Other page's in progress

I am on a roll with the blog posting. :)

Wanted to share some other works in progress and maybe later I will post some completed. Maybe tomorrow. Just have to see how the afternoon goes. Again first pic sideways. UGH! These are not done. I have first layers of acrylics down on each. Then I will cut them out or add a journal page around them. Not sure. But many layers of shading to go.

Some backgrounds that I have started and are not done. Yeah like post people, I have many pages and projects going at one time. Not a fan of waiting for paint to dry. LOL

 The top background page has a small face that I didn't go over. It was a doodle but I have an idea so she may stay.

Now some random unfinished journal pages.

 I sometimes do backgrounds first and other times I will start drawing and then build the page. It just depends. I'll post other backgrounds later. Really having fun with backgrounds lately.

Tomorrow I will post the progress or finished pages.

I have dinner in the oven, coffee going, some evening chores done. So I am going to do some more art.

There are so many products I want, I have a huge wish list on dickblick.com. LOL I am just anxious to keep trying new products!!

There are so many wonderful artists out there. Scrapbooking artists, journal artists, painters, writers, on and on. I think I will start listing some of my favorite Blogger sites tomorrow. :)

Blessings
just, me

The Journey

It's Tuesday, and I missed posting yesterday! But to make up for it I will have 2 posts today. :) I am serious about posting everyday! Really :)

I am really liking this new commitment. To blog and journal and share it all everyday. Well maybe not ALL I do creative wise, but you know what I mean. I thought it would feel heavy or start to feel like an obligation or work. Instead it is very freeing. 

Like in a previous post from a few months back, I talked about the fear of sharing any of my art that really matters to me. Like some how if I only posted the things that I did on the run or well BBQ on the patio that I was some how protecting myself. I wouldn't care what others thought. Or said. Not that many leave comments :) But I do get the occasional email.

Now that I have started this new journey in full force and committed I am feeling a new freedom! Just what I was looking for. I want, no I need to just move ahead. I share my thoughts here mainly to clear my heart and mind. To just "talk". To post whatever I have been doing on that day. It maybe scrapbooking, drawing, poetry, cooking, art journal pages, acrylics, pastels, pencil, colored pencil....

I mentioned, Its the journey not the destination in a couple of posts. At the beginning of the year this thought kept coming back to me. I took it to prayer and know that it is a lesson that I am to learn. The living in the moment. The digging in each moment no matter what I may be doing. 

I was cleaning the cat box, sorry if this is yucky to hear! No worries, no details on kitty box will be provided! LOL But anyway, well I was doing this I chose to let gratitude flow through me. It was a choice I said out loud! I simply said.....I am glad that I am able to do this. Simple, but in that moment the words were released from my mouth, things changed. In ME!! I felt a river of joy. It is so hard to put into words, but I felt tension release my body!

I allowed myself to think on this and pray about this as I continued through my daily chores. I realized in a new way just how stressful dread and dislike is.

We fill our hearts and heads with dread and think about how much we dislike something and with each passing second our bodies are responding to the negativity and tension is created. It leads to feeling stressed!! In turn it leads to negative thoughts and moods and words. THEN.....it blocks our creativity!!

I am not a positive thinking person, I am a person of prayer and faith. But I believe these principals work no matter the faith/belief system you believe in.

I have found that my routine daily chores are just not as bothersome. 

I am one of these people that believe in work before pleasure. Always have been that way. I am also pretty discipled. Very strict about responsibility. Bible reading and journaling about what I read first always. Then I need to do all chores, take care of our furr and feathered babies, plan dinner and then head to the office to do any of my work for the business. Then I shower and dress, including make up and earrings ect. I really feel that if you treat yourself like a valuable women you will act valued and feel valued. Maybe this isn't what works for you. We are all different, the point is find the routine that works for you and stick to it. Your important and the beginning of the day really does set the tone for your day and attitude.

Then once all of the above is done I will head to my studio, art room. Now I have always followed this routine, but since Jan I have had such a better energy and creative flow! Just by learning, and still learning, to value the journey!

Each moment is important. None are less important. They all make up the whole of your life!

