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We are all artists of some kind.  The only way to discover and develop our unique giftings is to be comfortable expressing the artist that we are.  I will always have that structural tension between what I had envisioned in my head and what actually happens at the end of my paint brush.  I think it drives me.  

Hope all are well and making ART

Valerie Brown

Only God can make a tree

Journal page from last January.  I am wondering why I can't pin images from my blog to pinterest.  Today I have a few projects I hope to accomplish.  I need to have good examples for classes this week.

Inner Voice

Entry into my junque art journal.

 Most of it was done while carrying on in the 2008 mixed media class.  While I was planning the class I wanted to wrap my mind around how to express to them what I meant by internal dialog.   That internal dialog we have that makes us randomly laugh or become quiet. While you are doing everyday things this voice in you brings gems for Art Journaling. I am trying to remember the "inside" jokes of the day.  Expressing the day visually.

 I know, I know voices in my head .......   One artist described it as the material for wildly entertaining and moving journals...Collect along your journey.

   I have no idea who the reggae band is under the v I Liked the energy they brought to the page.

Testing to see if mobile down load works.  Hooray it did !
This is a picture of the Sanibel lighthouse.  What a beautiful place.
This may be the place I record all of my art adventures because my other blogs do not seem to work with my mobile phone or other accounts.  All this technology is way over my learning curve !!!

Junque Journal

glimpse inside my junque journal.
Most of this journal is done during technique demonstration. I think I like about half of my pages. It is the process and the "book" that I love.

This is my junkiest junque journal. Classes start in a month. I will ask my class if they mind my sharing the journey here.
Creative blessings
Valerie

A few journals. I am trying to figure out how to upload from my phone that would help with my blogging.

Artiscape 2011

Artiscape 2011 hosted by European papers my Junque journal page

I am wrapping up one of my journals today. As I flip the pages I can't help but reflect on what I have been through and how I have changed in the past year and a half. Some of it has me singing the lyrics to songs I have put here. Some reflections on heartache makes me weep. My art journals have many names and uses. They are a place I go to to be soothed to rest and to get inspired and reflect. When I want to learn more about something my art journal contains all the facts and my responses. Collages, scraps ephemera of my journey are all glued in place. A visual chronicle of my life are contained here. Some folks reminisce at the beginning of a new year. I do at the end of a journal.
If I could sum up the journey recorded here. I would say I decided what my treasure was. I drew up a map. I kept my focus with a can do attitude. I took responsibility for my own happiness. I found Joy!!!
I hope to encourage others to discover and express the artist that they are.
Art journaling is an excellent form to work out your dreams, Discover Joy, It is a no-fail art playground. I hope you all are having fun with it.

Chunky Page

Chunky Heart page. Trying out some grunge/chunky things.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

A couple chunky "fat" book pages Joined a journaling workshop offered by strathmore. Ilove the first assignment but it means I need to print some of my art and I have no ink OH Bother

My junque journal for 2011. Today for my journaling I finished my 2010 journal by putting Garry's gift tags that were on my Christmas presents in my book. They say things like to Cindi bear from Yogi and stuff like that. We have been making goofy tags to one another for 20 years. Anyway, I have been making chunky book pages again. I wrote a page recipe for a thread at afa. I love doing the art thing.
hugs to whomever is reading.

Continuing to trade atcs I really love keep ing my journals I feel more like me when I am art making.

My art is a celebration of His goodness toward me.

When God created those first 7 days He declared each thing “good”. His creation was good before it was useful. I believe it is useful because it is good. I believe the same of the arts and my “creations”. If I work to express His goodness He will bring results.

My art is a celebration of His goodness toward me.

This is a collage on the inside cover of my journal. I love this green I have no idea what it is called. Today, I get to make art with one of my favorite people. I have been drawing eyes, spraying and salting watercolor backgrounds, making atcs, zentangles, altered playing cards, decorated elephants...... Atc recipe cards are next. Thanksgiving weekend is a birdathon. I am gathering reference material for that weekend.

