Journal Page

This is a journal page I finished late last night. My old friend the Universe must be on my mind because it is the theme of the page. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture before I added the collage elements. I really liked the paint application.


I found representations of the Universe: the Eagle Nebula, Saturn, Jupiter and the Galileo module, the Crab Nebula, the human brain, a fossilized ammonite shell. The universe within and without. The journaling includes information about each.


There is also a story here. In late December I was visiting Dragonfly Reflections and found a post about messages from the universe and the web site Tut.com. I now receive a daily message from the Universe by way of Tut and have included parts of them on this page. Things like:
"It's within you. The answers you seek. The direction you want." and "the power to be whoever you want to be. Your dreams are not yours by mere whim. They've been matched to your gifts... Listen (that's my word for the year) to your heart. You have the right stuff."

The Next Chapter started today with the first chapter from The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women by Gail McMeekin. One of the sentences I marked to quote is: "your creative self is alive and waiting for your invitation to evolve. Dare to embrace your creative self and manifest your dreams." Interesting how the journal page came first and then the reading of this book.

Oh, great Universe. I get the message. Listen it is! Create! Play in the garden! Paint! Knit! Yippee!

Dick's Art

The real artist in the family is Mr. Dragon. Here are three of the projects he worked on last semester. I thought I should post them before the new semester starts. He also did some wonderful pen/ink sketches and for some reason I can't find the photos. I'll have to keep looking and, if all else fails, take more pictures!

This was a study on texture. The green and yellow squares are a real *scrubby* -- the green the scrub part of the two-sided sponge and the yellow the sponge. The photo part was a picture of shredded carrots that was later changed to a very red rose. (Needed more color!)

You just knew baseball would eventually make an appearance in his art! Look carefully and you'll see two different sizes of baseball players with a bat. Sort of tessallated baseball players. This one is on the list for framing!

This is definitely headed for framing. Self-portrait in black and white a la Chuck Close. I can't tell you how much time this took.
Good thing he is retired! Painting the bristol paper 9 values between white and black (a favorite theme of the instructor). Cutting them out, Pasting them on.

WOW

Creative Weekend

I had a creative weekend that I hope will continue into the week. With dark, cloudy, cold weather, it is the perfect time to stay indoors and play! I had a dream. It was about my favorite niece (the daughter of one of my best buddies). Then I got an email from her Mom telling me my dream was right on. So I hit my stash of baby yarn.

Stash of Yarn

This is what I have so far. Sort of an afghan jigsaw puzzle! Granny squares in different sizes all put together. I figured when I ran out of yarn in one color, I'd just continue on with another. What do you think? It is so soft. I'm having fun with it, but am sad that I put up the lacy stole once again!

Sunday I decided it was time to put together a journal. I have lots of composition books and thought I could recycle them into a journal. I hate to go out and buy some more paper. I love paper and between Mr. Dragon and me -- we are being overrun by art paper! I'm making a list of things to order from Dick Blick. Mr. Dragon will start another art class at the end of the month and between the two of us I'm sure we'll have a nice size order.

So I pasted pages together on Sunday. And pasted. And pasted.

If this works out, I'm going to make a cover like one that was in this month's
Cloth, Paper, Scissors
from an old embroidered dish towel.
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!

This is what I worked on this (Monday) morning. Sorry about the picture. Someday the scanner will be working! My word for the year is Listen. I need to listen FULLY. I think I'm a good listener, but sometimes I respond too quickly -- sort of miss the real point -- if you know what I mean! I also need to listen to what the universe is telling me -- or hitting me over the head. Yo! Girl! Listen up! The word for the month of January is PLAY (thanks Leah). The little birds have musical notes on their bodies. I'm happy with my first page and it was FUN!

I've Been Reading

I haven't posted about books in months. Today is the Day! I read mysteries and here are two very different debut novels.

