I'm BACK!!

OMG I can't believe it's been two years since my last post. Where does the time go?
I'm so very happy that you've found me. Please add me to your social media family and lets connect.
Instagram - Northern Gypsy @bees_knees_studio
Facebook - Danine Mroz
YouTube - Northern Gypsy

A lot has happened in those two years.  First, we moved half way across the country and relocated the family. I have to say, I feel as if we are all a lot happier. Secondly, I made the decision to make art a priority, and things are going beautifully. Thirdly, I began setting regular, achievable goals... short and long term. Yaa!

The move came due to some major restructuring at my husbands work which meant he would have to commute several provinces over. After a year and a half of commuting we finally made the leap and moved, hubby loves that his commute is now only 1 hours (6x per month) instead of a day. Our son is making great friends and fitting in very well at school. While our daughter made short work of finding work that suites her perfectly while she takes a year off from school. While I've been finding all I could possibly need and/or want right close to home. Happy family!

This year with regards to my art, I began doing some type of creating EVERY day, which I post to Instagram. I've also been trying filming some of my art journal practice for YouTube,,, which isn't as easy as it looks. I'll keep working on it and hopefully I'll  have a great channel before long.  The other major change that I have experienced this year has been making a conscience effort to connect with other artists locally and over the net. Instagram has been a fantastic source for making connections and ongoing inspirations.  I've been to a couple art conventions and taken few classes... and I love making artsy friends. :D While in Winnipeg, MB recently I met the fabulous ladies from "Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine" and learned a ton during the classes offered and through conversation osmosis. They put me in contact with an amazing local mixed media artist whom I already feel a connectedness to. There is so much talent out there and I always feel blessed when I'm included with these amazing people. I hope to  continue to make long lasting friends in the art community. Maybe with you.

Oh My... I almost forgot to mention.
One of the most incredible strokes of luck happened last week. I won an Instagram give away from Flora Bowley for an ongoing membership to her Studio Diaries. I highly suggest if you want to grow as an artist check out her programs and courses. There is a free sample month to the Studio Diaries on her site. Though I'm not here to advertise for her I will be reflecting on some of the themes, questions and exercises that I'm  doing from time to time.

Goals-- Short term; To make art my priority.
             Long term; To be published in an art magazine.

Going forward I want to continue to share my journey and work, inspire you to listen to your own muse, encourage you as an artist and above all else give you permission to play.

Question of the day... What goals are you currently working towards?

Liquid Acrylics and India Ink

From Bold and Beautiful, to soft and subtle... using liquid color can give you a very unique element to your Art Journal pages. I personally like the Bold look better... but, play with your options and find what works for you.
To achieve a softer look try:
~ diluting a few drops into some water and apply with a brush or a spray bottle.
~ apply gesso to your page, let dry, then add your liquid color.
~ spray your page with water and apply the color with a dropper or paint brush.
~ apply color to the page and then spray with a water bottle.
Play around and see what effects you can create. You can also stamp, blot and stencil liquid color.

To achieve a dark, bold look:
~ stamp, paint, stencil, blot, drizzle, dab, etc the color directly onto a fresh, untreated page of your art journal.
~ you can also spray with water to give it a more water color effect.

But, above all else, Have FUN!
Here are two pages I did with India Ink.

I created the backgrounds together using the same colors to create unison and flow.
The left side I added Gesso ~ so it's a softer more washed out color. On the right I added it directly to the paper for a bolder look.
I love both looks.

 The softer color palette was perfect for me to embellish with words and art. I wanted to just play with the, "I am..." prompt which I had seen the day before, after all that is one of the main purposes of keeping an Art Journal - Positive Affirmation
~ I added more color to the words and banner at the top
~ Played with a package of ephemera that I had laying around until I achieved the right dynamic.
~ Before gluing them down I edged them with pigment ink stamp pads in bright colors then in black.
~ Lastly I grunged the edges and the whole page.

