Happily getting it together....

Back to reality...

vacation is over....

the kids have convalesced...

I started my weekend with a visit to our local art museum

for a reception 

where I viewed some signed prints from the Norman Rockwell Museum

 (which is actually not too far from here)

and the opening of a wonderful photography exhibit.

Art feeds my soul
and that makes me happy!

Earlier this month,

I embarked on several projects

(just in case I didn't have enough going on!)

to embrace my word of the year....

Happy

This is my first time taking Ali Edwards' One Word class...

I spent a little bit of time filling out the various parts of this month's prompts.

It took some time to really hone in on what my intentions are

and 

decide how I hope to integrate "happy" into my life,

but it helped to clarify a lot. 

Ali's project is a good way for me to combine my love of journaling

and my need to revisit my plan for this year 

over and over

in a beautiful medium.

My other big project this year is 

Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project...

In her introduction,

the author develops Twelve Commandments...

I have come up with 9 

(so far!)

some of which I have borrowed from her...

like Let it go (huge for me!!!) and Enjoy the process

but I added a few of my own

especially,

Enjoy this moment.

I need to get out of my head and just live in the present. 

Each chapter of the book focuses on an area of Ms Rubin's life

that she wants to address in her happiness project.

In Chapter 1, January,

she focuses on beginning to declutter her physical space

 as well as starting to address her desire for more energy.

I did a lot of decluttering this fall

in an effort to relocate..

and while I still need to pay attention 

to my tendency to be a "pile-er" (my mom's name for my habit),

I don't want that to be the only focus for what's left of this month.

So I added a couple of her January "resolutions"

to my chart

along with some of my own...

I am not sure how I will work going forward...

within her monthly themes or some other way.

If any of you have also started a Happiness Project 

or have embarked on a similar journey in the past,

I would love to hear about it.

My "friend" who is joining me on this journey 

is even further behind than me!!

and it is only January :-)

At the top of each resolution chart,

Ms. Rubin posts a quote.

I browsed the world wide web for a quote

that is more reflective of the beginning of my journey
and found this on Pinterest..

I still have a lot to learn

but I am happy to be here.

Now what???

So now I have all these photos of my travels!!!

What will I do with them? you ask...

I am not sure. 

When I take a photo

I am intrigued by an eclectic array of characteristics in my subjects.

There are the patterns I see...

there are exciting colors or color combinations...

there is beautiful lettering or fonts...

there is the humor....

and there is the magnificent beauty of these subjects

that makes my heart jump...

All of this wonderful visual information 

is somehow mixed together in my brain 

and inspires me!!!

All of it will likely influence my art,

my creative pursuits

in some great way

some day

somehow.

a quick how-to

I started off my journal spread by applying gesso to both pages with a paintbrush.

In order to avoid getting the gesso all over, 

I typically place waxed paper under both pages that I am applying the gesso (or paint for that matter) to

so I don't get too much on the other pages 

(life is messy!)

For this spread,

I used my Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Watersoluble crayons

I colored the circles of varying size

and then added water with a water brush (you can find a brush at Joann etc) 

The background is also crayon with water.

I felt that the spread was a little too bright for my liking,

so I splatted on some paint (Golden Titan Buff) and 

rubbed it around with a brayer. 

I had the perfect collection of stamps ...

so I stamped a variety of circles and stars

but found some of the stamps didn't turn out too well 

(maybe my paint wasn't dry enough)

I added just a wee bit of texture on the side

(actually I also added a sticker but it wouldn't stay on 

so maybe the painted surface was not ink/sticker friendly?)

and of course,

I added my favorite.... text!

Ahhh......

Yes....

when living with three kids (ages 19, 16, and 13)..

there is bound to be drama!

I like to make my text bold and highlighted.

I also added some spray ink with a stencil

and a few shapes by dabbing ink over a stencil.

There you have a simple art journal spread.