Journal Prompt " Love Note"

When I took the photograph of my journal page "Love Note" the sun just happened to hit the moon and shined upward. Honestly, when things like that happen, I just have to smile!

I made myself a love note in my journal page. I have found over the past few years my focus has not been on the business side of my art. I have focused on growing artistically and I have put others needs first. Squeezing in my art here and there. Now, I really feel a need to focus on many aspects of my art life that has been taking a backseat. My focus needs to be creating my art life with planning, dreaming and creating opportunities and seeing my vision (s) and bringing them to life.

Whether it is putting myself out there more, applying for submissions, trying to get into shows or fairs, writing, creating a piece of artwork, getting artwork published or what ever my desires are,  I know you have to ask for them. At different times I have done some of these and had some success (s) and some disappointments but I must not give up on my dreams and goals.

I am always reading about succeeding with goals and different ways to achieve them. Dreaming those ideas, creating those plans and putting them into action. I have had several goals over the past year. Some put on hold by necessity, some by fear, some by needing to help others. Now I find in the quite of my space that I need to give some attention to those desires and not just ask for it, but nurture it to fruition. Like the journal page I created here.

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When I made this page I had a plan for something entirely different I had created a flower and it made me think of growing so I charcoal penciled in a girl and some thoughts. Then I felt it didn't flow just right so I began to paint her in, I also wrote thoughts all down her dress.

When I think of asking for things I have a way of looking to the universe, a power greater than I that I can reach out to. To represent that, I painted / created the mountains and night sky. All of a sudden in the journal page its vibrancy wasn't there so I added inks.

I arrived at the place where I knew the page was ready. Ready like I am now personally to really focus on  what I am wanting and the love and nurturing  that it will take me to bring my desires to fruition.(& work that it will take to get me there!)

Have you ever come to the point where you really have to work at nurturing those dreams into reality by pushing your faith in yourself and your artwork?  What big leaps of faith have you taken?


Journal Prompt: Create a page with a love note to yourself. A reminder of those things you wish to nurture and see come to fruition. 

Quote: All that we are is a result of what we thought. Buddha

If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place. Nora Roberts

Food for Thought: 
Using Inks in your journal pages I used Adirondack ink by Tim Holtz. 

Color Inspiration " Pomegranates In Bloom"

 Today I thought I would share with you my favorite flowering bush of the season where I live. It feels so tropical when these bushes bloom, but they are not tropical they are native to the Iranian Plateau and the Himalayas in north Pakistan and Northern India. They are vibrant with color, yet feel so cool in the heat of the day. I could look at them for hours due to the ever changing blooms which then turn into pomegranates.

These flowers start from a round bud that is hard like the shell of the pomegranate.

 Then they burst open like a star exposing their soft vibrant orange petals. 

When they are at full bloom you can see the centers and their bright yellow stamens just bursting with pollen which the bees and birds love! There is nothing like finding a humming bird feeding on these beautiful flowers if only I could capture a photograph of that!

WikiMedia Commons

The history and lore around the Pomegranate flower and fruit is quite fascinating. Here is an amazing illustration of the  plant. If you want to find out more about this plant and its history visit Wikipedia.

  Theresa Huse 2010

I am inspired to draw and paint some more pomegranate flowers and later when the fruit comes I would like to try and illustrate the fruit also. I am sharing two links to prior posts you might also enjoy with pomegranate's painted by me, and one has a journal prompt.

Since I missed giving you a journal prompt since it was Father's Day about about revisiting this journal prompt page where I illustrated pomegranate flowers as an example of a page you can create for yourself & with a prompt. 

Also you might remember from a previous post an Exotic Woman Acrylic Painting I created with pomegranate flowers in her hair. If not you can see it here.

Here is part of a passage from the Bible I am not sure from where, it might be Exodus if anyone knows I would love to find out.
I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and pomegranates budded.

What flowers inspire your creativity? Are their colors vibrant? soft?  I would love to know~

Journal Prompt " Be Kind To Yourself "

Journal Page and Prompt Be Kind To Yourself. Listen, calm yourself, reflect and  accept peace within. This is what I am reflecting on today as I look back at a overwhelming past week and mishap from yesterday.

Hello Journalers and friends, I wasn't sure if I would be able to get a post out today. I usually try and publish the journal prompts Saturday evenings but yesterday was busy and hadn't written a post in advance. We were working on the yard, kids coming and going....Then all of a sudden Sammie was brought home injured. She had a terrible fall over at the neighbors. A gash in in arm from just below the arm pit to wrist area and scraps all on the upper inside arm from tree branches and rocks due to the fall. She is lucky not to have broken anything, nor did she need stitches!! To see your child bleeding, crying and in pain is very difficult, but out came the nurse in me, calm, taking her inside to clean her up and add the necessary treatments.
Then of course what else would make a little one feel better? How about a movie and popcorn to take the mind away from the pain and of course lots of attention, ice and compassion from mom. Whew! Under control!!

I have to admit this past week I didn't paint not even once. But I remembered this page I made I don't think I shared. Be kind to self! Perfect I thought, I can still give you a journal prompt. The prompt really it goes wonderfully to what my week was like and reminding myself to be calm and loving to myself even when I don't reach my personal art.... goals.

Sometimes life takes you away from your passions a bit, that is ok and we need to be calm about the detours. Honestly I feel like I get a little edgy when I don't get to create a page or have some creativity going on but the bottom line is, I still need to be calm and kind with myself. I know this summer has so many detours in it, but I will try and let you know when I am taking a trip, having to help family, or just sidelined or haven't had time to create art or journal.

On another note about self and loving one's self. I started Weight Watchers since a friend of my daughter's joined and was loving it and losing weight. They were having a special and decided to join. I love how it helps you be accountable to your self in a good way! {points, tracking, weigh in, community, using your own food choices and helping you make better choices} I know not every week will be easy, but I lost 3.2 pounds this first week The good in that is I have reached one of my goals this week, in a big way and starting on better health!


Do you ever have weeks where you can't get a chance to create your art? Have you ever had to challenge yourself to love certain aspects of your life or self? Have you ever had to try something else to help you with your weight?

Journal Prompt: Be Kind To Yourself;
I hope you are able to create a journal page about being kind to yourself, loving yourself or calming those voices of negativity from within. Use stamps if you wish, write yourself a note, give yourself a reminder and mostly reinforce loving yourself!

Quote: If I am not for myself, who will be? Pirke Avoth


Food For Thought: Leather Journal with embossed heart

Journal " Shes Singing The Blues"

Well its raining here again which is a little unusual for this time of year, but I am sure the garden is loving it. I created two journal  pages to share with you along with a prompt for this week to help you along with your journaling. I must admit also that I didn't do a lot of visiting this week and only two days of painting. I was a bit under the weather ironically, with migraines and just feeling drained. I hope to be up and around the web visiting, painting and even starting some sewing projects inspired from the "Art Bags" post I created!

 This journal page was inspired by wishing I could play the guitar and sing. Sometimes I feel left out musically in my house. The Mr. plays drums, guitar, base and piano. Sammie plays piano and sings. I just can play chop sticks! & a little percussion s. Despite the journal page having too much water and curling some of the magazine image there were aspects of the page that I loved and can draw from when I create something on canvas or wood from this.

The second page I created was inspired from the days before Sammie when I would follow Leon around to his gigs and go out dancing. Now, the girls stay at home and the boys go out and play. This makes us sometime sing the blues other times it's just fine. We have are art projects keeping us busy. I kept the back ground the same colors to have some unity for the two pages.

I hope you are inspired to make a journal page about something to do with music. Maybe what instrument you played, how you sang, who inspires you musically, what music you love or about a time you used to go out and enjoy going to pubs and listening to music. What ever it is I hope your singing the blues in a good way!


Journal Prompt: Create a journal page that has something to do with music.

Quote: Blues means what milk does to a baby. Blues is what the spirit is to a minister. We sing the blues because our hearts have been hurt, our souls have been disturbed. Alberta Hunter ( American Blues Singer)

Food for Thought: This 32 sec. video add for Moleskine Music Journals * makes me wanting to make another video for you & learn more about editing! 

I am glad I saw the add it'll be the perfect music journal for Sammie who is starting to write her own music on the piano.

Journal Prompt "No One Should Be Like A Caged Bird"

This weeks journal prompt is continued  from my post on Friday.It isn't about making a page related to what I wrote.. It is about looking at found objects differently. I used old Polaroid film that I found expired from a yard sale camera the Mr. found for me. Maybe I will never have the film to work the camera, but I have used the expired film in my journal page and it will also be on my canvas when I rework the journal page onto canvas.

*Please note that in the previous post I in no way was indicating anything wrong with being stay at home mom. I am one. As is my second youngest daughter. You can read my response to a concerned reader, in the comments, should you read prior post.

 I took the expired film glued images on them then wrote and painted after writing on them.

Also you can use imagery not only from magazines but to cut out shapes to represent items from page content. I found an image of the rustic wood and cut an image of the women out of it. Then I used graphite pencil to enhance edges and blue paint on the outside. This was all painted over writing I had first done on the orange painted page. Later not shown here I outline the heart with wings with graphite pencil having it show up more.

I don't let rips, mistakes stop my process I let my intuition guide me

Sometimes imagery can tell a story

My ah ha moment with this piece is that you don't have to have the perfect cage door open, or the perfect image of a woman running painted, imagery can represent those actions without having to be that thing. Example the bird flying at her head representing freedom, being freed. The white on the cage representing a light of freedom, the shape of the woman in white with textures to simulate movement.
If you would like to read the full post of what this journal page was about just visit the prior post here.

 

 What ah ha moments have you had when painting or creating something?

Journal Prompt: for this week is for you to incorporate found objects into your journal page. Also not be afraid to use loose imagery to tell a story. Do not worry about rips, tears or making mistakes.

Food for Thought:

The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Anelou

Quote: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Maria Robinson