Another experiment in negative painting. I was inspired by dream journeys where I am on a train and see scenes of places I have visited or lived in or simply passed by rushing by through the train windows.
Journeys on the Night Train
Persephone
This weeks topic was “Gifts from our Roots”. I was musing on the mixed blessings and curses from my own roots when I thought about the Persephone myth, one that has long resonated with me.
Because I was taking a bit of a contrarian approach to the topic, I thought it might suit a “negative painting” technique where the foreground images are constructed through hiding parts of the foreground.
Persephone climbs up the roots from the underworld still clutching a pomegranate. The seeds she consumed in the Underworld will keep pulling her into darkness.
I like to feel that the seeds of darkness also help one see the light and feel empathatically the darkness withint others.
Build and Bloom
This week I reclaimed a page by using black gesso on it and did an organic and inorganic pair of riffs on the spiral form.
Back to Mail Art
I have been so immersed in art journaling and so busy with web design that I have been neglecting my mail art community. I am plunging back in with a series based on faces (masked and un-masked) and am also planning some fall-themed cards.
New Wants
After decluttering and organizing this month thoughts turned to just why it is that we accumulate all this stuff. With mind like a butterfly, the new, shiny does appeal.
Organize
Organize
Organizing is such a mountain to climb and if you live in a small space it is all about finding little storage spaces.
Structure
This week’s journal page was about de-cluttering and organizing art-space and arts practice. I started with a compass and protractor to give structure to a hand drawn mandala. Then I splashed on primary colours and swirled them together. I then drew out the shapes with shading and black and white details. Lastly I added the word “Structure” along with some text and number stamping .
Life Patterns
Life Patterns
These two spreads were created in the latter two weeks of August 2020. The left hand panel is a long view of life patterns and the panel on the right is patterns I am changing.
I drew on some familiar elements: gears, clocks, flowers, bubbles and a compass. Although I have a pattern of over-scheduling myself and sometimes “going on automatic” mostly I meander through life going with the flow, led by intuition and finding some bright lenses that help me see things with new clarity and optimism.
In terms of change, I hope to increase the “blooming” and decrease the automaticity and scheduling.
Worker Bee
Thinking in the month of August 2020 about patterns. I tend to be a workaholic, get stuck in a rut and also typecast as a “worker bee” by others. Seeing the need to break out of this pattern despite the positive side of this.
Jordan de Souza, Conductor
Having a static site just didn’t fit the rocketing career of trend-setting conductor, Jordan de Souza. Having previously worked with Jordan on some small communications projects, we took on website design and management this year.
