Love This

Goodbye Twenty Eleven

I was looking back at my journal page with my resolutions for 2011 and this is the exact thought that went through my head, "if I didn't like this journal page so much I would run it through the shredder RIGHT NOW!"  There were only 4 things written on my list of "to-do's" for the year and, at first glance, I didn't accomplish A SINGLE ONE OF THEM. 
As I was just starting to silently berate myself for my apparent failures and waste of an entire year, I began thinking back...I really liked 2011.  How could such a good year been a "failure"?  I had so many opportunities and adventures and good things happen in the past year.  Things that I could have never envisioned for myself when I wrote those 4 "failures" at the beginning of the year.  For instance, my first resolution was to "get control of my health" and while I certainly don't feel "in control", I ended up weighing less than when the year started and I have made great progress in small steps.
My #2 resolution was "get a passport".  When I wrote that I really didn't have anywhere to go but I figured that if I had a passport, the travel would follow.  Plus, having a passport is just plain cool.  Well, no, I still don't have a passport but I did do more traveling this year than I have in a long time.  My family and I went on a vacation to the Oregon Coast and I went with my parents, kids, and nephews to California to be a part of a once in a lifetime opportunity to see my brother's U-2 solo.  I wouldn't trade either of those experiences for a passport.
#3 was to run a successful Etsy store.  Well, I don't have a successful Etsy store, in fact, I don't have anything in my Etsy store right now but I have been able to get a better feel for Etsy this year and what I want to do with my art.  I have also been able to identify better what I do not want.  It has been a year that has helped me grow and move more towards the true me.  Which means my resolution has turned out to not really be a big priority right now.
Resolution #4 was "art everyday (Sketchbook Challenge and get published)".  I know for sure that I didn't do art everyday and seemed to gravitate away from the Sketchbook Challenge.  Not only that but I didn't even send in a single piece of art to be published so unless editors are also gifted in the art of osmosis (which would sure make my life easier, by the way), I don't expect to be published in the next few months.  I have, however, done quite a bit of art this year and I am proud of the growth I have experienced.  I also did something else that I have never done before, I took an online class.  Not only that but I took three!  I took Mary Ann Moss' Remains of the Day (and I just signed up for Full Tilt Boogie, both of these AWESOME classes are ON SALE right now and worth every penny), Christy Tomlinson's She Had Three Hearts, and my daughter and I are working on Brave Girls Club's Brave Mothers and Daughters.  I am also teaching a high school age art journaling class this coming semester which is definitely "putting myself out there".
So, despite, my initial failure response to my 2011 resolutions, I have had a good year.  I've had the usual ups and downs but all in all, 2011 was good to me.  I've seen much growth and realize that much of what I thought I wanted in the beginning was just the tip of the iceberg.  The actual path that I was supposed to take was better than I could have imagined and all along I was (as the sign above my desk reminds me) "right where I should be".

A Letter

Dear U.S. Postal Service,
Recently I placed an order from Dick Blick for my very own set of these.

In case you are unaware, these are Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Watersoluble Artist Crayons and just looking at this picture of them is making my heart rate increase to what quite possibly could be an unhealthy pace.  They have been out of stock and I have been patiently (or not) waiting for them to become mine.  I received an e-mail today from Dick Blick and they are on their way.
I know that money is tight for you right now and special requests are likely not in the budget, but could you please be kind to my crayons until you can place them safely in my hands?  I would appreciate it.  Also, when it comes time to deliver the box to my house, I might suggest sending a mailman who is slightly hard of hearing.  There might (probably) be excited screaming and happy dancing going on.  Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jolene

While I have been "patiently" waiting, I have done some work in my journal.

Don't you just love the image of the orange?  It makes me happy, even when I have a headache.  LOVE it!

