willy nilly journal

A challenge for this artist who loves order, routine and everything-in-its-proper-place is that such perfectionism hinders my creating. I find I labor over a project or page needing every brush stroke the same, each corner lined up, images proportioned properly.

This is fine and dandy if I were drafting.

But I am simply creating beauty to fill my own soul, not drawing up plans for the next downtown high rise.

I find the serendipity of the spontaneous often eludes my art. So, I'm on a continual journey, challenging myself to be a messy, finding happiness in an 'oops' or a stray paint smear.

photo courtesy of aliedwards.com

To further my education into the realm of whatever happens, happens, I completed an e-course by Mary Ann Moss (dispatchfromLA.typepad.com) in which she teaches one how to make a visual journal.

This journal is constructed with pieces of scrap fabric, bits and pieces of craft paper, ephemera, even security envelopes - anything one felt was too unique/good to throw away but has since been stashed in a drawer forgotten and unused.

Before I began the project I promised myself I would only use supplies on hand.  NO running to the craft store.

Here is the finished product. When my inner perfection demon scrunches its face now and then at a mismatch or crooked alignment I laugh it away!  Serendipity reigns and I am quite satisfied with the haphazard, anything goes look of my new journal.

I don't journal, per se. But I'm a HUGE lover of quotes and jot down snippets from books and articles which are found laying around on various surfaces, scribbled on scraps of paper. My intention is to keep this journal by my reading/computer chair and use to contain all that good wisdom.

Friend, Kathleen, helped me figure out the binding process when I visited her yesterday. I came home with three bags filled with more ephemera, lace, fabric, and doo-dads from her enormous stash.  Woot Woot! It feels like Christmas in February!

It is raining sideways today. The 'worst storm of the year'.  Considering it's only 2/22 (Nick's birthday!), that's not saying much. After errands I plan to hole up in my studio - again.  That's what winter is for, isn't it?