I am still learning to choose this each moment. Sometimes it is easier then others and there are times that I fail in a bad way! LOL

But I pick myself up by leaning on God and choose again. It is all part of my journey. Even the falling down times. I am learning and growing. I am having more fun creating then ever before. Some of the art is better and some of it is horrible but I am loving it!!

Plus not as anxious!! Anxiety has all but vanished!

So.....this is something I started today. As you can see it has a long way to go. :) 

Sorry the first pic is side ways. Don't know what happened.

I will be back later for the second post today.

Hope your Tuesday is full of simple joys

Just, Me

Sunday. Rain. Wind. Art

I love the rain. No secret to anyone who knows me. I love peace that the rain brings. Even in spite of the wind.Had a rather rough Saturday evening due to my multiple sclerosis so I woke up not fully recovered and myself so that meant we didn't get to church. It always leaves a homesick feeling in me when I miss church.

BUT!!!! I did spend a rather short time making art. Weekends due tend to not allow me as much time for making art. Hubs is home and even after 30 plus years we still really enjoy our time together. Each others best friend. It is really nice. A blessing.

These are very fast journal pages. They are very much a reflection of where I am right now. Being in the moment. Living fully "here".........in whatever I am doing. It does eliminate stress just by doing this. Of coarse my foundation is my faith. But I have always struggled with insecurity and due to that I would end up stressing. At times fear of all the what if's.

I am always a happy person. But inside I would be battling my insecurities. 

So this page says what I am feeling right now!!

I used torn words from junk mail. Oil pastels. Acrylics. Did a wash with Gesso. It is a very simple page. Took maybe 20 minutes.

I know todays post is short. It's sunday, LOL

Off to eat Take out food from our favorite mexican restaurant and then movies on netflix or vudu.

Blessings

Its all about the Journey...not the destination!!

Well.....I have no reason not to now

Sooooo as I have attempted too many times before, I am once again going to set my mind and heart and soul on blogging everyday! Yeah, I know, I have tried this before. LOL! This time is different. I have just signed up for 

ART JOURNAL EVERY DAY

led by the wonderful Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Oh wow!! She is amazing awesome talented lady! I have loved her work and her blog for a year and a half. Since Jan. I have considered joining this group. I went back and forth about it. I told mysel......YOU don't have any serious art on your blog! YOU don't have any art jopurnal pages at all on your blog!! You don't have ANY talent!!! You don't even keep up with your blog!! LOL!

Yep, I ran my whole list of excuses through my mind and heart. I just let it be something I wanted to do and didn't. THEN I thought hold on a minute here Miss Melanie! 

You want to blog, you want to be a daily blogger. You need to write about each day just for the sake of clearing your thoughts.

So I took the plunge! I know no one is going to come hunt me down if I fail and don't do art journal pages everyday, but I will know and thats really what's the most important thing isn't it?

So......look for my first art journal page to be posted tomorrow, done or not! Whatever I have done will be posted, DAILY!

I do art almost daily. I scrapbook, take pictures, draw, do mixed media, or something everyday. I also always do something in one of my many in progess art journals. So why not blog it too? Wow, what a revelation! ;)

I am going to get past this fear. This insecurity.

If you want to see an amazing artist that does art in all forms check out Julie. She does it all! Scrapbooking, sewing, art journals, and much more. Maybe you want to join the Art Journal Everyday!

I am going to try to post the link, I have never done a link so I hope this works.

Art Journal Everyday

This link will take you to the sign up page. Look around her blog if it's the first time you have been there. You will be inspired!

I leave you with a picture of one area of my art room. It is also a "before" picture. I have done some reorganizing and will share those pictures in the days ahead.

This next picture is of my work desk. It has changed so much since this picture.

I hope you are having a great weekend. I hope it's full of art and creating! 

I am praying for Japan and the heartbreaking situation they are dealing with. Please remember Japan in your prayers too.

My new motto.......

It is not the destination, it is the journey.

Tomorrow I will share my thoughts on this and why it is my motto this year. I have had some life changing thinking happening.

Blessings always