The Sketchbook Project Collaboration: Last Round

Last week was the deadline for the Sketchbook Project and although I made it for my personal book, I didn't quite get our collaborative one back to Angie in time for her to make the deadline. We're still going to send it though - there's a good chance it will still make it for the tour and it will definitely still get archived in the Brooklyn Art Library.

Anyway, here are my last six pages. I'll try to keep it to a minimum with the photos - you can see more from the entire book in this Flickr folder and in these blog posts: Part 1, Part 2.1, Part 2.2, Part 3.1 and Part 3.2.

All of the pages I have to show you are inspired by Angie's artwork on the left-hand side. All except one, that is. Here's a left-side page for Angie to work off of:

As you may have noticed, I had started a drawing on the page - the yellow ropes around a pale blue background - but I wasn't entirely satisfied with where it was going. So I decided to cut it up and weave brightly patterned papers through to make an interesting visual. It still feels a bit incomplete to me, but I ran out of time so the neat texture will have to do.

So... are you wondering what the other side of that page looks like?

This time it was a collaged map that I'd started and got stuck on... I think the floral weave makes it a bit more interesting. I finished the "map" off with a compass rose. "If you need direction, I will show you the way" is written twice around the outside rim. I'm quite a bit happier with this side of the weaved page.

Next is a page inspired by one of my favourite's of Angie's pages:

First off, I loved the page before I even started on it - the smudges of paint that had seeped through from other pages were gorgeous. And then, just look at Angie's panther of a kitty! Such a great piece! So I needed to keep it simple. I enhanced the painted edges with layers of stamping, then added a butterfly for the kitty to hunt. The word flourish had been in my head since I'd been thinking of words for the year, so it just ended up on the page to finish everything off.

 When I saw Angie's page here, I just knew that I would make a poem out of a book page as my response. A bit of washi tape and subtle inking finished the page.

When I saw Angie's fun monoprint, I needed to make a collage using similar colours. Once I had laid down the base collage with the butterflies, I knew I needed a word to finish it off - but I didn't just want to write it on the page. So I wrote it out on a piece of yellow card and cut it out, giving it a bit more dimension on the page.

This last page is my very favourite of the bunch:

When I saw Angie's bold monoprint, I immediately thought of Klimt with his intricate gold patterns. Of course I had to draw one of my goddess ladies. I sketched her out in pencil, drew her in ink, then coloured it in with pencil crayons. I'm particularly thrilled with the sky: I drew the spiral pattern first with a white pencil crayon, then drew over that with a red crayon. I wasn't positive the white would show through perfectly but it did! Definitely a technique I'll be playing with again.

I can't wait to see Angie's last couple pages... and the tour is coming to Toronto, so I'm hoping to see this sketchbook (and mine) there too!

Sunday Seven

Here's what I'm grateful for this last week:

Sunday: watching the game with Pat

Monday: finishing my venipuncture course (the online portion)

Tuesday: finishing my sketchbook project

Wednesday: quick shipping and my two new teacups

Thursday: a free printable calendar by Valentina Ramos
Friday: dancing all night to a sweet concert

Saturday: my pumpa, who's in the hospital

What are you thankful for this week? 

My Creative Space: The Sketchbook Project 2013

For the past two years, I've been participating in The Sketchbook Project hosted by Art House Co-op in New York. Submitted sketchbook go on tour around the country and then reside in the Brooklyn Art Library for anyone's perusal. This year was no different - I ordered my book as soon as I could, in early 2012.

It took me a while to decide what I wanted to do: a chapbook. I wanted to make a book that included both original poems and doodles/drawings/collages. As I worked on my poems - one for each page - an idea formed where I would make an accompanying collage, for the opposite page of the spread, using a single colour and simple shapes. The title - Spectrum - came rather easily as I wanted to cover all the colours of the rainbow (as you will see, I ended up not using purple as I didn't feel it fit with any of the poems).

It took quite some time to organize and compile, but I'm really happy with the results. You can see more photos (including lots of close-ups) in this Flickr folder. 

Head on over here for more creative spaces.

Wordless Wednesday

Succulents

Now that I have wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows across my apartment, I can buy plants without worrying about their imminent death by darkness. Since moving in, Pat and I have made a few trips to IKEA - and while there, I couldn't help browsing the succulents and picking up a couple.

The first one I grabbed was this aroid palm (zamioculcas). Already it's thriving, with numerous small shoots and quite a bit of height.

Next I picked up a money tree (crassula ovata) - I've admired these for a while. I love the puffy shape of the leaves. This plant is also thriving with small leaflets starting to appear.

