The afternoon nap

After several cups of coffee and the morning paper,I readied a few art journal pages. Then I showered for work and already I was thinking about how good an afternoon nap would feel. It was blustery snow and cold this morning. On my travels I watched a bum feeding pigeons out of his pocket. Then he bent down and took a piece for himself off the sidewalk,from the pile he fed to them. I really love observing people from my car. You certainly catch a patchwork of life in the city.

Brrrr it's here again,winter!

My exchange collages have arrived in New Zealand,yay. I really love the series I did this time. This piece is similar in style but not same subject I used in the series. I am enjoying recycling old brown bags I have. This piece stands out to me as the crazy gift shopping time of Christmas. Times are tight and it won't be as lavish as previous years for most folks. But again remind ourselves of winter solstice. I noticed there aren't as many people in the malls and stores as in the past. The pet shop was the busiest with on lookers. Amazing how their puppies are on sale,not their typical over charged prices. I don't know why I torture myself going in and wanting each one more then the last one. So cute! My body feels ready for hybernation now,how bout you?

It's time for CHANGE !!!

I feel a wonderful change in the air! I woke up so happy after election day. Yes I voted! This larger collage of mine (hanging in my living room) is called "Odds and Ends",since it was made from scraps of painted and printmaking pieces I had left over. I just love the richness of printmaking inks. Although the rich browns aren't showing as well in this. It makes me think about how long will it take for Obama to clean up all the odds and ends left over from the last 8 years. Boy does he have a challange ahead of him. But with his charisma and willingness I think good things are coming our way.

a FUN altered book page

Is it just me or does everyone get excited over a unexpected day off? I am like a kid when I don't have to be at work for a day. My job only pays me when I am needed which is sometimes 6 days a week. So on Thursday there was nothing on the board for me to do so I had the day off. Oh and did I play! I did this fun page in journal 5,yes 5. Alot of my pages are personl writings about life,some are just fun pages. Not planning it, the page reminded me of some Teesha Moore's works I have seen. My inner child was having fun on her day off. It reminded me of the snow days when we were young and school was closed. It is rare as an adult to get an unexpected day off,since we will all probably work til we die.
Thanks for all the comments everyone left on my Halloween page. Love ya for that.

Scarey cabinet card huh?

This looked like a grandma that shoulda been run over by a reindeer,but wasn't. Hoping she isn't a real relative. I've used her in so many funny pieces but I think Halloween was her calling in life.
When I was little we had a big old house up the road that we thought looked haunted. Someone would dare the others to knock on the door. A women came out throwing hot water (oil?) at us,she looked like this woman in person. You became scared to walk by the house. Then again I've had nuns in grade school that looked worse then this woman...I had the special order of biker nuns teaching me. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Leftover sentences

This is another "altered book" journal page I enjoyed doing. I came across these unrelated book pages I cut from a few books I've used, to make space. If you do altered books you know how you must make space for bulkier pages you will be doing. Spent alot of time browsing and cutting out great sentences to compose feelings I've felt. A kind of poetry/prose to go on the desolate tree page I painted. Loved how it came out,such "re-recycled" use of a book.I really feel this poem it sounds like a written collage to me. Here is what it says...

this winter in my life/ retreat of sound and sight/
that so bogged me down/ yellow shivering through/
as when in my childhood/
the nostalgic edgelight of an afternoon/ whirling through the streets/
and somewhat like a bird/ they keep taking away your future/
from a lifetime of guilt and worry/
too charged with inner light/ I should have taken more risks/
at the tail end of a delicate cycle/
between potential and a finished work/
as if hands were enough/ on everything paper/
after a week of long rains/
sails gleaming towards the stars/

Notice the ID badge

Another art journal page about hospital work. My handwriting is awful lately so it says...
Some people are just hospital people and some aren't. Mom and I worked in hospitals most of our work lives. We loved most everything about it. The hustle and bustle of the days and the quiet calm of the evening shift except the ER's. She did alot of transcription and managing. I did alot of clerical transcribing of doctors orders for the nursing stations. Try reading doctors handwriting all day,not easy! Mom went on to managing in Philly and I wound up in admitting patients. I know we both became burnt out when the hospitals became more about the money and not patients.

My ideal art studio.

This was a fun collage of layers of doors stairs and vegetation,as if a tree house. It was rejected by "Somerset Studio" but hey they have printed others I did in their lovely magazines.
OK question,I need your attention for a short story here...today as I am backing out of a parking place a car pulled up behind me,the couple kissed and she got out. The guy driving was n a hurry to not block me any longer so he helped her get her bags out of the back seat. He hit his car door with one bag and I heard a loud smash. He got back in and was driving off when the woman looked into the bag and yelled "That's the one I needed" and broke down and sobbed. I had a deadline and had to leave but I spent the whole day wondering...what would make a younger woman break down and sob in public for some time,about "the one I needed" that broke in her bag??? Give me your opinion please. "Needed" is a heavy word so I am not thinking it was something monetary. "Wanted" would have been less heavy a word I would think had it been replaceable.

