Journal Page

I started out with a page that already had the background pasted down. I had done this weeks ago - using up a leftover scrap from a different project. While flipping through my inspiration boards, was captivated by "Woman in White Turban" by Charles Sebree and decided to use that image as my starting point.

The music sheet had already been painted with red acrylic paint and a thin layer of gesso. In order to further cover up the background, I mixed my craft acrylics with a touch of gesso for even greater opacity. I quite like how this page turned out.

DFL (-1)

Now if you know me, you know that I am not a runner. Have never understood that "high" runners talk about when they go out for an "easy 5 mile" run. Walk a 5K? Sure. No problemo.

So, why, oh why, have I decided that one of my goals this year is to run a 5K?

I started with the couch to 5K plan on Jan 2. Imagine my shock when I learned that I can actually walk faster than I can run. Huh? Gather this is true of all beginner runners. My 3 times a week training sessions have been on plan and going really well. So of course, I decided to throw a wrench on the entire plan by signing up for a 5K this past weekend. Never mind that my training so far had been indoors on a treadmill. Need I mention that there was no incline involved?

Yes it was true that I had not completed my final weeks of the training program, but the event I signed up for was a charity event - a fun 5K run/walk that benefited a local theater company. I would not be deterred.

To get ready for actually running outdoors, I had 2 practice training runs outdoors the week leading up to the event. On the first one I thought I was dying - could running outside be so very different from a treadmill? Discouraged, I came home to take stock. Turns out that I have no way to gauge my pace when outside. Unlike being on a treadmill, there are no big red numbers in front of me telling me how fast I am running. Turns out I was running about a mile and a half faster pace than I had been training. Aha. I can correct for that. My second (and final training run before the 5K) my right calf seized up and I painfully hobbled home. The lesson there was not to play a long game of racquetball and expect not to pay the price.

Never-the-less, I showed up early on Sunday morning, Babes in tow to boost my morale. It was cold. I mean below freezing cold. Believe the temp at the start was 29 deg F. But all that nervous excitement kept me from feeling the icy winds in my lungs.

I had 3 goals for the race:
1. Finish.
2. Run as much as possible.
3. 50 minutes or less.

Notice, that "have fun" was not a goal. A bit of fore-shadowing...

Started out fine. The jack rabbits were soon out of sight, but I the mighty tortoise would not be daunted. Onward. Then about a mile in my calf (yes the same one) seized up. Stretched it out and limped along painfully for a while. Would I be like some others around me and be a DNF? I think not. I could feel the Kenyan in me.

The results? Not only did I finish, I finished in 47:47:81. A personal best for me. I dug deep at the end and was not DFL. If only the Patriots had dug deep last night as well - but that is another story.

So, today I am feeling quite accomplished. Nursing along sore and leaden legs. Scanning the race blogs. Looking for my next 5K race.

Doodling #3

Happy February! Hope this year has been swell so far.

Here is the final of my three doodling pages for the Jan Sketchbook Challenge. I was playing with the idea of stained glass. Ink and watercolors.

Doodling #2

Here is doodle page number two for The Sketchbook Challenge this month. The pink acrylic wash was already on the page. The doodles were done in ink and colored with markers. I found doing this page quite meditative.

You gotta check this out.

If you been reading my blog for a while, you know that I am a huge TED fan, so imagine my delight when I found this animation of one of my fave talks. Thanks to Les H for the link.

Ira Glass on the Creative Process

I am always inspired by Ali Edwards. Saw this on her blog and love it so much, I wanted to share. So, so true.

Amazon Book Boycott

Okay, you might have noticed that all my books are no longer linked to Amazon.com but to Goodreads instead. Why you ask? Well I just read (how did I miss this?) that Amazon ran this special back in December:

This week Amazon.com announced that customers who go into bricks-and-mortar stores on Saturday, December 10, use the company’s smartphone price check app on select products, and then purchase that product from Amazon will receive a discount of up to $5.

Creative sales? Creative marketing? I just call it slimy. So no longer am I linking to them for books and will not buy any more books from them. Am putting that money into my local indie store instead.

Recent Reads

9. The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt
New author # 7. This is an unusual and delightful book. I love looking through scrapbooks, and this one tells the story of Frankie Pratt, a girl from New Hampshire who leaves home, travels, comes into her own, and returns home to find that what she is seeking has been there all along. Love all the vintage ephemera used to tell the story. A fun read.

10. The White Queen
This is the first book in The Cousins' War series. This is the first novel I have read about The War of the Roses - I am much more a fan of the Tudor period. This is full out Plantagenet warfare - cousin against cousin, brother against brother. The story is told from the point of view of Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who becomes the Queen of England. Quite enjoyed learning more about this period, but the writing does not hold up as well as her other books. That said, I will be reading the other books in this series.

11. A Game of You
This is graphic novel is #5 in the Sandman series, and I think it might just be my fave one so far. As usual I love the story and the graphics and even the fonts used. The story explores the breakdown between the dreaming and "real" worlds. What happens when you can easily shift from one to the other? How do you tell which one you are in? Love this book.

2012 reading goals:
Authors new to me = 12. YTD = 7.
2 books by Charles Dickens. YTD = 0

Maurice Sendak on The Colbert Report

How cool is this?
Part 1:


Part 2:

Journal Page

I like owls. There is something about those big eyes. And that they can turn their heads exorcist style. So cool.

Saw a pic somewhere of these felted owls as tree ornaments. Love the idea. A simple page using ink and markers.

Recent Reads

6. Print Workshop
New author #5. If you are an absolute beginner, this might be a good book to start with. It was too low level for me and while I liked some of the prints, was not really inspired by what I saw.

7. The Informationist
New author #6. I did not like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and did not continue to read the other 2 books in the trilogy. Since all the reviews I read linked these two books, I should have skipped this one. There are similarities between the books - the main character is an abused, traumatized young woman who solves a mystery. I did like the setting of this book - I don't often read thrillers set in West Africa, but that was about the only thing I liked. A fast read that kinda read like a video game - lots of action and slaughter. Not sure that I'll be reading the next in the series.

8. Aya of Yop City
This graphic novel is the #2 book in the Aya series. The story continues from where the last book ends, and the father of the baby is resolved. Like book #1, I enjoyed following the lives of Aya and her friends and am looking forward to seeing how the cliff hanger at the end of the book is resolved.

2012 reading goals:
Authors new to me = 12. YTD = 6.
2 books by Charles Dickens. YTD = 0

Bound for Vegas Travel Journal - Sneak Peek #2

It feels like winter in these parts, and I have started thinking about warm waters. Here is another sneak peak at my most recent travel journal.
Sketching gives me a chance to stare at fellow travelers.

Recent Reads

4. Divergent
New author #4. This young adult (YA) book as gotten rave reviews and I needed a quick read - a palate cleanser if you will - so dived in. Dystopian novels seem to be all the rage, both in adult and YA fiction lately. Wonder why. At any rate, I read this book in a day. Stayed up late to finish it. Tris is not as kick-ass as Katniss (Hunger Games), but you gotta root for a girl protagonist amidst all the boy centered books. The next book in the trilogy will be released this spring and is on my TBR list. If you're looking for a fun, fast read, check this one out.

5. Faith
I do not know why it took me so long to read this book. I heard the author speak at the BBF this year and I decided to bump the book higher on my TBR list, and am I delighted I did. I was braced for some tough stuff - the story is set around the Catholic Priest sex scandals in Boston. Like all great stories, the grander themes are explored using specific people - in this case an accused priest and his family. The story takes us into the lives of a family, dysfunctional in their own particular way, and we explore how things end up the way they do. Beautifully told. Loved every moment of reading it.

I'm delighted to have read 3 wonderful books in a row. Looking at my TBR pile to see what I'm going to dive into next. Are you reading anything good?

2012 reading goals:
Authors new to me = 12. YTD = 4.
2 books by Charles Dickens. YTD = 0

Journal Page

I find it interesting how the subconscious works. I started this page by slapping some paint down and drawing circles. Looking at it a couple of days later I see hints of my emotional state. There were several things going on that were making me crazy and I wanted it to stop. My journal page perfectly captures that.

I used fluid acrylics - they work surprising well with masks and stencils.

Atheism 2.0

I am always inspired by books that Alain de Botton writes, so was delighted to see his TED talk. I could not agree more.
You can see his talk here.

Stop internet censorship!

If you are in the US, please help stop this bill.
Thanks!

The Senate is poised to vote on a bill that would end the internet as we know it.

If it passes, the "Protect IP Act" (and its companion bill in the House, "SOPA") could put people in jail for uploading a video to YouTube and would severely limit our right to free speech.

This bill has been rushed through Congress because big corporate interests like Comcast, Pfizer, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have spent millions of dollars lobbying for this censoring legislation.

I told my senators to protect our free and open internet and oppose the Protect IP Act. You should do the same. You can sign the petition at the link below.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/internet_censorship/?r_by=-4970988-DkCbXAx&rc=paste1

Recent Reads

1. The Assassini
I can never resist a Vatican thriller. There are so many skeletons buried in their closets, and the more I learn about the history the more shocked I am. Well, this fun read is a fictional story about the intrigues in the Church as the Pope nears his death. This is an old school thriller - one that moves slowly. Not a wham bam thank you ma'am kind of a thriller, and I enjoyed losing myself in this world for a while. This is the first book I have read by this author and I would read more of his work.

