There was no Frida follow up this week. I needed the week to process the story she told and think about my interpretation of that story. How it looks for me. The week was needed because I am now rearing to go. Sometimes you just need the processing time.
I have done some encaustics. I am not thrilled with the outcome, but somewhere to start from. I can only progress! :) This piece came from some meditation I did. I was not in the best frame of mind, but when is the best frame of mind for meditation? I aspire to meditate every day, I have varying success with this. For a course I am doing, there was a meditation session built in, and I decided to schedule this in on my to-do list and leverage the meditation session as my day’s meditation. I actually came to it with this mindset…leveraging meditation??? It shows how much I have had on my to-do list at any rate. So I came to cross it off my to-do list.
No great expectations other than crossing it off, and instead it turned out to be quite enlightening in it’s own way, because of the mindset I came in with I expect. The result completely different to what I normally experience in meditation. Showing up regardless of my headspace is a lesson in itself that I needed. It showed me the value of turning up without excuses even if my to-do list is a mile long.
During the meditation I saw this image really clearly of a deep black and a setting deep red sun. After I saw white flowing lines. I can feel an encaustic series coming on while I develop my skills enough to translate the image to the substrate of what I saw in my head.
I finished up this journal page. It has been half finished in my journal for over a year, and I completely painted over it pretty much. Before I was completely stuck, but as soon as I started smearing the white over the page, I saw a way forward. Sometimes a reminder that you just need to pick up a brush. The next way forward on the path will make itself known – sometimes! :)
Another page that got finished this week. I had an art journal that I thought I had nearly finished, but when I actually started going through it, it turned out much of the pages were actually unfinished, so before the end of the year I want to have finished the pages in this journal. I work better with a deadline I find, and by the end of the year is plenty of time (says she in August, but no doubt that will fly by as has the rest of this year!).
And then I have been working through my board books using the daily paper prompts that can be found here to inspire my backgrounds and then finding poetry in book text that I have collected.
Craving silence:
I made a pattern with some airbrush acrylics and then sprayed with water. It felt like a blurry kind of day that day and I like how it turned out in the end, with the blurred parts of the pattern and the more fixed parts of the pattern. I am also going through a drip loving phase at the moment as well.
Chandelier:
This is a chandelier that I drew roughly in airbrush acrylics. I love how sketchy it came out, and how it is not immediately obvious as a chandelier, almost dream like. I also love the way the paint and gesso buckled and crinkled on the page. A happy accident.
She found her voice:
This was based on a prompt about celebrating an achievement. This poetry and the poetry that I am writing at the moment is what I decided to celebrate. And I was so excited when I found “book of poetry” twice (because this book is my second book!). Poetry is touching me deeply right now, as I begin to see phrases all around me.
Shipped with gratitude:
This prompt was actually meant to be mail art, but given I am using the prompts to inspire backgrounds, I changed it to suit my purposes. I always used to struggle with prompts. Wanting to do my own thing, it has only been a recent realisation that I don’t have to stick to other people’s prompts strictly, I can actually modify them to fit what I am doing. This may seem basic to everyone else, but it was one of those paint outside the line kind of realisations for me. So no mail art that will be sent in the mail, but I did cover the spread in stamps…mail art kind off?!?
Coiled:
This photo represents the truce that I thought I had reached with my sewing machine been called off. I deeply admire people that can work those machines with ease. I am not one of them, but I love how sewn paper looks. I will keep persevering, but I am pretty sure my sewing machine dislikes me intensely. Either we need relationship counseling or I need lessons…I suspect the later! :)
AND THAT WAS THE END OF BOOK TWO!!!!! I am now working on the third book. I am a finisher! :) hahaha
Dream time:
The butterflies are meant to be a stamped mandala, which I used embossing powder for. This did not turn out like I saw it in my head, and so I put a lot of layers on this page to push them back. when they weren’t so in my face, I liked their dreamy look, a little bit of magic. :)
Escape:
This page has strips of maps, covered in gesso and then covered in tissue paper. I regretted the tissue paper, too many stars and there are two layers of light gesso to push them back a wee bit. I loved that the tissue paper tore a little bit and you could see a crack of the maps clearly. A little slip in time.
And before I sign off this round up I thought I would show my studio assistant that decided she was not getting enough attention while I was taking photos…
Ever so helpful (though so much less destructive than she has been this week!).
And I am linking up to Paint Party Friday. So much inspiration over there!!
Loads of terrific pieces here, but so fell in love with the second photo of your dog. Happy PPF, Annette x
Why aren’t you happy with your outcome? I think your encaustics are fabulous. :) Love all that texture and your little pooch is so adorable. :) I missed the whole puppy thing. Did you find them all a good home? Did you keep any of them? :)
OMG you have really been very busy! Lovely works, my favorite is the one with the sewn paper. And the second photo of your dog is just too cute!
