My Roots...

My pages for Orly Avineri's Art Journaling Lab, she's changed the name of her weekly art journaling group because it really is more like a lab than a class. I love the new name. This last weeks class was about "Roots". I would have used more photos of family pictures but my printer ran out of ink and I did not have time before class to head out to Staples. At any rate I digress. This has me thinking about different kinds of roots. The roots of behaviors, behaviors we can change, and those that run deep. the roots of life. The roots of fun. The roots of creativity. The roots of excess. The roots of style or taste.

I showed my art journal to my friend Stormy this past week and she said I "defiantly have a style" and my "art tends to be a bit dark." I thought it was amusing and interesting. I've never really thought much about my art journal having a style. What are your "roots"?

Click on any photo for a larger view.

The right side with my ink "roots" of my tree of life. The "trunk" of my tree is made from vintage papers, collage papers, and scrapbook papers, found vintage photos this page courtesy of Orly.

Right hand side. The photo with the pumpkins is yes of me...

49... Human Interaction...

49... Human Interaction...
Originally uploaded by bkasstle

This my musings on aging. Being in the "happiest place on earth" and feeling isolated and lonely, this one does not feel finished to me I may change it or add more...click on any photo for a larger view. Have a great day.

Growth...

Growth...
Originally uploaded by bkasstle

From Orly Avineri's Art Journaling Class, regarding personal growth within the last year of 2009.

Words...

Words...
Originally uploaded by bkasstle

Doing some catching up and adding some journal pages from my smaller journal. This is from a prompt from Orly Avineri's Art Journaling Class regarding the love of words and giving thanks...click on any pic for a larger view.

I am working in my new XL journal but the problem is it is too big to scan and it is hard to photograph. More pics to follow.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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....

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.

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.

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".

Everybody's doin' it!

My friend Mary Ann at dispatchfromla.typepad.com is teaching an online class all about stenciling! From using pre-made stencils to making and cutting your own. All in her marvelous style! I am so excited to start!