Journal Fodder Junkies

Solvent Image Transfer Video

2012-02-20T20:36:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I created a video tutorial (like a year), so I finally got around to making a tutorial about xylene image transfers. For a written step-by-step, check out this post from 2007.

I'm hoping to create more videos in the near future, so stay tuned.

Challenge #34: Twilight Imagery

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

What are you focusing on and trying to bring into symbolic form?

Often it is difficult to find and select the symbols that most represent us and the changing conditions of our lives, but using a technique that allows you to tap into the symbolic nature of the unconscious is a place to start. Developed by Ira Progoff for his Intensive Journal Workshop, Twilight Imagery is a state between waking and sleeping that allows you to quiet your mind as your unconsciousness directs the imagery and symbology.

Sit in a quiet space, and close your eyes allowing yourself to slowly relax into the stillness. Focus on one aspect of yourself or your life. Perhaps it is a dream or a fear. Perhaps it is your job or your personality. Try to feel that aspect with your whole being, but don’t try to control or direct your thoughts. Allow the general sense of this concern to pervade you as dreamlike images and ideas begin to float and form. When an idea is formed enough to be identified, record what you “see” in your journal or on a piece of paper. Don’t elaborate. Get just the essentials. Close your eyes and return to that state, and keep recording your visions.

What emerges from your twilight imagery? What forms, scenarios, and emotions are stirred? How can you use these as symbolic forms for you and your life?

New Directions

2012-02-13T15:53:00.001-05:00

I'm always looking to expand my art and grow in new directions, and my work recently has done just that. A couple of months ago, I was pondering new ways to bring in some income with my art. I have had the experience again and again, whether at conferences, at retreats, or at my gallery, of people saying how much they love my art but not buying it. Wall art can be a hard sell. Jewelry, on the other hand, seems to be a perpetual bestseller, so I wondered if I could adapt my art with out losing the integrity. I wanted the pieces to be authentic to me in every way without them becoming kitschy little things that get knocked out quickly just to make a buck. So, I devised a way to basically make miniature, wearable pieces. Each of the above pieces is approximately an inch and a half - the rectangular pieces are slightly narrower and longer. Each is an original work of art on paper using colored pencil or ink, adhered to a small piece of masonite, and covered in epoxy resin. My idea is to sell them in my studio and at the conferences and retreats I attend. Because they are original works, I plan on having a price point around $50. I also plan on making jewelry from reproductions - quality prints of some of my work. Each of those will be original as well (I'm not looking to duplicate designs), but at a lower price point around $30.

I've also taken a new direction with my wall art. I've been revisiting the work of Lee Bontecou. I first became aware of Bontecou 6 or 7 years ago after a major retrospective of hers toured the country in 2004. I came across her long after the retrospective was over, but I got to see quite a few of her pieces at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh in 2005. I immediately felt a kinship to her work - both her drawings and her sculptures. I was able to track down a copy of the book from the retrospective, and I marvel every time I look at it. Most recently, I took a shine to her drawings on black paper using colored pencil. I have always been fascinated by drawing on colored paper, especially black, but I have never really explored it. But I have been experimenting over the last week or so, and have developed a few images that I am happy with. The piece below is still in progress, but represents one of my efforts. Unfortunately, it is on construction paper, so if I continue with this line of inquiry, I'll need to invest in quality, black paper.

Here's to new directions

Join the Fun: Pay It Forward 2012

2012-02-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

Do you like to receive cool handmade gifts? Do you like to give handmade gifts and bring joy through those gifts? Do you want to join a project and BRING JOY EXPONENTIALLY through handmade gifts?

PAY IT FORWARD 2012

Good friend, fellow visual journalist, and awesome book artist Erin of art-is-try participated in a Facebook Pay It Forward project last year, and wanted to bring the fun out of Facebook. I hope that you will participate. It's a small commitment of time and resources.

Here's her adaptation of the project, to be carried through, by threes, via the blog world.

the fun begins

If you would like to participate, please leave a comment below.

The first three people to respond and show commitment

to the project will receive a handmade gift from me!!!

Post this project on your own blog--feel free to cut n' paste.

Gather three new participants and be willing / prepared

to follow through with the "Pay It Forward" part!!!

Please link back to this original post:

("JOIN THE FUN! Pay It Foward 2012")

and I, in turn, will include a link to your post

so that we can follow the project from its origin.

I will give you a (small, simple, heartfelt) handmade gift.

Make sure to email me your full name and address.

In turn, give (small, simple, heartfelt) handmade gifts

to your participants, and let the joy grow exponentially!!!

(please only enter under one blog... give more than you receive!)

******
My participants and their "Pay It Forward" blog links:

D&C Designs
Michelle H. Harrell
Sara Gant

I've got my three! If you are interested in participating but missed the cut-off, click on one of the above links and sign up under them (or if they are full, click on their links etc etc etc until you find one)!

Challenge #33: Attributes

2012-02-09T14:26:00.002-05:00

What are your key attributes and characteristics? How do you give visual representation to the attributes and the characteristics that are most important to you?

We can communicate our thoughts, our feelings, our being not only through our words, but through the images that we use. The images that we return to again and again begin to take on symbolic meaning for us. In order to develop meaningful and authentic symbols, we must begin to understand our own characteristics and attributes. Companies attempt to communicate a deliberate message or a particular feeling with their logos, ads, and websites, and many of their symbols have been reworked and redesigned over the years to covey new and different directions.

Begin to look at your own attributes and characteristics that signify important aspects of who you are and that communicate important ideas about you. Imagine that you are the product. How do you want to be represented? What do you want to communicate? What defines your personality? Are you strong or creative or clever or shy? How would you symbolize that?

Challenge #32: Visions of Myself

2012-01-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

Do you see yourself living your dream or living a life of want, longing, and regret?

A synonym of the word “dream” is “vision”. Often our vision of ourselves can directly affect whether or not we achieve our dreams. We have a clear picture in our minds of ourselves, but unfortunately that picture is often distorted by self talk, doubts, fears, and personal mythologies. Interrogate these visions of yourself to see if they hold up to scrutiny. Stop getting in your own way, and start visualizing yourself living the life you dream about.

How do you see yourself? What can you do to see yourself in a more honest and authentic light? How could a clearer, truer vision of yourself help move you toward that dream?

Direction of Intention

2012-01-21T12:18:00.002-05:00

Over the years I have noticed a pattern in my life - periods of intense energy, activity, and focus followed by periods of exhaustion, stagnation, and confusion. This is a cycle that seems to pass at pretty regular intervals, and I must say that I am in the latter part of the cycle now. I have been intensely busy since last spring devoting energy to many new opportunities and filling my time with travel to new places and making new art. Now I am in a lull. The activity has subsided, I don’t need to exert so much energy. I look at my calendar and see that it is pretty wide open. I’m still making new art, but a feeling of exhaustion and stagnation has crept over me. Perhaps it’s the time of the year. As one year ends and a new one begins, I become very reflective and try to make some sense of the past year and try to set a course for the new one.

This year, however, I feel exceptionally exhausted. And it seems that with great frequency, I reflect on how tired I am both physically and mentally. I think that I am just tired of being tired. That’s it - I am tired of being tired - tired of being grumpy - tired of feeling like I’m not living - tired of waiting. I am tired of waiting for the right time, the right opportunity, the right situation, the right circumstance. Perhaps I am not where I want to be, but how can I begin to live that life now at this very moment and begin a substantial movement to that place I want to be?

I am ready for a change - something new - growth in a new direction. I am ready to take the next step. I’m just not certain how to take it. I know what I wish for my life. I can envision it, but there seems to be so many obstacles that are standing in my way. The only step that I can see now that is not a drastic, quit-my-job-that-pays-the-bills-and-hope-for-the-best kind of change, but small changes where I reach out more - to do little things that can begin to shift the momentum in the direction I want to go. I want to do as Patti Digh suggests in Creativity is A Verb, and focus on the direction of my intention. I can sit around and wallow and moan about how tired I am and about how I’m not living the life I envision, and sing the whole woe-is-me song. Or I can start to do something about it now. I can literally and metaphorically get off of my lazy ass and do something that points me in the direction I need to go. In order to create the world that I envision, I need to “get busy living or get busy dying.” (I love the movie Shawshank Redemption).

I have begun a journey - a journey that I plan on sharing with anyone willing to tag along. As part of that, I have a few projects in the works - ways to open myself, reach out, and allow my voice to ring out. I'll be sharing those later as I wrap them up. I hope that you will tag along.

Challenge #31: Dreams and Nightmares

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

What do you fear most about trying to achieve your dreams?

Along with dreams come nightmares. These may be nightmares that we have while sleeping, or the worst case scenarios that we experience when we are awake. For many of us, it is impossible to imagine our dreams without imagining the nightmare. We think of all the reasons why it won’t and can’t work out. We balk at the fear, trip ourselves up, and hold ourselves back. Acknowledge your dreams and nightmares, and shine light into your darkness. Don’t let the possible nightmares squelch your dreams. Confront the negativity as a means to overcome it and move beyond it.

What are your dreams? What are the corresponding nightmares? What are your worst case scenarios? How can you overcome your nightmares?

Challenge #30: Daydreams

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

What thoughts, ideas, and scenarios flash through your mind throughout the day?

Our thoughts can very easily float away from us during the day. We may be sitting in a meeting, and our minds may wander because the meeting doesn’t hold our attention. We may daydream as we drive to work or to the store, or we may just sit and think allowing thoughts and ideas to come and go at will. Pay attention to these times, and record and embrace these meanderings of the mind that we call daydreams. They seem like whims, but they are peeks and glimpses into what we want and need the most. Pay attention to the fleeting thoughts that pop up throughout your day and document them so that you don’t forget.

Where does your mind go when it isn’t actively engaged? What are your daydreams? Do they hold clues about your bigger dreams and hopes?

Art Unraveled 2012

2012-01-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

Journal Page by Dave

The Journal Fodder Junkies will be returning to Phoenix in 2012 for Art Unraveled where we will be teaching two all-day workshops. The dates for Art Unraveled are July 30-August 7, and we will be teaching August 1 and 2.

Wednesday, August 1, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Personal Histories and Mythologies
We have all have our stories. As we deal with our present, we are consistently rewriting our pasts, whether romanticizing or demonizing ourselves. Like it or not, we are defined by the events that have transpired during our lives. This is a process we all engage in to face our uncertain futures. We continually edit the scripts and dialogues running through our heads to reinforce the myths and the stories we construct to define and articulate our lives.

What is your story? What is your history? What are the mysteries of your life? What are the stories that you have told yourself over and over to the point that you believe them and accept them?

This mixed-media workshop focuses on the personal and private use of the visual journal as a powerful tool for self-reflection and self-discovery. Learn to mix a variety of art techniques and media with personal ephemera and reflective writing to explore the stories that you tell about yourself and investigate the mysteries of your life. Bring images, memorabilia, and other ephemera that will help tell the story of YOU. Rose tinted glasses optional.

Thursday, August 2, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Transitional Spaces
Are you looking to transform your artwork or your visual journal from a static surface to a dynamic, interactive space? Are you looking for ways to create richly layered spaces within and between your pieces?

This mixed-media workshop delves into creating this layered and nuanced interaction within and between works whether they are pages in a journal or stand alone pieces. Discover ways to give your artistic endeavors an extra kick as you explore how to incorporate transitional spaces that bring surprise, interactivity, connection, and hybridity to your art. Learn about windows, doorways, pockets, secret passages, and more as you consider and reconsider how spaces and pages interact and create a dialogue. Make artwork that opens up, flips out, and unfolds into other realms.

Although it is more than 7 months away, registration is open now. We're hoping to pack both of our workshops, and we hope to see you there. Please check out the Art Unraveled website for more information on workshops and registration.

Challenge #29: Dream Journal

2012-01-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

What are you dreaming about?

We all have dreams, actual night visions that dance through our sleeping minds, as well as our hopes and aspirations. Document both kinds of dreams. Keep your journal or, at least, some paper next to your bed, and when you wake throughout the night or first thing in the morning, jot down your dreams before you forget them. Elaborate on these visions, and reflect on their contents and meanings. Keep pen and paper close at hand during the day and write down your dreams, your hopes, and your aspirations. Reflect on these thoughts and musings. This type of documentation becomes fertile soil for your intentions.

What are you dreaming about at night when you sleep? What are the details and the nuances of the dreams? Do you have reoccurring dreams? What are you dreaming about when you are awake? What are those aspirations? What do you dream about and hope for?

Challenge #28: Just Let Go

2011-12-28T00:00:00.001-05:00

How can you step out of your scripts and just let go?

We encounter many things in life that make us stand still - a lost love or a broken heart, getting laid off or being skipped over for a promotion, or falling victim to bad advice or broken promises. We can’t control these situations, but we can control how we react to them. We run these things through our minds over and over as fears of inferiority and inadequacy invade our thoughts. We struggle with thoughts of how we don’t measure up to the abilities or achievements of others getting caught up in our scripts and self-talk. Don’t give in and allow the doubt to take over your decision making. Let go of your hesitation, and understand that you can do anything that you dedicate your energy to fulfilling.

Do you constantly compare yourself to others? Do you still hold on to the idea that ‘perfect’ exists? Do you always seem to find a way to talk yourself out of the things you want most? What scripts or self-talk do you most want to let go of? Can you find ways of letting go?

Reflections

2011-12-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

Today is my 38th birthday, and with it being so close to the end of the year, my birthday is always a time for reflection. It has become my habit to journal about those thoughts, meditations, and reflections, but following the lead of last year, I wanted to share my thoughts here. Also, like last year, I wanted to share a piece of art that I made stating my rules for the studio. I adapted these from Patti Digh as well as others, and you can read my take on these rules here. Feel free to print this artwork out and post it in your studio or work space.

I am in the process of uncluttering my life. I am amazed out how much stuff - both emotional and physical - has accumulated in my life. When you are in a place long enough, stuff just seems to pile up. The uncluttering began earlier in the year when I moved my studio from the guest bedroom to the garage, and I sorted through so much and got rid of so much. It continued as my wife decided to go through the countless boxes, bins, and bags in our crawl space. And over the last month, I have sorted through old toys, letters, keepsakes, memorabilia, and all sorts of other stuff. I was amazed at what I have held onto for all of these years. I decided to keep only the most treasured and sentimental things, and rid myself of everything else. Most of it went into a number of trash bags, the paper stuff went into the recycling bin, and some if it will go to the second hand store. And all the while, I felt myself clinging to these things and hesitating to get rid of it all. But the realization that it all would just sit in the boxes and bins being all useless and simply taking up space allowed me to let go.

I am just holding onto the most important things and letting go of that which simply does not matter. I am freeing myself of the past that has followed me all of these years and has weighed me down. All of this stuff has taken up space for growth, and I am shedding it and making room. There is still so much more to go through, so much more room to free up, but I am working through it.

What would happen if we simply let go? What if we held onto the most dear pieces and just let go of all the rest? Could we free ourselves and give ourselves some much needed room to grow?

