Digital Journal - Mixed Media Mayhem -IPhonography

On my recent trip to Spain and Portugal, I did not take my usual assortment of cameras, lenses, image cards, and accessories.  Instead, I relied on my new IPhone 6s and apps for photo editing.  For example, I took a classic photo of the riverfront in Porto...a photo that everyone who visits this city has probably made.  I experimented with a number of apps including Distressed FX, PS Express, and Photo Lab to get my own interpretation. I like the way the apps brought out the blues in the small boat in the foreground and gave the bridge a luminosity.  Additionally with the application of the apps, the lines of the boat's rigging are more visible.  The overall effect I hoped for was to put the photo in a historical context.

The original

Digital Journal - Mixed Media Mayhem

Having been away from my studio for some time, I have turned to digital image making to fill that void of art withdrawal.  I have always loved Photoshop for my photo editing providing that replacement for the darkroom, multiple lenses, and filters.  I used these traditional tools to prepare the images "Seeking Light" and "Self Reflection" that were juried into the Indian River County Photo Club show at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.  I was delighted to receive Second Place Award in the People category.

Seeking Light 

Self Reflections

After going through back issues of Digital Studio magazine, I was inspired to create images combining my own photographs with digitally made elements.  Two examples used the same background to feature very different focal images.  Pinterest and Graphics Fairy are great sources for images, brushes, and other png. files.

Mixed Media Mayhem - DLP August Challenge - Faces and Characters

I am sure I am not alone in the world of art journaling in my reluctance to share my work with drawing faces.  The focus of this month's challenge in the Documented Life Project is faces, creating characters.  Starting with drawing eyes in "I Can See Clearly" through the month, I was liberal with my interpretation of the art tasks and journal prompts to keep it fun and experimental.

Art Challenge: Expressive Faces

Journal Prompt:  What I see clearly now

Art Challenge: Characters

Journal Prompt:  "If you're going to be weird, be confident about it!" 

Art Challenge: Painted

Journal Prompt:  How do I face my biggest challenge?

Mixed Media Mayhem - Ephemera - At This Moment

July Theme

Ephemera

July 25

Art Challenge: Real Life

Journal Prompt:  At this Moment

With the prompts of "at this moment" and "real life" I decided to use papers around my desktop to make this journal page.  A friend, who is also downsizing but stops at my house on the way, left me some beautiful calendars.  I used a punch to cut consistently sized squares and circles, arranged them to accent the colors, and journaled between the lines.  

Mixed Media Mayhem - Documented Life - "All that I have to remember you"

 July 18   Art Challenge: Ephemera -Photographs & Memories

Journal Prompt:  "All that I have to remember you"-Jim Croce

For this journal entry I pulled out a collection of photographs of my mother at different ages, sized them and arranged them on a page prepped with a crackle technique.

Mixed Media Mayhem - DLP - Ephemera/Focal Point

Because I am working on several projects using ephemera and I am sorting out my stash, I had a huge bin of papers, newspaper, advertisements, lucky paper, incense labels, etc, from my several trips to China.  This Documented Life Challenge, July 11, calling for ephemera, provided another place to "use it up, wear it out, ..."  After joyously pasting down layers of paper materials I turned to developing the focal point.  I came across a haiku type poem I had written when I was landing in Shanghai so I decided to memorialize it here.

Mixed Media Mayhem - DLP - Life with a HIstory

Documented Life Project

July Theme - Ephemera , July 4 

Art Challenge: Using Old Maps, Letters, Tickets & More

Journal Prompt:  Life...with a history

I had all my travel ephemera out for last month's challenge.  As I sorted sundry pieces into categories, I became distracted by all the stories they told.  To continue engagement with all these goodies, I decided to use them to meet the ephemera challenge.

Baggage tags, tickets, dinner receipts, key cards, labels, dried flower, and lots of translucent receipts from shopping provided materials for a background.  After I arranged and glued everything, I added some chop stamps, and a silkscreen I made from a vintage Chinese book.

This collection of ephemera goes back at least twenty years, and it reflects many of my foreign adventures that define me, hence the title, "Life with a History."