Free Journal Prompt and Journal Page

 

This week I am showing you an example of how I incorporated layered paper into my page. Not lots of layers but just elements that fit in a section.On my page here her wings are of paper and the flower is painted on added cut out paper then adding other layers of paint. To make the house I first drew it in pencil and sketched the angel around it later. I painted the background and then the angel. I written all the words you see inside the house with colored pencil and on the side of the house with charcoal pencil and white color pencil.This was actually where I started my page from.

"She is not alone" was created as a reminder to myself to nurture my dreams and to let them flourish, not give up but to let myself blossom into who I am. When I feel like I can't move forward with my art or goals to know that I have an angel to listen to my fears and thoughts. To remember I am supported in many ways.The flower represents me having planted the dreams and goals that come from my heart and waiting to see them blossom. I just began this page with the house, it just evolved from that and the words I had written inside the house.This journal page is an example of how you can create a page that harbors the essence of your dreams safely. What ever you create just start with one of the elements and let it grow by playing on the page. But try doing a page that only has a few layered elements and has some simplicity to it. 

Do you ever feel like you need to nurture your dreams better? Or have patience to see your goals to come to light? 

Journal Prompt: Add a few layered elements that fit in your journal page. Write about nurturing your dreams and having patience to see them blossom. 

Quote: All art requires courage. Ann Taylor 

Food for thought: The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam

Folk Art Angel

 After doing the journal page I shared on Sunday this was the painting that came from it. It was done on canvas with acrylic paint, colored pencils, oil pastels and gold leaf. This angel has a very folk art look and her message is simple. Then she went to create her dreams. In the sky is writing almost like a journal page would be but in colors similar to the painting as not to distract. Here is another collage a close up of my folk art angel images from the painting. Click on either to enlarge.

Today I feel ready to create on canvas again. I have been doing some digital creating with my photography for this mini Photo Shop class as you know and I will share a few works later this week. The only thing that tugs at me is when I am working in digital media is I don't get to the paint brushes enough. I think there has to be a balance of paint vs computer for me. As much as I love digital there is something about creating with your hands, allowing yourself to get dirty with paint and pastels that feeling that you are more integrated with what you are working on. The rain has stopped here for the moment and although it is cold the sun is shining bright through the windows. A perfect day for painting.
How do you balance creating things and your computer time? Have you ever tried creating a folk art piece of work?

 Pay attention to your dreams~ God's angels often pay attention to our hearts when we are asleep.
Eileen Elias Freeman

 When angels visit us, we do not here the rustle of their wings, nor  feel their feathery touch of a breast of a dove; but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts.
Author Unknown

Free Journal Prompt "Heartfelt Words"

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Source: google.com.au via Theresa on Pinterest

 I did this journal page right around the time I did my journal prompt Faith. I felt like I needed to create a page where I just spilled it all on paper then creating over the words. So I drew her and painted over the words. Then to add more interest I wrote where her hair is. For me the drippings represented her releasing her thoughts. The heart represented that she was sharing what her heart was telling her to let go of so she can make plans to move forward. Her arms stretched out asking the universe to listen and share its gifts. So you can see that my two journal pages were very much in sinc with how I was feeling when I did these pages.  My writing was heartfelt when I was spilling all that was bothering me in the moment. Usually I don't do a lot of writing in my journal but lately I am finding that is helping me with those things we harbor inside.

I think it is important to really be in the moment when you are creating a page. Sometimes it is hard to start on a blank page but if you have something that is worrisome or happy spilling those heartfelt feeling and then just sketching, painting and pasting things over and around makes you page come together. I hope you can find the time to add some heartfelt words to your journal page and then create a drawing right over the words. I am sure it will help lighten the burden if you are carrying one. I found this photograph and thought I would share it. Such a simple reminder but a great one! Have you ever just spilled your heart out on a journal page? 


Journal Prompt: Heartfelt words


Quotes: All healing is at first a healing of the heart. Carl Townsend
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.
-- Leon J. Suenes

Food For Thought: :
Affirmations to Release the Past

Photography Faded

Oh hello friends! Yes I have been spending quite a bit of time on the computer with Photo Shop. But since I haven't mastered it some of the work was done via Picnik. Like the first image. I just put overlays of faded text and added the brick background to my image. The second image I did in Photo Shop it was quite bright and the white flowers just pop but since I am playing along with Inspiration Avenues prompt Faded I gave it a faded overlay. And the third image I just took most of the color out and again faded it. So today I am feeling since its pouring rain here and I am on computer overload, I just might have to paint this afternoon and take a break from the computer!
Oh and a bit of news I am excited to say I have done a blog redo with the help of  Kaelah. So if you read this blog from a reader or just haven't visited in awhile from other places I hope you pop on over and let me know if you like it! More news and changes coming soon!
Oh and speaking of faded...my favorite faded item is my jeans.  What is your favorite faded item?

