Mining for Creativity

A journal I made - cover photo with my Grandfather, my friend Lillian and me when I was 5.

The workshop, Journaling for Creativity, led by Carolyn Dahl was inspiring! We brought past journals to share, plus a blank book and colored pencils. Carolyn is the author of 3 books including Natural Impressions. 

After everyone shared from a past journal, we talked about journaling techniques, such as: making lists, gluing pictures from magazines, bullets, free association; then we started a writing assignment.

We wrote for 15 minutes about an evocative object that had special meaning to us. We mined for creativity by using our colored pencils to circle objects in blue; actions in red; emotions in purple, etc. Using colors in this way helped us to visually inspect our writing.

Carolyn asked us: what phrases can be used for quotes, for poems, for artwork, or to expand your thoughts? Some rare gems may be buried beneath a phrase.

Carolyn also had a reading list for us to continue our writing momentum. Especially helpful to me are Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down The Bones for finding writing topics.

And if you have writer’s block - try changing your environment by going outside - or bring your journal to your favorite cafe. What are your thoughts about creative journal writing?
©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

Fabric Book of Intentions

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

I took a workshop from Lisa Englebrecht during November 2012. The workshop was called: Book of Intentions: Hand Lettered Fabric Book. The supply list included these instructions: Also bring a sense of openness and a loosely composed list of what you’d like to have happen to you artistically in the future!

I brought photos from a trip Kevin (husband) and I took to the Grand Canyon which truly warrants the word: AWESOME. These are the pages from my Fabric Book of Intentions. My intention was to have adventures inspiring creativity.

In the workshop we painted smooth cotton canvas - 10 by 20 inches for the pages that we bought at Joann’s. A yard of fabric was also included in our materials fee. The fabric cover was 12 by 24 inches, so I needed several yards but at $6 a yard, it was OK.

I had bought Lisa’s paperback book in 2010, Modern Calligraphy & Hand Lettering which remains an exceptional resource for me; it includes lessons in various hands (fonts) of calligraphy, information about spacing, how to hold a pen; and shows examples of lettering on fabric including a few pieces from Teesha Moore.

In the workshop I also bought Lisa’s DVD, Hand Lettering on Fabric which has recently reminded me how much I learned in Lisa's two day workshop.

I brought a purple heart I crocheted. Supplies included: FW Acrylic Ink, brushes, pins, scissors, etc. What I did not have already, was a purple disappearing  ink pen for fabric from Walmart or Joann’s. Lisa demonstrated her calligraphy, photo and foil transfer techniques.

Lisa’s handouts had about 20 pages with techniques and lettering samples, plus a sheet called 12 Ways to Wabi-Sabi which included “cultivate imperfection” another way to say, embracing flaws; and “cultivate craft” meaning to provide a tactile meditation.

When I went to the Visual Art Journaling group a few weeks ago I mentioned Lisa’s workshop to Cori, who had also attended. I was sad that I had not finished sewing the book. So, over the last few weeks I worked on finishing touches and putting this book together.

The book is sewn with a 5 hole pamphlet stitch. I made the holes with a Japanese Screw Punch. I used 2 colors of embroidery thread from Michael's on a Size 18 needle.

I started sewing at the top of the book from outside, in and out going down the 5 holes and then going up again in and out to arrive back where I started and I tied a knot up at the first hole. I also added beads, making a double knot on each side of the bead to hold it in place - of course a dragon bead since 2012 was The Year of the Dragon!

Also sadly, the beautiful, encouraging, talented Lisa passed away on November 10, 2014. Lisa’s blog is still active at lisaletters.blogspot.com Visit her blog to have some sense of how magical and inspiring she was! 

  

Happy that I finally finished this book! Please - if you make one of these fabric books, please post a photo - Comments section. I would love to hear from you!

Visual Art Journaling Techniques

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

I recently met with ladies in Houston who have a Visual Art Journaling group. It was fun to catch up and make art while visiting. My supplies included a 9 by 12 pad of 90 lb. paper by Strathmore, Golden Fluid Acrylic paints and old calendars. These paints come in squirt bottles. Densely pigmented, a little goes a long way; and they dry quickly. Art Journaling helps me to express my feelings while I am playing. 

I cut out images: a flower and a tiger. I squirted Green Gold directly on the paper painting with a one inch brush. I used my 3.8 mm Pilot Parallel pen and Uncial calligraphy for the quote by George Burns. On the next page I painted Yellow Oxide for the background leaving some white space and used a UHU glue stick to attach the tiger. I chose a 1.5 mm Pilot Parallel pen for the quote in Italic calligraphy.

I was working quickly while we talked for a couple of hours.  I cut out a turtle from an old calendar. For this background I painted Ultramarine Blue, lightened a bit with Winsor & Newton Permanent White gouache. My 3.8 mm Pilot Parallel pen was perfect with Italic calligraphy.

For my last page I cut out a seabird called a blue-footed booby and left in some of the rocks, water  and sky background. Using the Ultramarine Blue I lightened with Silver gouache paint by Pebeo. I used a 6.0 mm Pilot Parallel pen for the quote: I am my possibilities by Gabriel Marcel. 

The quotations are from a book by Richard Kehl, It Takes a Long Time to Become Young. I may add more collage elements or writing to each page. Visual art journaling is all about self expression, so we can see where it takes us.