Creativity is Life

Love this quote, one of my favorites

Emily, over at Beehive Art Salon, had a blog post (on Friday) that really resonated with me.  She started out by using one of my favorite quotes (above).  (Pop over and read her lovely post if you get the chance, it will warm your heart.)  


The above quote is awesome, but I had to change one word.  And that is the word ART.  I replaced that word with CREATIVITY.  So, reread above, using the word, creativity instead of art.  Does it make a difference to you?  Does it feel a little less intimidating? 

new journal pages for today

I paint and I craft, but yet, I have a hard time calling myself an artist.  In fact, when people ask me what i do for a living, I shrug my shoulders and just say, "I'm a slacker".  And then I just add a cheesy grin for effect.  

this old calendar will make a great journal/scrapbook

I think if someone asks, I would be more comfortable saying, "I'm a creative type".  That's a little less intimidating to me, yet, refers to the fact that I do like to work with my hands.  And, much like the quote above, does not limit me (in their mind) to painting, or work in a gallery.  Being creative can be numerous things.  Being creative can just be a way of life.  And for me, it is.  

finished page

finished page

pages as they started out early this am, gesso over with just some of the original photo, which I then painted over with gouache.

This morning, I started to toss out that old Country Living desk calendar.  But as I was about to toss it into the bin, it said, "hey, I have a sturdy ring binder and nice thick pages, don't throw me out".  And i decided it was right  I think its going to make another great journal.  And hey, that's thinking creatively.  Bonus.

June Journal page

June Journal page by Cindy Mayfield

Why yes, another journal page, she said.  LOL.  OK, this one is not one of my favorites.  But that's OK.  It started out as one thing, got lost, and then there was a mad scramble to fill in the holes.  

June journal page detail

Which is generally what happens when I DON'T take the time to layout things prior to putting down color and marker.  And speaking of marker, my love affair of Copics just goes on and on.  I hope to see a colorless blender in my near future.  All of the color in this page is with Copics...love how they just layer.  OK, enough.

June Journal page detail

But, seriously...look at that...all done with Copics.  Love, love, love.  I purchase one or two a month...it replaces my coffee.  LOL.  But art supplies are expensive.

So when you are on vaca, and you find some at a great price, ship them back.  Don't try and tuck them into a suitcase.  For as much as the tiny tubes of Gouache made me happy...TSA, not so much.  They were saved by the fact that they had a plastic wrap over the box, otherwise, I'm sure they where headed for the trash bin.  Lesson learned.  

Finished my book

Unless it tells me otherwise, I do believe my little journal on art and creativity (which I started in Dyan Revealey's class) is finished.  These are my favorite pages.  I've had so much fun with this!

PS Dyan encouraged us to create an "I Am an Artist" page.  I tucked my name in amongst some guys that are pretty good.  Still, it felt weird to do.  :)

PSS if you want to see each and EVERY PAGE, and see some of the quotes, head over to Paper Cowgirl.  

What is Art....

gate in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

...but a way of seeing.

Loads of garden inspiration in Eureka Springs.

Renewing my Creative Juices

I got the chance to take Dyan Reaveley's classes, while she was at The Crafty Scrapper.  Lemme tell ya, between Yarn Bomber's and a FAB Brit Artist visit, we are just feeling like quite the little art mecca here in town.  


Pictured above is the cover.  Hard to believe that we made this wonderful little book out of one sheet of watercolor paper.  One sheet.  Can you believe it?  Sweet Hub and I had quite the "who's on first moment" of me trying to explain that it was created from one sheet of paper.  

I love the little cut out windows.  The first page is just as we had created in class.  The page on the right I've added a quote and a vintage image. Once I got it home, I began to add some stitching and a few images and such.  Her backgrounds make it so easy to just go and play.  

The victorian boy peeping through the window is actually a cut out page.  

Hard to tell from this photo, but he's kinda like a huge tag.  Doodles on the right hand side of the page, were added after the stamping.  

I decided that this book would be all about creativity and art quotes.  This page just has some words tucked in amongst the doodling.  

These pages are exactly as they were from class, have not altered in anyway.  I love how you can make her inks as bright or muted as you like.  Since these were done directly onto water color paper, they are pretty bright.  I love color, so they are perfect for me. 

I added a small tag and a transparency over the image of the gal.  I will probably add a quote, just have not decided on what yet.  The larger white dots are gesso on top of the inks.  The center tags are just two tags glued together to make a pocket.  There is a stamped wooden spoon in the pocket.  The spoon reads, "what is art but a way of seeing".  I also added some stitching here too.  Water color paper is great.  Easy to stitch on, and it likes the Copics. 

The other side of the tag.

The way the book is created, there are some little edges that peek up, these are great for adding tags and things.  Here on the left I've added a transparency, and a stitched tag.  Did some artwork at the top with Copics. 

The page on the left, has been stitched and doodle quoted.  And a vintage image of a tea cup added at the bottom.  This is one of my favorite quotes.  The previous page peeking through is actually waxed paper.  I added an image, stitched around it, and then glued the bird onto the top of it all.  

This is the other side of that tag.  LOVE that you can do so much with her colors.  

The last two pages are just fun.  The little phone booth is on an corrugated accordion and pulls out.  Here, I've just slobbered unmercifully about how cool Dyan is.  Yes, I was star stuck, very much so.  


Thanks for taking a peep.  If you get the chance to take one of her classes, I highly recommend it.  Her energy and fun that she brings, as well as her knowledge of using her inks, is just tremendous.  I also expanded my knowledge of putting together a book.  Something that will be useful and can lend itself to vintage or new.  I'm sure I'll be boring you with more of that soon.  LOL.  Lucky you.  


  

journaling again

birds of worry journal page

Here's a little close up on the page yesterday.  OK, I really really love this page.  

Here is the second page that I worked on yesterday. I just kept adding layers and layers of color with Copics, stencils and ink.

One of my favorite Austen quotes, "Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery, mine dwell on creativity.".  Love that.

These are two finished pages with "over lays" on top.  Sorry about the focus, kind of a dark day for pics.  I love to put transparency pages or a smaller page over the top.

Trying to add bits of things that I really love.  When Karla was here for PC she gave me a bit of a vintage hat that she had found in a local antique mall.  Loved it, so I thought I would keep a part of it in my journal.  Off to check on the garden.

ok, more journal pages

birds of worry page by cindy mayfield

Oh good, I'm glad you are not too bored.  Because pages are all I seem to want to do this week.  That and garden.  I'm beyond thrilled that my lettuce and arugula are coming along nicely.  I think they are the easiest things one can grow.  

Birds of worry page by Cindy Mayfield

I am a worrier. I worry. Not the wringing of hands, must take to my bed kind of worry. But I do let stupid things sometimes keep me awake at night. So, ever since I saw this quote, I've loved it.  Felt that it spoke to me.  This is the second time I've created a collage page with this quote.  And I LOVE the way the colors turned out. This was a previous page that I had started ages ago, so I finished it today.  Holy cow...how did I ever collage without a sewing machine?  LOL.  Yes, that's a big hunk of vintage lace sew onto the bottom of the page.

trio of journal pages by Cindy Mayfield

I did three pages today. Again, all existing pages that I just went back and "added to". I'm learning. Its good for me to step back. I very often get so excited to finish a project that I don't "step back". I do that in my art work, as well as my (merchandising) work. Stepping back and getting the big picture of what I am doing seems to help me work better. Helps me to see what needs what and where. This was something that they often talked about in some of the art classes I took. Sometimes I just find it hard to do. But, I'm learning.