I actually did quite a bit more to this page after the initial liquid ink application.
~ To start, Black stamping and writing in white gel pens over the bold color added contrast.
~ Washi tape and ribbon help to create motion and lines.
~ Messy circles in pen and marker around my bright, bold dots enhance and emphasize the shapes.
~ Added ephemera creates interest and a three-D element. As with the other side I added color to the edges with pigment ink stamp pads then again in black.
~ Because all my ephemera is game pieces I thought it fitting to  use the phrase, "Life is NOT a GAME" in  my heart.
~ I also finished this page by grunging the edges and the whole page.
Smile ~ Laugh ~ Create Art

Bountiful Beauties

If you're new to my blog, Welcome, come join me for a cup of coffee/tea. If you've been here a while thank you for coming back, the pot is always on. New friend, acquaintance or long time cherished friend, I hope my blog inspires you to find your own creative path and perhaps to begin your own art journal. The options for Art Journaling are endless, I can only share my styles, tips, tricks and techniques with you... My hope is that you fall in love with Art Journaling, search up other styles as well as mine and then find your own style.

I've been working on a series of women who express pure femininity. The theme I've chosen for these women is Bountiful Beauties; strong beautiful women, powerful affirmations, bold colors and of course sexy, stylized portraitures.

Steps 1-3

The methods are pretty simple and standard.

1) Prep your background with interesting ephemera.

2) Choose your colors and begin playing, adding layers and interest upon the page.

3) Sketch your Beauty in carbon, lightly, so you can still make corrections if needed.
4) Paint face, hair and body. My eyes are a combination of marker, pencil

Steps 4-5

crayon and acrylics.

5) Stamp, Stencil or paint in some big bold flowers or other interesting items to compliment                         your beauty.

Steps 6-8

6)Continue adding layers of color to hair, background and your beauty until you have the desired effect.
7) Stencil or write in your Affirmation.
8) Finish with bold black marker, white highlights and any other detail that captures your fancy.

You're AMAZING!
Keep practicing and pouring your heart into your Art Journals.
Remember it's your journal, if you want to journal in the background, in your beauties hair or underneath the paint in the early stages, DO IT! It adds interest and helps to add to the therapeutic part of Art and Art Journaling.

*Color
I simply love playing with different color combinations. I find it refreshing and exciting to put new and unconventional colors together...the end result always surprises me.

*Cheep Thrills
Buying a new bold color palate to me is such a rush.
The possibilities and fun to be had in those little paint tubes is a big thrill... I know, it's such an artsy thing to say. Sigh

*Journals
I use heavy weight Art Journals, but you can use lighter weight paper just gesso/mod podge two pages together. OR use old books~up-cycling is fun & thrifty.

*Affirmations
What speaks to you? What inspires you? What motivates you?

*Ooooops,
I realized after I had written the word "Soar" that there was a bunch of room underneath and the spacing didn't quite work... so I wrote the word, "High". But, amusingly I had already added the exclamation mark... so, it looks like I'm encouraging ppl to do drugs. NOT!
I amuse myself sometimes.

As always, it was so nice to see you and thank you again for stopping by.
Please share your work with me.
All the work on this blog is the sole property of Danine Mroz of Prairie Mroz Art and may NOT be used without the written permission of Ms. Mroz. Thank you.

The ART of Doodling

Doodling, yes Doodling.

For most people Doodling is a mindless, fun way to pass the time. You can do it virtually any where, while your on the phone, making a list, in class, on a plane, or perhaps on a long car trip. As a teen I would litter my binders and note book paper with eyes, lips, hearts, swirls, stars, geometric shapes... and the list goes on and on. I have come to learn, via research and studies, that Doodling helps to improve memory and is also a form of meditation, which we all know is very good for you. Doodling is also fun! But, for those of us who love art the mighty Doodle can become an elaborate form of ART and expression. I'd like to share some of the tips, tricks and techniques I have learned on how to take your Doodle to the next level.

Today I still draw many of the same items, granted a bit more refined, these are some of techniques, tricks and styles I have added to my Doodle repertoire.

Techniques:

I used all four techniques in
this Doodle.
Main color-blue
Balance-Triangle shape
Many repeat patterns
Theme-Sea life 

Color ~ As in any piece of art color creates mood. When you have many colors and/or bright colors in the doodle the Doodle will take on a very energized feeling. Monochromatic, cool colors and staying within the same color family will create a calmer piece of art.
Balance ~ Whether we're discussing color, shapes, or theme you want to consider balance.  Is there an over saturation of an element crowding one are of your Doodle or does the eye move from one area to the next following the gentle ebb and flow of your Doodle? Some of my favorite "balance" shapes are; the triangle, S-shape, Z-shape and O-shape. Look around you and see which shapes you are drawn too in nature and within your own home.
Patterns ~ Having repeat patterns is a fantastic way to pull a doodle together. I usually have three or more sections of repeating patterns in one of my Doodles. Keeping in mind  the delicate balance of my Doodle.
Themes ~ Creating a Doodle with a theme can be a blast to create. Whether its a birthday Doodle, a Number, Letter, favorite Animal, a geographic location, or something totally made up... it's always fun.