2. The Emperor of All Maladies
This book won the Pulitzer and I tend to be skeptical of prize winners, but it is my book club selection for the month, so I dived in. I've read 137 books in the last 12 months and this one is the best of the lot. Finally a book written for adults! The book covers cancer in various ways: the historical, the political, the scientific, the medical, the personal, the victories, the failures, the hope and the deaths. It reads like a thriller and I loved every minute of it. First book by the author, and I can only hope that he continues to write.

3. Aya
I love graphic novels, especially ones with alternative perspectives. I quite liked this coming of age story set in the Ivory Coast. Growing up in Kenya, I learned all the typical things about the Ivory Coast - history, exports, geography, etc, but nothing about actual people on the ground. So I found this snapshot of a girl and her community interesting. This is the first book I've read by the author and I certainly read more of her work.

2012 reading goals:
Authors new to me = 12. YTD = 3.
2 books by Charles Dickens. YTD = 0

What are you reading?

World Book Night

Love, love, love this idea.
I just signed up as a giver. Let me know if you sign up too.

World Book Night

We need 50,000 book-loving volunteers to fan out across America on April 23, 2012! Just take 20 free copies of a book to a location in your community, and you just might change someone's life.

The goal is to give books to new readers, to encourage reading, to share your passion for a great book. The entire publishing, bookstore, library, author, printing, and paper community is behind this effort with donated services and time. And with a million free World Book Night paperbacks!

The first World Book Night was held in the UK last year, and it was such a big success that it's spreading around the world! Please volunteer to be a book giver in the U.S. Sign up now to be a book giver. Read more about World Book Night on this site, from the free book list to the FAQs.

Doodling

The sketchbook theme this month is Doodles. I don't often doodle. But had fun with this one. There is something meditative about line and color with no outcome in mind.

I decided to doodle over a double spread, so total size is 9x12 inches, which my scanner does not like, but you get the idea. This page was done with ink and watercolors.

It's the playoffs baby!

This weekend is all about football in our house. 2 games yesterday. 2 today. And what an incredible pair of games last night.

First up, the New Orleans Saints against the San Francisco 49ers. I was rooting for the Saints, and the first half did not look good. Everyone seemed to come alive in the 4th quarter. How the heck the Saints maintained such a close game with 5 turnovers is beyond me. The last 5 minutes or so of the game I was on my feet. Thought the Saints had it. Then no, they didn't. Then yes, they did. Then no, they didn't. They lost. What a game.

I barely had time to weep and shake off the stress. By the time the first game was over, the 2nd was already in progress. New England Patriots against Colorado Broncos. Home game for the Pats. Way below freezing temps - 6 degrees F. Brrr. What a game. Our defense seems to have changed overnight and sacked Tebow more times that I can recall. Pats all the way. A blow out. Sweet.

Now for the 2 games tonight. Need to remember to breathe.

Teenage Scientists

It warms my heart to watch kids, especially girls, get passionate about science.
To see the award winning young scientists click here.

Bound for Vegas Travel Journal - Sneak Peek

I know that you are probably wondering about the status of my Vegas travel journal. I loved the portability of the 6x6 inch size and got a chance to play in it daily. I still need to complete some of the pages, but here is a sneak peek to keep you going.

I woke up late one night to the sound of heavy rain. There is something magical about desert rain. Seems more special than rain back home for some reason. Love that clean, crisp air a heavy rain leaves behind. This page was created with ink, watercolor pencils, and a watercolor brush. Simple supplies that travel well.

Jan 18 Art Play Date

I'm organizing an art journaling get together on Wed Jan 18 at 7pm at The Java Room in Chelmsford, MA.

http://www.thejavaroom.com/index.htm

Bring along your current/recent journals for a show and tell.

Please RSVP by Tue, so I know to expect you.

Come out and play.

Journaling with kids

I made little 6x6 journals for my nieces, and we had art journaling sessions every day during my visit in December.

The girls love to paint, color, stick things in, and write in their journals. They loved the pockets I had made in my journal, so showed them how to do the same with security envelopes, and they had such fun making their own.

Their cousin, Neeya, was visiting for the holidays and sadly told me that they "had no journals in Michigan", and that she wanted to journal too. Love that.

I'll post videos of their completed journals when I get a chance.

You can see more pics from our journal time here.

Wildcard Weekend

It is the most wonderful time of the year. Wildcard weekend baby.

Of the 4 games on this weekend, there are 2 I really care about. Our house was divided during the Lions vs Saints game last night. Babes had on her new Lions Honolulu Blue shirt, and I kept singing: Oh when the Saints. Go marching in. Oh when the Saints go marching in ......

Such a fantastic game. The Lions could have won it. A good fight. Love that.

Recent Reads

Here are my final books of 2011:

135. Traveling with Pomegranates
I really wanted to like this mother/daughter travel log, but could not get into it. Finally abandoned it about 3/4 of the way through.

136. Nightwoods
This slim book is a wonderful read. The writing is cinematic - I can almost taste and smell the surroundings. The story of wounded people who find a home together. Simply lovely.

