Live in the Sunshine

It's been blizzardy here.  We had about 15 inches of snow.

We had school cancelled today and tomorrow because of the snow.  Before that I was at home sick for the 2 days prior.  I'm starting to get stir crazy!  I'm actually a bit bummed about having school cancelled the day before winter break (I know, that sounds crazy).  Usually the last day before school gets out, everyone is in a super cheery mood, lots of treats and excitement, handwritten Christmas cards from kids, and we were going to have our Market Day (where the kids sell their handmade crafts and sweets for each other.)   I have a pile of gifts and cards to give to some of the school staff and my student helpers.

So today I stayed home with my darling daughter and we played outside a little bit and made some chocolate pretzels.  Isn't she sweet in her kitty hat?  And catching snowflakes with her tongue, so precious.

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote from Emerson.  I had been working on this collage painting for awhile and it seemed fitting to finish it today on a very dreary blizzard day.  

This is a hybrid art journal page.  The collage elements were physically cut and pasted in my journal. Then I scanned the page and added letters using Photoshop.

This is a collaborative art journal page made with my daughter.  She and I drew on the page with water soluble colored pencils, added water and spread the colors around.  Then, I collaged scrapbook papers and a sticker around the border.  Finally, I added acrylic paints to tone down some of the colors.  I'm in the process of adding words and other imagery to this page.

I signed up to do Reverb, but I haven't really done too many.  I did one or two as a journal page, but then sent that off somewhere and didn't take a picture of it.  Reverb gives you questions to reflect on from the year, to close out the year and start the next anew.

Reverb #6:   Compare the “you” from the beginning of 2012 to the “you” that you are now. What new skills or talents have you learned or discovered this year?  I have learned a few things about writing articles and interviewing artists for Featuring magazine.  It has been a great learning experience and a thrill to see my articles in print!  I learned the basics of Adobe Illustrator to create a design for my school.  I dabbled in glass fusing at a local shop and tried it with my elementary students.  I have learned to recognize my limits.  I have discovered that I have an abundance of ideas that I want to do someday, but I need to just pick one and go with it.  I've learned that when submitting your artwork to publications or competitions, rejection is a part of the process and that process shouldn't define my artwork or minimize my enjoyment.

Reverb #9:  What was the best book you read in 2012, and why? (And by "Why?" I mean: Why did you read it? And why was it your favourite? Although these answers could be one and the same...!)

The best book I have read this year was The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  Charming story, amazing cross-hatched drawings!  I love everything about it.  The movie was good too.  If you have not read it, take a look at it if only for the beautiful pictures.


Reverb #13:  Please post your favourite picture of yourself from 2012, self-portrait or otherwise!
This is one of my favorites because it reminds me of my trip to New York for the National Art Education Association conference.  What a blast!  This night I think was the night I walked about 50 blocks across New York city.  The lights.. the people.. so much going on.

More Reverb coming later!!

Linking to some of my favorite places:
Art Journal Every Day
The Answer is Chocolate
It's a Hodgepodge Life
Paint Party Friday