Journaling June

On Monday June 2nd 6pm at the Creative Access Art Center 500 S. 8th st. in Boise I will be part of a panel discussion on Art Journaling led by Dr. Kathleen Keys. 

Other panelists include Melissa Chambers, Lisa Cheney, Jeanette Ross, and Beau Van Greener.

 This event is free and open to the public. 

Everyone is invited to bring journals to share afterwards.

 Click here for the Facebook invite. 

  I have been creating in journals since 1995.

 Hope you enjoyed pursuing just a few of my journals and pages.

Treasures from my Aunt

This little metal book is only one inch, with a working hinge and clasp.

 Inside are some wonderful old photos from Europe.

I called me Aunt to find out the story behind it. She said there was no story. She had purchased it as a souvenir years ago on one of her travels.

Also, in the package was some old money that she said no longer had any value and that I could use  it in my art.

I noticed Pesos and Centavos from Japan. That was odd. So I looked them up. Those were from  Japanese Occupied Philippines during WWII.  My uncle, who is still alive was stationed there. He was invited back in 1955 as a guest of the state. My aunt said they sat on the front row and she remembered she wore a yellow dress which just happened to be the favorite color of one of the dignitaries and my aunt was recognized for wearing yellow!

 There was also money bought by my uncle's father as an investment. Due to Hyperinflation in the Weimer Republic 

...he lost all of his money.

There was even a mental disorder linked with this collapse of the money called Zero Stroke, people would just write endless rows of zeros. It is hard to fathom just how much the money devalued it went from one to one trillion paper marks per gold mark!

It was quite fascinating to research and find out some history I was not aware of, I was also glad I had the chance to talk to my aunt.

I have yet to decide how to incorporate the money into an art project. If you have any ideas please comment.

Thrift Store Fun

I love this place...a huge warehouse filled with goods that did not sell at the thrift store...last chance to help out the Idaho Youth Ranch...and they sell it by the pound. Perfect for assemblage projects. I bought an armful for under $2.00!

Poor rubber chicken!

My haul from the day. Three different thrift stores. I know it's not a very large haul...I am trying to show restraint as my whole assemblage theory is to use up what I already have. 

And then I received goodies from two of my husbands friends. This pile was all bike parts. (Which I need for my public art project coming up)

This stash of goodies was from a friend remodeling his home and has a 10 year old daughter.

 Now I have grown men saving stuff that could be used in an art project just like I used to have my students saving stuff.

Thanks guys!

The angst of a blog writer

As you may or may not have noticed I haven't posted in almost 2 months.

Thinking goes like this.

It's a lot of work. Does anyone even read it? Is it relevant? Does it help me?  and better yet does it help anyone else?

So while fretting over the question at hand,  "Do I want to continue my blog postings?" I received this email today:  I'd love to talk to you about art journaling--I hope to have an example for critique :-) I very much enjoyed your blog post about the book your daughter handed down to you. It helped me feel less intimidated. I know it doesn't have to be *perfect* but that white paper is really scary! 

When I responded that I appreciated her comment because I was thinking about giving up on my blog- she commented: Don't give up! It was just what I needed when I needed it. Thanks!

Well I think I have my answer!

Here are some new pages from my journal.

I like using maps in my journal while I am traveling. I like to take out the journal at the end of the day when everyone is sitting around visiting with each other. I am not good at sitting still so this is a good way for me to be a part of the group.

While traveling, the journal is also part diary with out being boring.

It's fun going through all the papers I collect and cut out what is useful for me to tell my story. It's also a good way for me to reuse items that would normally be thrown away. 

I hope I have inspired you, remember: don't give up!

Art That Tells a Story- Honoring Zitkala-sa

I heard a story of a Native American girl and a violin. Her name was Zitkala-sa.   I was given this broken violin and Indian doll head and knew they were destined to be a tribute to this remarkable woman's life.

A Native American bead design was recreated with paint. 

She was born in 1876 on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota. As a child she was taken from her family by Quaker missionaries to live at the White's Manual Labor Institute in Indiana.

The edges of the violin I hand beaded with glue and beads, one by one.
This part took over 4 hours. 

While at school she discovered her musical talents and learned to play the violin...eventually even writing "The Sun Dance Opera."

Zitkala-sa translates to "Red Bird",  I drew these with paint pens. 

She went on to further her education beyond the housekeeper training prescribed for all young girls. She obtained her diploma and gave a speech on women's inequality, which received high praise. 

Around the edge of the painted design I added more embellishments. 

 She went on to pursue a degree in higher education and played violin with the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In 1900 she played violin at the Paris Exposition.

Adding to the design....

On the back of the violin I added a photo of Zitkala-sa with her violin from the year 1898. 

A quote from her writings reflecting on the time she was torn from her mother. All the writing was done with a white Signo pigment ink pen, that I got from my friend Marianne.

The entire back of the piece.

Zitakala-sa not only advocated for the rights of Indians but the rights of women as well and was a key figure in the suffrage movement in the 1920's.

At the top of the violin I added this porcelain dolls head which reminded me of Zitkala-sa before her braids were cut off at school.  The "19 crimes" wine cork which comes from an Australian Wine to me, represents the crimes against the Native Americans. 

Here is the piece in its entirety. I added some wind catchers given to me by a friend as well as a hand beaded bracelet on leather, and a piece of violin music, Beethoven's "Hymn of Joy". Because in the end she overcame her suffering and was a beacon of light for women and persons of color.

Reclaimed Shadow Boxes

8" x 12"
Red
an original painting background done by a friend, 2 Russian Spoons from a thrift store in Boise.
A doll found in a  thrift store while traveling. and a little matchbox drawer with buttons and flowers made by me. 

5 1/2" x 7"
Puppy Love
box is lined with vintage hand painted dictionary pages,
original painting by a friend, an encaustic collage by me a glass heart, a 60's dog pin with rhinestones.

5 1/2" x 7"
Penguins Play 
a map of Bogus Basin ski hill lines the back wall, a child's vocabulary card, game pieces, a penguin made of soapstone and an encaustic collage that says play

5 1/2" x 7"
Strength for When the Wolves Come
The complete blog post on this one can be found here.

5 1/2" x 7"
Me and My Bike
The complete blog post for this one can be found here

5 1/2" x 7"
Grown in Idaho
The complete blog post can be seen here

5 1/2" x 7"
Pray for Me
Glass bottle that I bought at a museum gift shop, silk flowers, candle, icon painting, small wooden saint that I have had since I was a little child, (I think it was my grandma's) prayer cards.

12" x 8"
M.O.M (Milk of Magnesia).
This piece started with the broken glass bottle that my daughters boyfriend collected from an old trash pit in the hills of Colorado. The dress is made from a Christmas Ornament that broke and the black bow is a hair clip I used to wear back in the 80's. 

51/2" x 7"
Diana
This box is lined with hand painted vintage dictionary pages.
An original encaustic collage made by me with a postage stamp of Princess Diana.
A box that opens with a tea set on top, porcelain cat on a lace rug, glass jar with pieces of glass from HI. 

51/2" x 7"
Noah's Ark
complete blog post can be seen here