I've in the midst of several books that will make it to my 2012 list. So based on the numbers, I read 135 books last year. Less than some years. More than others. I've read about people who shy away from "thick" books so as to boost their count. Who are they doing this for I wonder?

2012 is the 200th birthday celebration of Charles Dickens. See more here. In celebration, I plan to read a couple of his books that are on my TBR list. In particular, will start with Bleak House. Other than that my plan is to read 12 authors new to me and to continue to immerse myself in great reads. Happy reading.

Happy New Year

There is something delicious about a new year. You know that feeling when you are out for a walk or snow-shoe, and there is a pristine snow covered field in front of you? Just waiting for your footprints? It's kinda like that.

And it is resolution time. You might now that I gave up on resolutions several years back. Instead I pick a word that captures my intention for the year. Last year my word was EXPLORE. And I can honestly say that I have learned and grown and explored terrains that were new to me. Physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, artistically, spiritually, geographically. Love that.

My word this year is LIGHT. Here are some definitions that sing to me:

• Something that makes things visible or affords illumination
• Luminous, radiant energy
• Luminary
• Spiritual illumination or awareness; enlightenment
• Mental insight; understanding
• Lighthouse
• Lightly; to travel light
• Of little weight; not heavy
• With no load or cargo carried; no baggage

May 2012 be the best one yet.

50 miles? Check.

I know you've just been on the edge of your seat waiting to see if I got in my 50 miles for this month. I gotta admit I was tempted to simply skip it. Had various things to take care of today and a fun date with my nephews. But I knew that it would bug me, and that is no way to start a new year. So, am happy (and quite pleased with myself) to report that I got in 50.56 miles. Yes, my legs are sore, but am so happy - think I mentioned that already.

To celebrate, I decided to chart my miles this year. If you recall, my goal was to walk 50 miles each month, and I squeaked that in some months. My grand total for 2011 is 714 miles. What an accomplishment to see it laid out like this. Little steps add up over time.

Happy 2012. May it be the best year yet.

Final push

One of the goals I've had this year was to commit to getting in at least 50 miles of walking every month. Some months are great and I am way over. Other months it comes down to the wire, and this is such a time.

I woke up this morning with 7.74 miles to go to meet my target of 50 and 2 days left in the month. I was too lazy to get bundled up and go out for a cold morning walk, so jumped on the treadmill instead. You know me you know my passion for books, and was I ever delighted to find an On Point podcast with the Best Books of 2011 waiting for me to listen to. Most of the books are already on my TBR pile. I've read a couple on the list, and was introduced to some new ones to add to my towering TBR list. You can see the On Point list here.

Okay 5.14 miles to go. Will I make it?

Recent Reads

131. Sandman Vol 3: Dream Country
I do believe this is my fave book in the series so far. Delightful.

132. Sandman Vol 4: Season of Mists
I am slowly making my way through this series. Slowly, because I do not want the series to end. Fun read.

133. The Defector
This is No. 9 in the Gabriel Allon series, and I'd suggest skipping it. It is boring, repetitive and lacks a cohesive story. Too bad really, as I have quite enjoyed the others in the series. Am keeping my fingers crossed that the next one in the series is better.

134. The Ice Limit
What are the odds that I would read two horrible books back to back? On a trip no less? I simply do not understand the rave reviews about this book. It is poorly written, lacks a strong story line and a thriller it certainly is not. Why did I finish it? The rave reviews gave me hope of something better around the corner. Did not happen. Skip it.

Happy Holidays

As much I love traveling, there is something wonderful about being back home.

This page was done in ink and markers. I saw this image in a mag somewhere, but cannot recall where. Let me know if you do so I can credit the creator.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with love, laughter and adventure.

Happy Solstice

It is the longest night of the year in these parts. The desert winds are howling outside my window as I write this. The sun is not up yet, and it does not seem like it will ever rise again. I can see how humans started offering sacrifices to the sun god. As a species we are not comfortable in the dark.

I am loving journaling sessions with my nieces. We spent a part of every day playing in our journals. Love that.

This page was done in ink and watercolors.

Night on the Strip

Vegas at night makes up for her sins of the day.

You can tell there is a recession on. This has to be the first time ever in all my trips to Vegas were I've not been annoyed by traffic and jostling crowds on the strip.

Random musings

From the road:

• Vegas is a fab place to watch sporting events. Found my way to the South Point casino for some fab football. So fun to watch great games with fans. And not just fans, but fans with money on the line. Having the Pats shut down Tebow on his home turf? Sweet. And boy, oh boy, did you catch that Lions game? Think I've got whiplash from watching several games at once. Oh, and did I mention the $2 drinks? Second hand smoke is on the house. All in all a wonderful way to watch football.

