Photography

Been Doing More Art Journaling!

Art Journaling

I have really fallen in love with art journaling. I love that it is just for me, and not to impress anyone else, and not to sell. I am obsessed with reading about other techniques, and looking at other pages. I read a review of a fabric altering book last night, though, and really agreed with a lot of what it said. It spoke of a whole new generation of books and artists who really are limiting what they are encouraging. Let the reviewer speak for herself:

"However I really really don't like aspects of the "art". In Jan 2008, a user called 'me', in a response to a review of a completely different book, stated ""collaging" these days seems to be nothing more than feminine thoughts from "Desperate Housewives" combined with an "instant ancestor" black and white picture of some random person you don't even know, with cut out words pasted on top of them. Originality is becoming generic." This really sums up what I found disappointing in this book. If it had come out 10 years ago then it might at least have been refreshing, but for a 2009 release it just rehashes tired scrapbooking and altered book cliches.

One specific example from many instances in the book;

The Wired Resin-paper Card (p. 16), uses a generic transparency image of a woman in a dirndle skirt, peasant blouse, headscarf, with bare feet and holding a bundle of belongings wrapped up in a checked piece of fabric; the generic exotic vintage-y gypsy-type other. This is mounted on a sheet of resin-coated sinitic text (Chinese characters); generic exotic other again. The processes involved are creative and fun to do, but the end result is really tired and definitely isn't art. This sinitic text is used in projects throughout the book, either in the form of printed paper or by transfer from rubber stamps. Equally frequent are stamped word tags saying "discover", "imagine", "explore", or "believe". At some point art has to say more to the viewer, or the creator, than "discover".

At the same time, I'm hesitant to criticise a book that encourages women to make things and satisfy their creative needs. For some women, the book is probably exactly the nudge they need to get them creating. I just think there has to be more honest self-expression in life than making a banner that spells out "C-R-E-A-T-E" (p. 84)" 

http://www.amazon.com/review/RQ99RTL22Q4Z3/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1600611885&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=#wasThisHelpful

An example of this is in the many art journal books out there. So many of the examples are just reruns of Teesha Moore's cut out ladies with pointy hats. Huh?? I don't get that. I don't get why that is art. My 6 year old could do that. Fine, I get that it is easy and relaxing to do, but is that the best that can be shown in an art journal? Teesha Moore's pages are gorgeous, her bags and fabric journals show how incredibly talented she is, but she did seem to create an army of imitators, feverishly cutting out women's faces and pointy hats, many of which are featured in books about art journals as "art." Since I am a newer artist, I hesitate to label anything as "not art," but this is just silly stuff to be calling art. And all derivative from a few such as Moore, who came up with the idea.

My favorite art journals are those that have illustrations and writing on the page together so that you can make sense of each. Here is an example from Alisa Burke:
http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2011/02/peek-inside-my-sketchbook.html

And from Dion Dior:
http://www.diondior.com/search/label/Autumn%20Colors
and
http://www.diondior.com/search/label/Dragonfly

Both have an art journal feel, but both women are truly artists and it shows in their journals. I keep looking for ways to learn to paint and journal like that, and keep coming up with pointy hats.

Best,
Maren

Reiki Certified

Hi all,
I just finished my Reiki II Certification and am allowed to give Reiki treatments. I have an introductory offer of $40 for an hour, your home or mine. Please email me if interested!
Maren

Stanley Maltzman Workshop

I just got back from a a Stanley Maltzman workshop up at The View in Old Forge, NY. What a wonderful workshop. Stanley's knowledgeable and generous, a real treasure, and The View is an incredible facility! I learned a lot and it got me painting again!

Here are two paintings from my last day! 

Review of Alisa Burke's Sketchbook Delight

I have been working through Alisa Burke's Sketchbook Delight class, and it is a great class! Well worth the money. She gives out lots of ideas, and lots of direct instruction, with many videos. Here is the class:
http://www.alisaburke.com/onlineworkshops/newsketchbookdelight.html

I am considering taking her second class, Sketchbook Delight 2, but am waiting until I feel a little richer.
http://www.shopalisaburke.com/products/sketchbook-delight-part-2-online-class

My only complaint about the class is that  Alisa tells you that it might take up to 72 hours for her to register you for the class, and it took almost every minute of that amount, and then I received access only after I emailed her. In this day and age, she could send me DVDs of the class in that time. I don't quite understand the delay in accessing an online class. If you are going to charge top dollar for an online class, which the class is, you should be very professional in delivering service. The class is worth it, just get ready for a wait.

Peace,
Maren

Another Review, Matt from the Virtual Instructor

Good morning, from NY, on this dismal rainy day!

A few days ago, I found the virtual instructor on youtube. I was able to draw a nose and eyes for the first time in my life, ones that actually looked like a nose and eye. I did it by following the instructions from Matt at http://thevirtualinstructor.com/ - and it is well worth a mosey on over there!!