Challenge #27: Bury the Doubt

2011-12-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

How can you bury the doubt and champion your hopes, dreams, and aspirations?

We are our own worst critics, focusing on the negative things about our work and about ourselves, especially when we stumble and fall. However, we can be our own biggest cheerleaders, by seeing mistakes and disappointments as opportunities for growth and perseverance, but we must silence the nagging doubts. Picking ourselves up when we have fallen affirms the power we possess to overcome the misgivings and uncertainties that we have been placed upon ourselves. In order to rally towards greater achievements, we must learn from our defeats, bury our doubts, and move forward.

What are you doubting? What inadequacies have you convinced yourself of? How have you persevered through the rough patches, and uncovered your self confidence?

New Work

2011-12-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Search, 5"x7"

I have been busy as usual with school, home, and life in general, but I have been able to experiment with new materials and a new paper in a variety of new works. These two works were created with a process that has become my usual modus operandi lately. See Spontaneity vs. Structure for more details about the process.

Using Strathmore's new 400 series mixed media paper as my surface, I layered Derwent Inktense pencils first, and then used Prismacolor colored pencil to finish them. (You can see parts of these in progress in this post - they're peaking out beside and underneath the Inktense pencils.) I like the variety of colors offered by the Inktense pencils, and I am trying to rethink my color choices so I'm not always going back to the same colors again and again. I am liking the Inktense so far.

I have recently experimented with Strathmore's hot press watercolor paper, but it has a slight texture which interferes with the fine detail work of the colored pencil. The mixed media paper is weighted like watercolor paper, but has a smooth surface, making it good for my process. The paper is a little "soft" making it a little difficult to get the really dark values with the pencil, but overall, I am quite pleased with it.

Structure 1, 5"x7"

Challenge #26:Hopes and Fears

2011-12-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

What are the fears that are holding you back from living the life you hope for?

We have dreams about where we want to be in five years, ten years, or maybe even twenty. However, the things that we want most are sometimes the things we are most afraid to go after. We wish for big things, but are afraid they will not come true. There is always a reason we put off receiving the joy and the happiness we deserve. Many times it is other people telling us why our dream is too lofty and sometimes it is our own self-talk that gets in the way. Subdue the fears and focus your energy towards realizing the hopes and dreams that you value and hold closest to your heart.

What do you want to see yourself doing with your life? What are your biggest hopes and dreams? How can you achieve them? What are your worst fears and nightmares? Are they legitimate or imagined?

Challenge #25: Getting It All Out

2011-12-07T10:28:00.001-05:00

Life is finally calming down, and I am finding time to begin the challenges again. The theme for the month is Facing Doubt and Just Letting Go, and what more appropriate theme could there be for wrapping up another year.

What emotional baggage do you need to unpack?

We all have things eating us up inside. There are moments when someone does something to us and we want to give them a piece of our mind, but hold our tongues. We bury the pain and hurt deep within ourselves. Bottling up these negative thoughts and feelings can be very unhealthy. When something is bothering you, just get it out, vent and dump the emotions. View your writing as a conversation with a close friend or a way to get a full release from these energy-draining burdens. Unburden your soul, and get it all out.

What do you have pushed down and buried deep within? What negative thoughts do you harbor inside your heart or mind? What frustrations do you need to uncork and pour our?

Remember to share a link to your response in the comments.

New Cover and Other News

2011-11-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

A recent search of Amazon showed that the new book is listed for pre-order, so I figure that I would share an image of the cover. The book should drop in July or August 2012. Can't wait.

As for other news, Dave and I have just wrapped up our busy fall with a weekend at the Virginia Art Education Association's Fall Conference in Roanoke, VA and another weekend at Art of the Carolinas in Raliegh, NC. The conference was great, and we conducted two presentations and two hands-on workshops. All were well attended, and we got a lot of positive feedback.

Art of the Carolinas was a blast, and our two workshops went very well. Strathmore Artist Papers sponsored the workshops and generously gave each participant one of their 9"x12" mixed media Visual Journals. They were more conceptual in nature, and we focused more on process than product. We even implemented a few new techniques that will probably become pretty standard in our workshops. One was the idea of stream of consciousness doodling. Similar to stream of consciousness writing, this creativity exercise enables one to let the ideas flow. Thanks to Strathmore rep Don Bradley for setting up the weekend for us.

Along with the workshops, Jerry's Artarama conducts a huge art sale filling a ballroom at the hotel with every conceivable art material. I took advantage of the discounted prices and picked up a 72 color set of Derwent's Inktense pencils. Similar to watercolor pencil, Inktense pencils are water-soluble ink pencils, and I have been having fun this week experimenting with them. Some of my attempts can be seen in the photo above.

Busy Fall

2011-10-24T08:44:00.000-04:00

Dave working in his journal during lunch at the Brandywine River Museum.

It always seems that I'm writing about how busy I am, but this fall has been one of the busiest. So the JFJ Challenge has been put on hold again as Dave and I present at fall conferences and finish up the manuscript for the new book. I hope to start it back up in November or December, but for the time being there is just so much going on.

So far, we have presented for the Delaware and North Carolina Art Education Associations, and we are scheduled to present at the Virginia Art Ed. Conference in a couple of weeks. We gave a well-received presentation to about 65 art teachers from Delaware at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA, and we got to tour the museum which features a large collection of the Wyeth's work including N.C., Andrew, and Jamie. We want to thank Jen Boland for setting up the opportunity.

Dave at the Mint Museum in Charlotte

In Charlotte, we presented about the approaches, applications, and assessments of the visual journal in the classroom at all levels. We also presented a hands-on workshop to a small, but enthusiastic group. And Dave gave an update for his 100 Visual Journals for North Carolina Project.

But our travels and presentations are not over yet. In November, watch for us at the VAEA Conference in Roanoke where we present four different times. Our hands-on workshops are already nearly filled, and we are looking forward to sharing new ideas during two general presentations.

Dave sharing his journal during the hands-on workshop in Charlotte.

All through this travel and presenting, we have been working on the manuscript for the new book. We sent off the finished manuscript yesterday and will be tying up some loose ends throughout the week. We can't wait for it to hit bookshelves in 2012.

And if this wasn't enough we have Jerrt's Artarama's Art of the Carolinas coming up the week after the VAEA Conference, November 12-13, where we present two 3 hour workshops. On Saturday evening we present Visual Journals: Personal Mythologies, and Sunday Morning, we present Visual Journals: Compulsions and Obsessions. If you are in the Raleigh, NC area, we still have room in both workshops. We would love to pack each one.

That's it for now. I just wanted to get a quick update out there.

Upcoming Events

2011-10-05T00:00:00.002-04:00

I'll be part of a book signing this weekend as part of the Waterford Foundation's annual fair. This annual fall festival is one of our favorites, and my wife and I try to go every year. The Waterford Fair is a celebration of the historical heritage of Waterford, VA with 150 juried crafts people, food, entertainment, and Civil War reenactments.

The Book Nook will be hosting signings by local authors all three days of the fair. I'll be signing copies of The Journal Junkies Workshop, working in my journal, and sharing my process with people from 10 AM to 2 PM, on Sunday, October 9.

If you are in Northern Virginia this weekend, I highly recommend stopping by the fair, and if you're at the fair, stop by and say hello.

See the Waterford Foundation's website for more information.

Editing

2011-10-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

The deadline for the new new book is quickly approaching, and Dave and I are in the middle of some majoring editing. Meeting up halfway between Boone, NC and Purcellville, VA, we sequestered ourselves in a hotel in Roanoke, VA this past weekend to plod through the first half of the book.

We split the book in half, and each wrote six chapters. Although we both have read, reread, and edited our respective chapters, we wanted to make certain that one voice speaks throughout. Slowly we made our way through the intro and the first chapter. These two sections by far took the longest time, mostly because they were written when we first proposed the book back in March, long before we had the photo shoot, sat and discussed the outline, and before we wrote the bulk of the book. But we hit a groove with the chapters after that. We have two and half weeks to get through the other chapters, and are confident that it will be done. There is nothing like a looming deadline to motivate you.

But we feel really good about this book, and it's nice to work with someone who you are so in synch with. Time and again this past weekend, we finished each other's sentences and had the some thought or idea. And the vision of the book became clearer and clearer as we worked. We are really looking forward to this thing hitting stores next summer, and in some ways it is a much better book than the first - at least a lot different and more focused.

We'll the keep updates as frequently as we can, but we both have been very busy.

Challenge #24: Inner Connections

2011-09-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

How can we connect with others if we don’t connected with ourselves?

Much of contemporary life seems to be aimed at doing anything and everything so that we are are never left alone with our own thoughts. We seem to find a million and one distractions. We text, email, surf the ‘net, read, play games, crank up music, and turn on the TV. Sometimes we do all of these things at one time. When was the last time that you sat in complete silence, alone, and connected with yourself. Perhaps we are afraid of the self talk - the never ending loop of negativity and put downs. Perhaps we are afraid of what we will discover if we are alone with our thoughts. What do we run from?

How do you connect and reconnect with yourself? How do you disconnect from yourself? How do you distract yourself from meaningful dialogue with yourself? How do you find the quiet space to hear your inner voice? Do you run from yourself? Do you wallow in negativity and untruths about yourself? How can you make those authentic connections within?

Challenge #23: Challengers

2011-09-22T00:00:00.001-04:00

We all have people in our lives who challenge us, and not in the inspiring, nudging kind of way. These challengers are people who push and provoke us, who may be down right mean and rude, and who do not elicit any warm and fuzzy feelings from us. These are our challengers and at times our arch nemeses. It might be a mother-in-law, a brother, a nosy neighbor, an office bully, or our boss. We may even call these people enemies believing that their main purpose in life is to torment and provoke us. Buddhists believe that our enemies are our greatest teachers because they provide us the opportunity to show compassion and understanding.

Who are your challengers or enemies? Why are they challenging to you? How can you see these people as fellow human beings who, as you do, desire happiness and joy? What can you learn from these people? How can you regard your enemies as your teachers?

Challenge #22: Inspirations and Nudges

2011-09-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

We can’t do it all alone, and at times, we all need a little nudge to get us going. Whether it’s in our art or at our job, we need a bit of motivation that can only come from someone else being there to prod us and encourage us. It is always a good to have collaborators and accomplices in anything that we do, but especially in our creative endeavors. These are people who support us, encourage us, and at times, pick us up and carry us when we need them the most. These are our everyday heroes.

In your everyday, who inspires you and nudges you? Who shows up like magic when you need them the most? Who has your back and is always on your side? Who is your hero, your mentor, your collaborator, and your accomplice?

Challenge #21: Connections and Misconnections

2011-09-08T13:28:00.001-04:00

How does the time slip away so quickly? It has been quite some time since I was able to post here because life has gotten extremely busy. With the end of summer, the beginning of a new school year, working on the new book, working at the gallery, and arranging a variety of workshop and presentation opportunities, I am back with a gentle nudge from a few readers. I am starting up the the challenge again, and have some new things to share. So enough of the "Oh I have been so busy" whining and on with the challenge.

We seek connection in our lives. Many of us have spent an amazing amount of time seeking a spouse, a significant other, or a soulmate. Many of us have found that person, and many are still searching. Whether we have found that special connection or not, our lives are still filled with connections and relationships from family and relatives to friends coworkers. Sometimes we connect and sometimes we misconnect.

What are your connections in this life? What are your misconnections? Who are you most connected to? Who are you least connected to? How have you connected and misconnected with people in your life? What do these connections and misconnections mean to you? How can you deepen the important ones and disconnect the not so important ones?

What role do connections and relationships play in your life?

Don't forget to include a link to your response in the comments.

Art Unraveled

2011-08-13T07:52:00.000-04:00

It has been a very busy summer, and I am finally finding time (on vacation no less) to share some of our adventures in Phoenix at Art Unraveled.

Dave and I spent the week between our trip to Cincinnati to shoot photos for the new book and our trip to Phoenix working in my studio completing art and making artist prints to sell. We shipped three boxes of supplies and artwork to Phoenix and had two boxes of books shipped from the publisher.

We arrived in Phoenix on the first day of Art Unraveled, and checked into the hotel. We had a great view of the golf course and the mountains from our window. I was taken aback by the landscape around Phoenix. I had never been in the desert before and to see such flat land with mountains just popping out was a bit strange - as was the brown. I'm used to hills, grass, and tall trees. The desert felt alien to me.

That evening we took part in the Meet the Artist Event, and participated in answering questions from some of the participants of the event. Several of the questions brought up some good debate and good discussion, and I mulled over several during the week. I will share my thoughts on those at a later time.

We taught three workshops during our week there. We had a nice space with a lot of natural light, and since our classes were small, everyone was able to spread out. All three went especially well, and I think that most of the participants appreciated our approach which I gather is a bit different from what many of them are used to. We focus on process and not product sharing a bunch of concepts and techniques allowing the participants to experiment and to play. The six hour format was great, and we were able to cram a lot into the time. We had three participants that took all three of our classes. It's exciting when someone is really into what you do.

We had the opportunity to work on our own things, and I especially enjoyed the Identity Mapping activity we did in our second workshop, and I laid the foundation of a few really good pages and ideas.

One night we were part of the book signing where we participated in a discussion about inspiration and signed books. We got to meet several other authors - people we had known from their books and blogs. I felt like I was meeting celebrities for these were some big names in the journaling and mixed-media world - Michael deMeng, Traci Bautista, Pam Carriker, and others. It was great to meet these folks in person.

We were able to see some of the sights on our one free day. Dave's godmother Peggy lives in Phoenix and played tour guide for us. She drove us into the downtown area and then out to see the Cardinals' stadium where we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. She then drove us out into the desert, and once again I was fascinated by the landscape. It's just so different then Virginia.

We were part of the Shopping Extravaganza the following day where we met and talked to a lot of great people. We had the opportunity to sell work, prints, and books, and we made a lot of contacts. Next year we need to remember to bring an actual mailing list for people to sign and business cards.

We participated in the Artist Showdown our final night in Phoenix where each artist had to select from a bunch of random materials and create with them. The actual piece that I made is the small canvas in the lower left of the above image, but I couldn't help spilling over onto the kraft paper covering the table.

It was a great first art retreat experience. We met a lot of wonderful people and had a chance to relax by the pool, see the sights, and mix and mingle with fellow artists. We definitely want to do it in the future, and we will be submitting proposals soon.

Challenge #20: Show Up Like Magic

2011-07-31T21:54:00.001-04:00

We all have those times when we need a little support, when we need to be lifted up, and when we need the help of someone else. We can look back through our lives and remember times when someone showed up for us when we needed them the most as if by magic. It may have been in a dire hour or it may have been when we just needed someone to take us out for a cup of coffee. And hopefully, we can remember times when we have been there for someone else.

How have you been there for someone else and picked them up when they needed it the most? How have you supported and done small things for those who have needed you? Who in your life, right now, needs you to show up like magic – to be there – to make them smile – to feel your support? How can you show up like magic?

