I'm just going through a "growth" phase. I'm thinking it's a "bla-bla-bla.....I don't wanna say it....block". But, whatever it is....I know I made one decision after days of wrestling with these thoughts back and forth in my mind, I'm in. I'm gonna go the distance. I'm gonna keep on keepin' on and I'm gonna EmBRACE MY MESS!!!!!

"I am an Artist.....I am here to live out loud..."
~Emile Zola

I've also looked back on how much art and creativity has given me: peace, joy, excitement, ideas, seeing the world in a new way, inspiration, amazement, it's a whole wonderful amazing world to live in!
REally, it is....and I don't want stop collecting all it's colors, words, and images and storing them into my collages. I'm not putting away my crayons just yet...
Thanks for listening friends.

Happy November~

full journal spread complete, originally uploaded by artjunkgrl.

I'm still on a blog break friends, but I'm still posting my art up regularly on my flickr site. Clicking on the above photo will take you straight there!
I will also be updating my square blog with the remainder of my 1000 squares. I have about 200 to go to meet my goal!!
Other than that, I'm just workin' in my journal, working my way around and visiting blogs (wow, it's fun being a lurker...why didn't anyone tell me? hee).
Oh, and remember to change your clocks tonight...I always forget....and don't ask me which way, because I'll tell you the wrong thing....lol.
Ok, later. xo Lia