• So the Vegas Barnes and Noble, on Maryland Ave, has full time security. Asked around and learned that it not just for the holiday season - no stampedes at a book store I guess - he is there all year round. The store even has their special editions and multi-pack books (like the Harry Potter series) behind the cash registers. Kinda like cigs in a liquor store. So, I've been having fun imagining book thieves at work.

• Loving reconnecting with my brother and his family. There is something wonderful about kids around 8 and 9 years old. They are all there. Little people. We have the most fascinating conversations.

• What is it about women getting all dolled up for an event or dinner out, when the men they are with wear jeans? I heard once that women really dress for each other, not men. Have been thinking about that as I watch couple after couple who do this. This does not apply to European couples.

• While we are on couples, what is the deal with dressing up and paying for dinner at a high end restaurant only to sit across from each other and gaze deeply ..... into your smart phone? I say stay at home, order pizza and save the money for new apps.
  

• Vegas at night is worth all the drabness and depressing sights of the city in the day light. Think of Vegas as a vampire. Sunlight is not good for it.
  

Journal Page

Greetings from Vegas my pretties. Am jet lagged and hungry at strange hours, but loving getting to hang with my nieces. Today is the last school day before they break for a 2 week holiday so am looking forward to some fun days ahead.

I did a quick sketch of the house across from the bus stop the other day. What was I doing there? Waiting for my nephews who had early dismissal. Background acrylic wash was already on the page. Quick pen sketch. I still need to work on perspective. Not there yet.

Journal Page

I was inspired by this Geo Paper project, and decided to try it. I did not have Sumi ink, so used watered down black acrylics. I found painting this quite meditative.

I fly tomorrow and am looking forward to seeing similar landscapes outside my window.

Journal Page

I'm not always in the mood to draw what is in front of me, so while I was waiting for people to arrive decided to try "automatic drawings" ala Comfortable Shoes Studio. You can see her fun videos here.

Here are my faces. Quick and fun to sketch. Added watercolors when I got home.

Bound for Vegas Travel Journal (pre-trip)

One of the things I do to prepare for a trip is make a new travel journal. I decided to make this one 6x6 inches as I really love the portability of that size.

As usual I try to recycle as much as possible when I make a journal. The covers are cardboard covered with wall paper samples on the outside and scraps of wrapping paper on the inside. I used a piece of furniture swatch for the spine. The inside is made up of cheapo watercolor paper colored with cheapo acrylic paint, and vellum paper that I had bought ages ago. Also recycled a couple of envelopes I got in the mail. Decided to add photos to this journal, so started with some photos from my visit this time last year. Added stamping, collage material, stickers and labels. All bound with an easy pamphlet stitch and I'm good to go.

You can see a quick video of the journal pre-trip here.
You can see all my videos here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Journal Page

I've reintroduced my body back to the gym a week and a half ago, and oh can I tell that I have been a stranger to the gym for too long. There is much groaning as my sore and aching muscles adjust, but I feel great.

This page gave my brain a workout too. The idea is to draw the face/vase line on the left side (I am right handed), and the draw the right side as a mirror object. My brain stuttered several times. A great way to engage both left and right brains. Give it a try.

Spring 2011 Travel Journal

I love travel journals. Making them. Filling them. Seeing how other people do them. The possibilities are endless. Quite fun.

I had made a travel journal for a 2 week trip this spring and filled it up, but did not make a video because I had to figure out a way to hide personal pages. I spent some time marinating on the issue. I could simply remove the pages. I could put them into envelopes, or cover them in some way. My eureka moment happened when it occurred to me that I could simply fold the pages in half - easy enough to do since I used a ring bound book. This way the pages are in the right place in the journal, but still I have a measure of privacy. Viola!

The fun thing about a ring bound book, is that the pages can be re-ordered at any time and I don't have to use all the pages I start out with - so no leftover pages at the end. On this journal I did not add any of my photos - something I will explore with my next one.

You can see a quick video of the completed journal here.
You can read about how I created the journal and see the "before" video here.

Hillary rocks

To see why, click here.

Stories

I have always loved stories and story tellers, and I found a new story teller today. You can see her here.

Strathmore Online Classes

I quite enjoyed the three classes that Strathmore hosted earlier this year. Looks like they are doing it again for 2012. You can sign up here.

Recent Reads

129. The Relic
Have read good reviews about the Pendergast series, so decided to dive in with the first book, and found it a thrilling ride indeed. Reminded me a bit of Crichton's early work. Every time I see an exhibit in a museum, anywhere in the world, I am reminded of how much of the stuff was stolen and/or plundered. How can displaying mummies be anything other than grave-robbery? And yet, I appreciate the privilege that museums afford me. This story is about the "curse" of moving things to places they do not belong.

130. The Last Council
This much anticipated book #4 of the Amulet series does not disappoint. Emily and her friends find that there is no help to be found in Cielis. As a matter of fact, a competition (kinda like the Hunger Games) is about to ensue. My nieces (7 and 8) love this series, and I just bought the first book in the series for my nephew (9). Cannot wait for the next installment.

