In the Green

I need to touch this up. The hands look sunburned. There needs to be more contrast. Getting there....

Thoughts....

Which thoughts, huh?? I am staying away from beginning with watercolor crayons and use them only for light touches in the end. Hair is always my nemisis. I covered most of hers up here. A little busy but I just love movement in a picture.

Iris

struggle, struggle, struggle, but I do like her face. I stopped going straight in with caran de arch watercolor crayons. Her face is almost entirely acrylic titan buff, aliz crim, raw sienna. I just don't know what to do with the composition sometimes....going to stay away from caran de arche to start and just get a good acrylic base down for skin tone....

Bluesy

Had fun with this one too. I think my next one will have pink hair. I just love to work this way--I like the theme.

Bored

How a woman this beautiful can be bored--I don't know. She came together with lots of layers. The likeness is of my niece. This is in the big journal.

Find Your Garden

I pulled away from faces because I just felt so redundant, but it's just a signature for me--I don't know. I don't even sign my work, in my mind if it's a face it's mine. That's how weird I'm getting. But this was such a mess originally. I started with markers, then went to water solubles/caran de arche, then acrylic then collage then titan white. A mess and back, but a fun ride.

Red Romance

dipping my toe into journal collage, not as happy with this one. I do like the face--of course, but I'm trying to break out of what's safe. Too much black, too much contrast. Will try another.

The Rapture of Color

Leaving portraits is scary for me, but I will never grow as an artist if I stay in my little safe place of what I'm used to. I just don't have that sense of symmetry or the abandonment that goes with winging it or working intuitively. I'm weird....for an artist....But gosh I'm trying....

still working on it

I am working on a lot of things including this self-sort of-portrait. I kind of get Frida Kahlo now. I do spend a lot of time alone, and who do I paint but myself....this is in a journal-- smaller moleskine.

Annie in Tulips

Repeating on a theme. Trying, still, to stay loose and painterly. Like collaging the tulips in. These are a print of a watercolor I did two years ago.
This is my big new moleskine--so I might consider framing this one. Just played started out a mess, but evolved. Trust the process. Art makes me realize that I don't trust easily, especially when it comes to my own ability.

Trying...

Still struggling with career issues. Trying to embrace the cactus as gingerly as possible. Steel doors and unanswered calls, will have to make my way.
Awakening, could there be new possibilities...??

warm days

A hot fourth of July and many edits. Went tight again, had to prove something. Covered it up with a loose cheat technique, and I love it. I love the warmth of the colors alizarian crimson over, quinacradone gold....say that twice!! But truly I love the suggestion, the looseness of it. When will I ever lean--I'm so tight.

first page of a two page journal spread. wanted to simplify image and work on text. I kind of like it. I think I'll do a red page tomorrow:)

know this...she is listening

second page staying loose.

journal entry daysleeper

Going way looser, liking it more again. Love this song, whether it was waking up with babies, sick children and now hormones, or it'sjust the fact that I am a perpetual insomniac, I will always be a daysleeper. Something about being a daysleeper makes you feel endlessly out of pace with the rest of the world. Bleary-eyed, slow processing, "i'm sorry what did you say?" kind of person. I am she, or is it her, no sleep last night....

I carry you in my heart journal page

Loved this technique. Actually started a new page and left the old page to mess with later. I love this poem, and the painting is of Annie again but so loose and fun. Collaged in some ranger ink stamped papers. I really like this method of painting. I think I'm going to try it in my bigger journal tomorrow.
Kind of a bluesy day. I haven't been feeling well and work issues still weigh heavily on my mind even though it's been over a week since I left. I keep obsessing over September. But, I do have an interview with another school tomorrow. Yay...I think I am growing as an artist. I just wish I didn't work so much in isolation. It's fun to bounce ideas off people. I've joined a couple of journaling online groups.

journal page

I'm going to try and film this technique for portraits and post it. If any of my FB friends are interested it's easy and fun to art journal. Let me finish the page and we'll see if I can't post a quick video of the technique. It's really enjoyable :)

Annie my girl

I must say that I'm happy with the way her eyes came out. Although there are times I look at this and think she looks a little like Wilma Flintstone. But then again Wilma never looked as good as my Annie. Want to journal tonight. I just wanted to get a portrait done first, so hopefully I will do a page in one of my journals. I've joined some online groups and I'm just in awe of some people's work. I think I've accepted my "style." I always overdue the eyes just a bit. I have large eyes and I think we tend to look for ourselves in our subjects--I don't know. I like the limited color palette, it's just simpler. I have to thank Pam Carriker for that. I'm not constantly trying to incorporate different color schemes in and just overdoing something.

Struggle

Wanted to upload second page but my computer is being quirky again. All spun up with anxiety today. Finally made myself sit down and finish this journal page, listened to music and anxiety abated. I don't know why I fought painting all day today, I was tired, then I convinced myself I'd rather read. Gotta fight the beast any way I can. Music and art are the best therapy for me.

self-portrait

This is me, part muse, part fantasy. Doing some more journal pages. It's more play and less precision. Sometimes you need a break. Art can be a harsh mistress. Sometimes I'd rather retreat to my books and ignore her demands...