Hope for the Future

Chicago Peace blooms in my garden- it's first bloom the most spectacular. I attended a graduation ceremony this weekend and came away hopeful for the future. The Millennium Generation is "confident, connected and open to change". I need this optimism in my often cynical world. The roses bloom every year and honor us with their beauty. I felt honored by the beauty and energy of the young graduates and want to see how their lives unfold and blossom.
Last week, we sketched at Cornell Farm. I enjoyed the roses there and this sleeping beauty.
The begonias spread their colorful blossoms, too. I feel a connection to nature more intensely after reading Margaret Atwood's book, The Year of the Flood. She included in her novel Hymns of the God's Gardeners which I downloaded to my iPod to enjoy the music. The hymns add another dimension to her novel. It's a very thought provoking read.

Creative Slumps- How to get Going Again

For the past month, I've experienced a creative slump. It's a major effort to get into the studio and work on projects. Our sketch group keeps me going and at least drawing one morning a week. Usually, I have lots of creative energy and can't wait to get started each day. I'll work until a project is completed and feel a great sense of accomplishment. The time flies by without
realizing where the day went. That's when I'm in my "element".

In her weekly newsletter, 52 Weeks to a Less Ordinary Life, Maggie Kolkena recommends Sir Ken Robinson 's book The Element- how finding your passion changes everything. Click on his name above and listen to his TED (technology, education, design) presentation. He believes that creativity is as important as literacy. It's not only education that needs to heed his words of wisdom but everyone. He says, "Finding the medium that excites your imagination, that you love to play with and work in, is an important step in freeing your creative energies." For many it's a fountain of life.

Today, I made myself go into the studio and do three things that I've been avoiding. The very act of doing got me going. Small tasks lead to bigger accomplishments and keep the creative process alive. Sir Robinson's book put it all in perspective. I highly recommend his book and added it to my book list.

What gets your creative juices flowing?

Peel & Stick Wallet-size Pogo Polaroid Prints

Today, I played with something I've wanted for a long time- a Pogo Polaroid printer. It's small, easy for travel. It makes peel & stick wallet-size prints of photos directly from a digital camera. I first saw one used last year at PLAY when Fran Meneley brought hers and showed us how it worked. A friend just bought one online from Costco for $49.99 with nine packets of paper. This no-ink printer uses special Zink photo paper to get the print. Many EBay vendors sell the paper.
I received the printer and camera as wonderful gifts from DH. He knows what I like.
Here's a journal page using a couple of the Pogo prints. Mexico is on my mind for several reasons. I received two Mexican-themed gifts- a Huichol mat from Jean's Puerto Vallarta vacation and a sewn Frida Kahlo wall hanging made by Cynthia.

On my night stand is Barbara Kingsolver's new book The Lacuna. I'm traveling vicariously through history with Harrison Shepherd, the main character, to Mexico in the 1920's and '30s with Frida, Diego & Trotsky, WWII in the US and post war McCarthyism.

The Mexican stories make me want to take another trip South.

Photo Art Journal Architecture Book

I belong to a wonderful group of artist/photographers who take photographs related to a specific theme and send them to Catherine Anderson. She creates the most amazing books with our photos. We each receive one book with each other's photos in it. The Architecture Book is one of my favorites with photos from all over the world, both ancient and new. Our group is featured in LK Ludwig's new book Collaborative Art Journals & Shared Visions in Mixed Media.

Catherine makes the book covers, assembles the books and mails each of us a copy. The cover photo above and the two photos below are hers.

She took this photo while in South Africa of a traditional Zulu Hut where she spent three nights.

Gwen Delmore took the following photo in San Antonio, TX at the Mission San José y San Miguel.

Here is a photo I took in Oaxaca, Mexico last October and included in the book.

Members write a quotation on the back of the photo. Here are a couple of my favorites-

"Architecture is frozen music." Goethe

"Architecture, of all the arts, is the one which acts the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul." Ernest Dimnet

Canadian Arctic Adventures

My friend, Gwen, loaned me this wonderful novel by Canadian author Elizabeth Hay. Set in the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife, the story chronicles the lives of coworkers at a small, local radio station in 1975 and their incredible journey in the North back country. Her sense of place and the landscpape makes you feel like you are there. It's a great read and I highly recommend it.The story reminded me of an altered book that I made in 2002 for a round robin exchange. I bought the book at the Canby library for a dollar. I became engrossed reading Sheila Burnford's One Woman's Arctic. She told of her stay in the early 1970's in the Inuit community of Pond Inlet in Canada's Arctic on the northeast end of Baffin Island. I called my altered book "Arctic Field Notes". Each artist contributed her work in the book based on the theme. We each had a month to work in one another's books.
On the explorers' sign-in page, each artist created her own name tag.

One page that I made included a flag book with different Arctic animals, maps and scientific charts.
Taking a book and altering it with visual art is one way to tell a story. We glued pages together, painted them, used book text as art, added collage elements, drawings and other images. The fun part is seeing each artist's interpretation of the same subject.

Sketchbook Experiment

I'm reading wonderful personal stories from artists about their sketchbooks in Danny Gregory's new book An Illustrated Life- what inspires them to keep a sketchbook, draw, paint and write. Pages show each artist's personality and personal preferences for subjects, choice of sketchbook and paper, pens and brushes and color media.
They inspired me to experiment and do something different in my sketchbook- use bold Pitt artist pen, play with color, work with composition and subject themes. Today, our sketch group went to Monticello Antique Marketplace and the chairs became my theme. I also had fun using my new 1/2 inch water brush for the water color washes.

Check out Ester Wilson's web site to see her incredible sketchbooks online.

Creativity, Image and Illusion

Happy Solstice! It's the first day of Summer and the roses are finally blooming after a cold, dreary Spring. I'm off to France for a month. Whether I post or not depends on the French Cyber Cafés. Å bientôt.

Check out the display window at Mario's on SW Broadway PDX to see Jennifer Mercedes' wonderful graffiti.

I highly recommend Lynda Barry's new book, What It Is, about creativity, image making and imagination. Her activities and questions at the end of the book keep images flowing and the creative spirit moving. Plus it's a visual treat.

This month, Scientific American Reports has a special edition on preception- 105 Mind-Bending Illusions and what they reveal about the brain with many thought provoking artilces.

Persepolis, flower exchange & new sketch

I highly recommend reading Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis I & II her memoir about her childhood in Iran during the revolution and toppling of the Shah's regime, her adolecsence in Vienna, her return to Iran and her life of oppression under a fundamentalist government. She combines her written words with graphic illustrations in a comic strip format with a wonderful sense of humor. Then go see the movie, Persepolis. Her images create a powerful, visual experience. She reminds us about the importance of individual stories and the impact they have to combat stereotypes placed on nations and peoples. It's an incredible human rights story.


On a lighter note, I want to share with you our Camp Runamuckus ArtFest flower bouquet. Our individual creative imaginations never cease to amaze me. Thanks Nikki, Tammy, Suz, Sheba, Stephanie and Enchy for a great swap! Check out Andrew Boloz's blog which details his Puget Sound Adventures and ArtFest experience.
This week, we sketched at Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks. I enjoyed sketching Christy N. Pagal's oil on cotton fruit paintings and a knitted leaf banner. The yarn and roving color selections boggle the mind. Plus, the barista makes a great latte and a foot soaking tub eases those weary feet. I discovered Edina Tien's knitting blog. She shares patterns and ideas to use all that yarn