Murder Is Binding: A Booktown Mystery by Lorna Barrett is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. After her divorce, Tricia Miles moves to Stoneham, New Hampshire to open a mystery bookstore Haven't Got a Clue complete with store cat, Miss Marple. Stoneham is a picturesque but dying town on the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border until the President of the local Chamber of Commerce gets the idea to talk booksellers to relocate to the village. The downtown is revitalized with a whole street dedicated to books -- antiquarian and specialty booksellers -- a book lovers dream and quite popular with tourists. A murder takes place next door to Tricia at The Cookery. Tricia finds the body and the story is off and running. It is filled with quirky characters and, of course, recipes at the end. The new book Bookmarked For Death is out in February and I have pre-ordered a copy. I thought Murder Is Binding was excellent for a debut novel and how can a book lover not enjoy a book set in a small town on a street filled with bookstores!


Chinatown Beat: A Detective Jack Yu Investigation by Henry Chang is very different. It is a dark, noir novel set in New York City's Chinatown. Jack Yu is the only Chinese-American detective assigned to New York's Chinatown. He catches a serial rapist and solves a murder using modern technology and a local fortune tellers prediction. Another debut novel, Chang's chapters are short and tersely written. It is filled with benevolent societies, gambling, dance halls, brothels and secret societies. Year of the Dog is Chang's second Jack Yu novel that will give me another trip to what exists beneath the surface of the tourists' Chinatown.

Resolutions and Links

Let's start with the links. Every now and then I visit a blog or other internet site that I'd like to share with you. This picture is the top of THE GOOD JAR at The Lettered Cottage. Layla loves the cottage look and she also has a shop. She put this jar together (just 20 of them), filled them with 365 fortune-cookie sized slips of paper, each with a single, simple thought about something you could do everyday to feel happy. Go check her blog -- Layla is lots of fun.

I love the Collage Diva site. I visit with Kathryn daily. She is starting 2009 with a prompt called "Weaving Our Dreams" for Soul Journals.

Finally, I'd like to share an email I received from the DailyOM. I've shared other emails with you from them, but this one really hit home -- especially as we start a new year.
December 31, 2008
New Year's Resolutions: The Two Lists
A Message from DailyOM Co-Founder Scott Blum
I was fortunate to spend time with an enigmatic man named Robert during a very special period of my life. Robert taught me many things during our days together, and this time of year reminds me of one particular interaction we had.

"Now that you are becoming more aware," Robert said, "you need to begin to set goals for yourself so you don't lose the momentum you have built."

"Like New Year's resolutions?" I asked.

"That's an interesting idea," he smirked. "Let's do that."

By then I was used to his cryptic responses, so I knew something was up because of the way his eyes sparkled as he let out an impish laugh.

"Tonight's assignment is to make two lists," Robert continued. "The first is a list of all the New Year's resolutions you WANT to keep, and the second is a list of all the New Year's resolutions you WILL keep. Write the WANT List first, and when you have exhausted all of your ideas, then write the second list on another sheet of paper."

That night I went home and spent several hours working on the two lists. The WANT List felt overwhelming at first, but after a while I got into writing all the things I had always wanted to do if the burdens of life hadn't gotten in the way. After nearly an hour, the list swelled to fill the entire page and contained nearly all of my ideas of an ideal life. The second list was much easier, and I was able to quickly commit ten practical resolutions that I felt would be both realistic and helpful.

The next day, I met Robert in front of the local food Co-op, where we seemed to have most of our enlightening conversations. "Tell me about your two lists," Robert said as the familiar smirk crept onto his face.

"The first list contains all the things I SHOULD do if I completely changed my life to be the person I always wanted to be. And the second list contains all the things I COULD do by accepting my current life, and taking realistic steps towards the life I want to lead."

"Let me see the second list," he said.

I handed him the second list, and without even looking at it, he ripped the paper into tiny pieces and threw it in the nearby garbage can. His disregard for the effort I had put into the list annoyed me at first, but after I calmed down I began to think about the first list in a different light. In my heart, I knew the second list was a cop out, and the first list was the only one that really mattered.

"And now, the first list." Robert bowed his head and held out both of his hands.

I purposefully handed him the first list and held his gaze for several seconds, waiting for him to begin reading the page. After an unusually long silence, he began to crumple the paper into a ball and once again tossed it into the can without looking at it.

"What did you do that for?!" I couldn't hide my anger any longer.

Robert began to speak in a quiet and assured voice. "What you SHOULD or COULD do with your life no longer matters. The only thing that matters, from this day forward, is what you MUST do."

He then drew a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to me.

I opened it carefully, and found a single word floating in the middle of the white page:

"Love."

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