Photography , Photo Shop and a "Collage of MoonStone Beach "

Hello friends, I have quite a few photographs to prepare for you from our trip over to Moonstone Beach in Cambria, CA. I wanted to share a few I have ready in a collage. I am busy trying to dip my toes in the water of Photo Shop and master some of the adjustments, soon textures and layering that the program can offer anyone who takes photos. Here are some examples of what I have been practicing on.

From The Darkness There Comes A Light

The first one is done with a pin light adjustment on text 

This one is with text faded, Sammie liked it better. It doesn't detract from the image, but its harder to read. Sammie says she can read it just find. Do you have you contacts in? Hmm, you can choose which one you like better. I wonder if there is something in between? lol As you see its a matter of knowing / or in my case playing until you find what works or a combination of both. The quote I wrote to go with an image I took from our beach trip and I learned how to add on a layer of text. I wrote another quote to go with it too, but I'll share it on another day.

Beauty in Living Color

Then I also learned how to crop, re size and again add text with fade.  These are my first two images I altered with Photo Shop while experimenting with what I am learning. So if you find me a little busy the next week or two this is why. I am learning how to make my images better and add some creativity to them at the same time. I love being able to enhance an image. There is a lot to remember as the Photo Shop offers so much, but if I gain the slightest bit more knowledge I will be thankful and who couldn't use a little more eye candy?  I only have a trial Photo Shop that goes with the class, but I hope to get a newer version someday.

Have you tried Photo Shop? What Photo Programs do use use? What are your favorite free programs?

Happy Valentines Day

Hope you are enjoying your Valentines Day! Here is an image of a rock we found in the shape of a heart on the beach yesterday. Honestly is was one of those perfect afternoons. We had been working around the house all weekend. Sammie and I have been wanting to go to the beach for some time and when hearing the rain was coming back for a full week we decided to squeeze it in! Leon could of worked in the yard all day, granted there is a lot still to do but we are so thankful to have had the chance to go out to the coast. It was like an early Valentines to us. A lovely drive, coffee in the beach town of Cambria and then walking on the beach and watching the sun set. When we were there we spotted seals in the water, surfers, helped a crab back to the water, walked while collecting shells and stones. After the sunset we drove home and I made dinner. I can't wait to share some more of the photographs we took. I love the beach!

Moonstone Beach & Sammie enjoying the ocean

Free Journal Prompt "Aura"

An aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object.

I created a journal page after thinking about my youngest daughter and how she is as a person and seeing what her aura radiates. She is not very girl y, always when she was little was in pretty dresses yet played in the garden collecting bugs and digging. Now she wears jeans and tee shirts and is kind of a tom boy. As she grows I she her personality and who she is developing and when I look at her her aura is pink. Her aura is pink due to the fact that she radiates compassion, love and the sweetness of a child growing into a caring person. She is wise beyond her years and shows in many ways. So this journal page isn't about looking like her but the feeling I get when I am looking at her aura.

 Maybe her aura has many meanings. So I set out to learn a little more when I came across this explaining some of the Aura Color meanings. You have to scroll down landing page for the meanings but they are written out very well if you are interested in reading about it drop by here for Aura Color Meanings. If you are interested in learning more there are many readings on it on the web.

Here is an article of how to see Auras the article also explains the color meanings again with a body chart.
Have you ever been interested in auras? Do you notice that many religious images that have been painted have had auras in them?  


Journal Prompt: Aura

Quote: The Aura given out of the person or object is just as much of them as their flesh. Lucian Freud 


Food For Thought:

"Furry" Friend and Studio Cat

This is our family kitty Jade and a portrait I took of her last year.

She likes to help me craft.

How much did you say you need?

OK got it, let me hold it for you while you cut it.

We did a great scrapbook page.

Whew I am ready for a nap now!

Ready for action again says our furry friend Jade. I hope you had fun meeting her.

