Mini-Journal No. 5 - 04

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 04

 There is so much that I like about this piece.  The background, to me, looks like a billboard because of its size relative to the male figure.  Otherwise the perspective is off totally.  I love the asymmetrical-ness of the piece.  The woman’s softness versus the worried look on the man face or perhaps it is embarrassment on his face that draws me in.  I am also quite taken by his lively shirt which was a pattern that I created with Posca paint pens.  Another thing that I really like is the overlapping effect.  Sometimes the stars and the planets align and things just work out in a unexpected successful way.

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 03

 

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 03

I had lots of fun with this spread.  I found the woman portrait some time ago but it was only half of the face.  I scanned it and imported the image into photoshop where I copied the face and did a horizontal image.  Then I put the two images together to make one whole face.  She reminds me of a stereotype of a psychic or a fortune teller.  Hey, that would be a good name for it, The Fortune Teller. 

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 02

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 02

 

As I mentioned previously I found some West African images that are used to advertise haircutting establishments.  They have captured my attention I think because of their folksiness but also that they serve a purpose.  In our world that has been so fast we often do not take the time to stop and smell the flowers.  With the virus among us we are forced to look at things differently.  Perhaps we could say that we have been forced to do things in ways we would never have before.  Take time to smell the roses.

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 01

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 01

 Here we go with yet another mini-journal.  No. 5 is eclectic, kind of all over the place with focal images.  Not a problem but no general theme.

Yesterday or the day before I was asked to give more information on the use of ephemera.  So I am referring back to the images where I showed several of the accordions that I am working on at the moment.

First, I glued washi tape in the valley folds to strengthen the fold.  You will note why I needed to do that in several of the spreads in no.5 over the next few days.  I then found magazine pages that had interesting graphic designs and cut them to a larger size than the actual journal and glued those down.  I also wrapped the peak folds with found papers to strengthen that fold as well.  Once the papers were dry I turned the accordion over and painted the backside of the accordion one color.  Once the backside was dry I trimmed the papers to the size of the accordion.....cut off the excess.  The next step is to add more ephemera on each spread before the pen work.  I hope that answers the viewer's question.

A French Gentleman

A French Gentleman

My goal was to make a postcard for a woman in my Belltown Bookies group.  Her color request was fall colors.  I hope I filled her request.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates this American holiday. :-)

 

The Process.......

I thought you might be interested in seeing part of the process in making an eight spread mini-journal.  After folding the watercolor paper I adhered washi tape in the valley folds of the accordion.  I then adhered found papers from magazines and papers that I have collected.  The first image below shows the adhered papers before I cut them down to the size of the watercolor paper accordion.

I kind of did an assembly line production.  Now I have eight more mini-journals that I can work in.  That means a lot of work but I am so motivated to work in the minis.  I guess you will be seeing a lot more.

Happy Thanksgiving! :-)

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 08

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 08

The mini-journal spread came together in a strange way.  The prompt was to include a portrait that I had made previously.  It took some time for me to find just the right focal point to finish off the spread.  The use of the girl as an artist just worked out really well.  The portrait was created years ago and is much larger.  I reduced it in size to fit in the mini.

Video of Mini-journal no. 4.....

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 07

 

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 07

I found these images in a magazine and thought they would make great “stickers”.  I like how they look with the faux washi tape “holding” them in place.  Yesterday I worked on four mini journals most all day.  Yes, I am working on nos. 7, 8. 9, and 10.  I just can’t stop the fun! :-)

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 06

 

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 06

For mini-journal no. 4 my friend, Irene, and I gave each other four prompts to include on spreads.  In this one, Irene asked for a non-traditional color in a holiday image.  Hence, the purple jack-o-lantern.  I found a pumpkin online and used photoshop magic to make it purple.

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 05

 

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 05

This is a good example of how the valley fold is interfering with the composition.  With that said I like the interference.  I was given a prompt on this one by a wonderful artist, Irene, who lives in Southern California.  She asked me to take an image, in this case a man, and cut the image in half.  Then I was to draw the half that I cut away to complete the portrait again.  The one on the right is my re-drawing.  At first I was a bit upset because I used a water soluble pen to draw.  When I adhered it into the mini-journal the ink ran.  I quickly blotted it with paper towel and I like how it turned out.

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 04

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 04

 

I had not thought about how much real estate the tiger uses in this piece until I had put the spread away and am looking at it with new eyes today.  I like it.  I think that because of how bold it is

I just finished mini-journal no. 6 a few minutes ago.  One might think that six is enough but guess what?  I found some ephemera that will be perfect for mini no. 7 last night.  So I guess I have not finished with mini-journals yet.

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 03

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 03

The valley fold of the mini-journal has been a worry for me.  I have spent a lot of time thinking about it.  Part of me decided to just go with what happens when opening and closing the journal spreads.  I started to say, “It is what it is.”  However, I have grown to not like that phrase.  So probably, “Just go with it is better for me.”  You see ephemera that goes over the fold ends up with tears with usage.   Since I have thought about it a great deal I came up with a solution in mini-journal no. 6.  Putting washi tape down first  over the fold line gives it more support.  I am also thinking of printing ephemera on synthetic printer paper for more support. 

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 02

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 02

 I used a graphic in this piece, 9th ST.  The font was very bold and with the pen work it became muted.  The giraffe was originally going to be part of a spread that included ghost giraffes.  You might remember the ghost chickens of a previous spread.  The size of the mini-journal seemed limiting for giraffes but no.one can work.

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 01

 

Mini-Journal No. 4 - 01

Here we go, mini-journal no. 4.  I guess you can tell that I love making these little journals.  I am presently working on no. 6.  This is one of my favorites because of the faux washi tape technique.  I am so glad Roxanne Coble thought of it.

