Come Get Me 2013!

As the clock ticks down on 2012, the new Fall Fearless & Fly challenge at Artists in Blogland asks us to consider these three prompts:

Headline Prompt:  Future Imperfect: What is different about your life now than what you once expected it to be?  How is the way it turned out perfect or imperfect.  If your future turns out differently than you imagined in the first prompt, could it still be perfect?
Color Prompt: Yellow
Quote Prompt: "Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present."  Friedrich Nietsche

My picture of what I expected my life to be has changed in so many ways.  At one time, I imagined myself a famous actress (!), a peace corps volunteer, a teacher, and then an actress again.  I even did a cabaret act about it (!) -- you can see a clip here (I'm really putting it all out there today!).

Very little about my life turned out exactly the way I planned -- I never dreamed I would move from Manhattan to a suburb in New Jersey, or get divorced shortly after having my first child, or run a community theater group, or become a working artist.  But isn't that the fun of it?    Existence really is:

 

There was a time in my 20s that I was so worried about what would come next.  There was a part of me that just wished I was an old woman, having lived my life, and that I could just sit and reflect on my memories.  I'm so glad I got over the fear, and have been able to follow the twists and turns of the path that got me to this day.  Here's a great clip from the movie Parenthood, about the glorious messiness of life:

So 2013, come and get me.  I'm open to whatever you throw my way!

This is one of those journal pages that had many different lives before this one.  It once had a house on it and lots of other bits and pieces from a clean up day in my studio!  It's been painted and collaged over so many times, it could probably walk into the future on its own!  I used one of the girls from my rain stencil, a 7 Gypsies clock stamp, and Luminarte Ginger Peach paint to give some glimmer and yellow sheen. 

Check out Joanne Sharpe's amazing guest artist post at Artists in Blogland, and Carolyn Dube's awesome take on this challenge!  (Reminder -- Carolyn is running a Gelli plate blog party starting on 1/1! Read all about it here.)

And of course, I can't wait to see what you do!  We have a great giveaway from LuminArte this time so make sure to link up at Artists in Blogland!

My Giveaway!  Comment by January 13th for a chance to win one of my newest stencils - "Jump!"  Let me know you follow my blog and my Facebook page for extra chances to win!

Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.  Linking also to Make it Monday,  Mandarin Orange Monday and Create With Joy.

Thank You!

We had a beautiful holiday.

My daughters loved their gifts.  Mariel especially enjoyed the beautiful Dance painting by Marjie Kemper that I purchased through Marjie's Etsy shop.

One of my Hanukkah gifts (we celebrate everything!) was an Amoco polymer clay oven, which I used to make this starfish plaque for Mariel.  (When she was born, the delivery nurse told me she had "starfish hands," because she was born with them spread wide, not clenched in fists.)

Samy finished her run in "A Christmas Carol" (15 shows over three weekends -- whew!) and thought it was a gift to just stay in her pajamas all day.  But then, she opened a bunch of new clothes, which she immediately put on all at once,

She also really loved the Secret Garden inspired plaque I made for her. 

(I'm having so much fun with clay, getting ready for Judy Shea's online class, Beads & 'Bellishments, which starts February 7.  Here's the link.  I'm psyched!)

Freddie loved his new gym membership, drill, and a collage Samy made for him celebrating three of his loves:  a comfy couch, watches and cookies.

Then we all went to see Les Miserables -- it was amazing!!  Here are the girls with their popcorn BEFORE the movie started, and before we all cried and cried.  The movie is gorgeous and so moving.  I definitely recommend seeing it on a big screen if you can.

As for me, I got registration for Life Book 2013, which I can't wait to start, as well as the gelli plate I've been coveting, just in time to join Carolyn Dube's Gelli Plate party which starts next week!


I made this design in my art journal with a collage of my first gelli plate experiments.  I tied bits and pieces together with gesso, oil pastels, and then added the text in photoshop.

Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Every Day, and Creative Every Day - links in the sidebar, Anything But a Card, and Moving Along With the Times (thank you challenge).

Related articles

• Tutorial: Gelli Plate Prints

A Gift

 May all beings on our beautiful planet...

be happy and free from suffering and its causes...