131. Sandman Vol 2: The Doll's House
I am slowly making my way though this series. It is a fun ride and the illustrations are fab. Have the next two books on my nightstand.

132. Best American Comics 2011
I find anthologies tough to read - there are some stories are that incredible and others that are so-so. This collection is no different - a mixed bag. What I really appreciated though was the chance to be exposed to artists that I had never heard of. There is value in that.

Art Journal Flip #2

To see a quick video of my recently completed art journal, click here.

For this journal, I decided to try a different size, and made a 6x6 inch book. It took a bit of getting used to, as I don't usually create on square pages. I love the portability of this size and will make journals like this again.

This handmade journal is so easy to make and uses recycled stuff. The covers are leftover illustration board, the spine is a fabric sample swatch, and the cover image is a junk mail postcard. I used cheapo watercolor paper for my signatures and bound the book together with a simple long stitch. As always, I feel quite fond of my filled journal and was reluctant to put it down to start a new one. Books become friends don't they?

You can see my other videos here.

Journal Page

I'm starting to get excited about my trip to Vegas to visit my nieces, my brother and his wife. Have not seem them since May, and we have 10 days to do nothing but play and reconnect. I have, of course, created a travel journal for the trip and plan on having journaling sessions with my nieces as we usually do. Will try to post a "before" journal video before I head out.

This page captures 10 things right now. Acyrlics, ink, makers.

Inspiration

As someone who has sat through more boring Power Point presentations than I care to recall, I love this idea. To see what inspired me today, click here.

Imaginary Animals #5

Halloween is a fave holiday in our house. There is something magical about being whatever you choose to be for a night. Most people think it is all about the candy - but I think it is the chance to dress up and be someone else.

What do you want to be for Halloween? A superhero. A vampire. A mermaid. The options are endless and much more interesting than the answer to that age old question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Vampire never seems to be an acceptable answer for that one!

This is one of my final pages for the imaginary animals series. Pen and marker. Love how an old, almost out of ink marker created that texture on the box.

Imaginary Animals #4

The thing about imaginary animals, is that once you start you cannot stop. There are so many fun possibilities. The inspiration for this one came from a bike part - of all things. Ink and markers.

Imaginary Animals #3

This all started with a magnifying glass. Why did I have it out? I was trying to read the teeny tiny writing on the nib of my fountain pen.

It looked like an eye. So traced around it and then added whatever seemed to fit. Ink and markers. Ah, the lusciousness of markers. Had forgotten about that.

Goodbye November

And just like that another month is gone. I know time is not constant, but dang it seems to be going by really fast. Except when I meditate. Then 6 minutes seems to last about 45. Maybe I should meditate more and see if that slows how fast the days are rolling by any. Will experiment and let you know.

I've been playing in my journal - have not scanned the new pages yet, but here is one that ended up nothing like I originally planned. Not that I had a plan to begin with. Simply started by drawing that fruit shape in the upper left and this is what I ended up with. Ink, acrylics, watercolors, markers. So fun. Hope you are getting in some play time too.

Reading with kids

Had a lovely day with my nephews yesterday. One of the fun things we did was stop at the library so Jonah could pick some books for us to read.

1. I Need My Monster
This was hands down our fave book yesterday. Luke (who will be 9 in a week) read it and loved it. I read it aloud to both boys over hot cocoa. A fun story that is wonderfully illustrated.

2. Bones and the Dog Gone Mystery
Jonah (who will be 7 in less an a month) read this one all by himself. Cannot even begin to tell you how proud I was to hear the words "detective" and "magnifying" come out of the little guy. He liked the story - it has a dog - one of his fave themes. He actually asked the librarian for books with dogs.

3. The Spooky Old Tree
Jonah read and quite enjoyed the illustrations and easy to read story.

4. Buzz Boy and Fly Guy
Jonah picked this book for the ride home and Luke read it aloud to us. Cute little story about friendship and self-publishing.

Happy Thanksgiving

Bucking tradition, we are having pheasant instead of turkey this year. It is a beautiful day and I for one have lots to be thankful for.

This is a quick sketch of my sister done while she was flipping through travel books at the bookstore.

Ink on a background of acrylic wash.

Art Play Date

I met up with a member of the local art journal meetup group this past weekend for a play date. I usually assign a prompt and we get together and share what we created.

The prompt this week was to draw/sketch/paint/capture an object in your home. Then bring that object to the meeting for a sketching session.

This is the object Monique drew in her sketchbook and brought along. I did a quick pen sketch and added shading with a watercolor pencil and water brush. At home I added the stamped text and a bit of journaling. Love how it turned out. You can see my object page here.

