January Art Journal Pages

He told me not to talk

about my hair..

and while my pages are not ALL about my hair,

the color of my hair is definitely included in 

my journal writing this month...

there is so much going on..

the country is in turmoil and even the most centered around us

are working at finding center..

every January

I take the time to create a self portrait..

to document my image..

I draw, paint or in this case.. 

I transferred 

a black and white photo onto paper.. drawing in and painting over..

my annual portrait 

 is more than just what I look like..

I am wanting to capture my attitude..

my feelings..

and the things going on around me

that make a difference....

I am a symbolist..
there is a secret language always being spoken
just below the surface..
a rose is not just a rose..

Hair is not just hair..


for me it is significant..
an extension of memory..
and I know I have written about it before..
so I will stop yammering..

Let's just say that I am getting used to it..
I am done with black dye and straightening it..

to capture this month I wrote directly onto the blank page and then gessoed over it

and wrote more..

and then covered it up with white acrylic paint..

I chose a photo of water that I took some time ago and collaged the photo and painted it
and then ripped it into pieces
feeling a bit torn in two..
but there is still flow...

it is just continued on the next page..
things continue, but they are not the same..

I was thinking a lot about myths and stories..

tragedies and happy endings..

I am as always hopeful..

I trust in love

and believe it will prevail.. 

Ingredients: transfers on paper, old book pages, acrylic paint. graphite, walnut ink, pencil, colored pencil, Prismacolor Nupastels 

I have lots going on in the studio 

my new 

series

The Naturalist's Notebook

is humming along..

and I just finished some resists..

Part Two of my Mini Concertina is being filmed this week..

I am going to share

  the technique I used to create texture and the

florals for my little garden books

featured in Sew Somerset..

so I will see you again 

very soon..

xo