Challenge #19: Come Out and Play

2011-07-26T12:19:00.000-04:00

Play. When we were children there was nothing more important than play. School, church, dinner, baths, and sleep were never as important as play. We counted down the minutes to recess where we could tear around the playground, swing as high as possible on the swings, play favorite games like Four Square and Red Rover, or make up our own games. Then we grew up, and too often we have stopped playing.

When was the last time that you simply played and had fun - not compete, not glued to a screen or phone, but played? When was the last time you headed outside, ran, romped, and carried on until well after dark on a cool summer evening?

Is someone calling you to come out and play? Reflect on how YOU can come out and play – how YOU can disconnect from the TV, the computer, the phone, and go enjoy yourself without worrying about all of those things that we have to worry about.

New Book and Upcoming Workshops

2011-07-26T12:11:00.001-04:00

Dave in the photo studio at F+W Media, Inc. working on a page for a step-by-step photo.

The summer is in full swing, and Dave and I have had a very busy summer so far. There's lots to catch up on.

We just got back from Cincinnati where we spent a week shooting the step-by-step for our second book. Titled Journal Fodder 365: Daily Doses of Inspiration for the Art Addict, it will be a follow-up to our first book. Centered around the idea of a year-long workshop, the book will consist of 12 chapters, each with its own theme. Each chapter will contain 4 prompts, several new and specific writing, drawing, painting, and mixed-media techniques. Where our first book is a resource of a lot of techniques, Journal Fodder 365 will emphasize the application of concepts and ideas. We took a close look at how we use ideas and techniques, and put that into book form. We are very excited. The new book will release July 2012 - just a year away. We'll post more at various stages, and we'll share an image of the cover a little later.

Dave saying bring it on.

We are spending this week working on the new book and gearing up for Art Unraveled in Phoenix. We will be at the Embassy Suites from August 1-7, and we will be teaching 3 workshops. On Tuesday the 2nd, we will be teaching the all-day workshop Visual Ammunition for the Art Addict based on our first book. On Wednesday the 3rd, we will be teaching Mapping Identity in the Visual Journal. On Thursday the 4th. we will be teaching The Challenge of Beauty based on Arrien Angeles book, Signs of Life: The Five Universal Symbols and How to Use Them. It is not too late to sign up for Art Unraveled, and registration is taken up to the day of the workshop. So hopefully, we will see some of you in Phoenix.

In November, we will be teaching at Jerry's Artarama's Art of the Carolinas 2011. We will be teaching two workshops sponsored by Strathmore Artists Papers. On Saturday, November 12 from 5-8pm, we will teach Visual Journals: Personal Mythologies, and on Sunday, November 13 from 9am-12pm, we will teach Visual Journals: Compulsions and Obsessions. If you will be in Raleigh, NC that weekend, hopefully we will see you there.

Unfortunately, our workshop at NCCAT (North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching) which was scheduled for November 14-18 has been cancelled due to budget issues. NCCAT's budget was drastically cut this year which meant the cancellation of most of their Renewal Seminars. We are very sorry to not be teaching this workshop at such a remarkable place. Maybe in the future, NCCAT will get its budget restored, and we can once again offer this seminar to the teachers of North Carolina.

Challenge #18: Self Talk

2011-07-16T11:23:00.001-04:00

It is sometimes said that as humans we think too much. Often this thinking is self-talk – a dialogue that we have with ourselves about the past or about the future. Dr. Phil McGraw calls these “tapes” because we replay and loop the same thoughts and words through our head focusing on negative aspects. Many of these tapes or scripts focus on the past and are thoughts about failings and shortcomings. Many others focus on the future and are thoughts and obsessions about what is yet to come or about waiting for “the other shoe to fall.” Still many others are general thoughts of self-denigration and are about our sense of worth. Whatever it might be, this self talk takes us out of the present and has us worrying about things that we cannot change, that we have no control over, or that are not grounded in truth.

What is your self-talk? Do you fill your mind with thoughts about lack, failure, and your own perceived worthlessness? Do you relive the past wishing you could have done something differently? Do you think about the endless possibilities of the future worrying about what has yet to come?

How does your self-talk pull you out of the present and cause worry or anxiety? Reflect on the tapes that you have looping through your thoughts.

Journal for the Second Book

2011-07-12T20:06:00.002-04:00

I've been working recently in a journal that I specifically started for our second book. I decided to go through all the prompts and techniques we plan on using in the book and use them in a journal that I will ultimately send to North Light (our publisher) to use as artwork for the book.

Though both Dave and I have used many of the prompts and techniques throughout the years that we have been doing journals, we have a lot of other techniques, ideas, and media in those journals that we are not really covering in the book. I thought that this type of journal would more clearly illustrate our ideas.

It's been interesting keeping two journals. I plan on posting more glimpses as I work.

And speaking of the new book, we have a title and have seen a couple of design possibilities for the cover. I'll share more on that when I can. But in the meanwhile , Dave and I will be traveling to Cincinnati next week to shoot photos for the step-by-step. It's all coming together quickly.

Challenge #17: Being Present and Being Absent

2011-07-07T19:16:00.000-04:00

In today’s culture, there are many things that can distract us, amuse us, and eat away at our time and our attention. So many of us seem fascinated by what happens to celebrities, by the latest reality show, by the last gadget or gizmo, by apps and games, by texting and messaging, that life seems to pass us by so quickly.

There is a deceptively simple concept that seems to be key in a lot of Buddhist philosophy: Be Present. By being present in every situation, from eating a meal to feeling your emotions, and not allowing your mind to run away from you, you can control your suffering and move toward happiness.

What is garnering your attention at this point? How do you distract yourself and allow yourself to be absent from your life, your emotions, your friends, and your families? How are you being present in your life? In what ways do you find for living in the here and now?

Remember to post a response in the comments or to share a link to your response.

Challenge #16: Making Personal Space

2011-06-30T21:37:00.001-04:00

We all need a bit of personal space – a place that is just for us – a place that we can call our own. It might be a lavish studio or a cabin in the woods. It might be the kitchen table or a big, comfy chair. It might be the backyard or a place in our bag for a journal or book. Whether it is a space with walls or not, whether it is large or small, it is ours – our own little corner of the world.

How do you carve out a chunk of personal space? Where do you go to find space for yourself and your thoughts? How do you recharge and re-energize? What gets in your way of being there? How do you make your personal space? If you haven’t, why not?

In the Studio

2011-06-29T17:07:00.003-04:00

I am fortunate today to be in the studio working. It has been a while since I have had the time because of the end of the school year and the studio tour.

I am working on several things (as usual), but the above image is of a journal that I am specifically using for the new book due out next year. I am trying to use the techniques and prompts to create a journal that will used for the artwork of the book.

I also wanted to try out a new app for my iPhone that allows me to create posts with images and video. If it's easy to use, expect more posts from me.

Well, I must be getting back to my work.

Studio

2011-06-26T18:01:00.000-04:00

I am finally finding a little time to post about my new studio space. For the last nine years, my studio has been sharing space with the guest bedroom in our house. It was a tiny room that often became a mess that had to be cleaned up when we had guests. As mentioned in a previous post, once I was accepted into the Western Loudoun Artist Studio Tour, I spent a lot of time converting my garage into a viable art space. After all the work, I decided to keep it as a permanent studio to the delight of my wife. The above image was taken during the winter, when I first began cleaning out the garage preparing to apply to the tour. The photo below shows the cleaned out garage, but far from being in a state for a studio.

Once the weather turned warmer, I began purging a lot of junk that had accumulated in the garage, and I made multiple trips to the dump. Look at all that stuff under the work benches - most of it is gone now or at least stored in the back shed. I cleaned, I purged, I painted, and I cleaned some more. I moved all the lawn and gardening equipment, bags, and tools out to a shed in the backyard, and began to move studio stuff in. I planted grass seed in the backyard as well as around the garage, and my wife did a lot of gardening around the entire house to get everything ready for the tour. We even had the driveway redone with new drains and new gravel. Check out the photo below to see how the new grass, new gravel, new plants, and the general onset of spring transformed the exterior. I would still love to paint the outside of the garage.

Inside I painted all the walls white, put up new lights, and brought out all of my artwork and all of my studio materials and equipment. I put in an air conditioner, bought a couple of tables and chairs, and organized and displayed all of my artwork for the tour. The photo below shows the studio set up and ready to go for the tour. The other photos show the set up throughout the studio.

The tour went very well, and I had quite a few people pass through both days. I sold some art, some prints, and a lot of books. The journals were a huge hit, and many people were very interested. Since the tour, I've been trying to organize the studio into more of a working space. I've brought out pretty much all of my art materials, artwork, books, and such from the house. I moved a set of selves from the old studio to the new and got rid of the two black shelves that can be seen in the right hand part of the above photo. I still have a lot of organizing and cleaning to do, but soon, I'll have the transition complete, and all remnants of the old studio will be gone from the guest bedroom.

I can't wait to get producing in the new space.

Challenge #15: My Sanctuary

2011-06-26T13:43:00.001-04:00

We all need a place to go when the world seems to be too much where we can get away for a while and reconnect with ourselves. We need a cave, an island getaway, or a mountaintop retreat where we can go, be by ourselves, and gain some perspective. Sometimes these are literal caves, islands, and mountains, but very often they are closer than that – the studio, the gym, the garage, or the library – ordinary places where we can get away and be with ourselves.

What is your sanctuary? Where do you go when the world becomes too much or when you just need to be by yourself? Where is that place of solace and comfort or that place where you can reconnect with yourself? What gets in your way of being there? How does it feel when you are kept from your sanctuary? If you do not have an actual sanctuary, where would it be? Where would you like to go?

I've been away for a while with the ending of the school year and traveling to North Carolina, so I'll be posting Challenge #16 later this week.

Challenge #14: Wants and Needs

2011-06-12T00:00:00.002-04:00

We all have our wants and our needs. To many, they seem to be the same thing, but what we want is not always what we need. We often want things that are not good for us and that are sometimes outright harmful. Those wants can be influenced by so many factors. Friends, family, and the media all can put direct and indirect pressure on us to buy the latest gizmos, gadgets and stuff, to make unhealthy eating choices, and to zone out in front of TVs and computer screens.

Reflect on what you want and what you need. See where you want and need the same thing. See where you want much more than you need. See where you deprive yourself of things that you desperately need.

What do you want? Why do you want those things? What do you need? Why do you need those things? Do you want more than you need? Why or why not? What are things that you need, but do not give yourself? What if you only wanted what you needed? How would your life be different?

Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour, June 11-12

2011-06-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

Nest 2, 4"x6", Watercolor and watercolor pencil

The Western Loudoun Artist Studio Tour is almost here. It will be this Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, from 10-5 both days. This self guided tour opens the studios of about 50 artists around Leesburg, VA. There is a great variety of artwork being offered by the artists. I am stop 23 in Purcellville. It's my first year on the tour, and I am looking forward to the weekend.

I'm pretty much done with all the major work. The studio is ready and I have a lot of artwork to offer for sale. But I still have a lot of little things to do, but it will all get done.

The two works pictured here are two more that I have just completed for the tour. The work pictured above will be mounted on a wooden cradle and will be ready to hang on the wall. The ink image below is from a series of drawings that I have been exploring using only line. The idea is to have this series of ink drawings as loose, unmounted pieces. I'll package them with a foam core backer inside a plastic bag.

Stretch 2, 4"x6", Ink on paper

This is the outside of my studio (my garage) as it looked last winter. I've spent the last couple of months converting it from a garage that housed my woodshop and all the lawn and garden equipment into a large, working studio. I've decided to make this my permanent studio because it such a large space. Besides my wife will be happy to have a room that is just simply the guest bedroom.

I'll share more images of the finished studio in a later post.

Challenge #13: Solitude

2011-06-06T10:14:00.000-04:00

As humans we tend to be social creatures, but there are times when we need to be by ourselves – to be alone, but not lonely. For some solitude equates to isolation and despair and to others it equates to reflection and time to be with our thoughts.

Reflect on how you are when you are alone. Try to determine if you are comfortable or uncomfortable with being on your own.

What does solitude mean to you? Is it isolation or is it reflection? How do you react when you are by yourself? Do you distract yourself with email, housework, text messaging, or TV? Do you surround yourself with noise? Do you sit and reflect on all that has been going on mulling it over in your head? Do you surround yourself with quiet?

In what ways do you embrace solitude or push it away?

Old Artwork

2011-06-03T12:16:00.000-04:00

While cleaning out my crawl space looking for older artwork to include on the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour, I discovered these six pieces. All are from 2001 and 2002, and all are oil on canvas. The first three were completed during a graduate painting class that I was taking at the time, and I had just gotten into the visual journal. The painting above was from an idea that showed up in one of my first journals. The visual journal profoundly influenced my painting. Before coming to the journal, my paintings had very dark and muted color, and they were nearly always figurative.

The journal brought color into my art, and allowed me to explore more abstract and non-objective work. The painting above was a direct result of the swirling, spiraling images that I was exploring in my journal. Since I never signed the work, I'm not certain which side is the top. I wonder what it would look like flipped.

Near the end of the class, I wanted to bring the color that I had been exploring into more representational imagery. I referenced a photograph of some old machinery near an oil well at my parents house in the above painting. I never really finished this painting, and I was never really happy with it.

The two paintings above were done independently, and I brought together some of the figurative work that I had been doing at the time and the color that I had been exploring in my class.

This final painting was from another graduate painting class the following year. I began the class working abstractly and non-representationally, but soon turned to portraits, something that I have explored since I was a teenager. I applied what I had learned with color, and focused on expressive brushwork and odd croppings. This self-portrait is, by far, my favorite painting from the time.

I am fascinated to see how much my art has changed over the last ten years. I work with a variety of water based media now, and my imagery has evolved and changed. The one thing that has stayed constant has been the exploration of self. No matter the material or the imagery, I have always looked within and tried to express the soft vulnerable truths hidden there.

The studio tour is in about a week, the weekend of June 11 and 12, from 10 AM to 5 PM each day. If you are in the Purcellville, VA area that weekend, stop by my studio to see these pieces, and much, much more.

Inner Conflict

2011-05-31T12:54:00.000-04:00

Inner Conflict, Graphite on Paper, 6"x9"

My latest finished piece. I didn't do much more with this one after I included it in the Spontaneity vs. Structure post. But I put the finishing touches on it and scanned it for better quality. I titled this after the conflict that I have between spontaneity and structure, as well as between organic and geometric. Perhaps this will be a new series.

Challenge #12: Embracing Imperfections

2011-05-27T00:00:00.005-04:00

Many of us exert a lot of energy in our quest for perfection, but accidents, change, and imperfection are a part of our lives. These things that are beyond our control can bother and stress us. They can gnaw at us and nag at us. Learning to accept and embrace these imperfections can be quite a challenge.

How do you embrace imperfection in your life? If it’s difficult for you, what is behind the difficulty? If it’s easy for you, why is it so? In what small ways have you or can you accept the accidental, the imperfect, and the impermanent?