Recent Reads

126. The Catcher in the Rye
My book club had a lively discussion about this book this past weekend. My first time ever reading the author and I loved this book. I was the only one in the book club who had not read this book when they younger, and I wonder if that affected how I felt about it. I kept putting the book down, not wanting it to end. A coming of age story, filled with teenage angst and despair. I loved the writing, and the story got a hold of me from the very start. A young man who does not want to grow up and be a "phony" adult, and loose the innocence of childhood. I smile to think that this book was once banned for racy language and themes - seems so tame compared to what kids are reading these days. Am going to add all of Salinger's works to my TBR list.

127. Sketchbook Confidential
I love books that give me a glimpse into how artists use their sketchbooks, and loved this book. A wide range of artist styles are covered with both photos and thoughts about the sketching process. Chock full of inspiration.

128. Habibi
At about 680 pages, this weighty tome of a graphic novel is as satisfying as it is hefty, and is an wonderful example of this adult genre. Loved the story, and the illustrations are fab. This might be my fave book by the author so far. You can watch a quick interview with the author here.

Imaginary Animals #2

Another page for the sketchbook challenge this month.

This cutie lives with me and was found abandoned at the marina a couple of summers ago. Pen and watercolors.

Dystopia

I loved the Hunger Games trilogy - especially the first two books. Dystopian books are all the rage at the moment. To get your next fix look no further than here.

Lovely Sunday

We are lucking out with some fab weather for November this year. Weeks of temps in the 60s - love it.

Today is another such day. The sun is shining. My body feels good after a walk in the fresh air. The house smells wonderful - salmon frittata anyone? Music. Waiting for my book club gals to come over for a fun afternoon romp.

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday too.

Food for thought

It always surprises me when I meet people who find science boring. Maybe they are upset by all the math.

How long has humankind chased the holy grail of eternal youth? Since the very beginning, when we realized that we die probably. You can listen to a fascinating talk by Cynthia Kenyon on experiments that hint at the possibility of longer lives here.

Journal Page

I sketched this girl at the local Barnes and Noble store during the power outage a couple of weeks ago.

One of the fun things about that week was how everyone suddenly talked to everyone else - we were all in the same boat. Cafes and book stores were filled as people came in for coffee, food, or wifi access. Made me think again about the cafe culture in Europe when all the writers, painters, artists got together for long hours every day in cafes to talk, challenge and inspire each other. The did not have heated Mc Mansions with flat screen TVs to hide away in.

Makes you wonder no? What have we lost? What have we gained?

Recent Reads

121. Bossypants
Tina Fey tickles my funny bone, so was delighted to discover that she reads this memoir. I listened to the audio version and there are parts that are laugh out loud funny. Not that surprising really if you know Tina's work.

122. The Art Journal Workshop
This is a good book if you are just starting out with art journals. Traci shows you step by step how she creates her journal pages. While I really like her style, I found the book to be somewhat repetitious - the pages look pretty much the same with different color and collage schemes.

123. Sandman Vol 1 (Preludes & Nocturnes)
I love comics (aka graphic novels) and decided to try this series. I love the colors and graphics and the story is good as well. I've got the next couple of my bedside table.

124. One Drawing A Day
This book is a 6-week course to jump start your creativity and has some interesting exercises. There are examples of different ways to capture objects in a multimedia manner.

125. Painted Pages
I always like to see how people use their sketchbooks - whether as a final product or as a sketch of some future work. While I found the book colorful and full of ideas on how to do just that, I do not particularly like the author's style of work.

Imaginary Animals

The sketchbook challenge theme for this month is Imaginary Animals.

We recently visited the Pompeii exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston. I loved it. It is an amazing thing to me that artifacts buried over 2000 years ago are now in front of me in Boston. If you are in the area, I'd highly recommend it.

I saw this creature at the exhibit. The earthenware bowl had these guys as feet. How cool is that?

Maine Day Trip

My sister is visiting for a couple of weeks, and we've been having a fun time. In addition to lots of lobster dinners, we spent a day exploring Southern Maine - a state she claims to never have visited. We spent a lovely fall day in Kennebunkport, Wells, Perkins Cove and Ogunquit. You can see more pics from our outing here.

Recent Reads

117. Tokyo on Foot
I love travel journals and loved this one. The author spent 6 months in Japan and captured his experiences with a sketchbook, pens and colored pencils. Delightful.

118. Artist's Journal Workshop
This gem of a book is the newest one from Cathy Johnson, and I loved it. The book is unusual in that it does not start with a materials review, but rather a discussion of why one keeps a journal. What follows are pages of ideas, inspiration, suggestions and examples of journal pages kept both by the author and others. Am sure this is a book I will dip into again and again.

119. Fray
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Joss Whedon wrote books. I quite enjoy his shows, so decided to give this book a look. It is typical Whedon - futuristic setting, strong yet vulnerable young woman who finds her destiny as a slayer. Beautifully illustrated. Can only hope that there are more of this series to come.