Tips:

Flowers and Ribbons
Learned techniques from
Zendoodlers/Doodlers
on YouTube

Borrow from other artist ~ Honestly, when I first began creating larger more elaborate doodles I had no idea what to create let alone what patterns to put into my doodles. I began searching the web, saving favorite pictures and snapping pics with my camera of random patterns on this and that while I was out. I created a "Pattern" file and I still use it today when I get stuck.
Find your Signature ~ As you create more and more doodles you're going to find that you have your own style. There are many styles to try out within the Doodle family; there are Zendoodles, Zentangles, Tangles, Doodles and much more. As you create you will even begin creating your own twist and versions of other patterns and styles... these become your Signature. Have fun finding your signature style. I have a journal with pages of my signature patterns within. I have created different alphabets, shapes and recurring themes that I use in most of my doodles to create my signature look within each doodle that I do no matter what the style.
Doodle often ~ As with most things, the more you do it the better you will become at it. Doodling is no different. I always carry a small journal and permanent pens with me so no matter where I am I can doodle.

Tricks:

I began with an open scribble, filled the
areas in with recurring patterns, themes, and
 colors to achieve balance and interest.

When I get stuck as to what I want to create I use one of these tricks to get me started.
Open Scribble ~ Just as it sounds I create a big open swirl scribble and then begin filling in each closed area.
Stack it up ~ Using geometric shapes, letters, numbers, etc. I start creating a stacked tower doodle. I build them using one of my basic "Balance" shapes and then fill the shapes in with more patterns and doodles.
So Random ~ Pick one of your favorite shapes and throw it onto the page. Add another and yet another. I usually start with three large shapes, add a few medium shapes and then finally a bunch of smaller ones as filler keeping balance in mind.

Doodle what you see ~ I have doodled, trees, flowers, leaves, cats, fruit, coffee cups and many more items that where in my general vicinity. So take a look around and pic a basic shape. Draw the outline of that shape and draw your scribbles within it. Then fill your areas in with interesting patterns.

So there are a few of my tips, tricks and techniques to get you started on becoming an ARTistic Doodler. I hope you have fun filling up your art journals with many fun and fabulous Doodles.


Thanks,
Danine Mroz


Was this blog helpful? Did you find it interesting? Will you try an artistic doodling?

All art work property of Danine Mroz no reproduction with out the written consent of Ms. Mroz is prohibited.

The Wow Factor

Today I have an assignment for you.

As a mixed media artist I'm always looking for new and exciting techniques to give my art the Wow Factor. "But, what is the Wow Factor?", I had to ask myself. What was it that I liked about art that really turned me on, that spoke to me? Was it the colors? Or perhaps the content it's self; the words on the page; or a phrase that spoke directly to me? Was it the depth that the artist captured with in? Or was it all of those things?
With all these questions swirling around in my head I came to the conclusion that Yes, perhaps ALL these things did in fact create that Wow Factor that I was looking for. And if these components, although different for each person, if you applied these questions to each artist when they gave their own individual answers would they too find their Wow Factor? I'm thinking that indeed they would.

So, my assignment for you is to create you own list for your Wow Factor components.

1) What is your color palette? Are you drawn to a few specific ones or many?

Pink, Orange, Yellow and Green :D

• flip through some magazines and pull any adds or pictures that you like.
• go to the gardens in a local park and really examine the flowers, their shapes, color and color combinations. Which are you drawn to? How do they make you feel? Happy, spirited, safe, comfort... which colors scream out to you?
• go on a scavenger hunt. Go to your local hardware store and peruse the paint chips, gather up the ones that you're drawn to. Take a look in your closet, fridge, linen closet and around your home. Which colors keep reappearing? 

2) What shapes and images appeal to you? 

• Do you love birds, flowers, swirls, circles? 
• Does the world of abstract speak to you? How about Victorian or Vintage? Gothic? Whimsical? Contemporary? A walk through a few different department stores or furniture store will help you uncover what type you may be. Or perhaps you love many styles and eclectic is for you. 
• What mood or feeling are you trying to express through your art? 