Mini-Journal 03 - 04

Mini-Journal 03 -  04

 

Lots of things are happening in this spread.  First, I took an image of the man that you see and uploaded it into iColorama and did some magic with the application to get the painterly look that I wanted.  It takes several steps to do that.  I just happened upon the image of the mirror and thought of Dorian Gray and also I thought of Sleeping Beauty.  So this is the result of all that work.

Here is also the video of Mini-Journal No. 3...  

Mini-Journal 03 - 03

 

Mini-Journal 03 -  03

This must be how dice people celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Mini-Journal 03 - 02

Mini-Journal 03 -  02

 I did a little work in photoshop to colorize the female figures.  That was fun.  There is a bit of dullness to this spread.  To keep it from sticking when closed I used talc on the page.  Next time I am going to try wax.

Mini-Journal 03 - 01

Mini-Journal 03 -  01

 I decided for mini-journal no. 3 to only do four spreads.  It turned into a sweet little mini.  This is the first spread in the book.  There is a lot going on in this spread which I leave to you to narrate.  I can make several connections between the left and right side of this spread.  What are your thoughts?

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 08

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 08

 

When I first started creating the mini journals I made a mistake in journal no. 1.  I should have had eight spreads but ended up with only seven.  So the last prompt for the Roxanne Coble workshop was to make ghost somethings.  I decided to make ghost chickens, hence the white chicks in the spread which is the last spread in mini-journal no. 2.

Here is the video of mini-journal no. 2

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 07

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 07

 This mini spread definitely developed as I went.  It was a divided figure but you probably never would have known that.  I spilt her body with her upper body and head on your left and her right side and arm on the your right side.  The green and yellow was then added between the split.  In my tossing of magazines I found the perfect head for this spread.  So the head you see is not the original head on this body.  I love the busyness of this spread.  There is a lot going on but it works for me.  Now that I look at this spread after several weeks of not seeing it I think it has the feeling of an Indian woman wearing a sari.

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 06

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 06

 I debated about outlining the two Asian figures to bring them forward a bit.  I have been outlining  with a micro pen lately but I found that the texture of the the background sometimes made me slip a little.  I might still try a graphite pencil to see what I think.

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 05

 

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 05

A question came up yesterday about the prompt for that spread.  All the spreads from now on except for one in this journal yet to come are all my own spread ideas.  In other words, there are no prompts per se.  

I have had a bit of an issue with the valley folds in this journal.  Any ephemera that goes over the crease is not adhering well.  I had to fight it and re-glue sometimes successfully and sometimes not so.  I have decided to go with it and say it is what it is while I mull over the problem.  I did come up with a solution which you will see in mini-journal no. 6 but we aren’t there yet are we?

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 04

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 04

 Oh, I think this one has a lot of symbolism during these times.  I am curious as to what you see.

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 03

 

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 03

There seems to be a collective sigh of relief today.  I can feel it!

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 02

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 02

 I love the layered look of this spread especially on the left side above the eye.  Little details are important like for instance the words under the eye.  They make interest.  I am trying to make sense of all that I see.  My eye keeps looking for the details.

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 01

 

Mini-Journal No. 2 - 01

This spread is the first one in mini-journal no. 2.  The task was to divide an image.  I did but also offset it a little moving the right side of the portrait down just a bit.  Somehow now that I am looking at it after a bit of time I am thinking of a New Year’s Even celebration.

Black Lives Matter - Artist Playing Cards - November 2020

Black Lives Matter - Artist Playing Cards
November 2020

 

I really like how these APCs turned out.  I can either exchange each month or bow out.  I decided to exchange but got so into min-journals I forgot about APCs.  Then I got the list of people I had to send to.  The APCs weren’t even started but with the participant list I had to get crackin’.  I spent Friday afternoon working on them.  Of course, I did not know where I was going with the project.  I first added some napkin pieces.  Then I added the focal points.  I had found these wonderful hairdressing signs from Africa.  The portraits by these Benin artists were great.  So great that I did some research on the art and found a dealer in Philadelphia who was selling their art.  I bought a sign which arrived already and is wonderful.

I love the hairstyles.  Then I thought I know where this is going.  I am going to honor the Black Lives Matters movement.  Hence the BLM words.  There was something missing though and that is where the black netting from a napkin came in handy.  Voila, they were complete.  I got them in the mail and thus  made my November deadline.

Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter postcard

 This is another postcard that I sent out at the end of October for my Bookies exchange.  I tell you this all the time but this is a good example of how I work.  I did not know where I was going with this postcard.  I only knew that the person wanted aqua.  Do you know that there are hundreds of shades of aqua?  I started with the base color and added about three or four layers on top of the color.  Then I found the flowers as I was culling magazines.  We get several magazines each month and they multiply like rabbits.  I had to get rid of about 100 of them.  First I looked for ephemera, hence the flowers.  What would be my focal point? I recently discovered some African barber or hairdressing signs from Benin in Africa.  I love them.  So the ladies became my focal point.  I love their hairstyles.  I did not know I would be doing a Black Lives Matters card when I started but here you are.

I hope you have voted or plan to vote.

Postcard Exchange

 I am participating in a postcard exchange within a group called the Belltown Bookies.  It is one of our ways of keeping in touch. In this exchange each person asked that the postcards sent to them would revolve around a certain color(s).  I had two people in October.  This person wanted vermillion and gold.  This is the closest I could get.

Mini-Journal 07

 

Mini-Journal 07

This is the last spread in my first mini-journal.  It was suppose to have eight spreads but I must have cut the paper incorrectly and only got seven spreads.  In this one, we were to make faux washi tape.  This probably is my favorite prompt in the workshop.  I love the look.   I made a little video of this book.....