Under the Christmas Tree

Recently my friend Kate, posted THIS video on painting faces.  I rarely paint faces but I watched the video and decided to give it a try.  I spread out a plastic tablecloth on my living room floor and painted under the Christmas tree.  (Well, not exactly under the tree but next to it...you know what I mean.)  It reminded me of rocking my babies, in the quiet of night, next to the sparkling lights of the Christmas tree.  Now my babies are getting too big to rock and so I had to settle in with paint instead.
While there is much I could criticize about this face, I think it turned out OK and I certainly enjoyed painting it and isn't that what it's all about?

What Do You Do With Notebook Edges?

Recently while playing around in my art journal, that was the question I asked myself.  I had used a piece of notebook paper and was left with the torn out strip.  "Self," I said, "there has to be something I can use this edge for."  (I often talk to myself while journaling.  Ask my husband.)  And then...lightbulb.  "I wonder what it would look like if I made flowers out of it."  So I watercolored it and this is what I came up with...

Now I know what flowers made from notebook edges look like.  It's why I love art journaling.  I love the experimentation.  I always journal with "you win some, you lose some" running through my head.  Then there is no pressure when an "I wonder what will happen if...?" pops up.  I can just go ahead and find out.  If I hate it, I can just close the book or break out the gesso.  Sometimes I just might like how things turn out.
And speaking of experiments, my awesome friend KATE came over to bring me an ornament for my tree and her collection of Caran D'Ache Neocolor II's to test out.  I have read it all about the Neocolor II's.  I know that so many artists love them.  I know that I am just about the last artist in the world to own them.  I know that everybody raves about them.  So why don't I have them?  Because I have used every available watercolor crayon that I can find around here and NOT been too crazy about them.  They all leave a weird build-up and are really difficult to write on with my pens.  So I thought that I wouldn't like the Neocolor II's and they would become a very expensive paperweight on my desk.  Well, after testing out Kate's, I am here to publicly admit that I was WRONG!  I am crazy in LOVE with those things!  Kate had an duplicate of her Malachite Green and SHE GAVE IT TO ME.  Everything that can be colored on around here is now Malachite Green.  Good thing it's a beautiful color.  I am having dreams about the rainbow of color that awaits in my very own set of Neocolor II's.  I MUST find my lonely Malachite Green some friends.  Fortunately, my parents gave me some art supply money for my birthday (aren't my parents awesome?) so I can place my order ASAP on a beautiful box of Neocolor II's.  Until it arrives, I will just continue to color everything Malachite Green.  Thanks Kate.

Angelia

A few weeks ago, I was on Pinterest and saw a pin of an art journal page that I absolutely, positively, fell in totaly L.O.V.E. with.

Isn't it AMAZING?  I HAD to know who painted this page.  I followed the original pin back as far as I could but could not find the actual artist's name anywhere.  I became obsessed.  I REALLY HAD to know who painted this page.  I spent over an hour googling and searching far and wide for the artist of THIS.  I knew whoever painted this would have to be on my favorites list.  They would have to be inspiring.  They would have to love color!  And guess what?  I finally found her!  Her name is An'Angelia Thompson and I was right...she is all of those things and more.  Of course, I promptly put her BLOG in my favorites and started quietly checking in on it for a week or so, soaking up inspiration.  Then one day she announced it was her "birthday week" (how can you not love someone who has a "birthday WEEK"?) and that she was having a giveaway.  I decided to remain quiet no more and left a comment every. single. day. of her birthday week and guess what???  I won!!!  WAHOO!!!

I won her Sugar Skull!  How cool is that?  (Angelia said I could use her pictures by the way.)  But not only that, she sent along the sweetest card, stuffed full of cool papers from her stash for my daughter and I to use on our "arting endeavors".  (She read about the Brave Girls class that my daugher and I are taking together.)  We are in art heaven over here.  Thank you Angelia.  You are awesome!

If you haven't checked out Angelia's blog...DO IT!  I am betting that you will love her just as much as I do!

Happy Birthday!

Just wanted to send out a little Happy Birthday to one of the kindest, most loyal, strongest, talented, beautiful people I know, who also just happens to be my best pal.  I'm so lucky!  Happy Birthday Jenny!