Colorplay in my art journals

I have been having a blast with my art journals. These pages are what I call just for fun color play. I have been readying up more art journal pages as well as starting a new journal book. These are things I do between major art projects. Whats fun is I can still sit outside on my beloved sun porch,as autumn is in the air. If you have never tried an art journal warning they are totally addictive. So much to them then just a plain ole journal of thoughts. You can paint or clip pieces to capture feelings,no one needs to see your finished projects til you...um,are gone. Like Bob Dylan says "If my thoughts and dreams could be seen,they'd probably put my head in a guillotine". But it's nice to tell someone,if only a journal.

Feels like it's raining all over the world.

Today it rained so hard we had a basement water problem. Like Brook Benton sang "feels like it's raining all over the world". Out on the sunporch I watched the rain and looked at magazines. The pooch hates to get his paws wet on walks in this mess. I find rain a cleansing experience even with the basement wettage. I am coming outa my funk a bit. Stocked up on wine today and have found recent;y as much as I love shiraz it gives me major esophageal reflux in bed. So I am back to white wine for evening sippings. I am doing alot of new art journal backgrounds for writings in the winter. Wonder if most artsy folks go thru such ups and downs as I do?

My brother and his grandson

This is my brother Kevin and grandson Aiden. Kevins son,the father of Aiden,is returning on his Navy ship from overseas now. We can't wait for Eric's return. I am sure he can't wait to see his son again. HI ERIC,thanks for all the pics onboard.

Recent art journal page

Hopng everyone in Texas is ok and utilities will be up and running fast.

If there weren't pets in the world... (Pete)

Among various things going on in life to worry me lately, 2 baby lovebirds died. They just weren't thriving and each died on different days,one survived this batch. "He" looks blue like his dad so I am sure I will keep him,just because. I am sinking into art just to get by.

sad sad very bad week

Leaving you with my digitally manipulatd collage of hearts I had called "ode to Jim Dine".

My wall is dancing with color right now

I happened to look up on my "studio/computer room" wall and saw this amazing color dancing around. The photo doesn't do it justice naturally. It"s being reflected from my cars tail light red cover. I had to grab the camera for this momentary event.

Speaking of events,I am just finishing up a series of collages for the annual "International Collage Exchange" this year. I am thrilled with these pieces since they were inspired by "my secret place" at the Johns Hopkins School of Health. The first time I catered there,I walked into a gallery of 2 of my favorite artists,Jim Dine and Robert Rauschenberg. I could not believe my eyes,and I was alone with them,each time since. This secret place of mine is so unused and hidden that I feel it's mine all mine. I regret even telling anyone about it. Only Hopkins and their vast array of art could thrill and suprise the unexpectd viewer like me. They can afford it,I am just glad it's presented to me in my very own gallery. Tables around but no one even eating lunch and admiring this art. I have happened upon the most wonderful and inspirational art all over the nooks and crannys in that huge complex of medicine. Why can't they just let me have one piece for my collection,obviously no one would miss it? Instead I made myself a larger collage from my series this year entitled "When Dine met Rauschenberg" (in my secret place)

So school starts huh? Poor teachers!

My ole' buddy Pat and apartment neighbor wayyy back,was a teacher for years. I had done this collage for her to remind her why she is glad to be retired. I am so looking forward to going places without kids all over.
Speaking of GREAT kids my niece Delaney just turned 10!! I have a large bag of presents to take to her whenever I can get an appointment with her. She is again at her beach house this weekend. Her sister Molly returns from Barcelona and enters her final year in YALE. Jake our dear boy goes back to Vermont to college. This is when I will miss them til holidays.

Springsteen ROCKS Hershey Pa.

Isn't a good rock concert enough to get the blood flowing? I haven't been enough of a fan of Bruce to catch a concert of his,but my friend is. I had a great time,it was a blast! I do love some of his songs enough to let someone else pick up the tab for me to see his concert. If nothing else watching the crowd,and adding to my ever growing list of concerts was reason to get out of town. It was a lovely breezy moonlit eve in the arena, and he was very energetic with his tunes. His concerts are always sold out within minutes of opening sales. For being my age the man had energy!

One of my favorite buildings in Baltimore

This is a digitally manipulated art journal page of the "Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower" constructed in 1911. It"s on the National Registry of Historic Places. It was at the time sporting a large Bromo Seltzer Bottle on top and was the tallest building in Baltimore. They have turned it into state of the art studio spaces, for artists. I wanted to capture the Bromo Seltzer blue,with studios all lit up with creativity going on inside those windows. It was fun to play with in my photo program. Whats fun is I own a antique bromo-seltzer bottle in that cobalt blue they used in those times.

A study in shading in watercolor class

Saw her sketches of shoes in "This disordered life" blog and it reminded me of my piece from watercolor class 1999. I used flipflops and a well worn sandal of mine. We had to concentrate on shading and picking up color from a piece of still life. I found water color to be hard and unforgiving. Yet I always loved this piece of reflected orange on the wall.

The perpetual worrier,me.

Last Sunday doodling in my altered book on the sunporch,I was also weeding out magazines. I am someone who gets these "ominous feelings" at times,that I jst can't shake. This photo popped out since I knew that feeling well. I am often told that I can always find something to worry about in the world. So I created this page to capture how I was feeling that moment. It was only a couple days later when my son called with the horrible news about his friend Zach dying in a car accident. My son has known Zach for a very long time. The rest of the week my son came down to stay and we waited for the funeral plans together. I showed him this page,I often don't show pages from my journals. There was a very large and sad funeral that Friday. My son had a chance to see many old friends from his past,on that unfortunate occasion.