Compartmentalized

2011-05-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

Compartmentalized 8.5"x12" Watercolor pencil and colored pencil on paper.

I just finished this piece. With it, I wanted to explore a single shape and single color. I first built layers using only an indigo blue watercolor pencil to establish the basic composition. Using light values as the foundation layers, I built successive layers of darker values. I then used indigo blue colored pencil to straighten and strengthen lines, darken shadows, and develop the image further looking for the push and pull that I so enjoy in my work. To deepen the shadows even further I used black colored pencil, and to establish highlights I used white colored pencil. I am fascinated and captivated by the sense of space.

As I worked on this piece along with others recently, I began to realize how these drawings are very much a form of meditation and focus for me. I get so into the process - the physicality of mark making - that my mind can focus sharply, but not on the particulars of the drawing. Mentally, I seem to step back from the drawing, and I draw and shade as if on auto pilot as thoughts fly through my mind. The clarity that the drawing induces allows me to sort through the myriad of ideas, to make connections, and to create a better understanding of myself, my art, and my life. It's a form of clear and deliberate self-talk - not the rambling, confused self-talk that normally goes through my mind. It's a relaxed, yet intense state of mind, and the world seems to melt away. My mood lightens, and time slips away unnoticed.

The image is a result of the process, and it is not predetermined or planned in any way other than those first choices of color and shape. I let the work develop spontaneously as my mind flickers through the thoughts and emotions of the day. And even when I am in the more controlled stages, when I lay in the careful shading or precisely draw the edge of a form, I try to be somewhat removed from the drawing, while remaining connected to the process. My mind constructs and connects. It deconstructs and disconnects. It reconstructs and reconnects. All in the quest for clearer understanding.

Challenge #11: Change

2011-05-20T12:01:00.000-04:00

Everything changes. It’s a natural law that objects, people, situations are impermanent and are always in a state of flux and change. At times, change is lightning quick and takes place in a flash. Other times, change is continental drift slow and seems to not be happening at all.

How do you react to change in your life? How have you changed over the course of your life? Do you anticipate change and actively participate in the changing world and your changing self? Or do you deny change and passively ride along as things change around you? How open or closed are you to change?

Reflect on the role of change in your life and how you react to it.

Spontaneity vs. Structure

2011-05-16T11:08:00.000-04:00

After writing the Conflict and Dualism post and working on some more work, it dawned on me that even some of my working methods contain this duality between spontaneity and structure. Although they use slightly different materials, the artwork in this post and in the conflict post all use the same process.

The process is quite simple.

I often work with water soluble pencil - both watercolor and graphite. I relish the control of drawing and shading with them at first, but I also enjoy the painterly quality when water is brushed over the pencil. I frequently use multiple layers of water soluble pencil to begin pieces allowing each layer to dry before adding a new one. I work quickly and spontaneously with the water soluble material, but at a certain point, I feel the need for more control, sharper edges, and more defined values. I then switch to regular graphite or colored pencils that allow me the precision I desire. I darken areas making them recess into the space. I straighten edges and redefine areas, shapes, and lines that have been lost. It is a slower and more tedious process, but I love the outcome.

I used water soluble graphite pencil in the piece above to lay in the foundation of the piece. Notice that many of the edges are uneven, that there isn't much contrast, and that the swirly lines are barely there. I started the piece below at the very same time as the piece above using a similar technique. I built layers of straight lines, rectangles, and organic lines with the water soluble graphite pencil. Once I felt that I reached the limits of what the water soluble graphite would allow, I reworked the piece with a variety of regular graphite pencils to define the spaces, lines, and values. It is nearly complete in the photo below.

This method of working allows me to find a balance between the spontaneous and the structured, but I often get very caught up in the fine detail in the final phases of a piece and can spend hours working on a very small area. I have to force myself to move on and to be less of a perfectionist. Time and time again, I have been very pleased with the results.

Below is a photo as I worked on the main focal point.

Challenge #10: Personal Tragedy

2011-05-16T10:48:00.001-04:00

I originally posted this last Thursday, but Blogger had some issues, and it looks like this post was lost.

We get set into our routines and find comfort in our everyday rituals. Days, weeks, months, and years pass as we live out our lives. Every once in a while, though, we are jolted out our comfortable lives when tragedy strikes. Personal tragedies can be huge, life altering events, or they can be minor inconveniences. Either way, they are a disruption to the flow and movement of our lives having the power to alter the direction we are moving.

Reflect this week on your personal tragedies – big or small, and see how they have shaped and changed your life.

What are some of your personal tragedies? How did you cope? How did you get through it or are you still going through it? How do these tragedies still ripple through your life? What strengths did you find that you did not know you possessed? What lingering fears and doubts still pop up in your life? How do you respond when tragedy strikes?

Remember to share a link to your response in the comments.

Conflict and Dualism

2011-05-11T11:59:00.000-04:00

Unearth, 8.5"x12", watercolor pencil and colored pencil on paper

Over the years I have noticed that my art has often followed in dualistic or opposing tracks - i.e. non-representation vs. representational; organic vs. geometric. I have been on a quest to bring such disparate concepts together just as I have tried to bring together the disparate parts of my self - to make myself whole. But at times the concepts must stand alone, and that brings me to two recently finished pieces which richly illustrate this dualism.

Geometric shapes and forms are man-made, smooth, and crisp. As a concept, the geometric echo structures and systems in the human world. As a visual element, the geometric add structure and predictability to a piece. I use geometric shapes and forms in my art to reflect on the nature of the routines and rituals that I go through everyday and to provide structure to the art. I am a creature of habit eating the same breakfast nearly everyday, going through the same morning ritual. My life is structured and scheduled, especially as a teacher where my day is scheduled into periods and classes that meet at the same time everyday. Routines, structures, habits, and systems are very important in my life.

Yet, there is a contrasting side to me and my art.

Organic shapes and forms are natural, uneven, random, and flowing. As a concept, the organic echo growth, spontaneity, and change in the natural world. As a visual element, the organic provide movement and flow to a piece. I use organic shapes and forms in my art to reflect on the spontaneous aspects of my psyche and the ties that I have to the natural world. Though I am a creature of habit and structure, I am open to change, growth, and the accidental. I embrace the spontaneous action, the accidental mark, and the serendipity in life. I look to expand beyond the structures and restrictions of my routines and grow to my fullest potential. Change, evolution, growth are all undeniable parts of my life.


Nest, 6"x9", watercolor pencil and colored pencil on paper

In my art, I dig deep within myself attempting to reconcile these opposing forces into a cohesive whole, or at least to balance the forces of structure and change - of ritual and spontaneity.

I seek balance.

Finding Balance. Sparking Flames

2011-05-10T14:47:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share a journal spread.

Paper Relief

2011-05-09T14:50:00.000-04:00

I've been slowly working on new art to get ready for June's Studio Tour. I want to have a variety of pieces for visitors to peruse and hopefully buy, but it has been slow working. Things are extremely busy, but I have found some time here and there to make some smaller pieces which I will be sharing soon.

One piece that I do want to share is an 11"x14" piece (pictured above in process) that I worked on during my Spring Break a couple of weeks ago. Ever since making my first Excavation painting (pictured below) that used paper relief as a structure on which to paint, I've been fascinated by the process, but I haven't had much time to make many of them. With the time over break, I finished the relief part using different materials than I've used before. I used Strathmore Imperial 500 hot press watercolor paper and Golden Matte Soft Gel Medium to create the relief. Both the paper and medium resulted in a smoother surface that I am hoping will work better when I begin applying the acrylic paint. The next step is to lay in the basic colors with glazes of paint. I'll post updates as the piece progresses.

Challenge #9: Perfectionism

2011-05-05T12:20:00.001-04:00

In our quest to do anything, whether it is art, relationships, or cleaning the house, a sense of perfectionism can hold us back, cause us anxiety, and consume a lot of time as we work to get things just right. Fear can grip any of us. We worry what others will think, fear that we will not be good enough, compare ourselves to others, and doubt our own skills. The pressure to be perfect in art and in life can stop us before we ever begin or sidetrack us as we go along.

What grip, if any, does perfectionism have on your life? How does it affect you, your art, and your life? Why does it matter what others think? Why is it that you at times feel that you are not enough? Why is it that you can only see your faults and not your accomplishments? What would truly happen if your were not perfect in your art or in your life?

Remember to post a link to your response in comments below.

Car Shopping

2011-05-03T10:27:00.000-04:00

I must first start by saying that given that this is a blog dedicated to my endeavors in the visual journal, it may not be the the most appropriate place to write about what follows, but I need a place to share this.

I hate buying a new car, but after 13 and a half years, and 180,000 miles, I decided to get a new car. I gave up my much beloved Honda Civic (pictured above) for a new Honda Fit. Yes, I'm a Honda guy, and the new Fit is a very cool car. But despite loving my new car, I hated buying it. And I think that my pain boils down to one simple fact. Car dealerships are big businesses whose main concern is to make as much money as possible, and for me I do not have the patience for such mentality that places profits over people. Not only do they want your money, they want and waste your time all so that they can try to sell you additions, packages, and plans that you do not want or need. And in doing so, they keep you waiting and eat away at your time without ever going out of their way to expedite the situation. I simply want to go in and buy a car. I want the price to be the price - no extra fees, no extra options, and no games. Just tell me the price and don't try to tack on anything extra.

Over the last week and a half, my wife and I have spent nearly nine hours sitting in two different dealerships, and driving approximately 450 miles in 5 separate trips to the dealerships. I am not fond of car dealers in the least.

My wife and I began our car shopping about a week ago when her car was having its latest bout of issues solidifying its unreliability and signifying that it was time for her to get a new car. So after a little research, we drove to the Honda of Dulles. Let me say that again, Honda of Dulles. (I repeat it because I would not recommend anyone going there to buy a car.)

We spent about and hour and a half there test driving the Fit, completing the credit application, and getting a feel for pricing and such. The sales man and sales manager began to pressure us to leave that night with a new Fit even though we had mentioned several times that we wanted to do some more research and contact our preferred lender to see what they could do. All the while they kept pushing their finance rate incentive saying that we wouldn't have any problem qualifying, but never giving us a definitive yes that we did qualify. We left that night making an appointment for six days later stating that we knew we wanted the Fit, and had every intention of buying one.

Two days later, when my car began having its issues, we decided that it was time for me to get a new car as well. So, we called the dealer, and said that we had every intention of coming in at our scheduled appointment and leaving with TWO new Fits, and we let them know the colors and trim models we wanted. Not once was there a mention of the fact that they either did not have those colors in stock or that they had limited numbers. Also, when we asked for a quote, we weren't given one and were only left with an explanation for their reluctance. Despite these little things, we went to Honda of Dulles filled with excitement about our new cars. But that excitement began to ebb as we spent three more hours negotiating a price and having a preliminary meeting with a finance person only to find out that they had neither car in stock, and could only get them the next day from other dealers. So we went home that night without new cars.

The next day, we called up, and said that we were on a very tight schedule, and that we only had certain amount of time, I was told to come in early and get the paperwork started and my wife could come in and basically sign the papers, and we'd be all done. Well, I basically sat around for 40 minutes waiting even though I said that I'd be there at 1 PM. My wife showed up just as I was meeting with the finance person, and we figured, OK sign some papers and we're out of here with our new cars. But incorrect information, computer glitches, basic confusion, and reprinting forms again and again because of mistakes led us to walk out even though we were almost done with the paperwork on the first car. Six hours of wasted time - well, actually 11 hours if add in the 5 hours of driving back and forth.

A phone call to Criswell Honda in Germantown, MD, another dealer even further away, got us a slightly better price and they had two Fits in stock that we liked, but only I could go that night. So I drove an hour, and had to go through all the same typical car buying stuff - credit application, trade-in appraisal, and financing. However, with the price already negotiated, Kellie of Criswell, expedited the process.

The only minor thing was when it came to signing all the forms. And this is a criticism of the car dealership business and not of Criswell Honda. Jessica the financing agent was great, pleasant, and moved through things quickly. I was patient knowing that she was required to inform me about these things. But I just don't appreciate car dealers in general trying to get me to buy all of this extra stuff - security systems, extended warranties, road hazard protection, and such - as I am trying to read, understand, and sign the fifteen documents I need to sign. I speculate that they get you in a small room after you have already invested a lot of time and are feeling a bit exhausted with it all, and try to hit you up knowing that many people will say yes to nearly anything if they are weary enough just to end it all the sooner.

But like I said, Jessica was great, and we got everything taken care of for my wife's car. I hope that Jessica didn't feel like I was upset with her or the dealership. I had a lot of residual anger, frustration, and fatigue from the other dealership, and just a lot of frustration with the nature of the process. But I left with my new car (below).

Joanne got her car the next day, but of course, it was a 2 hour round trip. But we quickly signed the papers, and were able to basically jump in her new car and go. So, I am thankful for Criswell Honda for a much better experience. But I still hate car buying.

Perhaps it could be more like computer buying. When buying a computer, you go in, you see the base price for the model that you want to buy and the list of prices for all the upgrades and added features. You have it all laid out for you so that you can quickly compare prices and features. Computer stores will also have some literature to take home or info on their website so that you can make an informed decision. But I guess that if car dealers gave you the information upfront, gave you time to think about it, and didn't fatigue you and pressure you, they wouldn't be able to make money.

So, I hate car shopping, but love my new car.

Challenge #8: Organized and Diorganized

2011-04-24T00:16:00.001-04:00

Contemporary life is hectic, and keeping up with the household chores, the responsibilities of work, the emails, the social networks, the text messages, and the phone calls can quickly bury you under a pile of to-dos and must-dos. Take time to reflect on the organization of your life. Think about everything from your mundane, daily routines to you big, special hopes and dreams.

How do you get things done? In what ways do you keep yourself organized (or even disorganized) physically, socially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What routines and rituals do you use in your daily life to make certain that everything that needs to get done does get done? How do you tackle your daily tasks and plan for those rare and special occasions? When do you throw your plans out the window, and when do you stick steadfast to them?

Reflect on one specific aspect or think about it all in general terms.

As always make certain to leave a link to your response in the comments, and remember that it’s ok to show a work in progress or to simple post a written response.

Operative Words

2011-04-23T12:15:00.000-04:00

I have been on Spring Break this last week, and when it started, I had grandiose plans of posting quite a bit to the blog and working more in my journal, but I've been busy working around the house trying to get things ready for June's Studio Tour which has meant reseeding the backyard and cleaning out and painting the garage which I will eventually convert into a studio for the tour. I'll share more in a future post once, I get more accomplished. Nonetheless, I have had little time and energy to post or to journal.

Today is a day off from all the physical work, and I am devoting it to working in the studio and taking care of some neglected work. I wanted to share my response to the Operative Words challenge from a couple of weeks ago. I haven't been able to keep up with my own challenges like I had hoped, and this response isn't complete. But I wanted to share it in progress.

