Archives

I must admit that I really really like this spread in my Art Journal. I enjoy what emotions it brings in me.
Why ? I have to confess you something… unfortunately, making a journal page (especially when it’s a spread) takes me usually at least two days to finish (when I use paint etc even more). Because I never get the possibility to stay on it for a straight amount of time; I have to let it and come back to it later (that’s the mama life, I guess). It’s very frustrating. But… I know it’s just a question of time, so I go with it.

This one was thought, sketched and colour during the same day. What an achievement for me ! Moreover, I dedicate this page to my Soul-Sister Cocotte, she should know why 😉

Again this time, it came from a song (you’ll begin to think that only songs inspire me. I promise it’s not the case).
Indeed, I already have a theme in mind but didn’t know what to do with it exactly. I wanted a woman, tall, confident. And the chorus of a song came in my mind. This was it.

As usual, click on the pictures to enlarge them. Here it what it says (if my handwriting is not very clear):

“Life’s a game but it’s not fair
I break the rules so I don’t care
So I keep doin’ my own thing
Walkin’ tall against the rain
Victory’s within the mile
Almost there, don’t give up now”

This is perfectly my vision and what I currently feel: I am like the bamboo in the storm, I bend but I don’t break, I feel the rain and the wind but they don’t affect me to the core.
You can see Life as a perpetual fight in which you’re eventually the loser (because of Death, or you can decide to live it by staying strong no matter what obstacles are put on your road. I don’t say it’s easy, because it’s obviously not. But it’s a matter of perspective. And of will. And of perseverance. And of determination.

Our life directly results from how we consider it.

Media used: fluid acrylic paint, watersoluble crayons (Neocolor II by Caran d’Ache) & twinkling h2o

First of all, I want to thank you from the deep bottom of my heart for all the awesome and lovely birthday wishes you sent me yesterday; like I said on my Facebook , I felt like a rock star 😉
Thank you Thank you Thank you ♡♡♡

You know what makes me happy ? Touching lightly my journal pages to find the greasy sensation of oil pastels, the cracks, the fabric sometimes… all the texture at the tip of my fingers makes me happy. I also like going through it to notice the progress made since this first page I created after waking up from a non-pleasant dream I had in a mid-july night of 2008, to the last one affirming my trust to the Universe in August 2010.
About one hundred of pages (multiplied by 2 because it’s done on both sides), it’s kind of a lot of me in there…

Here is a glimpse of it in video (but I have to confess that the size of this made very hard to record it… I apologize in advance for any nauseous sensation you can feel because of movement while watching it. You can always pause to see a page better):

As you know, I already started my new art journal and am loving it despite all its imperfections.

You know why I love Connie (from Dirtyfootprints Studio) ? Partly because she always has giganormous ideas.

Her next workshop was announced this week, it’s called “21 secrets, an art journal playground”. Why 21 ? because there will be 21 teachers, each one having its own workshop about art journaling. Do you believe this ????? You pay for ONE worshop and you get TWENTY-ONE !!! (sorry, i’m still jaw-dropped).

And trust me, it’s just too exciting.
The registrations open on Monday September 20 (yeaaaaaaaaaaah it’s my birthday this day), but the workshop will start officially on October 1st.

Here is the list of the teachers:

Andrea Schroeder :: ABC Creativity
Angelia Thompson :: Angelia’s Art Journals
Connie Hozvicka :: Dirty Footprints Studio
Dawn Sokol :: D’Blogala
Effy Wild :: Wild. Precious
Emma Peabody :: Treehouse Jukebox
/Hanna Andersson :: iHanna’s Blog
Heidi Newstrand-Dilley :: Heidiology
Jonathan “Blade” Manning :: The Artistic Biker
Kelly Warren :: Artful Happiness
Less Herger :: Comfortable Shoes Studio
Lis Hofmann :: Dandelion Seeds and Dreams
Lisa Wilson :: Life Unity
Mariza :: Marizateria
Natalie Malik :: Awkwardly Beautiful
Paula Phillips :: Journal Artista
Samantha Kira Harding :: Journal Girl
Sarah Whitmire :: Caspiana
Spooky :: The Paper Phantom
Tami Chacon :: Dream Wish Hope
Tracie Hanson :: My Blooming Life

I can’t hardly wait. i don’t now yet how it will exactly be organized but I know they’re all working very very hard to give us the best. We’ll have videos, PDFs, MP3s… Imagine ? For $59.

I don’t know everyone, some are just “names” for me at the moments, others are friends. But it will be just amazing to learn such different areas to play in the Art Journal ! It’s just too much goodness, don’t you think ? We’re so lucky !

I always wanted to be a student of Samantha, I can’t wait to see what Lisa Wilson has in store for us, to create doors and windows in my journal thanks to Paula, Andrea is such a positive inspiration… I want to learn from all of them.

And you know what ? You may be curious about my blogpost title… Connie is giving away not one, but two spots for this 21 secrets workshop ! if I win, I’ll have the chance to do a giveaway here so you’ll also have the possibility to win. Isn’t this gorgeouuuuuuuuuuuuus ??? It’d be an awesome birthday present for my 25th birthday, a good celebration 🙂

I hope to see you on the playground 😉

I am way behind, but i catch up today with the workshop I won via Tarot Mama. I talked to you about it, it’s the Power Stories workshop by Rachelle (Magpie Girl).

On day #3, Rachelle asked us to look for our “support system”. Here is what she says: “Where do you feel grounded? What makes you feel strong? Who most supports you when you stand in your own power? What are *8Things that make you feel powerful?”

It’s not that easy to find when I DO feel powerful… I’d say it’s very hard. Does that mean I feel more weak than powerful ?

but here is my list:

1. My mom is my first “cheerleader”. She always supported my choice, no matter what they were, and she knows me so much that she doesn’t hesitate to ground my feet on the floor when needed.
2. My husband is the most wonderful husband possible, he supports my dreams, helps me to achieve my goals.
3. I feel powerful when I create something. When I put my heart and my soul on paper/canvas. It makes them more tangible. It’s like I’m connected to the voice within.
4. I feel strong when I have this feeling to be on the right path, to be where I was meant to be.
5. I feel strong when someone says I am inspiring.
6. I feel grounded when I connect with my environment, mostly when I have my feet in the ocean or when my hand caress a tree or when I look at the clouds in the sky.
7. I feel strong when the words come easily out of my head onto paper.
8. The Tribe ladies make me feel powerful and strong and beautiful.

The first spread of my new art journal entirely made by me (and it feels really great to work in something handmade).

This page has a whole story behind her, despite the fact it’s not obvious. It all began with a song that comes again and again in my randomly programmed playlist “Love the way you lie” sang by Eminem & Rhianna. This song is about the hate that is sometimes intimately intertwined with strong love. But what spoke to my Soul was the chorus…

And then images were flowing into my head like crazy. Images without direct relation to the lyrics, but still linked to something in my heart.
“Watch me burn” brought me a witch, burning on a stake, with a subtile smile on her facce. While is she smiling while she’s dying, publicly ? Because she is proud of who she is, and she accepts her true nature and what its consequences. Because she knows she’ll be back. She know that this suffering has a utility. For her, for the others. And she knows that her life does not end with the death of her body; her soul will be there forever and ever.

Every single art journal page I create is a part of me and represent a facette of who I am and my path, I love them in their imperfections (the face is still full of work to do, but I won’t change anything on it).

It was not that complicated to make, and I really enjoy creating each part of it; pulling out images and feeling out of my head onto my journal felt good, very very good.

I love noticing how inspiration is everywhere and strikes when we are not waiting for it; songs are very often a good starting point for me. Even if the creation is far from what the song says eventually.

Here are some more pictures of the spread (click to enlarge):

Here is the song I was talking about (my musical tastes are VERY eclectic):