Trip to Northern BC ~ Part One

I had to travel on business to Stewart BC this past week and took along my camera to capture my adventures. Stewart is at the very end of the Alaska pan handle and the Portland Canal. One of the deepest ice free canals making it an important port that is available in the winter. I was very lucky with the weather and got a fair amount of sunshine and warm, calm days. I flew to Terrace and then got a drive up the rest of the way to Stewart. Here is a map showing Terrace, Stewart and the surrounding area. We stopped briefly in the village of Gitanyow and I got to see the totems there. Gitanyow is a village that Emily Carr visited in 1930 and painted the very totems that I saw.

They were mesmerizing to see the detail so close.

The background of deciduous trees just starting to turn yellow just glowed in the fall light was beautiful.

Stewart is a very small town with one main street where all the shops are. I stayed at the Ripley Creek Inn that was a collection of old heritage buildings that are being updated and converted with modern conveniences. It had an awesome atmosphere and the back looked out over the estuary with the mountains towering on all sides. Here is the front of my hotel.

And this is what is out back.

I walked out on the boardwalk to get this shot. My hotel is to the left and the Portland canal is to the right. I believe this is Mt Rainy.

It was a BLAST!

Veiled Sofi

Jessica Wabbit

My Cards

My Studio

My Art Studio Open House was a great success and a ton of fun! I took some pictures of my set up before the people showed up and was having such a good time I forgot to get my camera out while the guests were there. Doh!

Gothic Arches Swap

I am playing catch up. I just finished 2 more Gothic Arched pages for a swap I am in.

Art Studio Open House

I haven't had much time to post lately. I have been getting ready for my Art Studio Open House. Its less than a week away and I have so much to do still. I have been making cards and I haven't made any in a while and I have to admit I am enjoying it. I don't like stress but the commitment to a deadline can cause a fury of creative activity that is ultimately satisfying. :)

Weekend Works

Trying abstract painting with Reckless Abandon

My paint pots

Jessica Wabbit

Oriental Poppy Seed Heads

Canvas Pocket Freshly dug up

Imagination Cafe

You never know what you will find on the menu at the Imagination Café.

It all started one night in my art studio. Tim came in for a visit and we were sitting around having a nice chat and talking about art. I was telling, Tim, how my new friend, Kellie, has a great imagination and she’s not afraid to use it. Tim says, “Hey, that’s a neat quote!” And I thought Hey that is kind of cool so I wrote it down in my journal. I also thought it would also be fun to share with Kellie, so I typed it up and printed it out, but it was just too plain, I had to tweak it. I reprinted it using our art names and it turned out like this: The famous glamorous artist Jazzgoil was overheard saying of her fellow famous glamorous artist Anonova, “ She has a great imagination and she’s not afraid to use it!” Well it still needed more embellishment so I crunched it up and then rubbed it with stamp pad of earthy colours, some walnut ink, Radiant Pearls, stamped images around edges, ripped the edges added a fleur-de-lis and a ribbon for a seal and rolled it scroll like, tied with a ribbon. Now that’s more like it! 0ne thing left to do . . . come up with an image of Jazzgoil. 0h I know! And voila the package is complete. I take my fun little surprise in to the office the next day and present it to Kellie and say this is for her journal. She gets a great kick out of it. And I ask her “Could I get a picture of Anonova to put in my journal?” She thinks for all of about 3 seconds and says “I know just what I am going to do!” This of course puts a big smile on my face. Kindred Spirits ! Aren’t they great! A day or two goes by and Kellie tells me she is working on it but she is getting a little carried away. 0h what could be better than that! Now I am really curious to see what she has been up to.

Kellie being true to her word brings in the most special image of Anonova hand drawn and painted and it is AWES0ME! It looks very mystical with Ms Anonova Mouse drinking her Green Tea and nibbling on German Butter cheese. Also included is the ancient looking document saying “Jazzgoil is the one that introduces Anonova to the joys of being a Wild Women of Art.” How cool is that, that I was able to inspire another to launch head first into Journal play which sparked a flurry of amazing pages of art with no end in site!!! Another artist unleashed, look out world!

Art and Life Inspiration

I just got my issue 12 of Art and Life in the mail and am loving it! Teesha worked on this issue more like she would journal doing a few pages at a time. I don't know if that is why but it seems extra special to me. This first image is inspired by Eric of the JournalFodderJunkies.blogspot Picasso like portrait. They have some pages this Art and Life. I am really fascinated with their art. Not sure if this is a finished page yet but I like where its going.
This next page is inspired by a previous one of my own. I love movement and love watching dancers. My new favorite show is "So You Think You Can Dance" The choreography and dancing is phenomenal! This is just the background but I already like it. :)

I have been searching for a format that I am inspired to work on and have for sale as well. I have come up with a binder so it is like a journal and then I can sell the pages. I don't know if this is going to fly or not but I am having fun with it. I have this funky binder that I am using and the cool thing is I can insert any kind of pages, be it canvas, watercolour or whatever.

Canvas pages that were left overs from some other project. I am enjoying working on the texture of canvas, it has a rawness that appeals to me.

These are also works in progress. I am having a blast in my new art studio and getting a ton of use of my new art deck! One happy art chick!!!

Getting Lost in Journal Play

I so love playing in my journals, time just seems to fly by while I am using luscious fibers and delicious paint, yummy crayons. The joy of unrestrained experimentation is intoxicating.

Want to try it? Everyone should!
Playing with paint

Wild Whimsical Women in Walnut Ink

Added a few words in Photoshop

Left is photo of rock, right is acrylic painting

Close up showing gold stamping on photo

Time to start a new journal

This is my new cover on my latest journal. This is a Hemp watercolour journal by Green Field Paper. I really like these journals as they have very sturdy pages for watercolours or paints and are very reasonably priced. I was inspired by Kellie to use my hands. LOL! I started with a base of black Gesso with watercolour crayons and then white paint for the hand. I then coloured the hands with Golden's Fluid acrylic paints and stamped gold images over top. I am very happy with the result.

Live Long and Prosper

The hazards of the job is getting your hands dirty. Hee hee hee! This is after I pressed my white painted hand on the crayoned cover. I think as much crayon came off on my hand as white paint went on to the cover. :)

Playin in Photoshop

The first image is after I altered it in Photoshop.

And the one below is the before image.