3) Words and Phrases?

Practicing Calligraphy & doodles

• make a list of words that you use often, words that speak to you, that anger you, that excite you, that make you sad, mad, glad, that make you laugh and feel all silly inside.
• search through books by a favorite author(s) and write down phrases that you love, that moved you, made you laugh or cry etc.
• write down favorite quotes? Search the internet for quotes on favorite topics, Love, dreams, joy, family, God, passion, healing... anything that speaks to you.
• did you doodle when you were in school? Doodle some flowers, shapes and letters; make some squiggles; and learn how to tangle OR "Zentangle" (YouTube has examples and tutorials), they are all unique ways we express yourself
• what is your style of writing? Do you love calligraphy, as I do? It's a beautiful art in and of it's self and worth while learning. When you create a document on the computer is there a certain font that you use on a regular basis? Do you like fat, frilly, fun, silly, bold or some other interesting font? There are great programs you can up load or buy for your computer to add your own personal style for you to use when you print out your words, phrases or quotes. OR you can do like me and hand write them, use calligraphy pens and inks or draw them and fill them in.

4) Which tools of Creating depth speak to you? Begin with what you have on hand and then add to your creative tool box.

• look around your home for objects that have interesting shapes; wine corks, lids from jars, bubble wrap, the end of your brushes, tooling from an old dress, paper or plastic doilies, chop sticks, coffee cup liners, old credit/gift cards, sequin waste (can be purchased at a fabric store for little $$), lace, paper towel, cling wrap or foil, elastics, string or twine... only your imagination is the limit. 
• stamps and stencils. One will leave a positive image and the other the negative image of it's self. If you're adventurous and creative you can even create your own stamps and stencils. YouTube has some good tutorials.

5) Do you like to get messy or keep it neat and tidy? Playing with gel mediums you can do one or the other or both, it's totally up to you. All you have to do is start experimenting with them. This is where steps 1-4 meet step 5. I find gel mediums to give some of the greatest effects and depth to a painting of all.

Spackled green squares 

     a) Gesso ~ If I had but one medium to choose it would be gesso. It can be used as a primer, you can stamp into it, create depth, cover up mistakes, tone down color, smooth out rough parts or rough up areas where you want extra texture by applying some of your depth making tools to the wet area of gesso. It's my go to gel medium.
     b) Crackly mediums ~ These types of gels, liquids and pastes will give an antiqued look to your finished product. They are beautiful and add a great deal of interest to your finished piece.
     c) Spackle and Molding paste ~ A product that I have recently fallen in love with. A little Spackle (found in your local hardware store) or molding paste create beautiful depth. You can use it straight out of the gar or add any color to it I have found that acrylics and liquid acrylics work the best, but you could also use water color paste to create your work of art. Simply apply with a flat surface such as Spackle knife, credit card or brush onto your canvas or over top a stencil. You can draw, doodle, stamp or scrunch designs into it, it's totally up to you.

So there is your assignment, the rest is up to you. Play, create and have fun. You can use an art journal to experiment with some new techniques and begin putting different techniques together to create your own style. Next week I will give you a couple examples with the guidelines and steps of how I put these all together. Have a wonderful day.
Danine

Recommended reading:
"inner Excavation", by Liz Lamoreux
"Collage Lab", by Bee Shay
"The Artist Unique", by Carmen Torbus

How to Create a Fantastic Art Journal page

When I first began doing art journals I had no clue as to where to start or how to layer my work to give me the best results. I have watched countless tutorials, read several books and viewed many art journal pages, this is the process I have come up with "How to Create a Fantastic Art Journal page".

1) Begin by picking your palate. I usually work with three main colours and versions of them plus black & white. If you're a beginner it's a great idea to invest in a colour wheel, one that tells you which are complimentary colours etc.
Some of my favorite colour combo's are
- Black, White, & Red
- Pink, Yellow & White
- Teal, Cream & Purple
- Fuchsia, Lime Green, & Orange
- Brown, Sage & Rose
- Orange, Yellow & Blue
- Lime Green, Black & Hot pink
I hope you play with colour a little to see what colours appeal to you. Or go through some magazines and just pull pages that you are drawn to to find your colour palette.