This is part of my testimony:

Before Christ, I had no power within myself to do what is good and right. I had no example in my life that reflected the love and grace of God. I was divorced, a single mom of 2 children. At one point I worked a full time job, worked two nights a week and cleaned houses, while taking classes at Columbus State. I was exhausted I cried all the time. My children seemed to be sick all the time. I hated life, I hated myself, I was headed for another bad decision. I did not want my children to grow up to be immoral people. I went to my brother’s church expecting the people there to be full of distain for me. I expected however they would receive my children. I was addicted, self destructive, and immoral. What I met in the church were people who accepted me where I was. I accepted that I was a sinner. I believed in His atoning sacrifice for my sin. I made a decision to turn my life over to God. After receiving Christ my church family counseled and loved me out of the life I was living and into a hope in Christ Jesus. I knew what hell looked like. I had experienced it. I realized He saved me. He rescued me. I adored Him. I broke off relationships and learned a new way of living. I found HIM the Lover of my Soul, the one who knew everything about me. I was transformed.

My 2009-2010 journal. I think I have 16 journals going now. I am so happy doing .... I guess you would call these "junque journals" .

I thought I could cut and paste to this blog argh....It has been so long I have forgotten how to paste???

rofl

hugs to all the creatives that may read this.

How can you tell someone is really enjoying Altering books and Art journaling? They stop posting in their Art blogs lol I hope to post soon. =)

page began..........Life Circle.
I determined the 8 areas of my life that were my priorities. I marked how I was doing at applying my time, energy and creativity to these areas on a scale of one to ten. Then I said described what would be the result of having a ten in each area. This is my motivation. Then on an outer layer i determined things I could do in the next 48 hours to move on in these areas.
We are made in the image of the Creator, and therefore called to creativity. Francis Schaeffer put it in a sentence that is burned into my memory, “The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.”
Applying this creativity to all areas of life ............hmmmmmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,,,God help me to serve my family.... love them ........and whoever God has put in my path today.

Life circle with the 8 most important things to me ............ i want to start living in a way that reflects my desires to live from my heart. As an artist ...

As a child of God.

1. God
2. Garry
3. my children
4. Family
5. Friends
6. Art
7. health
8. Peace

This is my red art journal Everythng i find that is red goes in here. I love it no one else may like it. My art journaling is truly for me and me alone.
Today I did an exercise in creativity called a life wheel. It is like mind mapping I only got the first step done. Decided to put it in my art journal. Just the first step had a profound effect on me. I have been so unhappy lately. Living contrary to who I am and what I want to be. I have been miserable. Mad at God. Disappointed with myself and life in general. I want to change. here goes .......................
Ephesians 4:29Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Colossians 3:12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

This year we had a mixed media class (:.......... everyone participated in making atc s and a fat book. I think i tried to put too much into 12 weeks lol, but it was very fun and i love the book we made. the cover is paste paper . When students for get to put their names on their work .... i always tell them i steal it and make it my own.......so here it is stolen paper (:
Class was great i am truly blessed (:

My Fat book came today!!! It is awesome! I think the secret society of fat book sisters should have a blog to show the pages. They are allllll awesome . Here I am only posting mine... I don't know if it is okay to scan the rest of the book if I didn't make the pages. Anyhoo.... Every page came with directions for the techniques used.... I will treasure this beautiful book as another piece of art, a source for inspiration and a resource to learn more about different techniques.... LOVE it!

I am uploading this one to see what full size looks like
(:

Here is another of my Eric Carle on crack collages for the fat book technique book

Wanted some sonshine in my heart. Gotta start back in my bible study. Fat book pages for technique book are done.
Want to try a resist on dyed papers and add black I also want to try drawing a pick and then painting with paper... My other idea is to make a flour paste and paint it on as a resist.... Lots of fun to be had!!!

First Fat Book

front cover of my artiscape fatbook.

Yes this is FAT!!! What a fun swap Artiscape 2007

Off the subject......I am looking for an intriguing inspiring image a day. and drawing daily. tgif

Vive sencillamente. Ama generosamente.
Se preocupa de profundamente. Habla amablemente.
Deja el resto a Díos...
Live simply. Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God... - Homer Thompson

Fatbook page

The flip side of my book page. I hope the secret sisters of the fat book society like it.... (:

Hooray my fat book pages for art escape are coming together. I was stressed for what reason??? Now to get stressed about my charms LOL

More crazy paper. I covered this for an example for class. I need to find the embellishment I bought for the flower.... Everything gets lost around here. I decided to "set myself up" today. I never plan to fail I just fail to plain. so I am remedying that somewhat today... Goal is to print some water marks on watercolor paper and draw elephants for my collage. Here goes (:

