Wear A Mask Or Else

Wear A Mask Or Else

My task for this postcard was to use the color celadon.  I really never know where the design will go when I start.  I had some encaustic paper that I had previous attached to a postcard substrate but it needed more celadon.  I found this image and thought it perfect for a message about masks and the postcard was born.

Happy New Year to each of you. :-)
 

Mini-Journal 10 -04

Mini-Journal 10 - 04

 One word sums up this piece for me, happiness.  Maybe it is the colors.  Maybe the use of a milagro, the hand, or maybe the pen work.  Just happiness!

Here is the mini journal no 10 video......

Mini-Journal 10 -03

 

Mini-Journal 10 -03

For me there is lots of movement in this mini spread.  My eye focuses to the right and travels along the vegetation to the three dots and the bird.  Perhaps the heart helps with that causing a heavier feeling in the right corner.  Also perhaps with the heart being darker and the bird lighter in color that my eye is pulled right first.  I imagine your eye might go elsewhere first.  What say you?

Mini-Journal 10 -02

Mini-Journal 10 -02

 Moving right along to no. 2 in this book.  I found a bunch of heart milagro images which will appear from time to time in upcoming works.  I love this hand.

Mini-Journal 10 -01

 

Mini-Journal 10 -01

I like pretty much everything about this piece.  My eye is kind of doing the sign of the cross.  I look at the bird’s eye and then the bigger eye which draws me to the letter R in yellow which takes me down to the bottom yellow.  All of the pen work seem to help camouflage the bird a bit.

Mini-Journal 09- 04

Mini-Journal 09- 04

 One has to look carefully to find the bird.  Try enlarging it.  Happy Boxing Day! :-)

Here is the video of Mini-Journal No 09......

Mini-Journal 09- 03

Mini-Journal 09- 03

 Merry Christmas to you if this is your holiday.  I made a digital Christmas holiday card for all though.  Happy holidays to you. :-)

I misspelled Kawanzaa.  It has a double aa at the end.

Mini-Journal 09- 02

Mini-Journal 09- 02

 Lots of dots.  That is all I have to say about this one. :-)

Mini-Journal 09- 01

Mini-Journal 09- 01

 I have been spending quite a bit of time online looking at Australian aboriginal art.  It has a calming feeling to it mostly except for the pieces with snakes which I can not stand.  Since childhood I have always had a fear of snakes.  So I try to avoid them online but all of a sudden there is one.  Hence, you will never see one in my work.  This mini journal has only fowl, mostly chickens and one turkey.

Mini-Journal 08- 04

Mini-Journal 08- 04

 

I have been cutting out ephemera like crazy.  I was hooked into watching the series Homeland.  It was easy to watch and cut.  So because I cut so much out.....8 seasons times 13 episodes.....that is a lot of watching, I have a lot of ephemera now for more mini journals.  More cats, more tigers, more alligators, you name it.  So stay tuned.

Here is the video for mini-journal no. 8.....

Mini-Journal 08- 03

Mini-Journal 08- 03

For me this one is more of a minimal pen work piece.  I like having words in a piece.  I can imagine this cat frozen in time because it has noticed something that surprised it and has to make a decision to stand its ground or make flight.

Mini-Journal 08- 02

Mini-Journal 08- 02

 The term ‘copy cat’ has a negative connotation, but it could have a positive one.  It could be more of a compliment as in really liking what someone has done.  For years artists have learned technique by ‘copying’ a famous artist’s work.  There have been many books and films about famous forgeries and the artists who did them.  

Mini-Journal 08- 01

Mini-Journal 08- 01

This mini is all about cats and things about cats.  In this case a cat burglar.  You might think that this burglar has unusual hair or hat.  In actuality there was a black leaf plant behind him and he is wearing a French beret.

Wear a Mask

Wear a Mask

 

I just loved this gentleman when I found him.  However, I worried about the racial caricature-ness about him.  Was the image too stereotypic in nature.  Maybe.  So I decided to put a Covid mask on him.  I think that changed it all up and I was not so worried about the negative stereotype characteristics any longer.

Mini-Journal 07- 04

Mini-Journal 07- 04

 

Just what we need on a rainy Thursday in the Pacific NW, a dancing rabbit.  I do not know about you but my mind is racing with thoughts about what rabbits do to entertain after finding a wealth of carrots.  Most likely it is a carrot dance! :-)

Mini-Journal No 07 video.....