2) Begin by applying a wash or glaze in the lightest colour. Start layering come colour, shades of existing colour and textures on top. Use you brushes, fingers, bubble wrap, insides of coffee holders, sponges, plastic bags, etc.
Paint Glaze= 1 part paint-2-3 parts water-1 part acrylic glazing medium Wash= paint + water to thin
*Note- always let each application DRY before adding another colour, unless you want the colours to blend. Too many colours blending together will make for a muddy looking page.

3) Add some texture and interest to your page by stamping some text, musical notes, or other interesting subject to the page. You can also put your personality into the page by drawing a picture of your own then painting it. I have also added decorated, stamped or coloured tissue paper at this point.

4) At this point you can begin adding collage or altered collage images to your page. You can select a theme or just use random pictures out of old magazines. You may also want to add some three dimensional pieces to your work; paper or cloth flowers, brads, beads, feathers, etc.

5) Next I add a bit more paint, often white or gesso in areas that I want to mute out and give a bit of pop. Or I will add low-lights in a darker colour or deeper shade of a colour that is already there to create more depth.

6) Doodle time. I keep pictures of doodles around to give me inspiration on my doodles. Just play and be creative, don't over think it.

7) Journal- a poem, your wishes and dreams, a letter to yourself or another loved one, song lyrics... it's your journal, what do you want to say?

At this point your pretty much done, you can always doodle a bit more or add some more highlights with a white gel pen  if you like, but that's it. I hope you have enjoyed making some art.

Cheers,
Danine

Seed Journal

Good Morning, Afternoon, and Good evening to one and all. I have been quite the busy little bee as of late. Not only did I finish my travel journal; I created a base for yet another journal using all recycled materials, finished putting my table together (ya, the part came in the mail), I also finished days 4-6 of the "Seed Journal" challenge that I'm participating in on the Milliande community I belong to.

So I thought I would share them with you all. OR ya'll if you're from the south.

 Day 4~Seed Wings.... I call her Sweet Pea

I love my sweet, fresh from the garden, peas. 

They are nature's perfect snack, 

complete with it's own neat wrapper you eat.

She is sweet to the core and spreads love and joy where every she goes.

Day 5~Scattered Seeds... The Gardener

Much like my Mother did, and still does, 

she tends the garden with much love.

Sewing seeds and making sure there is growth.

Day 6~Pomegranate... Pomegranate Zentangled

Sweet, juicy, delicious and oh so amazingly good for you.

Hope you like them.
Cheers,

Danine

Happy Travels and Joyous Journaling

After hours and hours of drawing, painting, cutting, etc, etc, etc.... I have finally finished my Mini Art Journal.
If I get any requests on how to go from step one to the finished product I will post a blog on how to do so.
But, for now this is the finished product.

Happy Travels and Joyous Journaling!

Danine

Part 1 Travel Jounal

I began last week by rearranging my office space. I then removed the old make-shift art desk, and began building my nice new desk. I was quite excited to be creating my art on an adjustable desk, reducing the neck and arm strain and general body fatigue that I have when I sit for 5-8 hours a day creating my art.

But as it turns out it wasn't long before I was cursing my new table instead of sitting at it doing art. Because it's tilting mechanism broke off in my hands while I was trying to assemble it... So much for working at my fancy new art table this wk... I will now have to wait a week or so to get the parts so that I can finish putting it together. (And when I say that I'm putting it together , I really mean my wonderful, talented and crafty husband Mike.)

So, I toiled, crafted, and painted away all week at the dining room table, and there I'll stay until my part comes in the mail this week. SIGH  But, onward to our "Travel Journal Challenge". These little set backs can't and shouldn't slow us down.

The inspiration for my Travel Journal came from a youtube video I saw a while back by "mycreativebliss". These are the steps I will be taking to create my Travel Art Journal, I hope you will join me
.
Part 1
A) Cut out 12 - 4x4 squares of water color paper (you could also use mixed media paper) for creating your mini works of art on.

B) Next collect some coordinating scrap-booking papers for the journaling part which will be on the reverse side. If you want to have extra journaling pages for pictures and writing you can also use two sided paper.

To make the pages more sturdy gather heavier stock paper from old cookie packages, cereal boxes, and shoe boxes, which would normally just go into the recycling box, that we will use in between the two pieces.

Stay tuned for Part 2
To make our books a little more interesting we will be embellishing it with ribbon, decorative pulls, chains and other such do-dadds.  We will add some pockets, fabrics and envelopes so that you can have space for ticket keepsakes etc. This process is done before assembling the pages so make sure you don't go and glue your fronts and back together until each process is complete.