I began this spread by stamping three random, red lines with watercolor soaked string and then writing about a phrase that I had picked out from my Random Word response. I looked over my Palimpsest page and highlighted four words and phrases. "Beneath the surface" stuck in my mind, and I wrote for several minutes. With some editing, this is what I wrote:

Beneath the surface lie our hopes and fears. They swell and undulate deep within and often only show slightly on the surface. Deep currents flow within us. Often we stoically hold our external facade steady and solid as not to give a glimpse of the turmoil that churns deep within. At times it all becomes too much, and the turmoil swells and breaches the surface causing great upheaval and volcanic explosion. Some people carry their fears, emotions, and inner lives close to the surface, cracking waves and explosive upheavals often. Emotions can run high, and they thrive on the drama labeling it as an essential part of identity. Yet the stoic individuals who push the pain and the fear and the happiness down, see this as part of their identities. Calm, cool, and collected or volatile, explosive, and emotional - two sides of the same coin. How deeply do I carry my inner world below the surface?

I then added the red-violet watercolor by tapping and dabbing my paintbrush randomly. After that dried, I added the indigo, red-violet, and umber watercolor pencil in successive layers. I then hatched and cross-hatched with black ink to give the umber shapes more definition so they looked like wholes and cracks in the surface. I then used silver paint marker and black ink to highlight two phrases and the last sentence of my writing. It is this sentence, a question to myself, that has struck me as the most compelling, and my point a direction for finishing this spread or for beginning future pages.

That's the beauty of the journal and of art. There is always more to ponder as one thing leads to another.

Challenge #7: Chaos and Order

2011-04-15T00:07:00.011-04:00

Life can come fast at times creating a lot of action, turmoil, upheaval, and chaos. The to-do list gets long, and there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day. For some people, the day is scheduled, compartmentalized, and structured. For others, the day is spontaneous, freeform, and perhaps tumbled together.

How do you deal with order and chaos in your life? Are you structured or spontaneous? Are you balanced somewhere in between the extremes? How do you react when things do not go according to plan? How does it feel when things go just as planned?

Reflect on your tolerance for chaos and your threshold for order, and create a response that echoes the role that each plays in your life. Do you make order out of chaos or chaos from order?

Don’t forget to share a link to your response in the comments.

Random Word

2011-04-13T21:05:00.001-04:00

Back in November and December, I read Patti Digh's book Creativity is a Verb, and a word popped out at me in the closing pages. Patti talked about how life is a palimpsest. I had run across the word before, but didn't really know what it meant. Originally a palimpsest was a manuscript page, usually on parchment, that was written on, scraped off, and reused. New writing was written on top of the removed text. Since parchment was expensive and time consuming to produce, old manuscripts were often recycled. Some times, some of the original writing can still be seen. The word "palimpsest" has now come to mean anything with visible layers. Sounds a lot like my art.

So, I began a page in the journal (the left hand page). I looked up "palimpsest" in a dictionary and a thesaurus. I added definitions and related words. A search online led me to several artists, and reading through one artist's statement, I came across the word "obfuscation". Obfuscation is the concealment of meaning in communication by using ambiguous, confusing, or misleading words and phrasing.

In the rectangles, I added some of my own thoughts, and both words have led to ideas for artwork and themes for artwork. Although I began this page months ago, I keep going back and adding to it. The right hand page lists Patti's Creative Commitments and contains the upside down drawing of a Picasso portrait of Igor Stravinsky - an exercise Betty Edwards uses in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.

I love stumbling upon an idea or word that can spark so much.

Challenge #6: Operative Words

2011-04-08T22:04:00.001-04:00

Operative words are the essential words in a sentence, story, poem or script. Performers and spoken word poets often stress or emphasize these words in some way when performing.

We often look for operative words in our writing and highlight or visually emphasize them so they stand out. That way we can come back later and quickly find and use these words as sources for further investigation and exploration.

Look over some writing that you have done. If you don’t have any, take about 10 minutes to do some writing – perhaps use a random word as a prompt or perhaps something a bit more meaningful. Look over your writing and chose important words or phrases and highlight them in some way. These are words and phrases that you are drawn to so trust your gut reaction. Circle them. Make them bold. Use a different color. Try to find at least three operative words or phrases in your writing, but feel free to find as many as you’d like.

Pick one of these words or phrases to use as a source of inspiration.

Don’t to forget to post a link to you response in the comments even if you don’t get it finished.

Challenge #5: Random Words

2011-04-01T19:56:00.000-04:00

Part of our approach at times is to let randomness and happenstance to enter our process. Open yourself to chance by picking a random word to use as a source of inspiration.

Grab a book or dictionary that you have close at hand, and open to a random page and point to a random word. Don’t like that word? Pick another. Not ready to be completely random? Pick a random page, and choose a word to which you are drawn.

Just don’t do this repeatedly in order to pick that word you already have in mind or one that fits your mode of thinking. Let chance take you in a direction that you are not ready to go. If you find the word challenging, let it challenge you and see if you can respond to that word even if it’s the silliest most unusual word.

Great News

2011-04-01T19:35:00.000-04:00

We got some great news today. Our proposal for a new book was accepted for publication by our publisher North Light Books. So hopefully, some time in 2012 a new JFJ book will sit alongside The Journal Junkies Workshop in bookstores.

For the new book, we really thought about how we personally work in the visual journal - not just the techniques, but the methods, themes, and practical ideas. We really considered how our approach differs from others out there. Where The Journal Junkies Workshop is a basic resource book for working in the visual journal, the new book will actually be a year-long course with ideas and techniques broken into monthly missions giving the reader some very specific prompts and themes to work with (all of which have been ideas that we have personally reflected on and worked with throughout the years in our own journals). It will be full of new and specific techniques, but each month will ask the reader to focus on and explore certain themes and techniques giving the reader a glimpse into our modus operandi - mode of working.

We'll post updates along the way.

Oh, just a hint, the JFJ Challenge is actually centered around ideas and themes for the monthly missions of the new book, so we are giving you a bit of a sneak peak. But the book is going to be filled with a lot of cool new ideas.

We are very excited.

Pivotal People: Identity and Connection

2011-03-30T12:56:00.000-04:00

First let me say, that I won't be posting a new challenge for this last week of March. I only want to post four challenges per month, so look for a new challenge by the end of this week or the beginning of next week to kick off April.

Now for my Pivotal People.

The last couple of weeks have been busy with the NAEA Convention in Seattle and finishing up the third quarter at school, so I'm sharing a spread from volume 13.

I chose this spread because of the theme Identity and Connection. I have developed much of my identity from the people who have influenced me - especially my Pivotal People.

My parents have always supported me, and they gave me the independence to pursue my own things. Roger and Sandy Scott taught me to work hard and to stand on my own. They encouraged my artistic endeavors, and never held me back.

I had a few teachers in high school and college who impacted me academically and artistically. Some challenged me for the good and for the bad. Some gave me freedom, and some guided me to see my true potential.

Of course I have to acknowledge Dave as pivotal in my life. He was the one who introduced me to the visual journal. He has also mentored me as an artist and a teacher, and I owe him a large debt of gratitude for the direction of my life. I am very glad that the Journal Fodder Junkies is an endeavor that we continue to share.

Just as Dave has been a mentor to me, I have been a mentor to Erin Keane, a.k.a. Bean. I met Erin several years ago, and have been grateful to share her journey. She is visible evidence of how I have changed the world, and I very much enjoy reading her thoughts and seeing her art on her blog. But Erin has challenged and inspired me, and has been an influence in some of my recent artistic successes.

Then there's Joanne, my wife. My world drastically changed when I met her, and I have cherished every bit of our journey together. She has been a constant in my life for the last ten years. She has encouraged and inspired me. She has supported and challenged me. She has understood me and comforted me. She has made me smile, laugh, and at times cry. She has given me love, joy, and the opportunity to pursue my creative notions. She is central in my life.

I am grateful to all these connections. They have influenced and guided me. They have impacted me and been responsible for the movement of my life. Thank you to all my Pivotal People.

Back from Seattle

2011-03-22T20:56:00.000-04:00

Dave and I just spent five days in Seattle at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Convention. We went to a lot of sessions, presented two sessions on the the visual journal, talked to a lot of folks, and got a chance to see part of the city. It was a packed five days. The photo of Dave above was taken our first morning in Seattle at local coffee shop.

When I got home yesterday evening after a very long and uncomfortable flight, I received an email with some wonderful news. I have been selected as a new member of The Gateway Gallery and Gift Shop in Round Hill, VA, just 5 miles from my house. I haven't officially signed the membership papers, but it looks like I'll be part of this fairly new cooperative gallery in western Loudoun.

With the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour and now the Gateway Gallery, I need to start making art.

Challenge #4: Pivotal People

2011-03-22T00:00:00.005-04:00

We all have people who have profoundly affected us, mentored us, or inspired us. There are those people who have challenged us and pushed us. This may have been in a positive or negative way, but their influence has been key in steering us in our lives.

Who in your life has influenced you strongly? What did they say to you? What do they represent? What has been the impact in your life, and how did the direction of your life path change?

Recognize those that have had a profound effect on you.

Saying Goodbye

2011-03-15T20:34:00.001-04:00

Our house is a bit emptier today as we said goodbye to our sweet, sixteen year old cat, Allie. Allie came into my wife’s life nearly fifteen years ago as a rescue from the Human Society of Ventura County in Ojai, California. She was a sweet, little calico – except that is, when being pilled. I have the scars from my several attempts that led me to declare my wife the official pill popper. But mostly Allie was sweet and lovely, and she loved nothing more than to curl up in her favorite spots, especially the heater in the kitchen and the arm of the sofa. She kept me company many a morning as I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee.

Allie’s last year was a struggle. She developed hyperthyroidism and went from being pleasantly plump to rather skinny and scrawny. She ate constantly, and meowed incessantly to be fed. She received daily meds and went through three cans of wet food a day – about which she was very finicky. Then a few weeks ago, her appetite disappeared, she became rather lethargic, and rapidly lost weight. In the end it was kidney failure, and we had to make a tough but compassionate decision. Allie went to the Bridge early this morning with the assistance of our wonderful and compassionate friend Dr. Krisi Erwin, DVM.

The above photographs were taken during Dave’s recent visit, when Allie decided that Dave’s open journal was a comfortable place to lounge.

We will miss our little California girl.

Challenge #3: Steppingstones

2011-03-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

We have all grown, evolved, and changed. At times the movement of our lives has changed direction because of the choices we have made, and at other times it has changed because the choices that others have made. These are what psychologist Ira Progoff calls Steppingstones in his Intensive Journal Workshop.

What have been your steppingstones – those significant moments of your life? What have been the moments when significant change or growth has occurred? What have these shifts meant for you and the direction of your life?

Remember to post a link to your image in the comments below.

Personal Mythology

2011-03-13T19:03:00.000-04:00

For this week's challenge, I began to think about the stories that I have told myself throughout the years. I kept coming back to the feeling of being an outsider. Throughout my life I have been the outsider in many circumstances including my own family. I was always a little bit different - more quiet, more introspective, more to myself. This feeling was at its height during adolescence when I longed to fit in at high school. Even to this day, there are times when I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. I guess that in ways I relish the feeling.

I started off this page by applying watercolor with a paint scraper. I wrote in both pen and pencil, and added some collage. I added watercolor pencil and water-soluble pencil, and the self portrait was a stencil that I cut using a favorite photograph - the same as I used in the "I am" spread.

Challenge #2: Personal Mythologies

2011-03-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

myth – n: 1. a legendary narrative that presents the beliefs of a people 2. an imaginary or unverifiable person or thing.

mythology – n: a body of myths.

We have all created myths about ourselves – stories that are imaginary and unverifiable. We have puffed ourselves up with stories of accomplishment and tore ourselves down with stories of lack. We have scripts and dialogues running through our heads reinforcing those myths.

What are your personal myths? What is your personal mythology? What are the stories that you have told yourself over and over to the point that you believe them and accept them?

Question your own mythology, and see if you can verify them.

Remember to post a link to your image in the comments.

I am

2011-03-03T15:30:00.003-05:00

Here's my two-page spread for "I am". The photo on the right page is a school photo from when I was in second grade. This page uses watercolor pencil, watercolor paint, collage, and ink.

Here's Dave's page. He used water soluble graphite to write about the prompt and painted over it with water. Once it dried, he used ink, yellow marker, and metallic paint pen.

Thanks to all who have posted links and who will post to their pages.

Challenge #1: I am

2011-03-01T14:00:00.002-05:00

Who are you?

This seems like a very easy and straight-forward question, but when was the last time that you really tried to articulate an answer. You may have thought that you figured that out a long time ago, or perhaps you feel like you are still figuring it out. What better way to start this Challenge. No matter what type of art you make it is always a reflection of you. The journal is no different. Heck, it might even be more true of the journal.

Take some time to ponder and journal about all the aspects of your “self,” and create a response that introduces you to the world.

Who are you? What is important to you? Where do you come from? How does your inner identity compare to your outer identity? Do you have a hidden identity? If you are not who you want to be, what is stopping you?

Don’t forget to share a link to your response in Comments.

Journal Fodder Junkies Challenge

2011-03-01T06:35:00.001-05:00

The Journal Fodder Junkies Challenge begins today!

Almost four years ago I started this blog with little idea of how I would use it, and where it would go. But for the past four years, I have tried to share ideas, techniques, and my thoughts in hopes to inspire others – in hopes to have some impact on the world. The comments, feedback, and emails that I have received have been constant encouragement, and with the release of The Journal Junkies Workshop, I have seen the impact grow and spread to a humbling degree.

Yet, I have constantly wished to do more – to share more ideas, more insight – to make this little blog a source of constant inspiration. But it can be a daunting task to keep up with taking and posting images, writing and editing posts, and in just keeping up with all of the little things that go along with such a venture. But if I want this endeavor to be a priority, I must (to paraphrase my own rules) show up, sit down, and work. I do want this endeavor to grow, and so I am making a new commitment to this space that I have carved out, and so the Journal Fodder Junkies blog is going through a transformation as I look to deepen the journey, and look to reach further out into the world.

Dave and I have recently starting working on a new book, and through the process I have been hit by the realization that our approach to the visual journal is all about the Everyday. Our journals are imbued with the ordinariness of our everyday lives, and I want to share more of that with the readers of this blog and to make this blog much more of a community.

With the encouragement of a girl nicknamed Bean, I am preparing this space to enter a new phase. Beginning today, I am posting a challenge to all the readers of this blog to actively journal along with me over the following weeks and hopefully months and to spread the power and love of the visual journal. As a result of this challenge, I am publicly committing to myself to engage this space at a much higher level.

So, it is my pleasure to announce the beginning of the official Journal Fodder Junkies Challenge. Similar to Illustration Friday and the countless sketchbook and art journal challenges out there, the Journal Fodder Junkies Challenge will be a weekly challenge to myself and readers to journal and to share. I am hoping that you will come along with me as I start this new adventure.

All weekly topics will be posted here and archived on the Challenge page. If you wish to participate, simply create a response, post an image on your blog, website, or photo sharing site and share a link in the comments of the topic post.