So much creative goodness here! All great art here! My favorite is your stitching page- so vibrant- such strong lines! Love it!
Loving all your work! Love encaustic!! :)
Wonderful textures and layers and lines and gestures!
Your studio assistant is just precious, too!!
♥♥♥
Happy PPF!!
Mary
Loving everything you have created! Wow! You have been busy! Your studio assistant is so cute! Your mediation piece really talked to me! It’s like the brightness coming out of the darkness! A break through! I love meditating with my stones and crystals and I always have a candle burning too. Take Care ;o) All the best ;o)
Wow your colors are fantastic..And I think your Studio assistant agrees and picked out her favorites. Too cute! HPPF
I absolutely love the first one the way it is. Simply love it!!!
Your pages are so beautiful too. Excellent job!
Nora
Your studio assistant is just hysterical! I especially love the second one – upsidedown love. Your encaustic is great! Keep going with the wax – it takes a while to get the feel for it and all its quirky attributes. Happy PPF
I really like the 2nd picture of the dog. All are looking great. Nice job.
delicious drips and the most gorgeous assistant ever. can’t wait to see what happens next with your encaustic experiments.
WOW! So many fantastic pieces you have shared! Love them all !
Your encaustic piece is so dramatic, I like it very much. Great journal work, too; good to get stuff finished. But your dog takes the winner’s ticket! Hugs, Valerie
Your whole post here is mind-blowing. And the poetry is wonderful. You really do inspire me with everything you do, and I must try to finish things (most pages) in my journals. I loved every one of these paintings and poems. Feel invigorated to get into that studio and get moving, so thank you for the inspiration.
Wow. You’ve been a busy girl! Every page is from deep down in your heart and it shows. It’s wonderful that you scheduled time for meditation…nothing wrong with that…and that it gave you inspiration for a new series. Keep working. Your art really is spectacular.
You’re a very prolific artist. I agree with you in that you just have to do it and not wait for the “best frame of mind. ” I love your studio assistant”s pictures, especially the second one. Blessings!
Wowness..what a powerful and inspiring post..full of visual beauty, magic and such energy! All pieces speak to my soul..gorgeous and wonderfully dreamy!
Victoria
Wow…the poetry thing is really working for you. These are some amazing pages. You must be so thrilled to have filled two books and started on a third.
Lots of wonderful creativity expressed here with wonderful texture, colors and design ~ Love the encaustic ~ very Zen and shimmering light shining through ~ Your doggie definitely loves your work too and loves you! Wow! ~ A Creative Harbor) on blogger
beautiful work this week Natasha, I particularly love the first piece, the encaustic work, wow!
J’aime beaucoup le lustre chandelier ;)
These compositions are beautiful, some beautiful colors, I love the first, delicious abstraction.
You’re very productive to have completed so many journal pages, and all of them look so different from one another! I love how you are able to create so many different feels. Wonderful!
I finally realized why the style looked familiar … I have liked your Facebook page! :D
Awesome work and great company.
:) That will explain it!!
You gave us a ton to ponder here. I love the darkness with splash of red in the top encuastic piece. Wondering if you were feeling the dark side of yourself? I also an enamoured of sewing on paper and fabric so that journal page spoke to me too. And your dog, well he highlights many terrific journal pages bringing them even further to life. I admire all that you have accomplished here today. HPPF on Sunday!
Your encaustic piece is marvellous as it can be interpreted in so many ways. My son also meditates every day, and it is sometimes a chore, I learnt the technique and got quite good at it a few years ago, but have let it slip again- note to self- get back to your meditating. I have never been able to make these books- they are fantabulous!
Ooooh, your assistant is so cute! I love the second picture with her! And your pages and encaustic piece are just wonderful – loving the “coiled!” Beautiful, xoxo
Your studio assistant is adorable! You have had a massively productive week and your pieces look amazing. I like your sewing machine stitched piece especially.
wow! You have really been busy this week!
I especially like the poetry pages :) Nothing like words plus paint!
love all of these pieces…. your cute little doggie is so super sweet!!
I’ve been going through a drip loving phase for about 2 years now :D Both in acrylics and watercolours too… and I love dripping nail varnish and glossy accents down stuff.
Saying it again LOVE your poetry. And you have me thinking about meditation. I never thought I was into all that – always lumped it in with religion but it’s not is it? I may have to look into it! (Being a major stress head!)
Love your assistant – she looks so much like my Cooper. That piccie with her and the chandelier page is priceless!
I love this journal. So many different focuses. Blessings, Janet PPF