Have a fabulous ART filled week.
Cheers,
Danine

Travel Journal Challenge

I'm California bound!!! At the end of Feb two of my girlfriends and myself are heading to LA, Hollywood, and sunny Santa Monica for a short trip. So very excited! This will be my second time there, one has never been and my other friend has been twice before... It's going to be fantastic.

I love, love, love travelling but, I always forget to take pictures, keep my tickets, journal and simply keep records of where I go, who I'm with etc. etc. So this time I want to be prepared by bringing a little something to keep record and make notes. I have several ideas in mind of how to do this... maybe a little chunky 4x4 with a few stash pockets, some lightly painted mixed media pages, some cute pre-painted "Little Ladies" and of course a couple blank pages, OR a scrappy art journal made from mostly recycled materials and bits of scrap booking paper. Not sure which I want to do yet.

So, here is my challenge to you. I want you to create a travel journal. 

It can be an ongoing journal of all the places you go; 

OR a journal for this year only; OR a journal for one 

specific trip. there are a lot of great tips and tutorials on line 

or you can shoot me questions if you are having trouble

 thinking of something. I will do my best to help. Have fun with it 

and I look forward to seeing your art and hearing about your travels.

Many safe and glorious trips to you and your loved ones.

Cheers,

Danine

Sow thy Self

Seed Journal #3-2012 - S-Words

So I'm sitting in front of a blank piece of paper trying to think of "S"-words that are seed related and have meaning to me OR perhaps define me in some way, shape or form. And believe you me, it's a lot harder than it looks. These are the words that I was able to come up with; Serendipity, Seeds, Sow, Stand, Self, Signature, & Strong.

As always I wrote a short journal entry upon the finished work, today I used orange ink which blends quite nicely into the background.

As my skill as an artist becomes stronger

I feel a greater sense of self.

Life is full of happy accidents, in art this is especially true.

This year I hope to learn from these mistakes 

And maybe even create my signature style from one.

2012 is going to be an outstanding year!

So in short I hope to SOW the SEEDS of good STRONG habits to become a better artist in 2012. Learning new skills, finding my SIGNATURE style and simply being my Authentic SELF. Perhaps finding a little SERENDIPITY along the way as well.

Cup of tea?

I recently visited my friend Pat in Nova Scotia, Canada. She lives in a large house on the side of a mountain in the Annapolis Valley. She has an amazing view of the valley below and her property is breathtakingly beautiful with flowers, fruit trees, and many flowering trees. We spend a lot of time outside sitting in her gazebo or lounging by the fire under a star lit night.

On one bright morning as we prepared for the day with our morning cup of tea Pat asked if I would like to try some Rose Hip tea.  She then explained how she had picked and dried the Rose Hips herself from the tree in her yard, all about their health properties and even how the birds enjoy them in winter.
I sat feeling very honored and privileged to be receiving such a gift. It reminded me of our friendship, with it's bright protective shell and how it weathered all seasons. The tiny pod reminded me that it's the small things we do for one another that make the huge differences.It's amazing nutritional values reminded me of how Nurturing a great friend can be. I always feel so refreshed and recharged after a visit with Pat. She simply has a way of knowing just what to say or do. She is a "Nurturer".

So, Day 2's Seed Journal entry for "Seed Pods" is Rose Hips & Nurture. I dedicate this to my dear friend Pat House and that beautiful cup of tea.

 Mediums used ~ Water colors, calligraphy ink, nibs, and pen, black sharpie and white gel pen.

Titled ~ "Nurture"
Journaling ~ Nurture One another; Love with your Heart wide open. Share a cup of tea.
Nurture your soul. Laugh & Smile often. Nurture your Creativity. Lend a helping hand.
Nurture friendship. Listen intently. Hold a hand. Hug your children.

Fly

Happy New Year!

I began a new art journal today~Seeds.
I'm joining the Milliande community in this art journaling project.
~ Sowing a seed Vs. Being the seed
~ Daily or Weekly journaling entries.

Day 1 is entitled "Fly"
Mediums used ~ Water colours, calligraphy pens, nibs & inks, prisma colour pencil crayons, white gel pen.

I wrote my verse in white gel pen, it reads:

Let me fly upon the Wind of Whimsy to places unknown, adventures anew.
Let me land upon fertile soils that may enrich my creative journey.
Let my roots grow deep and strong and may I drink from the pools of Wisdom.
Let me grow strong & branches be many,
ever reaching out in many directions towards
Abundance, Friendship, & Community always supporting others,
sharing my fruit, And being ALL that I'm meant to Be.