I will be posting the first weeks challenge later today. Please see the the Challenge page for more information.

Announcements and Changes

2011-02-28T18:22:00.004-05:00

I received some great news today. I was notified that I was selected to be a participating artist in the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour to be held in June. This annual two day event invites the public into the studios of artists living and working in western Loudoun County, and it has grown into quite and event over the last five years.

I have been meaning to get my act together and apply to be part of the tour ever since its first year, and this year I got the application together and submitted everything last month. The main thing holding me back was the lack of a proper studio space. My studio is in the house and doubles as the guest bedroom - not really conducive to the public popping in. But I have a nice one car garage where I house my wood shop, and I am in the process of converting it into a somewhat temporary studio. If I get heat and air conditioning in it, maybe I can move the studio out there on a permanent basis. I know my wife would love that. One day, we would like to add a second story onto the garage and build a proper studio. But in the meantime, it will work nicely for the tour.

If your in the Northern Virginia region, mark you calendars for June 11 and 12. The tour runs from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day, and there are a great number of artists to visit. I can't wait, but there's a lot to do before then.

On a different note, you may have noticed that I have tweaked a few things around the blog and added a few stand alone pages (see the tab under the blog title). It is all in preparation for a big announcement and change that I plan on unveiling tomorrow. I'm putting on the finishing touches, and the beginning of a new month just seems appropriate to make it public. I am hoping that this new idea will allow me to have an even greater impact. Tune in tomorrow for the grand reveal.

The Now of Artmaking

2011-02-25T17:55:00.001-05:00

Over the years I have experienced and witnessed the paralysis that can come with the making of art. It can manifest itself as the staring at a blank page, a blank canvas, a blank whatever. We think about the future of this object, and often we cannot envision what we want this thing to be. We try to have a well thought out, very cohesive idea from the beginning wanting it to spring completely formed from our heads. We sit and stare worrying that we will not be able to think of a suitable use, purpose, or goal. Ideas do flash through our brains, but we quickly dismiss them fearful that they will not live up to the word “Art” with a capital “A”. We get stuck in our heads obsessing over the past and trying to predict the future. We mull over what we have done in the past, what others have done, what art has been, and what art should be. We get caught up in our comparisons and insecurities of the past, and we freeze. We also get caught up in the script of what our art will never be and how it will never live up to the expectations of others and of ourselves. We focus so much on the finished product – what it should be, what it should look like, what it should say, and we freeze.

We need to stop thinking of art as a product – a painting, a journal page, a doll, or a (insert your own thing here). We need to start thinking of art as a process – a line of inquiry – a journey – a series of choices where we really have no idea where we are going or how to get there. We need to focus on what is right in front of us at this very moment. Chuck Close said, “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us show up and work.” I think he meant that artists have to put in the work. They have to do something. Waiting around for inspiration to strike like lightning, means that there is a lot of sitting, staring, and waiting, and not much making. We must take that first tentative step. We get a glimmer of an idea, or a technique or image for some random reason speaks to us. We embrace that idea, the uncertainty of it. We say to ourselves, “Let’s see where this is going,” and we follow it. Sometimes it leads to something great, often it doesn’t. But we have learned a thing or two, and grown as artists. We then find that next idea, image, or glimmer of technique that will lead our inquiry.

We must stop trying to envision the end result – the product – the project, and simply latch onto an idea and envision the step that we can take NOW. “What do I do with this idea now? Where do I go from here?” These are the only types of questions that we can ask ourselves. We take the step, then ask those questions again, and then take the next step. By focusing on the next step and allowing the accumulation of our steps to take us where the work needs to go, we are making art. By focusing on where we are NOW and not where we want to be, we can continue the journey. We can combat the paralysis, and we can get onto something. Sometimes that something is a pretty good idea. But all ideas come from working through other ideas. It's not magic, and it's not a bolt of lightning.

Be Here Now

2011-02-16T20:13:00.001-05:00

How easy it is to let life swing out of balance. It was only a month or so ago that I wrote about how I had been finding more balance in my life, but that quickly, the pendulum swung and I found my life racking to one side with so many things vying for my attention. I had become frazzled, stressed, irritable, and down right pissed off. Little things quickly grew into mountainous things, and everything became a conspiracy to steal away my precious time and sanity. A running dialogue played through my head as I justified myself to my imagined enemies and tormentors. I felt trampled, taken for granted, heaped on, and outright misunderstood. For a few weeks these black clouds hung over me, and I was zapped of energy and zapped of life. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and zone out or crawl into bed and sleep. I was caught in a mode of thinking that had me spinning and going nowhere – other than becoming more resentful and spiteful. I was not liking this person who seemed to step in my shoes and was trudging through my days bent on venting frustration and venomous indignation.

I caught myself in the midst of all of this lopsided, negative, nearly toppling over mess of inner turmoil. I realized that I was completely out of balance – completely blowing everything out of proportion. So, I stopped myself. I stopped the inner dialogue, the mental ranting and raving, the venting to my wife, friends, and colleagues, and I went for a walk. I stopped the incessant mental ranting about all the slights and misdeeds done to me over the past few weeks. I stopped all the mental justification of my actions to some future naysayer. I pulled on my warm fleece, my hat, and my gloves, and walked out into the cold, fresh air even though my legs were tired and sore form a long day of standing and teaching. I stuffed my earbuds into my ears and cranked up the volume and put The Killers on shuffle. Out the door I went allowing the familiar songs to nudge my weary body into movement. I’ve made a vow to get my body moving at least four or five times a week – not to get fit – not to lose weight – but simply to find balance and to BE PRESENT.

In all my frustration, irritation, and plain crankiness, I was not being present. I was clinging and clutching to that frustration, irritation, and crankiness feeling like I was justified in it – feeling like I had a right to justify it and stay wrapped up in it as if the world didn’t and couldn’t understand, and it was me against the world. I was clinging and grasping and holding on as the dialogue looped through my head – playing over and over. I held to the resentment of the recent past and looked to the future to a time when I wouldn’t have these issues – a matter of “only when” and “only if”. Yet I missed what was happening right in front of me. I was missing the Now thinking so much about what had been and what could be forgetting to live.

But those walks with the music echoing in my skull pushed that looping dialogue of self-absorbed prattle out of my mind, and made me acutely aware of the very moment that I was in. I let the inner dialogue go, and realized that I only had Now to deal with myself. It is not the situations in which we find ourselves. It is our reaction to those situations. And the best way to deal with any situation and life in general is to get present and show up like magic – TO BE HERE NOW – and to let go of the resentment, the regrets, and the frustrations of the past and the imaginings of a future that has yet to be and to be present in this very moment.

Over the last week, I have found time for stillness where I have sat with no distractions and simply tried to be with myself. I have found time for movement through the world in a way that I stay with myself and do not allow my mind to carry me away into the endless cycle of self talk. I have found ways to show up like magic for myself. I feel lighter and more alive. I feel lifted up instead of trampled down. It doesn’t mean that I am always successful in turning off the maddening self talk, and that everything is “peachy keen” but here I am showing up for myself and for others.

Paper Sculpture - Part 1

2011-02-03T11:59:00.002-05:00

I have just uploaded two videos about paper sculpture.

Part 1 demonstrates rolling, folding, and curling.

Part 2 demostrates scoring and tabbing.

Invitation

2011-01-26T10:51:00.000-05:00

If you are in Leesburg Friday, Feb 4th, stop by King Street Coffee and say hi from 6-9pm. I'll be signing copies of my book as well.

More New Work

2011-01-24T19:45:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share a few more pieces that I had created for my show at King Street Coffee in Leesburg, VA.

Excavation 12, 6"x9", Watercolor pencil and colored pencil on paper.

Palimpsest 2, 6"x9", Mixed media on paper.

Paradox, 11"x14", Watercolor, watercolor pencil, and colored pencil on paper.

Artist Reception and Book Signing: February 4, 2010, 6-9 p.m.

New Art and Exhibitions

2011-01-17T18:42:00.001-05:00

The new year has already been a busy one for me. Back in October, I scheduled an exhibition at a local coffee shop, and I have been busy recently making and preparing new work. I already had quite a bit from an exhibition that I had a year ago, so I supplemented some older pieces with some smaller, newer pieces. The piece above is an 11"x14" piece using watercolor, watercolor pencil, graphite, and colored pencil. It is a continuation of my Excavation series.

This piece is part of a new series - Palimpsests. I was introduced to the idea of a palimpsest in Patti Digh's book Creativity is a Verb. A palimpsest is an ancient manuscript, usually a parchment, that has been reused where the original text has been scraped off, washed off, or erased, and a new text has been written on top. Fortunately for future generations, some of the original text shows through, and experts have been able to recover some if not all of the original text. The word palimpsest has come to mean anything where there are evident layers. I felt like this definition was a perfect description of my art.

Today, I hung thirteen pieces at King Street Coffee in Leesburg, VA. I'll post photos of the exhibition at a later date. But in the meantime, if you are in Leesburg, stop by. My work will be on display from now until the end of February.

The official Artist Reception will be Friday, February 4, as part of Leesburg's First Friday Gallery Walk from 6-9 p.m.

I also have a piece of art hanging in a current show, Center Pieces, at the Franklin Park Arts Center in Purcellville, VA. See Steve Loya's post - he also has a piece on display. The Center Pieces exhibition will be on display through the end of the month.

So, it has been an artful new year thus far. Here's hoping that it will continue.

Watercolor Salt and Free Downloads

2011-01-04T10:59:00.000-05:00

This is the latest video tutorial that I have uploaded to YouTube. It demonstrates how to use salt and rubbing alcohol to create textures in watercolor paint.

Also, our publisher F+W Media has created a new mixed-media website called Create Mixed Media the have posted many free PDF downloads from some of their books including ours. Check it out. I'm sure you will find a lot of goodies to inspire your creative endeavors. Specially check out the two free downloads from our book. The first download is all about page alteration, and second is all about writing.

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-31T11:15:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of 2010. And as with every passing year, I sit, scratch my head, and wonder where the time has gone. Another year has slipped away, and here I am pondering. I've already reflected a bit on my birthday a week and a half ago, but today I want to reflect a bit more. Looking through possible journal spreads to post, I ran across this one from volume 12, and the question "What is your truth?" struck a chord with me. And so I wonder what has been my truth over the last twelve months and have I been living up to it.

Over the last 12 months, I have come to realize my truth in a few different areas. The first is balance. I feel that I was able to strike a balance throughout 2010 among the various aspects of my life. I have been able to balance work, art, home, journaling, spirituality, cyberspace, and conferences fairly well. Of course there were times when certain areas ebbed and others flowed, but that is life. Things never balance perfectly all the time. But I feel like I have not deprived one aspect of my life to devote energy to another.

The second truth is in the area of spirituality. I have discovered that I am a very spiritual person - not religious. Though I grew up in a Christian household and embraced Christianity as a child, I became disillusioned with the faith in high school and college. For many years I was very agnostic to the point of being almost atheist. I guess that I am still that way, and so it has been no wonder that I have been drawn toward Buddhism, which by the admission of the Dalai Lama is an atheist religion since it does not hold to the belief of a divine creator. There is such logic and rationality to the Buddha's teachings, and I am drawn to the idea that we can achieve happiness from within by training our minds, reflecting on how we react to things and situations, and seeing objects and phenomenon as they really are - empty of inherent existence. But I don't call myself a Buddhist - I have yet to begin really practicing. I have found opportunities for stillness and quiet. I have found opportunities to be present in the moment. I have found opportunities to reflect on what it is that I wish for my life. I believe that these are ingredients for a spiritual life - get still, get quiet, and go inside.

The third truth that I have realized in 2010 is the impact that I can have on people through art and the journal. I have been continually surprised and awed at the reaction that The Journal Junkies Workshop has received, at the excitement and wonder expressed by participants at our workshops and presentations, and at the reception of my endeavors through this blog, Facebook, and now YouTube. To see our ideas of the visual journal and creativity spread has been a humbling experience, but it makes me firmly believe that I am on the right path. Although there are certain aspects of teaching art in a public school that I absolutely love, I feel that I have a limited impact within my classroom. I feel most in my skin when the impact is much wider and broader. I feel that it won't be much longer before I can leave the constraints of public school behind, and take a leap into something greater. I am continually grateful for all those who spend some time with the Journal Fodder Junkies.

And so to wrap this up, I would ask you to ponder these three questions:

How have you found opportunities for balance?
What have been your opportunities for stillness?
In what ways have you found to leap into the unknown?

I wish everyone a bright, happy, and prosperous new year.

Watercolor Bleed

2010-12-26T09:40:00.001-05:00

This is the second of the video tutorials that I have posted on YouTube. As with the book, the demonstrations are very basic, but deciding when and where to use them is completely up to the individual. We don't want to can creativity. We want to share some basics and allow you to decide how to use them. To see more videos visit my channel on YouTube.

Watercolor Wash

2010-12-23T11:57:00.001-05:00

I have just begun uploading technique demonstrations to YouTube. More will follow once I get them edited. I'm going to stick with the techniques described in the book at first and expand upon it and get into some new and experimental things.

Happy Birthday

2010-12-22T12:53:00.003-05:00

Today is my birthday.

I don't say this in hopes of receiving lots of birthday greetings and nicely wrapped birthday presents. I say it because my birthday is a time of reflection. With it being so close to Christmas and the New Year, my birthday is always a pensive time when I look back over the previous year. I usually spend some time rambling in my journal, but I thought that I would do it here this year instead.

This past year has been an incredible year - busy and jammed packed - but amazing to say the least.

First a few highlights. In 2010 there was my solo exhibit at UNC-G, the National Art Education Association Convention in Baltimore where we presented twice to enthusiastic crowds, the release of The Journal Junkies Workshop and an awesome book launch party hosted by our dear friend Linda, my 7th wedding anniversary, the beginning of my 15th year of teaching, two state Art Education conferences, acceptance to teach classes at Art Unraveled, and the opportunity to meet and inspire lots of amazing people and to share a profound journey.

Next some acknowledgments. I am grateful to everyone who bought a copy of the book, wrote and posted reviews, attended our presentations and workshops, stopped by to see what we've been up to here, on our website, and on Facebook, and emailed or left comments of the most sincere form. I've said it before, but it bares repeating. It is the positive feedback and the knowledge that we are making a difference that keeps the JFJ rolling on. I am grateful to all of the support from my colleagues, my friends, and my family. And the deepest appreciation goes to my wife who whole-heartedly supports my running off to do conferences, workshops, and presentations, and who indulges my hours spent in the studio, and who understands and accepts the money that I spend on hotels, plane tickets, and art supplies.

And finally some personal reflection.

2010 was a year of personal growth. I read a lot mostly on spiritual and creative matters and gained some valuable insight. The Dalai Lama has been a constant source of inspiration and spiritual consideration as I have immersed myself in more and more Buddhist teachings. Patti Digh and Ken Robinson brought home some great points about living creative lives. I feel like my life has much more balance as I juggle work, art, and home. I feel like my relationships have grown stronger, and I feel like I am having a greater impact in the world.

