Friday, December 18, 2009

I couldn't take it any longer....



I could not take it any longer... our house is holiday crazy... I had to do some artwork, besides cards, etc...

Orly had been urging me to start a larger journal and it kept nagging in the back of my mind. I took a half hour and played with some Liquitex paints, my XL Moleskin 11 1/2 X 16 1/2 and this is my results... enjoy! It REALLY feels good to work larger! This is the inside cover and first page done as backgrounds. Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Orly Avineri's Art Journaling Fundraser! Please come!

For my good friends Orly and her wonderful son Ilan! A copy of her flyer for her Holiday Art Journaling Fundraiser and Bazaar on Saturday!!! Please come!



Dear friends and family
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please help me raise the funds needed for my trip with People to People Student Ambassador Program
traveling to Japan this summer.
http://www.peopletopeople.com/
Thank You, Ilan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Join us this saturday, dec. 12, for our
exciting holiday bazaar/ fundraiser
at our home at 2101 curtis ave. #3 in redondo beach
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---bring your family and friends with you---
come for a few minutes between your holiday outings or hang out with us for a while.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXCITEDLY FEATURING
***************************************

from 10am to 12:30pm
all you can art journal buffet ($20)
(please bring a blank journal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from 12:30pm to 7pm

for sale
one-of-a-kind (really), upcycled,
art journals and other paper arts,
made by one-art-jounalist named Orly,
and by one man-who-crafts named Brian
-
celebrate the 2nd day of Hanukkah with us,
nosh on exotic (yes it's possible) Latkes,
with various sweet and savory toppings,
and enjoy a cup of java, courtesy of
The Bean Counter
(located in the Redondo Village Shopping Center
at
Beryl Street and Prospect Ave)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope to see you on Saturday
Check out my new blog dedicated to the documenting of my exciting journey leading up to my trip http://thejaplan.wordpress.com/
Thank you, Ilan





Friday, November 20, 2009

How Do You Play the Game?

How do you play the game? My journal page for Orly Avineri's Art Journaling Group this week. Our topic was "It's in the cards". The pockets in the bottom left, upper right and bottom right contain my journaling booklets.
This picture contains all my journaling booklets I made to contain my journaling. Click on any picture for a larger view.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Quieting the beast...




The beast... You know the beast... We all have the beast... The beast is that nagging, critical voice in our head that says "Oh your can't create" or "your not an artist" or "that is ugly", fill in with your own critical saying... you get the picture. In my art journaling class with Orly Avineri she talked about that very beast & putting a name to it. We name it so we can tell it to "BE QUIET!!!"

Here is my sneaky little beast and quieting him down... have a great weekend and go create something fun.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Creative Explosion...

From Orly's Avineri's latest art journaling class on "Wild doodling". This week we were joined by ten amazing teenagers. The class was a blast and everyone enjoyed it. This page is titled "Welcome to My World" Click on any page for a larger image.
"Fishes"
"What does the Stamp of Your Life Say"
"What does the Stamp of Your Life Say" page 2.
"Cowboy Dance" page 2.
"Cowboy Dance"
"What are You Hiding"" page 2.
"What are You Hiding?"
Many sides page 2. Includes my hand-cut stencil of myself as a teenager.
"My Many Sides" includes my hand-cut stencil of myself as a teenager.
Welcome to my journal page 2.
Welcome to my journal. 1st page.
Being in Orly Avineri's art journaling class has inspired me to do more art journaling on my own. These are my pages enjoy. Click on any page for a larger image.

My Hand-made Journal.



D'oh! I forgot to actually post pictures of my handmade journal. Here it is! My version of Teesha Moore's Amazing 16 page hand-made journal. Click on any image for a larger view.

Monday, November 2, 2009

I made a book!


Today I made a book! I made my own copy of
Teesha Moore's Amazing 16 page journal.
I used Fabrino Artistico sheets
I purchased last spring but waited
until I actually found a journal method that was easy
enough and the right size for my journal.

Here are the links:


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Traveling Corpse

Good day! I am participating in a collaboration called "The Traveling Corpse". It is based upon a collaboration started by Ingrid Dijkers, "The Exquisite Corpse". You can also see an article in the September/October issue of "Somerset Studio". Here is a link to the blog created to document it, The Traveling Corpse.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Lot of Crazy Layers...

