Finding Courage

This painting was just not "doing" it ....many parts were wonderful but I decided it was time to divide and conquer....or at least free up some energy.

The bottom half, the tulip with the teapot silhouette is now a collage of magazine images (the beautiful cup and ceramic birds are from Tracy Porter's catalog).......

Then the collage was given a sticker (above the cup) of a sparkly nature, some cotton quilt batting and backing fabric were chosen. It was free-motion quilted with varigated thread..... Voila!

It is trasformed into a paper collage quilt....soon to be for sale on ETSY!

Altered book page and Early morning wet hair sketch

My altered book, "The daughter of time", this page is called "I am powerful and protected". I used fabric scraps and magazine clippings as well as clip art.

The words of the book's text left showing are "...eyes glowing with pleasure".."alive and well and prosperous" and "fun and games". It always amazes me what can be found in the words on the page!

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Week 2 of my "self-portrait every week".....done just now with towel-dried hair and no contact lenses in yet....now to get some collage "work" (play) done for the day...will post it here later. ("Later": that's it above!)

Domestic Goddess

Two more double pages to use an an altered book....

Both of these focus on the magic of ordinary life with dreams of travel and broader horizons.

Pages

It's not quite finished, but it is coming together now....

Loving birds of all kinds, I think the paisley above the glitter bird on the left could be the perfect wing...a silk tea bag now holds a captured butterfly. The tag of the tea bag says "Paris". Everything in soft colors, mostly robin's egg and soft cocoa.

Moleskine early summer page

This is a collage and journaling page combined.

Stream of thought writing across from a fabric scrap and a magazine clipping. My brother's 50th birthday this weekend. Live in the moment and enjoy!

[the page with the black writing has become like the calendar grid for June or like the grid of a patchwork quilt...the dotted lines could even be quilting stitches. the red dot in every other block brings some of the vibrance of the fabric scrap across the page! I had started to use the other side of the little torn scrap which featured lime green and black. It fell down this way....and I saw a connection to the softer colors of the butterfly wing along with the Zen feeling of the print...which goes with living in the moment!]

Daughter of Time (an altered book)

These are three double pages scanned from the altered book I am working on now...


this one, above is the month of May....with curtains of rain, sparkly pink sticker flowers, books to read, birds nesting and singing. A beautiful time...glorious outdoors or cozy indoors!

This one reminds me of fairy tales with swans and dancing princesses....wearing out their slippers! I added a sheer sequined embroidered overlay.


Here the focus is on a life which permits the making of this kind of art....to see, collect, remember and assemble images...."She had been shut away from the world" the text says. I added "While away the hours in your ivory towers"...perfect for the "daughter of time"! [from "The Games People Play" by Joe South]

Roses

Two scans from the altered book page I did today. The book had the word "Rose", so of course, I couldn't resist!
The word "garden" is also in the text.








I made a machine stitched pink tagboard envelope, then attached it with a ribbon between the pages to hold a bouquet of roses for the book's owner.

This is a scan of the double page without the hanging envelope. It is all about gardens and roses with a chair and some birds and china in there too! I am just so literal sometimes....the green filigree background is a rubber stamp.

Swashbuckling Soiree

A gathering of the most adventurous spirits on the high seas!!!! Hosted by Donna OBrien of The Ribboned Crown .





Our ruthless cut and paste queen has created these collages to celebrate the soiree!

The first uses the glitter of pirates' treasure to lure you aboard....even to the ruby in the skull on the invitation. Blood red roses and dripping pomegranates with jewel-like seeds are there to seduce your senses!







Opening the invitation reveals a swashbuckling Captain Hook, a parrot and the Sweet Potato Queen(in a glass of red wine) who is saying, "You were expecting, maybe, Johnny Depp?"




Note the instructions to "Lift" the wine glass...

Doing so reveals more pirates and parrots and our beloved Jack Sparrow who is ordering "drinks all 'round!"

With company and crew like this, the soiree will be unforgettable! (Don't you dare wear a glum expression or the scissor-wielding artiste will cut out your liver faster than Tinkerbell can escape from the bottle!)

Life is good....collaged page in altered book...(I am taking those wrinkles out of the chair!)





Flights of Fancy....



Feast your senses....rest....dream and it will come true.

An altered book page....it started with the large "O" in the text. I cut out the center and decided to do a page themed around "orange". First, I put and orange rose in the center of the "O". Then cirled special words from the text (like "chocolate candy", "rest", "smell of success", "succulent","juicy") to preserve them and painted the pages orange. Clipped art was then collaged onto the pages, along with a glittery butterfly sticker.

Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne"

This collage was inspired by the poetry and song of an artist!

Leonard Cohen was recently inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. I think he is more of a philosopher/poet than a rock-and-roll musician. The song he is most known for is "Suzanne".....

this collage is two pages wide...the left page has the aqua paper river and the person stepping from the pale sand into the water....lift the lace curtain and find the crucified Christ...not the walking on the water Jesus.....and a mermaid and a fish which is such a Christian symbol.

The right page has Suzanne....an interesting young woman, hippie clothes, bohemian decor, teapot, oranges, and purple...the color of intuition. I may still add a swimming swan to bring the river theme onto this page!

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This is a page from the moleskine....which I had misplaced for almost a year! This one done this year, is of a thistle and citrus. Sharp leaves and sharp taste of the lemon....all on a watercolor background.

More January pages

Two pages done yesterday...titled "Behind the Veil".

Cut and pasted using lace, wrapping paper, fabric and magazine illustrations.

I love PINK in the dead of winter!!!!!!

This cozy soft pink chair caught my eye....and the woman sipping tea.(though I need more exercise than sitting at the moment!)
Across the page, I have more pink, roses, dishes, and a "tie-in" to the spiral binding which is part of a commercial Valentine gift bag. I put rose colored glasses on the heart. The background of the tie-in is vintage mail...with postmarks...one return address has my name, "Lila"....
This young girl in her wonderful pink world is on the flip side of the tie-in!

MORE pink....the tied in postcard says "Frugal is such an ugly word"....collage features some expensive jewelry and silver...tea-drinking twins are saying "Fancy That"!

A Marie Antoinette character doll

This is a Marie Antoinette character doll. I made her in the 1960's from a kit by Mark Farmer Doll company. They supplied the bisque head, arms and legs and the gorgeous wig.

I used the pattern for her cloth body and period costume. I embellished her with faux pearls and rubies....and she is wearing a bejeweled fleur de lis necklace.
She is currently for sale on Ebay under Marie Antoinette dolls!

A new year a new journal

This is a fun time of year....starting with a blank journal! I remember reading in Loretta Marvel's column in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" that she has lots of journal scrapbooks going....the article was entitled "Tis blank...you're not". It was about jumping in and journaling in a blank book. One thing that was very freeing, she said you don't have to start at the front and do pages in any order....so this year, I may try to "loosen" up that way too and just open it and cut and paste!

However, this is the front piece just inside the cover....a portal page, if you will. The page features the Roman god, Janus who looks both ways. He is the god of doorways and portals.

My cover features a Buddha from a birthday card sent to me...I read and enjoyed "Eat, Pray, Love " this past year. As an armchair traveler, I use this card to represent those exotic places where Buddhist shrines and Hindu ashrams can be found! Meanwhile, I may plan a retreat to our local Benedictine monastery! MORE ramblings...

Year's End

The final page in last year's cut and paste journal....


this page evolved during the year...when I wasn't sure where to use an image it went here. It features a photo of my collage/acrylic self-portrait on canvas, and magazine clippings...nesting, resting, doing art and quilting... maybe some re-decorating and cooking.
A simple peaceful life is evoked.
As I begin my new journal in a blank 9x12 memory album, I will be doing more art and becoming more whimiscal in my self-portraits and illustrations...(that's the plan of the moment!)

Calling all mermaids

This is a collage page of mermaid images...the one in the center is the doll made by Tracie Rebsamen...others are ornaments or images from the Internet. The seashells spelling my name were done by Carmen!

Inner Child Magic and Creativity

Two of the last pages done in my first "cut and paste" art journal.....these images came together from magazine clippings and rubber stamps....as if the universe was sending me a message!!!

It is fun to look back today, New Year's Eve!

Art Journal pages from years back (auld lang syne?)

These are 2 collages done with magazine photos....they seemed to build themselves as if by magic....and I always loved the results....
...........of course having very arty photoshoots to begin the process doesn't hurt! These have a Celtic, "Mists of Avalon" feel to me....I enjoyed pullling out the old journal and browsing!

The Last Time I Saw Paris....

Still in progress, this is a collage on an 11X 22 canvas.

I am in the altered photo in front of the eiffel tower. (May 1971)

The antique Limoges charm of the beautiful lady is from Corey at Tongue in Cheek Antiques!

A fairy doll from down under

Look who I found flitting around in my garden after the mail came! (....and there was an open envelope from Australia lying on the lawn)

Alicia Cascade is her name....a midsummer fairie. She blends right in with the light greens of my maple and the lavendars of my hosta blooms!