Mini-Journal 07- 03

Mini-Journal 07- 03

 Looking at this spread it seems that the rabbit might have wings.  It is not the case but isn’t it funny how after days of not looking at a piece I see something that I never intended or never saw at previous glance.?

Mini-Journal 07- 02

Mini-Journal 07- 02

When I was a kid a magician came to my elementary school for a performance.  Come to find out it was his last magician show and he was looking for someone to take the rabbit that he used in his rabbit out of the hat trick.  I was the lucky boy to receive the rabbit.

Mini-Journal 07- 01

Mini-Journal 07- 01

 

Mini journal no. 7 is all about rabbits.  I tried an experiment in this spread.  Since the potted plant was so delicate I just cut around some of the leaves but left the structure which was white.  Once it was dry after adhering it to the page I used pen work to “hide” the white around the greenery.  You can’t really tell that is what I did in the finished piece.

Proud As a Peacock

Proud As a Peacock

 

Today’s post almost feels like a commercial break for me, a break from the mini journals.  Twice a month I am sending out postcards to members of the Belltown Bookies.  This member chose sea blue for her postcard color.  I guess it depends on what sea one is visiting to call it sea blue since there are so many different sea colors.

Mini-Journal 06 - 08

 

Mini-Journal 06 - 08

For me the blue on the right draws me into the piece first and then to the monkey and next to the rabbit and the “tree”.  I imagine this might not be the case for everyone.  

Here is the video for No. 6........

Mini-Journal 06 - 07

Mini-Journal 06 - 07

 See the difference with a darker monkey against these backgrounds.  I so prefer this spread compared to yesterday’s.

Mini-Journal 06 -06

Mini-Journal 06 -06

 I think that the monkey plus the background does not work as well as I would have liked it to.  The monkey is quite light in color.  Perhaps I should outline the monkey with a permanent black fine point pen to see if it stands out more.

Mini-Journal 06 -05

Mini-Journal 06 -05

 This piece makes me smile.  I love that I found a bird’s cage and to pair it with a monkey with a crown puts a happy face on me.

Mini-Journal 06 -04

Mini-Journal 06 -04

 I like that it seems that the two animals are frozen in time.  Perhaps there is an invader to their territory and they do not want to be noticed.  For some reason I feel like someone or something is walking through their habitat making cracking and crunching noises.

Mini-Journal 06 -03

Mini-Journal 06 -03

 Just another evolution piece.  I really like how this one and yesterday’s turned out.  Maybe I will have to do an Adam and Eve piece soon1 :-). The only thing is that I won’t be adding a snake.  I hate them! 

Mini-Journal 06 -02

 

Mini-Journal 06 -02

How appropriate to include evolution in the monkey themed spreads!  Not much to say other than that. :-)

Mini-Journal 06 -01

 

Mini-Journal 06 -01

Mini-journal no. 6 is all about monkeys or as this one says, “Monkey Business”.  There is an abstract quality that I really like in this spread.  The pen work is more limited than many of the other spreads that I have done in the minis.  There seems to be a lot of depth and even a sense of batik.  The faux washi tape maybe does not resemble just that as the sign “Monkey Business” seems to push back into the spread with the red outline “tape” standing out more as closed shapes.  It doesn’t bother me too much because I always like a pop of red.

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 08

 

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 08

There is a Netflix film about a man who befriends an octopus.  I was alerted to the documentary but have not watched it yet but it is on my watchlist.  It got me into thinking about octopi though and hence the mini spread with an octopus.

Here is the video of the mini journal no. 5......

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 07

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 07

Yesterday I finished mini-journal 7, 8, 9, and 10.  It was about ten days straight of work.  I had set a goal to finish by last night and I made it just before dinner.  I also made boxes to house the journals.  The funny thing is that the box houses three four spread journals easily but not three eight spread journals.  So back to the drawing board for a box to house the larger journals.  Oh well, I know what I have to do.  It wasn’t really a mistake but more a discovery.

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 06

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 06

 Here we go again, the center valley fold crease problem.  I actually do not mind it though.  It makes the piece look more rustic or shabby chic.  I am so in love with the Benin barber images that I found.  They have the more primitive look to them, too.  The dullness that you might notice is from the baby powder I used so that the pages won’t stick together.  In journal no. 6 I changed to Dorland’s wax.

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 05

 

Mini-Journal No. 5 - 05

Now that I look at this piece after some time I find that my eye is drawn to two parts of the spread immediately.  The orange graphic and the yellow head.  The beak helps me with movement.  I then pay attention to the pen work in the background.  It fascinates me how movement in every piece of art is so different.  

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.