This page titled "Who am I?" was created during Orly Avineri's Journal workshop on “Attachment Theory ” last Sunday. It was a trial run of her upcoming class at Journalfest in Oregon. I felt really honored to be a participant. I got to meet some amazing artists and create some fun journal pages with attachments. The two glacine envelopes contain photos of my mother and father.

This journal is a new one for me, Orly told me "You work BIG! Need a big journal!" So here is a bigger journal. Click on any image for a larger view...

This is a view of the first page with Blythe Danner quote. There are LOTS of layers on this page... It all started with four pages of different writing, two from a novel, one with Hebrew text, one with Asian text. Then layers and layers of paint, even a doily throw in for good measure. We sure all had a lot of fun in class that day. Even Orly liked her page she did.

This page has the packing tape transfer of "airships"
This is a look at the completed pages from Orly Avineri's journaling class on Tuesday October 13th at Harmony Works. We were working with layers. The quote says "I think I have a lot of crazy layers." by Blythe Danner.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Busy weekend...


It was a really busy weekend of journaling for me. Much inspiration going on in my life & I felt it was really productive and fun.

This page set is from Orly Avineri's Journal Group at Harmony works in Redondo Beach. I missed the class but this is my interpretation of our inspirations for journaling... meaning they come from everywhere... and come to us at all times... This piece includes an image transfer of myself as a boy and my dog Moochie in our front yard(under the pumpkin head) & crackle paint.

For the one I run 2... This page set was inspired by love & a song I can relate to. Includes a gel medium image transfer, Tim Holtz Stamp(heart).
A WIP (work in progress), I wanted to show you a page set that is not quite finished... still have to add a few items to it. Enjoy! Click on any image for a larger view. I even have a few more images from my new larger journal, I need to scan the pages. Go out and make some art & play!


Friday, October 9, 2009

Sweet & Sinister Tags


S & S1
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
Hi there, it's been a while... I am back... These are Sweet & Sinister Tags for the Sweet & Sinister Swap in the Itty Bitty Book Group I belong to. Enjoy! Click on any image for a larger version.

I am off to put these in the post...Have a great weekend!

Sweet & Sinister with Address portion


S & S2
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
Both sides of the tags. When you open it you can see my "ATC info". Enjoy!

26 Sweet & Sinister


26 Sweet & Sinister
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
26 Sweet & Sinister Tags for the Sweet & Sinister Swap in the Itty Bitty Book Group I belong to. Well, 17 for the group and the rest for me for Holloween treats. Enjoy! Click on any image for a larger version.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

9.21 Abstraction


9.21 Abstraction
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
From my Wednesday evening class with Orly Avineri. Abstraction, We watched the Lifetime movie "Georgia O'Keeffe" & researched her art online and on youtube. Actually in class I had a lot going on in my head and did not enjoy the exercise but after I got home and worked on it today I do like my result. Click on the image for a larger view. Go out and use your experience to make art!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

leartiste at heart

My good friend Patricia has started a blog leartistatheart. Patricia is the artist that started me on my creative journey. Patricia makes beautiful handmade cards and jewelry. Way back when she invited us to her wonderful home to make cards. That started us both going to stamp conventions and I was hooked! Go check out her blog and give her your support! Pat has always been a supportive and caring friend.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Little book side 1


Little book side 1
Originally uploaded by bkasstle

Start at the first of these postings titled "Artcub and Playful Journey" to get a feel for the journal from the first page. I am trying posting from my Flickr account. It is fast but not exactly what I was hoping for....

Little book side 2


Little book side 1
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
Little book adde to my Moleskind journal for Orly Avineri's Art Journal Group.. We did the little book in our first class at Harmony Works.

Evidence & little book


Evidence & little book
Originally uploaded by bkasstle

Evidence...


Evidence
Originally uploaded by bkasstle

Long Journey


Long Journey
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
Playful Journey unfolded. This is from my first class with Orly and her Saturday morning Art Journaling group. This cronicles my journey from Kalispell, Montana in 1984 to present day, living in Long Beach, Calfiornia, with a few stops along the way....

