Me ~ My Journal ~ My Family la la la la la

Happy Days with my family!! It happens to be my 13th Wedding Anniversary today....whooo hooo & yes we ate more ice cream today. I'm going to have to stop that soon, mmmmmmmm maybe next week when I get back home(O:

On an artistic note, my journal page "Bathing Beauties" has changed quite a bit since I took this photo this morning. I will post updates tomorrow.

"Doodles In The Sun"

Today I spent a lot of the day under my umbrella on the beach working on my "Bathing Beauties" page in my journal. The weather was just gorgeous here in OBX, NC, 88 and sunny. It was so relaxing and such a great start to our vacation. We finished up the day by having steamed lobsters for dinner and then walking into the town of "Duck" to get an ice cream cone for dessert. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial weekend!!

"Bathing Beauties" progress day 2

This photo is showing the progress of my "Bathing Beauties" journal page on day 2. It is beginning to have some of the richness I like in my pages. I did this in the car today so I didn't really get to do a lot of fine detail due to bumps in the road (if you know what I mean). I like to be very still when I am doing the fine details so I will begin details tomorrow after a good night sleep! Until then.........

"Sensational Sun" progress day2

After driving 10 hours to we have arrived at the beach. This is a photo of the progress of my "Sensational Sun" page in my journal. This was done while we were driving.

"Bathing Beauties" journal page in progress

Have a look here at this new two page spread of my "Bathing Beauties" in progress. This is just another paged I prepared for embellishments while I’m at the beach next week!! I love working in this collage medium. Basically I am creating shadows with patterns. I always use a photograph to go by when I do this to get the shadows somewhat realistic. I have done some large canvas pieces in this style and I loved them so much that it motivated me to go on and teach it to my Art Students. This is the first time I am doing it in my journal so it will come out a little differently. On the canvas pieces I would pour a two part resin on top of the finished painting to give it that shiny lacquer. I can’t do that with a journal so this will be an interesting project for next week. I will just have to see how it all turns out.

These images happen to be of my girls at the beach last summer. I pulled them both into one scene for the two page journal spread.

"Sensational Sun" in progress

I am so excited, I am leaving for the beach on Saturday for a week. I can't wait to step out of the house and onto the sand with my bag full of pens and journals. I am so ready to sit on the beach under my big orange umbrella listening to the sounds of the waves. A few cold drinks and my art supplies with keep me there for hours.

These photos are of some of the pages I am preparing ahead of time so I can spend the week at the beach embellishing them with words and details. I'm trying to get the messy work done in the studio before I go that way all I have to do is bring my pens to the beach. This is the progress so far. I will have my laptop with me so I'll be checking in with my blog throughout the week with updated photos.

"My Flapper Ladies" journal pages

These images were inspired back in 2008 by the film "Changling" with Angelina Jolie. I was so taken with the costume and set designs. I think I may have been a flapper myself in a past life!! I came across them while rummaging through my studio and couldn't help but want to add them to this journal. They are so different from what I'm doing right now but it's a nice break in my journal to see such an unexpected set of ladies in the middle of my more collage style pages. Hey, when you add a little text to a piece of art it just seems to fit right it.

"When It Rains It Pours"

This journal page was a way for me to relieve a little stress. I am really one of those people who never procrastinates. I like to get things done because when they begin to pile up it completely stresses me out. All I can think about is how much time it's going to take me away from my art so I am generally quite on top of things. The only things I ever seem to put on the back burner or leave until the last minute are things like renewing my drivers license & greencard etc... which are really the most important types of things. Unfortunately this is what happened to me this week. Please forgive me for venting, I promise to have much more important and interesting things to report about!

Have an inspiring day(O:

~Rebecca~

"Treasured Moments"

This was a really fun journal page. I wanted to capture this memory of me with my girls. Of course they were pretty much looking over my shoulder a lot of the time when I was working on it. This page was done with an old pen and ink illustration of mine surrounded by some watercolor washed pages and some patterned images. I could draw 24 hours a day. Drawing doesn't seem to get old, it's always an escape even if commotion surrounds me. Today we are off to the pool so we will see if I can get some work done without getting splash marks on my journal. If I do I will make it work with my design. See you soon!

"Summer Day's In The Studio With My Girls"

~It's so nice to have my girls home for summer vacation and they have already begun ART projects of their own~

"My Rock Garden" Journal page

"My Work In The Garden"

These are some photos of My Rock Garden. Now I just need to wait for all the buds on the red and yellow rose bushes to bloom. I will be going to the beach next weekend for a week and one of my favorite things to do is go for really long walks collecting sea shells. My plan is that when I get back home I can finish off My Rock Garden by lining the edges with the beautiful sea shells I find.

"I'm Blushing" Journal Page

This page has been dedicated to post earlier this week about "The Strangest Thing Happened To Me".

Finding "Elephants & Henna" in India

Last year I went to India, my husband had been sent there for 3 months for work. I was beside myself excited when I found out I was going to visit him for his final 9 days before coming home. The colors and fabrics were breath taking. I shopped everyday when I was there and could have literally opened a boutique when I got back. One of the things I brought back with me was "Henna". My girls and I have loads of fun in the summer writing all over ourselves! These are a few pictures from India.

"Another Day of Journaling & Henna on My Foot"

I have realized that although I love my art to be busy and full of detail, I'm going to have to calm down a bit. Only when I plan to use a piece of art work in my journal that is because this way my words can be seen a little better. These pages are fun and full of chaos!! I can read them in real life but in the photos it's much more difficult. Once again..... a light bulb moment happened for me today. One day I will have the most fabulous journal with words you can actually see and read!! It's such a blast to learn from yourself by trial and error when you find a new medium to work in. I have done art my whole life but journals........well journals are a breath of fresh air and SO what I have been looking for!! I am really glad to have found another artistic thing that I truly enjoy!!!!! My Art is My Oxygen(O: