Dreams are Free!

"DREAMS ARE FREE!" I heard this phrase in a song from a popular television show N.C.I.S.; it is called Genie in my Dreams and sung by Sharon Little. "When you can't take the living, remember: dreaming is free". I remember my mother telling me to stop "day-dreaming" and she said that she could tell because of my eyes. I do understand what she means by the way one's eyes often become "fixed", "glazed over" or a person just looks "far away". I wasn't thinking really, I was "day dreaming". I still day-dream and when I can't sleep, I night dream before I finally just say the heck with it and get up.

These dreams come in many forms; some continue to be day-dreams or "I wish" thoughts, some are thoughts that are attempting to conjure up a solution to a problem. More often than not, I do "dream" the answer to whatever pickle that I am in. It could be a workplace issue, or an artistic technique one (since I often do not have a set of instructions follow I need to think through to the next few steps).

Then there are always the "I wish" dreams but when one gets to a certain age, these rise to the top very often and must be stuffed back in the box because they are pointless, the past can not be changed. The future is the only thing that we have and we need to make the most of it! I consider myself lucky that answers do actually "come" to me in my day and night-dreams. I wonder if this should actually be called "lucid" dreaming? To answer my own question, yes, I think so.

A friend of mine told me about this incredible internet sale, Interweave had a sale on some old videos regularly priced at 19.99 for .10 cents (imagine that!). So, being the cheap type that I am I couldn't help myself. I had a ton of fun making some stamps from cheap dollar store vinyl erasers (4 for a $1). The DVD I downloaded was originally designed for use on fabric but I gave it a try and paper is also a suitable substrate.

This really fits in my my "childish" self; that self that still daydreams, daydreams about making time to "make art". This doesn't really take too much time and it really is worth the effort.

I love the results because it is so simple and close to "immediate" gratification.

Print on a piece of paper your word (making sure it fits on the eraser) and pressing hard to get lots of graphite on the paper (so a softer 2B is preferable to a 2H). Then rub hard over the word you have printed and once you have then fill in the "rubbing" so you can see your work clearly. Yes, it will be backwards when you are cutting it out but remember it will be "right" again when you stamp on your page or on your fabric.

The only other piece of "equipment" one needs is an x-acto style knife of utility craft knife the type that has the triangular shaped blade with a long skinny point. The point is used to pivot in the eraser to get a really great circle.

Herons

I feel bad about the snow that continues to fall; I had hoped that that nonsense would be over by now.

I wonder how difficult life is for the heron's as they make their nests and I would anticipate that they are trying to keep their eggs warm for hatching.

I was lucky to get this snap of them on the morning of my last nightshift that I worked. Often there are the photo buffs who have their tripods out and there mega camera's with the telephoto lens out. Me, I just have my baby Nikon but I was able to zoom in enough to get a snap. At least I caught the image of a bird that I could not see clearly with my own imperfect eyes.

I hope and pray that the weather will soon bring spring like breezes and not winter weather.

Altered "book" art card

I finished the "altered book" art card for my friends birthday. Silly me but I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the project before I gave her the birthday card (and a small gift!). She was kind enough to bring it back for me so I could do exactly that.

So here are some pictures of the process.

In the beginning there was a unloved children's story book....

Unfortunately it had the shiny plastic cover so I gessoed on some cheesecloth. I ended up using some tinted gesso that I had left over from another project. I don't know what I was doing at the time but it had been hanging around so I thought that I would use it up since it was starting to harden in the jar and would be wasted.

I had been concentrating on the beadwork and I almost forgot that I wanted a closure for the "card" and at the last minute added the ribbon.

I laid out the prepared painted pages, the beadwork, and the embellishments prior to slapping on the gel medium to glue it all together.

The "eye on the prize" theme just sort of came to me. It wasn't what I had planned at all, it was like the "beads" had a mind of their own.

I think my friend enjoyed the card! I think that most artistic people appreciate the work involved in making art.

I had fun doing this project and got to play with "puffy paint", resin sand, artist glass bead medium, acrylic jewels, recycled dryer sheet.

So my next project is another altered book wedding card for my niece who is getting married this coming June! More fun.