Remember, click on any image for a larger view...

ArtCub & Playful Journey


ArtCub & Playful Journey
Originally uploaded by bkasstle
The first page of my journal for Orly Avineri's Art Journal Group. We made the Playful Journey Page in her class and I did the Artcub page for it. The Playful Journey Page unfolds into a large map, see the pic above. The bear is an image transfer using Golden's Regular Gel Medium(gloss). If you haven't done an image transfer I highly recommend it! it is so fun slopping on the gel, leveling it out. You let it sit over night and then rub off the paper and your left with your image to put on whatever you'd like, so fun!

Orly Avineri is an amazing artist and teacher. Her journaling groups are fun, informal. For me the classes are part instructional and a HUGE part fun. I look forward to each and every one. Stop by her blog and check out her amazing art.

Click on any page for a larger view.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

4 Helping Us See

This two page spread is for Orly Avineri's 2009 Art Journal Round Robin. Here is a link to her original post regarding the Round Robin. Orly is a wonderful supportive artist and friend. She has been published in Artful Blogging. She is going to be teaching at Teesha Moore's Journalfest this fall. I am attending her Art Journaling Classes at Harmony Works on Wednesday evenings. Click on the image for a larger view.

The eyes are a gel 'skin' image transfer I did using Regular Gloss Gel. I printed the image on plain cardstock and applied the Regular Gloss Gel and waited over night. Once it was dry I spritzed some water on the paper, rubbed off all the paper and then cleaned up the image transfer. It was actually really easy to do and you get a wonderful result. I then applied the 'skin' to my journal page with Soft Gel and it worked like glue.

My pages also include scrapbook paper, vintage ephermia, stenciling and spray painting & glimmer mist for some shine(and grunge)... enjoy! Give image transfers a try.


Saturday, September 5, 2009

Stranger in a Strange Land

An Alice in Wonderland ATC for the Itty Bitty Book Swap I belong to.
Here is the front and back designs of the ATC.
This is an image transfer I did using gel medium on my visual journal for The Art Journal Stimulus Project

Here is my first page of my visual journal. I titled this page "Stranger in a Strange Land".

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Red, White & Blue ATC with Crackle Paint Background

This group of ATC's has a background of Tim Holtz Picket Fence Crackle Paint(white), it is for a Red, White & Blue ATC swap for the Itty Bitty Book Club I belong to. Have a fun day and create something today!

Red, White & Blue ATC Spray Paint Background

This group of ATC's is for the Itty Bitty Book group I belong to for a Red, White & Blue ATC swap. I spray painted the bacground behind the flags. On the stars and stripes I used some Tim Holtz Distress Stickles in Blue. Enjoy!

Monday, July 20, 2009

2 pages, plastic lace placemat

These pages may end up being backgrounds but I like how complex they are as is...enjoy!

Inspired & my Large Visual Journal.

Good morning! I have been overwhelmed by the traffic and comments to the blog since joining Seth Apter's Buried Treasure on The Altered Page . "Thank you!" does not do justice to how much I appreciate your kind words. You can click on any photo for a larger view of it.


This page uses one of my favorite wall stencils above Afro Girl's head and some lace cut number scrapbook paper, Afrom Girl is from Stencil 1 book.

This page uses dragon from Stencil Me In and wrestler from Stencil 1, a Tim Holtz mask on the top. I tend to do pages in twos, I am going to bind these loose ones in a book.

I have large 11" X 14 1/2 " Journal I have been using as a visual journal. It has been so fun to just spray right on it! At first I was first a bit hesitant but I just jumped in and it is working out to be great!
These pages use a lace plastic placemat on the left and stencils from Stencil Me In book.

This page uses bug stencils from Ginny's Small Studio and a stencil from Stencil 1 book, punchella. Everything has been oversprayed with Glimmer mist in copper. I love how it came out all grungy and aged.

The inside cover, with punchella and stencils from Stencil Me In & Stencil 1 books, Heidi Swapp masks.
This page is only a spray painted background. All of my pages start out like this before I spray on them. Have a great day and go make a mess and make some art today!