Monday, June 4, 2012

NOW SHOWING---Art Journal Inspirations!

Where in the World is Moon Mama??

As many of you know, I have been doing some traveling of late.
I've visited Tim's family in Cardston, Alberta, Canada, and more of them in Utah. I've been home for a couple of weeks, but have been laying low.
Except for some photos posted on my Facebook page, I haven't even had the time to talk about my trip!

So I have a little confession to make....
Well actually I have a pretty big confession.
Been a wee bit busy! Too busy to blog.
My dear friend Durin and I have been working on a super secret project together for a while, and now we're ready to share it with the world.

Funny story about how Durin and I met---
Durin is a designer for one of the biggest digital art companies in the US, and I was a big fan of her work.
We became Facebook friends, and after a while I noticed that she and I had several mutual friends who lived nearby. Finally I had to ask just where this chick lived, and how she knew my friends. Turns out we went to the same high school (she a few years behind me), and she lived less than 10 miles from my home (in fact, she lives in a home that I'd considered renting 25 years ago!)! Talk about a small world!
We chatted more online, and eventually she came to visit me in my Athens studio. We became true friends from the very first, and eventually decided we should join forces, artfully speaking, and take both the art world and the digital art world by storm.

Durin is an amazing digital designer--you can scope out her and her work here
Artist friends---before you go rolling your eyes, hear me out!
We are not talking about "CUTE" here. We are talking about ART!
Durin is a very artistically-inclined digital designer. I am a....what am I? Is there a name for what I do?
Some say mixed-media. I tend to claim the title of "multi-media" artist, as I'm into a little bit of everything.
Through her visits to my studio, and observing my artwork and play, especially my art journaling, Durin realized that we could combine our work and offer the resulting products to a wide variety of artists.

We knew that there had to be so many artists out there who could use our products, for so many reasons.
We know how many there are who are dying to try their hands at art journaling but are terrified of the blank page, or they're not sure they'll do it "properly" (have you SEEN my art journals?? No such thing as "proper"). Then there are seasoned artists who are pressed for time and would love to be able to sometimes just jump right in without having to do a lot of page preparation.
Then there are those clever and creative souls who could take a look at this stuff and design all manner of projects!
We are so very excited to finally offer our work to all of you artsy folk (and to see what you do with it!)!

Here's how our first products are described in the ScrapGirls.com online store---

"For the advanced art journal artist with little time, or those beginning to express themselves with art journaling, this set of pre-designed art journaling papers and journaling prompts offer a convenient and inexpensive method to explore this popular art form. The pre-designed papers can be used as backgrounds on which to base your art journaling, or as collage pieces or even as digital scrapbooking backgrounds. Perfect for digital scrapbooking and digital art applications, art journals, mixed media, altered art projects, and paper crafting projects." 

At the moment we have 3 themed e-books to choose from (with many more to follow!)
These are the covers; each has 25 digital papers and 2 pages of journaling prompts---

http://store.scrapgirls.com/product/25730/Art-Journal-Inspirations-eBook:-About-Me
http://store.scrapgirls.com/product/25731/Art-Journal-Inspirations-eBook%3A-Love
























http://store.scrapgirls.com/product/25729/Art-Journal-Inspirations-eBook:-Nature
Have a look-see and tell me what you think, here or on my Facebook page!
Right away, I'll have some sample layouts posted that Durin and I have put together.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

29 Faces, The Rest of May

I made it!
I managed 29 faces, in one form or another, even with over 2 weeks of travel!
Granted, some of my faces are....well....different, but I'm grateful for the practice. 
And I'm thinking I should continue drawing faces regularly. I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy it!





















Tuesday, May 8, 2012

29 Faces, Day 8

Day 8
Well this face was a surprise!
Started out with a "doll face"....big eyes, chubby cheeks, pouty lips.
Then it reminded me of someone, only the hair didn't come out the same as I'd expected once I'd made that realization.
This may be a work in progress.....

Still busy with family in Canadia today, then moving on to Utah tomorrow.
My poor body is still on eastern standard time, and the sun comes up awfully early here! By the time I catch up, it'll be time to head back home again!

Monday, May 7, 2012

29 Faces, Day 7

Day 7
And now for something completely different......

29 Faces, Day 6

Day 6
Just someone from my head....
Thought it was going to become someone in particular; turns out it didn't.

Still enjoying drawing with my niece Hope!
Convinced her to start a blog of her own, and participate in 29 Faces. Now she can show of her amazing talent here

Saturday, May 5, 2012

29 Faces, Days 3-5

Day 3
Day 4

Day 5
I'm caught up, but who knows for how long?
I'm in Cardston, Alberta, Canada....from balmy 90 degree heat to SNOW all day today!
I do have my to-go sketch kit with me, but I gotta tell you--I am EXHAUSTED!
I'm determined not to get too far behind in this challenge, but I also refuse to let it become drudgery.

I'd love to get my niece Charity Hope to join in; I've never seen such amazing faces!
But for now, we're going to sit in our jammies by the fire, watching it snow and eating junkfood I've never experienced before.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

29 Faces, Day 2


May 2, 2012


Preparing for our trip yesterday felt like slogging through cold molasses.
One disaster after another all. day. long. 
Even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, sitting down to draw made it all disappear.


I didn't have anyone in particular in mind as I sketched, so I was astounded when I finished this face, and it put a lot into perspective, leaving me in a puddle of tears.
This appears to be a younger version of an acquaintance that I ran into this week. I knew that she was about to finish cancer treatment the last time I saw her. This week I saw her at her place of work and was anxious to ask her how she was doing, only to find that she'd developed new tumors and was in a lot of pain and quite ill. And yet she was at work.


As annoying as my day was yesterday, I have much to be grateful for.
Including that reminder.
Thank you Gwen, for your example.






Wednesday, May 2, 2012

29 Faces, A New Beginning

This face appeared in my Book of Days

After disappearing from not only my blogs, but my life, I've decided maybe it's time to jump back in and live.
I've been noodling around with Effy Wild's Book of Days, and when the above face appeared, I remembered how much I loved drawing faces.
So when talk of 29 Faces surfaced in the Book of Days group, my interest was piqued. I signed up.
I may or may not create 29 faces in the month of May (life is still spinning), but I will enjoy trying. 
We are about to leave for a Canada for a couple of weeks, but I'm packing my art-to-go bag right this moment.