Karen's Muse and Musings

Documented Life Project Week 5

Well, I'm running a little behind. Nothing too unusual about that. At least I am staying on track and continuing this project. This is my interpretation of this week's theme, rather last week's theme, which was:

Art Challenge:  Under Paper (paper on your work table that gets all inky while you work)
Journal Prompt:  What Lies Beneath?

I used under paper in my last spread, so I was ahead of the game on that one. This week I tore strips of that paper to form the ground for my tree. Why did I choose a tree and its roots to illustrate the prompt? I can't really tell you. All I know is it came to me in the middle of the night, and I can't argue with my muse. I started to draw in the roots when that pesky muse spoke again, telling me to cut them out of old encyclopedia text. So there you have it. I started to have a bare tree, but my dear husband said it looked eerie. Normally I would just ignore him, but I'm longing for spring and decided a few spring leaves were in order. On to next week's spread!

Documented Life Project Week 4

What? It hasn't been another 3 years? Well, only 1 day later, and I've actually created a new piece to share. This is also for the Documented Life Project. This week's journal prompt is Words with Friends, and the art challenge is Writing. Above is a close-up of the right hand page and below is the entire spread.

I'm really proud of this spread because for the first time in ages I actually felt inspired. The theme helped. For several years now, I've been corresponding online with someone in the Netherlands who has become my very special and close friend. We've shared a lot of words over these years. The dictonary pages in the background were a gift from her, coming from an old dictionary that belonged to her father. The bird is a print of one of my own painted birds, and the colored paper strips behind the bird are torn from newsprint that I keep behind my art while I work. I save them because every now and again, they provide the perfect serendipitous touch.

Where has the time gone?

It has been over THREE YEARS since my last blog post! I knew it had been a while, but I can't believe it's been that long. A lot has happened during these years including my mother's death and the birth of another grandson. Losing my mother took away any desire to create. Thankfully, that desire has returned. So, I don't know if anyone is out there since you've probably all given up on me, but here it is — my first post in over 3 years.

In an effort to get the creative juices flowing again, I decided to particpate in The Documented Life Project. The theme for January is "The Blank Page and How to Face It." This past week's art challenge was the color wheel, and the journal prompt was a quote from Georgia O'Keefe:

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way..."

So here is my interpretation of the challenge and prompt.

I began by gluing down patterned tissue paper with matte medium. Then I painted Golden Fluid Acrylics Titanium White to tone down and partially hide the tissue paper. After that, I used Distress Paint (Spiced Marmalade, Peacock Feather, Peeled Paint and Faded Jeans) to paint over my background. I dabbed and smeared with my fingers. I should have photographed my fingers during this process, but you can imagine! Then I used this texture tool with the white acrylic paint to put white spots and dribbles all over. I die cut the letters to spell out color. I decided the spread reminded me of a garden, so I cut this poem written by Vita Sackville-West.

This little space which scented box encloses
Is blue with lupins and is sweet with thyme
My garden all is overblown with roses,
My spirit all is overblown with rhyme.
As like a drunken honeybee I waver
From house to garden and again to house;
And, undetermined which delight to favour,
On verse and rose alternatively carouse.

I scattered some random words around the page, then stamped a honeybee image and a flourish in black ink.

I'm excited to approach the next week's challenge, so hopefully it won't take me 3 years to get back here!