I look forward to the continued sharing of my journey. I look forward to making more art, to inspiring others, to spreading the power of the journal and creativity, to touching the lives of others, and to being touched and inspired in return.

It has a been a great year - not perfect, but great. As a token of appreciation. I am offering up my rules in a fairly hi-res format above for anyone to print out for their own personal use. I created a 6x9 mixed-media piece on watercolor paper. I reworded a couple of rules to take the edge off, and rewrote #10. So, please feel free to print the image and hang in the studio, in classroom, or in an office. Or feel free to collage it into the journal as a constant reminder to make life a creative one.

Thank you to all who have shared this journey with me.

Art Unraveled 2011

2010-12-19T10:15:00.004-05:00

The Journal Fodder Junkies have just landed their first big art retreat gig, and we are very excited. We will be presenting three full-day workshops in Phoenix, AZ at Art Unraveled in August 2011. Many big names of the journaling/arts-and-crafts world will be there presenting workshops and taking classes. This is something Dave and I would like to do more of, and hopefully this will be the first of many opportunities.

Below you will find a description of each of our workshops.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - Visual Ammunition for the Art Addict
Based on their popular book The Journal Junkies Workshop, Dave and Eric designed this class to bombard you with artistic possibilities. Come and explore a variety of techniques and media that are just as at home in the visual journal as they are in rich, mixed-media wall pieces. This workshop allows you the flexibility to work either on individual pieces or in the visual journal giving you a full range of creative choices.

Focus will be placed on how a plethora of techniques can be mixed and mingled, layered and built upon. Stock up on new techniques and add to your creative arsenal, and leave with visually loaded journal pages or mixed-media pieces ready to hang on the wall.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - Mapping Identity in the Visual Journal
It’s all about you in this mixed-media visual journal workshop. Using a variety of prompts, exercises, media, techniques, images, and words, you will begin to unravel the mystery that is YOU by contemplating the questions: Who are you? Where have you been? Where are you going?

The Journal Fodder Junkies lead you through a process of self-discovery and deep introspection as you delve into the visual journal and what its creative powers can mean to you. Prepare to get still, get quiet, and go inside as you learn to encounter the visual journal as a powerful tool for living and dreaming.

Thursday, August 4, 2011 - The Challenge of Beauty
Using a process developed by Angeles Arrien in her book Signs of Life, The Five Universal Shapes and How to Use Them, this class will focus on the use of personal and universal symbols as a way to explore concepts of beauty and personal challenge. The mixed-media approach of the process will touch upon a variety of art media and techniques, but will also add writing and words to the mix allowing you freedom, flexibility, and choice throughout the process.

Come with an openness to explore, and leave with the beginnings of rich journal pages or layered wall pieces.

Click here to see a full list of all the workshops at Art Unraveled.

Facing Death

2010-12-10T18:20:00.002-05:00

I faced death yesterday.

Seriously.

It wasn’t what I was anticipating as I headed down the driveway to get the day’s mail right after getting home from work.

But I faced death as a 4 ton Chevy Avalanche came down the road, veered off the road, and slammed into the maple tree at the end of my driveway just 10 feet away from where I stood waiting – waiting for that very vehicle to pass so that I could get the mail. The tree stood steadfast between me and the truck that barely veered a couple of feet off the road. I instinctively began to back pedal just before impact. A loud BANG! and then flying bumper, headlight, and plastic shrapnel. The momentum of the truck rotated it a little around the tree so that it sat diagonally across the narrow road. Then the creaking and snapping of wood as branches rained down and a large dead branch fell just feet away from me. I pulled out my phone and began trying to dial 911, my brain trying to process the collision, the terror, and what I should do to help. The simple act of pressing three numbers became a monumental task as I tried to get a grip on the reality of the situation. Everyone in the truck was ultimately all right. Some cuts and some bruises – but no frantic ambulances rushing to the hospital – no life flight. Thirty minutes after the accident the truck, police, and people were gone. The injured presumably taken to the hospital by a relative or friend, and the truck towed.

Ten feet… This has stayed in my mind since yesterday. Ten feet away from where the right front side of the Avalanche crumpled into the maple. That tree may have been the only thing between me and the grill of the truck. If the tree had not been there, I could have been severely hurt… or worse. But that tree – that now has a two-foot section of bark missing – that was shaken but not toppled – stood solidly, and I was unharmed. But I can’t help thinking that I faced death. It was so close and could have happened so quickly. And it has my pondering.

If that tree had not of been there, and I had an up-close, personal meeting with death, what would I think of my life? What regrets would I have? What would I wish that I could have done differently? I wouldn’t regret much. I have achieved a lot. I have a wonderful wife and amazing friends. And it is a remarkable thing to think that I have touched thousands of lives with my art, my book, and my teaching. But I would regret not doing all that I feel that I am meant to do. My life is full, but I know there is so much more out there for me – so many more avenues of life to explore and so many more people to meet. I want to make the most out of my life no matter how long or short – to have an impact on the world. There’s so much more joy and life outside my front door.

I pondered this today as I walked down the hall, and I saw one of my students skipping down the hall. A freshman, 14 or 15 years old, and she was alone in the hall and probably did expect anyone to see her. But I turned the corner and she stopped skipping as soon as she saw me. As I said hello to her and passed by, I told her that I believed the world needs more skipping.

So I faced death and realized that the world needs more skipping.

Eric's Rules

2010-12-08T11:19:00.003-05:00

Inspired by Patti Digh's rant (which she includes in her book Creativity is a Verb), I began thinking about what gets in the way of my making art. So, I wrote the rules below for myself adopting and adapting some of Patti's and inserting my own. I was very blunt and honest with myself because that's what I need. I expanded it a bit thinking that there are others out there who need such bluntness. So, here are my "rules" for making art and being creative.

1. Show Up
Make a space and show up every day. Get in the studio. Sit down at the dining room table. Clear off the coffee table. Pull out the journal or a small piece of drawing paper when you have five minutes, when you’re watching TV, and when there’s nothing else to do. Show up at the page, the canvas, the hunk of clay, or the pile of fabric. You must be present to win, so show up.

2. Sit the Hell Down and Make
Turn off the TV. Stop checking email, reading blogs, and surfing the web for inspiration. Get off of peopleofwalmart.com, fmylife.com, and shitmydadsays.com. Forget about the pile of laundry that all of a sudden got rather appealing, and forget about the dishes in the sink. Turn off the cell phone, stop texting, Facebooking, and instant messaging. Sit your butt down or go stand at the easel and start making. Start playing. Distractions are only a way of procrastinating.

3. Work
It’s all about working and putting in the hours. It’s about the process not the product. So work in the journal, doodle, and experiment. Start a larger work with no idea where it will lead. Work will lead to work, and the more you work, the easier it is to get to work the next time. Inertia applies to art. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. So get moving and working, and you’ll continue moving and working. Don’t wait for inspiration to hit. Forget about what it looks like. Forget about if it’s good or bad. Suspend judgment. The more you work the sooner you’ll get onto something. There’s an estimated 20,000 pieces of Picasso’s art in the world. You might say that’s because he’s a great artist. NO! He’s great because he made 20,000 pieces of art. He worked constantly experimenting and pushing his art. Dan Eldon filled 17 hardbound journals in his short 22 years. He made his life into art. Put in the hours and you will do great things.

4. Ignore Everybody
Ignore what other people may think. Ignore what other people may say. A lot of people can’t except their own creativity and so will not except yours. They may not appreciate your work. They may be jealous of your activity. They may even say that you are wonderful and great. Ignore them. Criticism and praise can stall your work. Who cares if anyone else likes it? Stop comparing yourself to others saying how easy they have it, how naturally it comes to them, how great they are. Ignore them. It’s not a competition. They are not you, and besides they struggle just as you do. They have the same doubts and fears. Make for yourself. You are expressing yourself as honestly and truthfully as you can. And sometimes you have to ignore your honey, your kids, and your pets and lock yourself in the studio. They will understand if they know that this is what you need. Ignore them, but don’t neglect them.

5. Shut the Hell Up
Shut up about ideal conditions and what ifs and maybe whens. Shut up about not having the time and the energy. If it’s a priority, you do it. Plain and simple. Stop giving lip service to how much making art is a priority. Actions speak louder. Stop complaining, whining, and being jealous of others. Stop whining about having no creativity or no talent. You are creative and you are talented, so go make art. Stop telling yourself that you are a fraud and no one will like you or your art. Just shut up and make art.

6. Find Your Tribe
You can do this alone, but then you are alone. It’s hard to grow and evolve without others. Surround yourself with creative collaborators that can encourage and inspire you. Don’t compare yourself to them. Learn from them. Lean on them. Let them lift you up, and do the same for them. Artistic accomplices keep you on track. They challenge you. They support you. They point out areas to work on and ways to grow. A creative journey is best when shared. So, find a teacher, a mentor, a colleague, or a friend and start a creative tribe.

7. Look at Art
Find artists and artwork you admire – past and present, and be inspired by their lives and their art. Find artists that do similar things as you and artists that do things that are totally different. You will learn from both. Look at the choices they have made regarding materials, imagery, and composition. Learn from and be inspired from them. Just don’t use this as an excuse to not make art. See #2.

8. Nothing is a Mistake
Everything that you do is a learning experience, so see everything as an experiment. Have fun and play. Stop judging yourself and your art. Stop comparing yourself to other artists. The inner critic is only the voice of someone who criticized you and your work long ago, and it echoes to this day in your head. Ignore it, and create with reckless abandon. Spill your guts. Don’t tear up your work, tear pages out of your journal, or ball up the clay. Don’t throw away your art. Remember that it is about the process. Remember Picasso’s 20,000 works – they’re not all masterpieces. Keep everything as a record of your growth. Learn to let go of perfectionism. As Ken Robinson says, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original.”

9. Get Over Yourself
Stop putting yourself down. Stop saying how you and your art suck. Stop reducing and minimizing yourself. You’re not terrible. Get over it. Stop pitying yourself. If you want to create, stop getting in your own way. And don’t listen to the hype. Others may say how great, how talented, how wonderful, how amazing you are. Maybe you are, but don’t let your ego inflate. Stay humble, and always look to grow and evolve. You have a unique story to tell, so just spill it.

10. Do With What You Have
Stop going on and on about ideal conditions. Conditions will never be ideal. You seem to believe that only when you have the time, the beautiful 1000 square foot studio, the expensive set of Maimeri Blu Watercolors, the new laptop with the ultra fast processor, or the exquisite fountain pen, you’ll be able to make art, write, or create. Even if you had all that, you still need to do the work. It’s not the materials. It’s not the space or the time. It’s about making. Grab what’s at hand and make. Picasso did amazing sculptures using cardboard and paintings on newspaper. Don’t have the exquisite hand-bound, Italian journal with the leather cover, so what. Write or draw on the back of envelopes. Make do with what you have. Make and do. That’s what’s important.

Shine

2010-11-26T13:27:00.005-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately about creativity, namely Ken Robinson's The Element and Patti Digh's Creative is a Verb. I have also been thinking about the role creativity has in my classroom and what my role is as the teacher to bring that creativity out in my students. And finally, I have been having many conversations with friends and colleagues on the subject as well. I am always amazed how a confluence of events can swirl around an important issue in one's life. A friend of mine would call it synchronicity.

Both Robinson and Digh make it a point to say that we are all creative no matter what we have been told by education, society, or our own inner voices. And when we tap into, accept, and embrace that natural well of creativity, we can begin to live our lives deeply and with meaning. Sir Ken shares many stories of celebrities, musicians, sports figures, and academic figures. Patti uses personal stories and her own struggle to be fully alive in her skin. I haven't read all the way through either book, but one thing keeps coming up in the reading, conversations, and my own thoughts. And that is the way that many of us reduce and diminish our own luminous creativity - how we refuse to shine.

Patti puts it this way, "We minimize ourselves in so many ways, and stop ourselves from living our most creative life -- or owning that we are creative beings just because we are alive. Often without realizing it."

The above spread was an exploration on this very idea that I did for the Illustration Friday prompt Pale nearly two years ago. Click here to see the original post. We diminish our gifts and our talents and fade into the background and refuse to shine even though we have so much to share - so much to offer the world. Yet we make up rules and excuses. We compare ourselves to others and deny that which makes us uniquely unique. We look at the negatives and negate the positives because somewhere someone told us that we weren't good enough, weren't talented enough, weren't creative enough, weren't suppose to shine. And we were young enough to believe, and for all these years we have been playing that soundtrack in our minds believing that we are never enough. "Why should we even try?" we ask ourselves. "There are those special people that it's just so easy for, and I'll never be one of those. I'll never be an artist, writer, singer, entrepreneur, or mathematician." And even when we venture to put ourselves out there, we are afraid that we will be discovered a charlatan and fraud. We can't see our own luminosity because we filter our perceptions through these stories that we have been telling ourselves for years. And the scary thing is that someone squelched that creative spark in us. Sometimes in a very direct and mean way, but often in a seemingly harmless remark. I bet if we all look back through our lives we can find examples of the remarks and actions of others have snuffed the creative flame, and we can find instances where they have fanned the flame and sparked our creativity and passion. Why do we focus on the negative?

So, when will we realize that we have so much to offer the world simply because we are human and we seek connection in order to share that which sparks us? We are not alone out there, and if we shine bright enough we might be able to see exactly how un-alone we are as our light falls on the faces and hearts of others.

Randomness

2010-11-19T10:56:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a random journal spread from journal #12. This spread evolved over a long period of time from a lot of random juxtapositions. Some of the random fodder consists of small watercolor experiments, to-do lists, a delivery notice from FedEx, and a magazine image. Some of the random drawing consists of the stylized face and tracings of various stencils.

Although this spread was fashioned from disparate elements, it derives meaning from the list of questions on the right-hand page.

JFJ in Norfolk

2010-11-10T12:31:00.006-05:00

This past week, Dave and I enjoyed giving a presentation and two hands-on workshops at the Virginia Art Education Association Fall Professional Development Conference in Norfolk, VA. After a long drive in the rain on Thursday, we enjoyed an enthusiastic group in a hands-on workshop where we shared some tips and techniques for layering in the journal. On Friday, we presented about our journey to the visual journal and the book to a packed room where people filled the chairs, lined the walls, and sat on the floor, and on Saturday, we did a repeat performance of our hands-on workshop to another group of wonderful art educators.

Over the years, we have done a lot of these presentations and workshops at various conferences and conventions, and the enthusiasm, excitement, and personal experiences of the attendees still shocks me. I'm not sure why, but I guess that the journal has been such a part of my life for so long that the power of it seems to be almost commonplace. And to see the excitement and to hear the stories is almost overwhelming and always powerful. It is for all those wonderful people who show up eager to hear what we do that keeps us doing what we doing.

The Journal Fodder Junkies will continue to spread the power of the visual journal in education and in life. Thanks again for all of the support that everyone has given us over the last five or six years. We are simply two guys speaking our truth.