120. The Night Circus
An unusual circus is the setting for this interesting story. There are magicians who use trickery and then there are magicians who can do magical things. The story is about the latter. Two young kids are trained in different traditions of magic and then are used as pawns to determine which master is better. That they fall in love complicates the duel somewhat. This is a delightfully spun yarn about magic, dreams, hopes, family, love and destiny.

Journal Page

My sister is in town for a visit, and we are having fun exploring and catching up. We've had a fab weather window - great for being outside.

Here is a page I made prior to her visit. I find that I'll do just about anything other than vacuum - in this case I did a quick sketch of the vacuum cleaner. I did get the cleaning done after the sketch, so everyone was happy.

Journal Page

I've started a new journal - back to the 9x6 size and love it. Will post pics when I get a chance.

Owl Cookies are a Halloween tradition and I eagerly await the box of cookies every year. This year we were in A2 in September and I helped Jane make them - easy, tasty and fun. Yum. Of course I ate my way through my stash on the ride home, so need to make another batch soon.

Journal Page

We've finally got power back - after 5 days. Grateful for the little things like that today. The simple act of flipping a switch and something happens.

I love graphic novels (aka comics) and quite liked this one. Tried to capture some of the drawings.

Power Outage Day 3

Night 4. Thank goodness it is Oct and not late Jan or Feb with frigid temps. The latest forecast is for the power to be back Thurs night.

On the positive side, I've had ice-cream for breakfast ad lunch today - simply cannot let my fave flavor (Bear Claw) melt away. And there are plans for a big surf and turf cookout tomorrow. Yum.

Yes this is inconvenient, but really not that bad. It's kinda like late fall camping, only so much much cozier.

Happy Halloween

Day 2 without power. The snow brought down trees and power lines all around town. Went for a hood walk yesterday to access the damage and it is pretty bad. We've got 2 big limbs down in the back yard, but no damage.

Nothing to do but wait for the power to get restored. Last night bundled up, lit lots of candles, made a pot of tea, and snuggled in bed with babes, my book light and a good book. I realize that I look better in candlelight :-)

Trick or treat has been canceled in our town tonight due to downed trees and power lines. That is a bummer.

Story Cutting

"We all need stories to make sense of the world", says Beatrice Coron, and she creates stories with paper. I love how artists are inspired to create art is so many forms. Prepare to be amazed by her work here.

Journal Page

We've got a winter storm headed our way - and it is only October! Forecast is for about 6" of snow. Have I mentioned that it is only October? What happened to Fall? I barely had time to enjoy it.

This journal page was created with pen and watercolors - my usual mo. It is interesting to sketch directly in ink - which is how I usually do it. No erasing that way. Makes it a freer sketch which I like. Gourds are pretty no?

Journal Page

Sometimes I feel creative and sometimes I don't. Am on a creative roller coaster at the moment, and have started a project that is taking much of my juices. But since it is a gift, I cannot talk about it for another month or so. Stay tuned.

Tis the season for pumpkins. The one on the dining table is on a leaf shaped platter. Love the contrasting colors. Pen and watercolors.

Journal Page

One of my goals this year was to get over my fear of drawing faces. Well, would not say that the fear is gone, but am certainly more comfortable doing it. Have more faces in this journal that ever before, and now can really see how faces are similar and how they are different. Progress.

This page has my usual mo - pen and watercolors.

Recent Reads

114. Goodbye Chunky Rice
I liked this graphic novel. It explores themes of friendship, home, travel and the search for one's place in the world.

115. Syncopated
Another graphic book - an anthology of non-fiction picto essays. This is an interesting collection, with some of the artist entries more compelling than others. Worth a read though.

116. Turn of Mind
There seems to be a collection of recent releases that have to do with memory loss in one way or another, and I really liked this one. This is the story of a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I found it quite a tense read and was never really sure of what was real and what was not - quite an adept writing style, as it put me in the mind of the person losing her memory. This story gave me lots to think about. Who are we without our memories? Who can we trust? Can we even trust ourselves? The idea of the "mind rotting inside the head" is an image that has stuck with me.

Journal Page

I attended the Boston Book Festival this year and so loved it.

Here are the sketches I made that day. Both pages had acrylic paint backgrounds and I used my trusty sharpie pen to quickly sketch people around me. The first sketch was made while seated, and I was standing in line sketching for the second one. A first for me.

View - of Wacky Candy

This is a view of the Wacky Candy store at the Topsfield Fair this year.

This is the first year that I have been disappointed with the fair. Maybe it was because I was there on a weekday - but the fair seemed rather drab and all about carni stuff and junk food. Not sure that I'll be going next year.

Journal Page

I recently read this book, and loved the style the artist used to capture people.

So, took out my journal to try and see how he does it - sometimes with so few pen strokes. The line is really different when I use a brush pen. Had fun with these pages.