Now I just need to pick up a bag of soil and transfer these babies into proper pots! I'm quite looking forward to having a whole line-up of potted plants: succulents, flowers, herbs. I may even try to grow a small tomato plant on my balcony this summer! Who knew a bit of sun could be so exciting?!

2013 Goals

First off, let me start by saying - no, I will not be setting myself 2013 goals. These are goals for 2013. Just wanted to clear that up! (smile)

I was looking back through my archives and realized that I've never posted resolutions or yearly goals before. Come to think of it, I don't know that I've made a formalized list before 2012. Last year, I  made myself two lists as part of my 366Pages sketchbook project: a short list of goals plus a list of 12 new things to try in 2012.

Before I get to my 2013 goals, let's recap last year's.

2012 Goals

1. Read 50 books. Done. I read 56 books in 2012 (it really helped that I wasn't working most of the year and I squeezed some short books between the 1000-pagers).
2. Travel somewhere we've never been. Not done, unless you count traveling to Toronto to find a new place to live... which I don't. I kind of crossed this goal off before 2012 - Pat and I made a road trip to the Jersey Shore in November 2011, so it was asking a bit much to travel again, especially when we were just barely getting by on Pat's salary alone.
3. Find a job! Done. Definitely my biggest accomplishment this year.
4. Adopt a pet. Sort of done. I did adopt a fish over the summer - unfortunately, he didn't survive very long, poor thing. I still really want a pet, especially a bunny or guinea pig or maybe another little bird, but Pat needs much more convincing.

12 Firsts for 2012

1. Make a scarf. Not done.
2. Send snail mail - just for fun. Done.
3. Make a calendar with my art. Not done.
4. Try squash (the sport). Not done.
5. Wear a skirt / dress everyday for a month. Done.
6. Cook with shrimp. Done.
7. Walk all the way up Hamilton mountain. Not done.
8. Make myself an article of clothing (and wear it). Not done.
9. Properly catalog all my books. Started.
10. Take a course (art, exercise, science, etc). Done.
11. Cook with beets. Not done.
12. Make a goddess and use a photo to update my blog banner. Not done.

Less than half completion rate isn't ideal, but I'm happy with the ones I did accomplish. Those that didn't get crossed off are themes that I'll constantly be revisiting when it comes to self-improvement: be more creative, exercise more, eat better, experience new things, travel. I'm hoping that 2013 will be a year of self-improvement, that I work on these goals with intention, that I fill my life with purpose.

2013 Goals

1. Read 50 new (to me) books. Last year's 56 included a couple of re-reads. Not so this year. This goal will definitely be harder to cross off though - I can't lounge around at home, reading all day anymore. Still, so far I'm right on track with two done in two weeks.
2. Try five recipes from my Jerusalem cookbook. I want to continue being adventurous in the kitchen, trying new foods and flavours.
3. Grow an herb garden. I'm so excited I finally have sun to be able to do this!
4. Save money for our trip to Calgary in May. This will be the hardest one as I'm so not a saver.
5. Practice yoga daily. A work in progress, but a routine I really want to get back into.
6. Blog at least three times a week. I know daily is too much for me now that I'm working, but I do want to keep things going here.
7. Make gifts and cards in advance this year - send them early, be more prepared for birthdays and holidays.
8. Do a photo-an-hour once a month. I really want to use my camera more and this is just one fun way to do that.
9. Update my blog: new banner, colours, goddess. This has been a goal of mine for a while now. This year is the year to do it.
10. Journal - write, doodle, collage - every day. Stretch my creative wings.

I think that's an attainable list for me. I know I won't be perfect - I won't be creative or exercise every single day - but as long as I keep these goals in mind, and work towards them, 2013 is going to shape up to be a pretty awesome year!

What are your goals for the coming year?

Sunday Seven

Here's what I'm grateful for this last week:

Sunday: free basketball tickets from Pat's boss

Monday: not letting others get the best of me

Tuesday: yoga in the morning

Wednesday: getting in lots of reading during my commute

Thursday: getting home early due to early morning training
Friday: having Pat bring home supper

Saturday: fresh groceries and having Pat help out around the house

What are you thankful for this week? 

My Creative Space: Purposeful

My word of the year.

I haven't done this before - choosing a single word to sum up what I want 2013 to hold - but this year seemed like the right year to do it. Certain synonyms kept reverberating through my thoughts: nurture, intention, flourish, develop, settle.

After meditating on it for a bit, I kept coming back to purposeful. I want to live 2013 with purpose. I want my actions to have purpose. I want to throw myself into all that I do with intention. I want to grow, to move forward.

This week I've been working hard on our collaborative sketchbook project, so the only creativity I can show you is this word-art. I used the gimp and the following two fonts from dafont.com: handwriting draft and halo handletter.

You can see more creative spaces here.