The above spread consists of notes and fodder from the conference.

100 Vis Js 4 NC

2010-10-31T19:57:00.003-04:00

Dave has the 100 Visual Journals for North Carolina blog up and running. Inspired by the 1000 Journal project, Dave launched 100 journals out into the state of North Carolina - one journal for each county in the state. He found willing volunteers to step up and be guardians for journals and to be regional coordinators. For anyone in NC who wishes to be a part of this project as a guardian of a journal as a regional coordinator, or as a contributor to this project, wander over to check out the latest information.

In other news, I found out that my artwork was accepted for Patti Digh's new book. I am very excited. See this post to see the art that I submitted.

Feeling like an Artist

2010-10-26T10:00:00.005-04:00

Nothing beats the feeling of creating when I am in that zen-like state where the painting, drawing, or sculpture is just taking form effortlessly and it just finishes so easily. It's like the work is creating itself. Of course, I have a lot of unfinished work stacked up in the studio that started out flowing like water, but quickly got dammed and came to a screeching halt waiting for completion some day. Both of these feelings - the free-flowing creativity and the blocked creativity - are part of being and feeling like an artist.

And there is such validation when someone else thinks so highly of your work that they want to own a piece. I was fortunate to sell two pieces this past weekend at the NCAEA conference. Modus Operandi 123 above was an 11x14 piece that hung around my studio for a couple of years before I finished it for an exhibit last winter, and Personal Excavation below grew out of my Excavation Series and is a small 4x6 graphite piece that I finished relatively quickly. I appreciate anyone wishing to own a piece of mine, and there is such a release when the work is sent out there to live somewhere else. That release is also part of being and feeling like an artist.

This artwork would have never existed if it were not for the visual journal. The ideas, techniques, and concepts that I have developed in the journal over the last 11 years have laid the foundation for the artwork that I am making now. The journal has been such an integral part of my personal artistic growth. And I am happy to share my art and my journey.

Thank you to all who have supported my artistic endeavors.

JFJ in NC

2010-10-25T12:22:00.004-04:00

Dave and I just got back from the North Carolina Art Education Association's annual Fall Conference in New Bern, NC. The setting was great, the weather was beautiful, and the attendees were highly motivated. We were part of 4 presentations and workshops spreading the power and importance of the visual journal.

Our 3-hour, hands-on workshop was filled with excited teachers - many of whom keep coming back year after year and some of whom came on the advice of a friend or colleague, but all of whom dove into the variety of media and techniques we shared. Our 45-minute presentation on our journey to publishing The Journal Junkies Workshop brought out quite a few people early in the morning as we traced our path form the visual journal to the book. Many stayed for Dave's presentation on 100 Visual Journals for North Carolina (Dave's hand-drawn logo for the project can be seen above). Basically, Dave envisioned one journal going to each county in NC (there are excactly 100), getting filled by teachers, students, and the commuinity - ages 2-102 - and then making its way back to him where they will be donated to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching as a means to raise money for the center. We thank all those who took on the role of Activist to become guardian of their county's journal. We thank Cheap Joe's in Boone for the donation of the 100 journals. Finally, we supported our good friend Sam Peck in his presentation Fight Club=Graduate School where he credited his acceptance into UNCG's MFA program in part to the visual journal and in part to the discussion he had with the interviewers about the book/film Fight Club and Postmodern Principles. Tying the book/film to Olivia Gude's "Postmodern Principles: in Search of 21st Century Art Education", Sam led a great talk about his journey to and through graduate school and back to teacher.

Thanks to all who came out to be part of a great conference, and we hope to see you all in Charlotte next year. The support, enthusiasm, and motivation keeps inspiring us to continue to push the visual journal further and further.

Balance

2010-10-19T21:38:00.003-04:00

I have been finding my balance more over the last few weeks. Life can be so overwhelming at times when things are stacked up and everything is a priority. Unfortunately, many people want their priorities to become mine. So, it is nice when life balances itself out for a while. Balancing teaching, spending time with family and friends, working around the house, making art, and finding some quiet time is a difficult task at times, but that is what life is about - seeking balance.

Priorities

2010-10-08T20:00:00.003-04:00

With school in full swing, I have been busy to the point of being almost overwhelmed. Things are finally settling down, and it isn't so much work and struggle keeping up with the day-to-day. I have actually found some time work on my art. Besides working in the journal, I have been able to start a 22"x30" piece on watercolor paper (pictured above). I tacked the paper up behind my desk at school, and over the last week, I have been slowly adding layers of watercolor and watercolor pencil with much of the work over the last two days. It has been a nice lift in the spirit to find time to work on some art.

I am a big believer that in our lives we give priority to things that we value. Unfortunately we often give priority to things like TV, cell phones, and computers, and to some degree that is what we value at the time even though we may say otherwise. If it was something we did not value, we would not dedicate the time. It is that simple. Actions speak louder than words.

Too often, I have paid lip service to the importance of my art, but I have not dedicated the energy. So, on some level, I was not valuing it at the time. I am not criticizing myself because life easily gets busy and one aspect can quickly take over our focus. I am simply stating a fact, but I am glad that at least for now, I am finding some balance in life with work, play, art, family, friends, and so on. It's not all perfectly balanced, and there will always be ebbs and flows. But I feel more in touch with myself and more centeredwhen I am making art.

Here is to finding balance and prioritizing the things that truly matter.

What I Wish For

2010-10-01T11:37:00.002-04:00

In mid August, I submitted my name to create a work of art for Patti Digh's new book What I Wish For: Simple Wisdom for a Happy Life. After an overwhelming response, the editor randomly selected people to submit work, and I was lucky enough to be selected. Now there's no guarantee that my work will be selected, but the artwork above is my submission.

Patti had readers of her blog write essays for her older daughter giving her advice as she graduated from high school and transitioned into college. She then, selected many of the submitted essays to publish in book form, and then solicited artwork.

I received an essay a couple of weeks ago to illustrate, and it posed a real challenge. First, the essay contained some very literal imagery, and my art is not very literal. Second, the art could not use any legible text, and my art often uses text. After working on it for several days, I think that the resulting work reflects the essay pretty well. But I'm not going to share that.

What do you think the main theme of the essay was?

The work was created in a 9x12 Strathmore Mixed-Media Visual Journal.

Rudy Scott is raising money for 2011 "Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down" Calendar

2010-09-03T17:32:00.002-04:00

I'm not one to make a plea to all my friends and blog readers, but this is very special to me. Many of you know that my wife and I lost our dog Rudy to cancer last spring. As a tribute, we entered him for consideration in the 2011 Cancer Can't Keep a Good Dog Down Calendar. It is a fundraiser to fight cancer in canines. We are asking for help to raise money for a cure but also to win Rudy a place in the calendar. Voting takes place through September 12, and each dollar donated counts as a vote. We would appreciate any help, even if it's just the five dollar minimum donation. It's a good cause, and a great way to honor our special boy. Just click the Donate Now! button on the widget above if you would like to lend your support, and please share this with everyone you know. Cancer is not just a human disease.

Thank you.

Walk Unafraid

2010-08-23T09:26:00.004-04:00

Today it's all said by the R.E.M. song "Walk Unafraid" from their album Up

As the sun comes up, as the moon goes down
These heavy notions creep around
It makes me think
Long ago I was brought into this life, a little lamb
A little lamb
Courageous, stumbling
Fearless was my middle name
But somewhere there I
Lost my way
Everyone walks the same
Expecting me to step
The narrow path they've laid
They claim to
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me
High
Say keep within the boundaries if you want to play
Say contradiction only makes it harder
How can I be
What I want to be?
When all I want to do is strip away
These stilled constraints
And crush this charade
Shred this sad masquerade
I don't need no persuading
I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me
High
If I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go
I just want to hold my head up high
I don't care what I have to step over
I'm prepared to look you in the eye
Look me in the eye
And if you see familiarity
Then celebrate the contradiction
Help me when I fall to
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me
High
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold my love me or leave me
High

Spiritual Process

2010-08-13T15:09:00.004-04:00

The older I get, the more I realize that life and art are both spiritual processes, and the visual journal has solidified that attitude in my mind. Except for an agnostic/atheist phase in my late teens and early 20s, I have always been a spiritual person - not in an organized religion or new agey kind of way. But I have always felt that the world was held together by forces far greater than we as individuals, and that feeling was always reinforced on solitary hikes in the woods or while leading journal workshops. I have been awed by nature and my connection to it, and I have been awed by the power of the journal. I have seen lives change because people have connected with themselves in the journal.

I think for me that is what this spiritual process is all about - connecting. It is first an individual process - a looking inward and connecting with all aspects of ourselves. Then it is an external process of connecting with others and helping them on their individual journeys through life. Happiness is within us and not with material objects, the love of another, or ordained on us by fate. All beings want to be happy and do not want to suffer, but that happiness cannot come from wealth, electronic gadgets, fancy cars, a young, attractive spouse, or a lavish home. It comes from turning inward and helping others.

Mindfulness

2010-08-06T13:48:00.002-04:00

It seems that every waking moment our minds are occupied with a tremendous amount of thoughts. No matter whether we are driving in the car, taking a shower, or trying to go to sleep, our minds are awash in a whole range of thoughts. Much of time we think about the past - the would'ves, should'ves, and could'ves - as we relive various moments regretting some and reveling in others. And the rest of the time we are occupied with thoughts of the future whether it's a mental to-do list for the day or the dream of when we have more time and money. But it is fair to say that we think very little about the present moment which leads to the paranoid feeling that we forgot to lock the front door or that we have driven many miles and are surprised when we suddenly arrive at our destination with no recollection of the journey. We seem to be on autopilot as we go on with the business of our day worrying and thinking about so much other stuff that we forget to live in the moment.

Recently I have been working on being more mindful of myself in the present moment. It began dawning on me recently during a vacation to the beach as I sat and watched the waves. The waves rolled in one after another, and though I began to think about riding my body board, I quickly found myself just being there watching the waves. Thoughts about grabbing my board, where we would eat lunch, or what waited us when we got back home just slipped away. It was as if I had become part of the wave as it moved toward the beach. I felt that sensation several times during our six day stay, and each time I sat for hours just watching the waves, listening to their crashes, and feeling the breeze blowing. I was very present in the moment and very mindful of the waves, the sun, the breeze, the people, and the sand.I have also been reading quite a bit of Buddhist writings including the Dalai Lama, and mindfulness is a key component that these various writers bring up. Being present for each moment and being mindful of that experience whether it is eating, meditating, or walking can help eliminate distracting thoughts and dispel afflictive emotions.

So, I have tried to be more mindful as I go through my days. My biggest mindful experiment was a recent hike. Usually as I hike, thoughts of all kind flash through my mind - everything from thoughts about previous hikes to imaginary conversations to ideas for future books and blog posts. And often miles can go by and I find myself thinking "How did I get here already? I don't remember passing that one part of the trail." Basically my thoughts take over, and my body moves through the woods without paying much attention to my surroundings. I find that I often cannot remember large pieces of the trail.

This past week I tried to hike while being more mindful of myself and the hike. It wasn't easy. I found all kinds of thoughts entering my mind, and I simply acknowledged them, and let them go always bringing my thoughts back to the hike. I looked around much more as I hiked, I "listened" to my body so that I did not get winded, and I trusted that my feet would find the best spots to step so that I wasn't hiking with my eyes staring at my feet scouting out each step. And whenever a stray thought entered, I just tried to let it go. I didn't allow myself to follow the thought and get caught up in reliving the past or trying to plan the future. I let it go and turned my thoughts back to the hike. I found myself hiking more softly and gracefully. I didn't plod along tripping over rocks and stomping down the trail. I felt much more like a deer moving through the woods ever on the look out for trouble.

It was an amazing experience, and though I hiked that section of trail a hundred times or more, that was the first time that I really experienced the hike. I can remember the hike much more vividly. Everyday now, I try to find more ways of being present and being mindful.

Pages

2010-07-29T10:36:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to share a couple more two page spreads today, and let people ask questions about them or about anything else. So, leave a comment and ask away.

Disconnected

2010-07-14T17:59:00.003-04:00

The above two page spread is from my current journal. I recently set up a makeshift photo studio and shot many of my journal pages from my last two journals. I am hoping to share more of them over the weeks to come.

This spread began with the large stylized self-portrait in the center, and I soon after added the web-like, black ink lines and blue watercolor pencil on the right-hand side. It remained in that state for quite some time, months in fact, as I began and worked on other pages. I just was at a loss. I couldn't think of what to add next, and it lacked direction. Finally, after looking back over these pages time and time again, something needed to happen, so I just started adding random things to the pages - the collage elements, the blue watercolor on the left hand side, the random rectangles, and the green watercolor pencil. I added the word "disconnected" and the writing after feeling very much disconnected from my art and my journal. I finished off the spread with the yellow, acrylic spheres floating.

When I began this spread, I had no idea where it was going to end. And my approach reflected those feelings of stagnation and disconnection. The art flows much more easily when I am in the middle of it - when I get a head of steam and am constantly working. But if I get torn away for a while with work, family, or sheer laziness, it is difficult to get back in the groove and allow things to flow. Sometimes I just have to dive head first into a page and just do something even if it has no rhyme or reason. Art is risky.

This spread evolved over months, and it took a while for it to find it's voice. My pages seem to do that a lot. I can't force something, and so the pages evolve. I have even done a little more to this spread since taking the photo a couple of weeks ago.

Art like life is always in a state of becoming.

Win a Copy of The Journal Junkies Workshop

2010-07-08T16:56:00.004-04:00

Memory Makers - part of F+W Media, Inc., our publisher's parent company - is running a contest to give away a copy of our book. Simply follow this link and leave a comment about your favorite mixed-media technique. The contest closes at 11:59 PM July 30. They will pick a random winner and announce the winner on August 2.

Good Luck.

A Walk in the World

2010-07-01T21:26:00.006-04:00

The weather today was absolutely perfect, and I couldn't bare to be inside, so I decided to take my journal and my camera for a walk around town. I walked slowly and intentionally with camera in hand carefully observing the small world that is Purcellville, VA. I intentionally walked without distractions such as my iPod, and I silenced my phone. I wanted to soak up the beautiful sun shine, the drier air, and cooler temperatures, and I wanted to observe my world deliberately.
I began in my own front yard, and snapped the above photo of the echinacea in wife's flower garden.
I always pass this grassy lane on my routine walks around town. I have often wondered what is at the end of it.
Looking for a place to sit so that I could pull out my journal, I ended up in front of Magnolias at the Mill. Magnolias is a very nice restaurant and bar in Purcellville that once was an actual mill, and since it was the best view from where I was sitting, I decided to draw the facade. After a quick sketch (I later added the blue in the studio), I popped inside for a cold beverage. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

In other news, I stopped by a local bookstore later in the day to pick up the latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors (below). A friend recently told me that The Journal Junkies Workshop was reviewed by the editor. See the review below. It is definitely nice to see good word of our book in a popular magazine with a large readership.