The fascination with faces

But first I couldn't resist sharing some treasure I found while cleaning up. Pictures of Cody and Keiko when we first brought her home. Cody was so gentle with her getting down on her level to wrestle, letting her think she has a chance in a tug of war and resting up for the next bout. They were so adorable together.

Went for a great bike ride this morning and feel so great because of it. Energized, Ya baby!

I also got in some art time on Saturday and drew a bunch more faces.

Most of the inspiration came from "Art Revolution" by Lisa Cyr Wow talk about eye candy. I never get tired of looking at this book.

I am listening to Roger Cicero a German Jazz singer the track is Das Experiment and man it gets my toes tapping and sometimes I just have to dance.

Happy arting

Joy Pocket

What brings you joy?

For me it is living in the moment, small moments of discovery.

Taking note of the simple things.

Noticing nature's miracles

The fascination of faces

family keepsakes

the beauty of spring flowers and their intoxicating aromas

Painting with your fingers

Time spent laughing with Friends

I got this wonderful idea from Monica of Bohemian Twilight

Happy Fathers Day

Pages in my 9 x 12 Strathmore Mixed Media Journal

He has slipped the surly bonds of earth

And now dances in the skies

with his loves arms about him once again;

Sunward they climb in the tumbling mirth

They have done a hundred things

In a life full of love that you could have only dreamed of.

Things will never be the same

And all though it hurts so bad

We will smile whenever we hear your name

And be proud you were our Dad.

Hand Book

Lots of journal pages from my cute little 5 1/2" square Hand Book.

To be honest I wasn't very optimistic about my liking the paper in this journal but it was cheap enough I was willing to risk it. I must say I am quite impressed! Here are a bunch of pages where I have used lots of different media.

Watercolours

Horse inspired by Carla Sonheim

Her book Drawing Lab is Fab!

Inkjet Tranfer after a bit of Photoshop fun

My Mom and Dad enjoying a picnic.

Pencil and watercolour and stamps

Tanya is done in watercolours with a few stamps thrown in.

I have a new Scanner/Printer which prints beautifully but I am not thrilled with the shallow depth of field for the scanner. My old one was great I used to scan flowers picked fresh from the garden by leaving the top open. This new one has to have the journal squished flat to the surface to come out half decently. Grrrr!

Testing out my new colours of Gouache

WIP Inkjet transfer of Keiko and then drawn on.

Playing with family photos

My parents with my mom's mom and on New Years 1958 and 2 months pregnant with me!

My mom made her dress out of chocolate silk velvet ( I have the fabric) and gold taffeta.

Acrylic paint and walnut ink background to start then drew dove and used pencil crayons in the negative space around the bird. Pilot parallel pen highlighted with gel pens

A mish mash of media

Hand carved stamp of the face using walnut ink

Acrylic background and then used a deep blue Pentel Color Brush

Keiko, Me, Cody and Tim

Mt Doug Park

These were the first wild roses I have seen this spring and they smelled intoxicating!
You get a 360 degree view from the top of Mt Doug and this is the view towards the farm I used to board my Appy Copper at, the farm land just below the trees. My old stomping ground was from there and up Mt Doug park and down to the ocean to ride on the beach. I have a lot of fond memories tearing around on the trails in the area.

Stonecrop is flowering all over.

Playing with filters on this rock picture

Moss covered Oaks

More digital fun with wildflower picture

I looked these up and they are Menzies Larkspur

Roz has infiltrated my journal :)

Roz with kissing pigs ;)

I started with a page off with gouache as I was inspired by Roz Stendahl talk on her blog of how much she liked it. I only had white for calligraphy up to this point and was curious to give gouache a bit of a test to see how I liked it. I like it! And reading the fun post about Roz getting new glasses made me giggle, I thought what a get picture she has wearing the kissing pig glasses, (your really curious yourself now, no? ;) So that was my model for "Project Journal Infiltration" I know I am not following the rules of sketching in person, but hey I am not going to be in the Minneapolis area anytime soon. So I guess I can't enter the contest, I am a rebel. (grinning)

Here is my door again with gel doodling play. Yehaa!

Misty Mawn made a recommendation for The Lost Fingers and I ended up with the whole album and I am enjoying it so much. I love Gypsy Jazz and they have such a great sense of whimsy too. Thanks Misty!

Moving on

The last month has been very challenging for me and I want to return to a more relaxed and normal(???) routine. Thanks for all of your supportive comments. It is so quiet in the house and on the property now. I look forward to new beginnings. So I am shaking off and trying to carry on and get back into my art.

This is another view of my page extension with a bit more done to it. It is likely going to be worked on more. I am thinking gel pens right now as I already was playing with them. I like the peep hole showing the eye of the horse underneath. and for some reason I added the (magazine) face that I gel penned over. I do like where its going but I have no idea where it will end. :)

"Clowy"

is done on a Gouache/gel pen background and has walnut ink hair

Another face. I don't know why I like faces so much now, they used to terrify me. I am surprised how many I do from my imagination. I don't have a vision of what the face will look like when I start, I just begin. Usually the eyes are first. I love drawing eyes and I always seem to make them too big as well as the lips too. My faces usually spill off the page which I am totally ok with. I find it so facinating to let your imagination loose and see what happens if you just let it.

Keiko

Keiko 1998 - 2011

She chose us. We took Cody with us to the breeder so he could pick out a puppy but it became clear that she had already done the picking and that she was going home with us. Fortunately we listened and never regretted one minute. She never missed her litter mates and stood on my lap in the car all the way home ready for her new family. She was the best! So loyal and loving and smart as a whip. She was a piece of cake to train and she and Cody were two peas in a pod. They would even eat out of the same dish and never ever bickered. My heart is broken, the house so quiet. We love you Keiko.