Matt offers lots and lots of free instruction, and if you join his site for a ridiculously low amount like $3 and change a month, you get access to some of the best instruction I have found. "The Secrets of Drawing" is incredible - it deals with everything from perspective to figure drawing. And I must say, this is the first time I "get" perspective! The instruction is top notch and very clear, which makes me tend to believe that Matt had to learn to draw like many of us mortals do. I think born artists have a much harder time teaching how they do what they do, do you agree?

So I have been drawing, drawing, drawing this week. This is one of the best values I have found for the money so far, and I am very happy to recommend this site to you!

Drawing Practice

I am not a natural artist, as in I cannot draw. Really. I have tried for years. I have bought every book, tried every tutorial, and I still draw and paint like an 8 year old. But I decided to just play with it. I ordered another workshop, this one by Janr Davenport called "Draw Happy," and this one was well with the money. Davenport as you first draw simple little faces, and then progress from there. The face I have shown is halfway done, and it is on very bad paper, so I am doing them over. The eye is from another free tutorial, and I was amazed I was able to do as well (for me!) as I did. Bravo, teachers! Good job!!

Eye tutorial:

http://www.stars-portraits.com/en/tutorial/drawing-eye.html

Jane Davenport's site:

http://www.janedavenport.com/workshops/joynal-creating-your-own-fairy-tale/

Another Review of 21 Secrets Art Journaling Workshop

More reviews of 21 Secrets

One of my frustrations with these classes is that everyone has a list of supplies a yard  long, and each author goes into long explanations of what they use, and why. It would be more useful if one person made a video about journals and usual supplies, then each artist simply add their favorites in a short video. OK, more reviews.

Acceptional Art, by Kitty O, is about accepting where each of us is in our art journeys. That sounds wonderful, doesn't it? But I never got that from the class. The class opens with a video of the artist being cute, making faces, wearing accessories, to some music about 21 Secrets. Yes, it's cute, but not what people are paying for. I thought that I had wasted my time when I saw that. The big lesson is about ripping up pictures from things important in childhood and gluing them into the journal. I honestly was very disappointed in these lessons. Perhaps the concept should be developed further before inclusion in a paying class.

I enjoyed Danielle Daniel's class "Unearthing," not for the concept, which I found hard to put into effect, but for the technical instruction. She actually explains how to construct designs, which is very helpful! She also has a professional tone, and I found her easy and pleasant to listen to. The concept of unearthing your dreams for inspiration was difficult for me to do, as I have crazy, jumbled dreams, and they usually involve me fleeing water, so I am not sure how I want to use them in my art! Not her fault, of course, just not a good fit for me. 

The name of Jodi Ohl's topic "Diary of a Highly Effective But Inconsisent (sp) Journaler," bugged me for two reasons: the first was that I don't like self-congratulation. And the second had the English teacher that I am twitching: do NOT spell the title wrong when you are getting paid for a workshop. I am assuming the owner of the blog, Connie Hozvicka, put the subtitles in, and of course mistakes do happen, but she misspelled the title of Ohl's workshop. This is a paid product, not a free blog: it's like Tolstoy's editor spelling his masterpiece "War and Peaze." Please, people! Can you be professional??? I tell my students all of the time, if they cannot even spell their titles correctly, no one is going to take them seriously. I paid real money for these workshops, so I would have appreciated a real editor!

OK, rant over. The workshop was actually very good. Jodi Ohl is a very talented artist, and her journals were inspiring. She is a talented teacher and she gave lots of direct instruction. Definitely one of the better workshops offered. Dreaming In Color, which sells LuminArte products including the glorious Twinkle H2O watercolors and silks Acrylic Glazes, has another workshop by Ohl, the Twinkles on Yupo. I may purchase and review that.

Look for reviews of the Twinkle H2O paints and the Silk Acrylic Glazes soon! Also, I plan to purchase and review a workshop by Dina Wakley, "Masterful Art Journaling." It is supposed to be excellent, and as it is quite pricey at $65, I would like to see if it is worth the cost.

Be well, and create!

Review of Art Journaling Workshops

Reviews of Art Journaling Classes Workshops

I have recently gotten excited about art journaling, which I never expected. I like that it is a low risk venture, that the worst you do is ruin a page. Now that I am selling my pottery and jewelry, they have become more of a worry, in some ways, rather than just a relaxation. So I signed up for some workshops. Some are great, and, I am sorry to say, some are a huge disappointment.

21 Secrets was the first one I signed up for. It is offered by Dirty Footprints Studio. Some of the classes are worthwhile, and some, I felt, were less so. At $59, I felt it was a worthwhile purchase, as there is a lot of good in there. Some of the better classes were the ones offered by Jodi Ohl, Dion Dior and Joanne Sharpe. Just those three made it worth the cost of the class. Some of the others were OK, but I could find better instruction for free on YouTube. I feel that a lot of these classes are geared toward the newer artist, those taking classes for the first time, and compared to the value I have found on classes on Craftsy,com and artistsnetwork.com, these offerings are very weak.

Ro Bruhn's "Flower Power" workshop was unusual, but I didn't find it very practical. Part of the lesson is using disposable plates for flowers. I didn't really see the point. I didn't feel it was a good use of my time and money.

Tammy Garcia's "WatercolorPlayground" was very basic. Sadly, I could find 20 videos on YouTube that do what she did, and do it with more detail. I wasn't feeling good about that video. Another video that I didn't feel was worth inclusion was "Where The Wild Things Are," by Carissa Paige. It was cute, but we are paying real money for these workshops, so I would like a professional type video and demeanor.

I think what my complaint is about these workshops is that this is a new field, and many people are making "teaching" videos. Yes, they are all talented artists, but not every artist is cut out to be a teacher. Many of the workshops are "cutesy," with sped up videos of the artist in goofy clothes and costumes, and while that is fun, that is not the point. The artists who aspire to this should all study Dion Dior or Joanne Sharpe's workshops for content and production techniques. They are the ones that stood out as being worth the value.

I do feel terrible telling readers that some workshops are not worth the money, but just as an author expects to receive reviews, so should artists who are being paid for their instruction. They need to offer a professional product worth the money. Most workshops online are at least $30, which is much more than most art instruction books, so,their value should be at least equal to what an author offers. Sadly, that appears to not be the case.

Case in point: Connie Hozvicka runs the website that put together 21 Secrets. It is called Dirty Footprints Studio. She also offers a 10 Month course called "Ignite" that helps teachers learn to teach and it's trademark is "Fearless." It is incredibly expensive, and to be brutally honest here, after seeing some of the work she included in "21 Secrets," I would never consider spending the thousands of dollars she charges for the class.

I am going to continue posting reviews of workshops, products, and other interesting things I am finding online. It seems to be a pretty unregulated market, and I would like to help change that.

Some Pottery Just Finished

Great New Book!

Just picked up Zen Doodling by Carolyn Scrace. It is a great book! Lots of inspiration and instruction. Mandalas, and sun and moon mandalas. Borders and Nature doodles. Really good stuff I here!

I can't get over how much I am enjoy art journaling! It is like art when I started three years ago, with no pressure on me. I am having a blast!

Jumping Out of My Skin With Creativity

I am just bursting with creativity! My jewelry and pottery were not cutting it as far as letting me get what was in my head out, so I started art journaling - I never thought Imlike journaling,,because I am not a,fan of messy, collage type papers. But one of my favorite bloggers, Dion Dior does beautiful artwork in her sketchbook/art journal, so I gave it a try. And honestly, I can't wait to paint or draw in it every day! It's not as "big" as pottery or jewelry, so it is not anxiety-causing, aka one more big project on the to-do list. Check out some of the bloggers I have in the side of my page, they are very inspiring!

Ps - I also put a picture of my first fondant cake!

Peace!

I Want to Share All I Have Learned

In the last three years, I have learned so much. I have learned that I can be very happy with no smoking or drinking. I have learned I am an artist. I have learned that I am a very sensitive soul, filled with joy and pain over the beauty and pain of the world. I have learned that I have to sit with my pain, sit with my anger over how people treat other humans and animals, which is my thing. And I have learned how Art has saved my life.

I want to share that with you.

I want to open my sacred space, my 40 acres in upstate New York, to you, to share, grow and mostly, heal. Heal from the things that have harmed us. Heal from the angers and pain of this world. Heal from the harm we have done to ourselves.

I want to share my rituals around the campfire, honoring Mother Nature and the spirits of the woods. I want to share my painting, my pottery, my jewelry making, my journaling. I want to share my music, my drumming. All of the things that have healed me. All of the things that have made me better. I will have people to help you with the techniques, but really, I think we will be able to heal each other being there for each other, sharing our creative flow. Supporting each other.

Things will be simple. This year, tents, sharing a bath and shower will be necessary. But hopefully, that will be part of the experience of getting back to simplicity. To where we should really be. Without television, cable, the anger of the news. Just us, and our souls, healing and growing together.

Will you join me? Please email me for details: sunrayany@gmail.com

Just joined 21 Secrets

I have a jewelry show in July, so I have been a little stressed. I bought 21 Secrets for Art Journaling, and I am having a blast! It is fun and relaxing! No pressure, as art journals are not for sale! I will be filling this blog with my fun stuff, done just for me. Hope you find it fun, too!

Some New jewelry!

I have been making some farm animal jewelry, and I just added an elephant (not a farm animal, I know!) to the menagerie! I etch the animal on copper and then solder it to a sterling silver disc. I am really enjoying these!