I am reading The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. She suggests a routine of creativity... Discipline becomes habit. Learning and preparation gives us a place to capture those creative inspirations that flutter by. I agree those moments are like a kiss from God. The creative Habit is a way to harness the power and creativity of those passing kisses. A year ago I had begun to develop the Habit of creativity. Now I want that again. My challenge now is to make something complete, beautiful, and satisfying. I have dozens of projects to begin. Filling the empty space is paralyzing to me. So I decided to begin again here on these pages. This weekend I am getting away to spend some time doing creative stuff with friends. I want to finish some atcs for Artiscape in May.

finally finished a collage for my friend's round robin art journal. I enjoyed doing this. She loves Bono. his music, his calling to the Aids victims of Africa. Her heart is for the children and her prayers are effective. I love the layers in collage. Doing this reminded me that accross the globe there is brokeness in the human condition. Sexual brokeness extends across the oceans, across generations, there is no economic or color line.... Our American youth who seem so confident and bold are just as subject to it as those in Africa. Disease covers us. While so many are suffering, none of us are whole. Bit we have hope.

Water soluble pastels on gessoed page. Had fun. mixed emotions on the results.

I am working on my nature journal I wanted it to be made with paper w/o lines. I made the cover with a paper sack. the inside cover is fold and dye papers I made. I macramed a knot and then glued some jut to tie it shut. I like it. I love the paper I used and the size. Garrison and Evan made themselves books also.

A couple touch ups and a coat of gel medium and I am done with my round robin cover. This one has beenin my head for awhile. It is one of those messes that I like... I was trying out photo paper and twinkling h2os ..The orange paper is an experisment in tie dying paper. I didn;t have a big enough piece of paper so I collaged it around the bird... which did come out to be pretty round!

The boys are out flying kites. It is very windy and cold. I have been working on this book. I hope to put the notes for each page in the pull outs and tags. I wrapped paper bags in this book and used misc. things I am attracted to. This gloden brown manilla envelope paper bag stuff is great.




Peace maker altered book .

Cover for my art journal. Crazy paper, plastic paper, serendipity paper.... whatever you want to call it I loved doing it and love the colors. The picture does not show how thick and interesting it is. If it smelled good it would touch all the senses.
Dallas critic, Jim Fowler, wrote, "Painters attempt to capture the world around them and color the image with a little bit of their insides; artists attempt to capture the world inside them using the images they see in the external world."
What's inside of you? What do you have to say?
- James Michael Starr .
I admore James Michael Starr's work and art philosophy. I believe he has a unique gift from God.

I was given the idea to put prayer requests on tags and put them in pockets in my journal by Margie. The page needs touched up a bit. I am amazed at how many needs for prayer come up in any given day.

Discovery about my art ...... Even though this page is a mess I discovered something about myself that I was trying to express... One is that I tend to babble LOL

I think I made a realization of why my collages are so bad.... I love people an their faces and hate cutting them up...... I use these images for sketching............

Entry for a friends circle journal. I added sequins and beads to the left page. I think it is done. I call it "make your funky art be your dance." (it is for the funky art queen)

February-March trees

The Text reads: I am the vine you are the branches he who abides in Me and I in him , he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

He is the source. Abide. Humble yourself. I understand the endless cycles of trying hard to make things happen ...and not being diligent hoping something will just happen on its own. These two ways of doing are incongruent with faith. Now I pray for humility so that I will not struggle endlessly with circumstances designed to humble me. I want to see Him in my work. Difficult circumstances can be provision from God and an answer to prayer. the Discipline of the Lord is a testimony of his fatherly love, a sure sign that he is changing me incrementally into the woman He designed me to be. He determines my role as an artist, in the church, and in the culture. as a true artist, I commit to work against apathy and indifference. He is working to make me like Jesus the prime artisit not to my version of the perfect artisitc life. Jesus submitted himself to sinful men and did not heed their criticism... He Abided in the most high.

Give your best , there is not substitute for astonishing ideas. Make the most of every opportunity. Art is the product of the whole person. A new day to decide afresh which outcome I am living for mine or His? Be faithful in the little things.

These words were taken from my notes from Making ARt like a True Artist by Charlie Peacock-Ashworth

1. This is a page I was practicing on before I worked in Sherry's journal. I want to do a book or page with the theme Transfomation with swans and butterflies..... the color in this page is not the color I wanted........ In water color it is Ultramarine.... Am I looking for cobalt??? Acrylics are painful right now.

My glue book

when I was making this collage Garrison added a piece of paper that said I love you very much..
Love that kid.