I choose the seed of the Maple Tree for several reasons. The first being that it has always
amused and fascinated me. As a child I would watch it as it floated, fluttered and flew upon
the wind as if by magic. It's structure sturdy like a helicopter yet feathery and beautiful like
 the wings of a butterfly. "Where are you going?", I would ask. Following it with my eyes
as it danced upon the wind gracefully to the ground. How it gave, and yes still does, give me joy.

Secondly, it is the seed of the Maple tree, the tree that gives Canada it's beautiful
national symbol, the Maple Leaf. Enough said. :)

Thirdly, the Maple tree is strong majestic and beautiful, it's leaves changing to so many
amazing shades of red and orange in the fall. If you tap into it it gives you the most
delicious sap to be turned into Maple Syrup, Canadian liquid gold.
As my poem says, I hope to grow in my art, with strong roots, a sturdy trunk, many
branches and one day be a source of strength, support and wisdom for others.

I look forward to seeing your pages on Milliande.ning.com

Danine

Things to come!

The Stockings and tree are all put neatly back into their boxes for another year. The holiday feast and it's leftovers have been demolished. The kids are busy playing with new video's, reading new books (yes, my teenagers read), and chilln' with friends. Now it's nearly time for this Mama to buckle down and get back into the swing of her art work... But, not quite yet.
In the next few weeks I will be busy prepping, planning, and preparing for some pretty cool things for 2012.

I have decided to create theme days for my blog, please tell me what you think of these ideas:
Mixed Media Mondays- topics may include, art journaling, painting, or crafting.
Thrifty Thursdays- a journey for great art supply finds,  sale, places to find great deals, etc.
           OR
Free-Cycle Fridays- creating art from junk, recycled papers, things that would other wise be discarded and thrown away.

So those are the main ideas I have so far. Let me know what you think.
Have a Happy and Healthy 2012
See you in the New Year.

Peace and Love,

Danine

So Green

As a new, older, artist I feel so GREEN.
The age on my birth certificate may reflect the number of years
I have been on this earth but in my heart and mind I still feel young
 and very child like, especially when I'm creating art.
My "Mother Earth Goddess" holds the world in her hands
cherishing, loving and protecting each and every one of her
creations.

At times I feel like both the parent and child. With so many techniques and things to learn I often find that the parent in me has to allow the child to just play and enjoy the process. Yet I often feel a bit frustrated with imperfection or the rate in which I progress... though it's that same imperfection that is what attracts me to many of my favorite mixed-media artists. 

So, if you're a newby like me, take your time. Give yourself permission to Play, Make Mistakes, and above all else enjoy each and every step of the way.

"Live, Laugh, Love" is one of my live mantras.
It reminds me to hold the ones I love close and cherish them
always; to not take myself so seriously; and to live in
the moment. Life is too short to have what if's and should
have's. So live the life you want and live it NOW, today.

Cheers,
Danine

Inner Excavation

Life is full of many incredible experiences, what we choose to focus on determines our overall view of the world. We can focus on the good, the bad and yes even the ugly... I hope to inspire you to see the good in all.

I recently picked up a fabulous book at Chapters, "inner EXCAVATION, Explore Your Self Though Photography, Poetry and Mixed Media". As a mixed media artist this book popped out at me from the shelf and spoke to me right away. Poetry though?, my Ego chimed in... "photography maybe but, seriously you're not a poet." Thankfully I dismissed my ego's reaction seeing it for what it is, fear of the unknown and fear of change. The ego hates change. When we embrace the fact that we are not our Ego's we can move past it, embrace change and learn to grow into the Authentic beings we are destined to be.

I encourage you to pick up this wonderful book and follow along as I embark on each exercise. Lets produce some beautiful art, photo's and poetry together.

Chapter 1: I begin
My first attempt at poetry in 20ish yrs ....

I am

Words of a Song,

Whispers of gray,

A gentle touch,

Mother,

Lover,

Sister,

Earth Dweller.

I am!

This is an interactive blog so I hope you try this exercise too. Create a poem about yourself;

• I am...
• I stand...
• I am...
• I feel....
• I see a woman/man...
• I hear..

Till next time,

Love and Laughter,

Danine