Creative Cat

Been having a fun time playing with oil pastels in my visual journal.
Here is a sampling.
(click on image to enlarge)

Waiting for Spring













Lazy Morning









Outside My Window

Niece Art

I always have various journals going, and while visiting with my nieces in Jan, I had with me one of my travel journals. I think kids are fascinated by whatever it is that the adults around them are doing, and my nieces found my journal intriguing. Here is some art that the twins created.
(click on image to enlarge)

Prison Break

The wonderful thing about not watching shows on regular TV, is that I don't have to watch all the commercials. Started watching the first season of Prison Break this week - and really like it. It is different and interesting - story about a man who was framed for murder and on death row. His brother commits a crime so he can get incarcerated in the same prison, and he has a plan to bust them both out. The blue prints of the prison layout and his plan are tattooed on his body – in code (very cool concept). An interesting ride, and worth a look.

My only complaint – the women characters are really nothing more than cardboard cutouts and annoying. Oh, and did I mention that the guys have great bodies?

Jellies

Jellies @ the New England Aquarium

I Feel Bad About My Neck:

And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman, by Nora Ephron

This was my book club’s book this month, and though it was a light-hearted, slim volume, it sparked an interesting discussion.

The Book: A quick and light read – not deep or preachy. I like her movies and this is the first work by her I’ve read. I like her style of writing – the book almost felt like a conversation with an older sister over decadent chocolate. In my view her overall message was: Enjoy and appreciate what you have while you have it.

The Book Club: It was interesting to hear how the women in my group think about aging. Sample of topics discussed: how aging is different for us than our mother’s generation, how the amount of time and money spent on maintenance increases as we get older, how body parts start to hurt as you get older (and apparently a miracle pill available), etc.

Something to chew on – what is the root drive behind anti-aging products (other than the $ made by those industries). Is it to really to look younger? Or is the goal to somehow prevent aging, and in that way not get closer to death?

I love the new Dove campaign. Check it out here.

Look Forward Into Your Life

Been playing in my visual journal.
Here's a page I created this morning.
(click on image to enlarge)

The Language of Line

Here is something to try:

"Make single continuous-line marks that express each of these words: angry, joyful, confused, sad, bored, excited, silly and serious. Are your marks similar to mine?"

From "The New Creative Artist" by Nita Leland
(click on image to enlarge)

Levels of Abstraction

Page from current visual journal.
Done is 3 steps on 3 separate days:
1. Lay down an acrylic wash
2. Draw with waterproof pen
3. Color added using colored pencils


(click on image to enlarge)

"Kamleika"

Page from my current visual journal.
Had never heard of people using intestines as clothing - really a beautiful work of art.
@ PEM
(Click on pic to enlarge)



Alutig or Unangan artist
Overcoat, ca. 1825
Alutian archipelago, Alaska.
Sea lion intestine, dyed esophagus

Scrapbooking Reads

Recently read:

1. What About the Words: Creative Journaling for Scrapbookers, by Memory Makers Books
2. The Altered Book Scrapbook, by Susan Ure
3. Imperfect Lives: Scarpbooking the Reality of Your Everday, by Tara Governo

The great thing about libraries is the constant access I have to new books. Every trip to the library is like Christmas morning - yup I do get rather giddy about the whole thing. Recently found these books on scrapbooking. Since I got Adobe Photoshop for Xmas one year, have gone almost totally digital with my scrapping, and I am always in search of new ideas and inspiration.

I find that most scrapbooking books and magazines feature layouts with loads of stuff - usually too frilly or fussy for my taste. Bad photos are bad photos, and my focus is more on my photos than on all the stuff. An interesting idea while reading one of the books was the idea of scrapping the not joyous or happy moments. As a journal keeper, I certainly write about the good, the bad and the ugly, but I certainly do not capture photos of the not fun stuff. Who does? So an interesting idea: layouts that capture the breakup, the fight, the loss, etc. Certainly gives me food for thought.

Sudoku

My latest discovery - Sudoku.

I know people discovered this several years ago, but while on a trip to Vegas in Jan, my brother and his wife got me hooked. And I mean hooked. There is something strangely addictive and rewarding about this game. The game requires no math skills - if you can count from 1 to 9, you have all the math skills you'll need. It's a game of logic.

Went out and bought a beginner book the other day. There is something strangely compelling about seeing results so quickly. I mean, where else in life is the feedback and instant gratification so great? :-) Yup, I'm hooked.

Recharging Batteries

Recently felt like there was not enough color in my life. All the dry technical stuff I deal with at work was not charging my batts. I really needed some COLOR. Know what I mean?

Took myself on back to back dates to the PEM and MFA.

Aaaaah. How soothing to the soul. Felt like the jet stream changed course and brought light and color back into my life. Exactly what I needed. Got recharged, inspired, rejuvenated and creative. Been happily playing with all my supplies since.

If you’ve not taken yourself out on a play/artist date lately, what are you waiting for?
Like the Nike ad says, “Just Do It”.

Cartoon Terrorists?

Could not agree more with this article:

Boston went looney tunes

February 4, 2007

BY NEIL STEINBERG Sun-Times Columnist

So the Boston authorities panic and go crazy reacting to some dumb blinking signs scattered around the city, promoting a new cartoon. Blinking signs that didn't cause a ripple of concern in Chicago or eight other cities.

And it's supposed to be the fault of the network placing the sign?

I don't think so. If I walk through security in an airport, and a guard decides that my Moleskine notebook looks like a bomb because it is small and black and has an elastic band trailing off it, and they arrest me, evacuate O'Hare, divert all incoming flights for two hours, and shut down the whole U.S. transportation system, is that my fault?

Overreaction by the government is routine, but should not be accepted. Yes, these are scary times. But that doesn't mean we've outlawed whimsy. Terror bombs have not, to date, displayed flashing cartoon characters, and it was not irresponsible to set such signs out in public. We're still a free country, sort of, and might just continue to be, if we stand our ground.

See full article

Flossing

I know I should do it.
I know that it is good for me.
It's easy to do.
I have loads of floss lying about.
Yet, I simply cannot do it.
What gives?!

My dentist has informed me that I have lovely teeth, and cavities is not my problem. However, if I want to keep these lovely teeth in my mouth I should floss! Guess my ancestors had no problems with cavities, but hard a hard time convincing their gums to hold on to those teeth!
Reminds me of seeing my grandparents dentures in a glass on the bedside table. Was I the only one freaked out by that? What alien life form is this - that takes out their teeth when they go to bed?

Each week I start anew with my resolve to floss. I did today. One day down.
How many to my next dental cleaning? A place I go to get scolded about not flossing. Like I'm five. Sigh.

Lazy Days

Rafiki loves this spot in my study. As he gets older, lying on a heating pad feels good on his old bones. He has certainly taken over my desk. In my next life I want to come back as my cat.
(click on pics to enlarge)































Professional cat on closed course. Do not attempt!

“Next”

by Michael Crichton

“Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why a chimp fetus resembles a human being? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction--is it worse than the disease?

We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps, a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars and to test our spouses for genetic maladies.

We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes...

Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn.

Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and the bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect.

The future is closer than you think.” Quoted from book description.

I found this a fascinating read – more for the content than the writing itself. Opened up interesting questions of ethics, science, morality and faith. Though Crichton writes about interesting topics, lately his writing has deteriorated. Caused by a deadline maybe? If he would only write as he is capable of, his books would be wonderful.