Sunday, May 17, 2009

finis y gracias


i finally finished the journal i've been working in since october (this was the beginning)... i took it to texas thinking i'd finish it there, but nope...

these are the last pages, the ones i've done since i've been back...








these letter stamps are gorgeous wooden stamps from karin... they were in the package with her book (which arrived about two weeks ago. i'm workin' on it... : ).


this is the background before i put the letters on. in case you're interested, it's a quick and easy way to get a grungy background... all i did was paint watercolor paint randomly over the page, let it dry and then cover it all up with acrylic (i used off-white here). when the acrylic was about half dry i took masking tape and picked up some of the paint with it, then i stuck the used tape on the page. some of the watercolor bleeds through the acrylic (even though it was dry when i put the acrylic on), and between that and the masking-tape-picking-up-paint thing, you get a funky distressed look. i got the idea for using masking tape from susan tuttle's "exhibition 36: mixed media explorations...", the rest was the result of painting over a watercolor painting i didn't like!


originally a bird from an old calendar was glued down here (the silhouette)... painting over the whole page (bird included) because i didn't like it, i realized that the bird would come off! so i took it off and this is what was left behind... i used the bird again on the next page -- this time intentionally as a mask!


i know, latin and spanish... terminado sounded, well, a little harsh...


besides finishing my journal and starting in my collaborative 'karin journal' (you can see what she's done in my book here), i've been fooling around more with stencils.


i'm doing a set of 'i know', 'i see', 'i remember' (etc.) pieces...


i'm using arches 90# hot press that i had laying around... these pieces are about 4" x 9".


'i remember' goes on here somewhere...


i found these little by little last week... they're obsidian, and how on earth they got so rounded is beyond me. i suppose they've been tumbled somehow, but considering how easily obsidian fractures and breaks, i can hardly imagine it. i found them all in one small area... some are mahogany obsidian, some are black, and some are gray...


lichen... oh how i love lichen!


new poplar leaves... heavily aromatic, like an exotic spice...


the shasta lilies are starting to come up... as i was looking at them i decided to examine last year's seed pods, and wow... look at those seeds in there.


this long flower stalk shot out of the spider plant this week -- it's almost two feet long *before* it gets to the part where the flowers are! it seemed to appear instantaneously!


that's my new journal on the footstool... um hmm...

(whew! that was a lot of pics!)


XO

23 comments:

  1. Your journal looks fantastic, I love to see how other people work in theirs, it never ceases to amaze me how different we all are even though we are telling similar stories.

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  2. The work you showed in this post made me sigh with delight and amazement, Lynne, truly...It has such a loved feeling to it all - a real expression of your artist heart.
    Love the bird process too - I know that feeling when you get messages from the universe to take a turn you hadn't expected to awesome results ! Brava for listening so well.
    Thanks for the lovelyu Sunday morning eye-candy visit !

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  3. what a yummo rich post! I love the splash of flaming eye streaking across your page, your bird pages and techniques to get them, the themes of I see, I know, I remember... The favorite glimpses of nature. I enjoy these wanderings and creating moments with you very much :) love, K

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  4. The sight of that journal packed so full of arty images is very thrilling. Love the photo of the seed pod and the painting with the spiral in the little bird house....and everything else in this post. As Kim commented your pages have such a lovely feel to them.

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  5. OMG! Your journal is just fabulous! I can't even pick a favorite page!!
    Thanks for sharing that technique Lynne! I have the masking tape laying around now your post will encourage me to use it! Love the way the background turned out!
    That flower stalk is amazing! Wow!!

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  6. This post has me in a spin :)
    Your journal is amazing...love seeing those final pages...I like the distressed looking painted pages.
    Love how you explain your creative process too.
    Stones, pods, plants and special little birds :) all wonderful, Jo xx

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  7. loving the stencils - the bird images are wonderful and what a good idea to use it for masking - obsidian - a bonanza! love these! - is this the bee journal you finished? well not 'bee' journal, but the one with the cover of bees...

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  8. The first picture of the jam packed journal really sings. And each and every page is a treasure. They are so varied and yet singularly yours. Thanks for the watercolor/acrylic/masking tape idea. Clever. And effective! And those pictures from nature are pretty stellar too! Great post.

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  9. there's so much goodness in this post that I am not ever sure where to begin ... and once I do, I don't trust that I would know when to stop, so ... am limiting myself to 3 comments:

    1) such inspired pages (inspiring, too) from the journal

    2) each and every photo is captivating

    3) the spider plant looks happy

    wishing you tons of good fun with the new journal.

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  10. hi ro, yes, it's so true, isn't it... we're all telling similar stories. i've thought about this many times...

    kim, as always, thank you for your thought-full reply... it's always such a treat to read your words. happy week to you, sweet woman.

    i'm smiling here, karin... yep, that's all... : )

    thank you, robyn... that is so much the way i feel about your work (the lovely feeling, that is)...

    manon! you are so sweet! yes, use that masking tape! gesso + masking tape = certain success. ; )

    hee, kate! thank you!

    thank you, jo... i like the image of you spinning... : ) i'm gonna spin on over to your place and see what you've been up to! xo

    thank you, jeane... yes, this was the bee journal...

    thank you, seth... yeah, the pages are varied, that's for sure. it's been a year of variety. : )

    aw, thank you, michelle... i sure appreciate your kind comments... xo

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  11. Your journal is amazing. I love all the photos in this post too. Made me smile.

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  12. ooh! Feel like I have not visited you for ages.. about the obsidians... they are very special. Keep them for when you need extra doberman like protection. I am serious. They will avert trouble liek no body's business. And they are YOUR's baby!

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  13. Lynne---Where is it that you live? I also live in Northern Calif. but I don't think that I've ever seen obsidian like that. I am a collector of rocks: heart-shaped, perfectly round ones, also ones that just "speak" to me in some way. I LOVE the lichen photo. I pick that stuff up too. I guess we are "birds of a feather", you and I. I also suppose that there are many other people just like us out there who crave, save, and collect all that great stuff that Mother Nature gives us. Isn't she generous??

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  14. thank you, sandy. your comment made me smile... : )

    hee, grrl! they're mine and i AM protected!!

    lol, teri, i also collect perfectly round and heart shaped rocks. no, i've never seen obsidian like this before either. i've been google-ing 'obsidian nodules', and apparently there is such a thing, but i can't find much info.

    mother nature is amazingly generous...

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  15. I love all of your art,(and especially the bird)! And your journal is finished... along with the thrill of new ideas in a new book. And it looks like we have been reading the same book. Thanks for describing your background technique, I might just try that today...

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  16. Incredible post, so much to look at and enjoy!

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  17. Hi Lynne: love, love, love your journal. I make my own journals too, just learned how to do the coptic stitch and love it sooo much. I've made many gifts since learning just to not forget the stitch : ) I am neew to your wonderful blog and enjoy your art sooo much. I toooo have the Exhibition boook by S.Tuttle (love it) and missed that technique, which I will now HAVE to try out : ) just wanted to say thanks for all your sharing and let you know you have a new fan - me !!!!
    Blessings, Sandra in AZ

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  18. Your finished journal looks luscious...beautiful colour and texture. I love seeing the side view of people journals, little glimpses of the treasures within. The bee and the bird...such lovely images. The crackle paints looks amazing on the bird house!
    Loving this grunge look (have noted that technique to try in my journal...thx) and the stencils ...giving your journals a whole new element.
    I LOVE your journals!

    Jacky xox

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  19. Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful!! Your journal is really fantastic and you should feel very proud. I love that Susan Tuttle book too. It's such an inspiring one.

    Have a lovely day.
    Holly

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  20. thank you, roxanne... : ) i hope this finds your foot healing and you having a long, creative weekend... xo

    thank you so much, ann!

    hi sandra, this is the nicest comment! thank you!!

    i'm a huge fan of coptic stitch too... i love everything about it! yes, do try out the masking tape! it's addictive!

    hiya jacky! you are so sweet! thank you! and i love YOUR journals!! i need to pop over to your place... i'm way behind on my blog checking up on... xo

    thank you, holly! it's just so dang satisfying finishing a journal! thank you for stopping by!

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  21. Stunning - what a joy your work is to behold; thankyou for sharing it. I must try the watercolour, acrylic and tape technique. I've tried masking tape and acrylic inks but your method is far richer.

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  22. Amazing Lynne. The new journal looks great too.

    xoxoxo

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