Creative Jumpstart, Jan. 5

The video today for Creative Jumpstart is by Michelle Rydell: 7 step journal recipe. I LOVE this technique - 7 steps… it gives structure yet leaves lots of room for interpretation. For this journal page I followed very closely to what Michelle did, including striping the background paints, choosing three magazine (in my case, old diary) pictures, used circles for the background, and followed mostly her examples for "doodles". (note: the black arc at the bottom of the page is not part of the page - it has curled and this is a deep shadow off page…). I'm sure the next time I follow this "recipe", I will use a bit more of my own creativity, but I'm very happy with the way this turned out, and, I learned a lot!

Art Journal - AWE(some)

It's almost Christmas, 2015. Up until now, I've used this blog mostly for Zentangle dare and challenge entries, but I want to begin writing about the rest of the art and creative journeys I'm experiencing. Who would have thought that at 60+ I would be spending so much time enjoying and exploring various artistic venues? and meeting so many new and wonderful people! First a quick summary. In 2011 I discovered Zentangle inadvertently at a quilting show. Long story short, I fell in love with it and got Certified as a Zentangle Teacher in Rhode Island in 2012. I've taught a bit, mostly small groups or individuals (and friends) who reach out to me. I'm retired and so this for love (and pocket money), not as a business. The best part of being Certified though is that it allows me to join in with other CZT's at meetings, get-togethers, focus groups, and conferences. I've met an amazing number of absolutely wonderful people! This is a truly wonderful, creative, supportive, interesting community. I wish I had been blogging about my experiences much earlier. This year alone, I went to a "Tropical Tangled Garden" workshop in Elora, Ontario, hosted by Brenda Shaver-Shahin, and taught by Cherryl Moote; "CanTangle: in Regina, hosted by Lisa Heron, with numerous teachers including Margaret Bremner, Laura Harms, Bette Abdu, Cris Letourneau, Molly Hollibaugh, Lisa Heron, and Brenda Shaver-Shahin; and "Camerida", hosted by Chris Titus and taught by Patti Shaffner, Sonya Yencer, Cherryl Moote, Chris Titus… This workshops were awesome and inspiring, but the people, the swag, the food and accommodation, the energy… that's what makes these experiences life changing. So in 2016 I'm planning on taking this journey a bit further. To start with, I've joined the FB group "Our Tangled Lives 2016" and will be doing my first art journal. There was a pre-prompt for those of us who are anxious to start, to choose a word as an intention for 2016. My word is AWE(some). Awe is a reverential fear or wonder. It's a word I picked painted on a pebble at CanTangle (that pebble travels with me in my Zentangle kit); it's a word that has applied to this years experiences, and it's a word I'm carrying into next year. I'm in AWE of Rick and Maria and the Zentangle world they have introduced and nurtured. I'm in AWE of all the truly wonderful people in the Zentangle Community who keep sharing and giving encouragement! I'm in AWE of the fabulous Zentangle art I see every day! But most, I am in AWE of what I am able to create and open my heart to!