Furry friend, Family Pet, Studio Cat

This week I have played along with Inspiration Avenue's prompt Furry. So I thought you might like to meet Jade aka my studio cat, but don't tell Sammie that! Really Jade thinks Sammie is her mom and when she gets home from school I have to loan her out. Jade is so attached to her that she cries when she goes to play with her friends. She is a sweet heart. I never thought I would like an indoor cat. I had had farm cats way back when we lived out of town. But she has really grown to make us rethink what a cat and furry creature can mean to someone. Maybe I will take the time to paint her some day or have my brother who does animal portraits do one for me. He is an amazing artist, but that is a post for another day! PS. If you didn't know it I share my crafts on my other blog Msartist Sew Crafty.blogspot
Do you have any pets? How much joy do they bring you? Have you ever done an animal portrait?

Dreams Nurtured Grow "Before & After

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You might remember me sharing the beginnings of this painting in a previous post.

Here is another of the work in progress~

Here is Dreams Nurtured Grow, done. I have to take it outside to get a photograph where the sides aren't cut off there is more detailing on the left side that you can't see in this image.
On the bottom of the painting it says, She planted the seeds of her dreams. For me I love her hair as if the wind is blowing it ~ I think I lost a little of that in the final painting though with the flower added in. I truly enjoyed using all the bright colors on this painting. It is acrylic on canvas. So today it is back to the drawing board and as the affirmation says below I will be dreaming with powerful intention and see where it leads me.
What dreams are you nurturing? Are you starting to see them grow?

Here are a few affirmations I came across via Johnathon Lockwood :
 I Dream with Powerful Intention.
I Visualize my Intention.
I Am Open to Inspiration.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams~ Eleanore Roosevelt

Spring Is Music To My Heart

I was delighted to see daffodils in our garden next to the walk way starting to burst with blooms! Spring is almost upon us! The nights still very cold in the low 30's but warming up to the 70's honestly I am loving it. Feeling the warm sun shining through the windows in the morning as it starts to warm. Then in the afternoon warm enough to read in the sun~ I will savor spring as it opens up its doors and its fragrance bursts in from the smells of flowers like jasmine. I long to see it's colors run ramp-id from blooms such as roses, iris and butterfly bush....The soft winds blowing and to feel the delights of grass between your toes and sun upon your skin, that glistening sparkle. Spring just brings music to my heart~ Can't you just feel spring around the corner? If it isn't near you now in your area may it come soon! Above are two photographs from the early morning & a mixed media heart I made. I have been doing some Valentine crafting.
What brings music to your heart? Are you anxious for spring? I would love to know~

No matter how long the winter spring is sure to follow~ Proverb

Free Journal Prompt "Faith"

*click to enlarge

This journal page was created on a day I was thinking of where I want to be artistically, spiritually.... and how many times I have heard if you ask the universe or God through prayer that that you will receive the answers. By definition:  Faith, a belief that is not based on truth. Sincerity of intentions. The Hebrew word means essentially steadfastness. As signifying man's attitude towards God it means trustfulness. 

This weeks journal prompt is to do a page based on Faith. What it means to you, what you are asking for in your life. In my journal page the girl I drew represents me. I am open to receive the answers, my arms are open ready to receive answers in any way they come to me. I feel my connection to my belief's best when I am outdoors in nature, so she on a hill top. What instills faith in you? Have you read any good books on the subject of faith? I would love to know~

Journal Prompt: Faith. What it means to you and your thoughts about faith. A drawing representing: Asking and having faith to wait to receive the answers.Or page as simple as writing quotes about faith~

Quotes:

Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right. ~John Donne

Faith is reason grown courageous. ~ Sherwood Eddy

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. ~Helen Keller

 Favorite Supplies:
          
            

Work In Progress Acrylic Painting

This is a work in progress. I am loving using all the colors of spring in the acrylic painting. This is a close up shot. I am sure it will look much different when I am done. I thought you might enjoy seeing some spring colors. I know all my friends and family back east will enjoy seeing colors while bundled up for the snow storm across the country. I wish I could send you my mild CA. days!!
What are the colors you are using right now in your work? What is the weather like where you are?

Acrylic Painting "She Listened"

This acrylic painting was inspired from my previous journal page and prompt. It is on canvas and done with acrylic paints, color pencils and oil pastels. When I started it I knew I was making a sky and some grass but then it morphed a bit and mountains and ocean appeared. It was like I was listening to my heart place all the favorite places in my painting. The places that renew my energy, creativity and make me happy. The places I love. I am planting the seeds of my thoughts as I walk along following my heart~
What favorite places renew your energy? Inspire your creativity? I would love to know~

Fine art is that which the hand, the heart and the head go together.~ John Rushkin
A happy life consists a tranquility of mind.~ Cicero