 

and may our thoughts, words and actions

contribute to this happiness and to peace on earth.

Please feel free to download and use this for your personal use.  It is my gift to and wish for you.

Blessings of the season.

Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.

Linking up with Anything But a Card, Mandarin Orange Monday, Creative Every Day, and Inspire Me Monday.

Stencil Test Drive -- Medieval Leaves and a Giveaway!

Welcome to the Medieval Leaves stencil test drive!  

Four amazing artists are in the driver's seat today: Carolyn Dube - A Colorful Journey;  Corinne Gilman - Sparkle Days Studio;  Maria McGuire - Believe Dream Create with Maria; and Ronda Palazzari - Help Me Ronda.  Wait until you see what they did with this stencil from Stencil Girl!

I created this template when I was designing a line of ceremonial plates and platters for the Jewish festival of Passover.  

The motif is based on the acunthus flower --

a big design element in Byzantine and Medieval architecture and art. 

Here's how the motif looked in the tableware I designed for Aviv Judaica, Ltd.   

And here's how I used the stencil in my mixed media work!

I wanted to express my feelings about the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut in my art journal.  The senseless loss and inherent goodness and innocence of children has been very much on my mind.

I used a credit card to scrape Yellow Ochre, Quinacridone Gold, and Burnt Sienna Fluid Acrylics on my journal pages:

I used white gesso to stencil two layers of the medieval leaves on both pages, not caring where the second layer overlapped the first.   On the left side of the spread, I masked off part of the stencil to isolate one of the "leaves," and overlapped the second layer of white leaves with a third layer of blue leaves.  I cut up extra collage paper I had painted for another project to make the dots.  On the right hand side, I sketched the face of a young girl.

She is loosely based on this gorgeous little girl we met during our last service trip to Guatemala:

I was so struck by her beauty and the soulfulness of her gaze.

I stenciled golden leaves in her hair, added clip art of a child laborer from the turn of the 20th century, and a beautiful quote by Mahatma Gandhi, from a speech he gave in 1931 at the Montessori Training College in London:  "The law of love could best be understood and learned through little children."

So many people are doing acts of kindness and compassion in memory of the children who were killed in Connecticut.  It appears that there will be a real discussion about gun control and how we care for people with mental illness.   Although their time on earth ended way too soon, those children are teaching us the law of love.

Next, I decided to play with the stencil on an unpainted box I picked up at the dollar store.

I also made some tags -- which I still have to embellish with some ribbon or twine so I can tie them onto gifts.  They all include the word "Joy," which I'm feeling like we can use these days. 

I hope I've given you some ideas for using the Medieval Leaves stencil.  Now don't delay -- go  
visit Carolyn Dube - A Colorful Journey; Corinne Gilman - Sparkle Days Studio; Maria McGuire - Believe Dream Create with Maria; and Ronda Palazzari - Help Me Ronda!

Congratulations to Nettie, who linked up to the Hebrew Calligraphy test drive with this gorgeous bag: 

Nettie, the Starry Night stencil is on its way to you!
For the test drive schedule, click here.   
Purchase your own stencils and test drive along with us!  Stencil Girl Products has a great promo - 6 stencils for $75, or individual stencils for $14.  Free domestic shipping for orders over $50!  Click here for more info.

And look at this beautiful journal page that Gloria Zucaro created for Artists in Blogland's most recent Fall Fearless and Fly challenge!  Recognize the Medieval Leaves? 

NOW... Your Invitation to a Blog Party and a Giveaway!
Have you been using stencils in your work?  If so, link up to the linky list below, to be in a random drawing for the Rain stencil!

Linking up to Frilly & Funkie (make it a tag), Paper Issues (It's Your Life), Simon Says Stamp and Show (Gift-spiration) and of course Paint Party Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Art Journal Every Day,  Artists in Blogland and Create With Joy.  

Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.

This I Believe

When I began this blog in March 2012, little did I know that I would become part of such an amazing community of artists, some of whom I am so happy to call my friends.  One of those friends, Corinne Gilman of Sparkle Days Studio, has created a beautiful piece for Fall Fearless and Fly;  her post so perfectly sums up what it is about making art and being part of this community that nourishes and supports us all.  Check it out here.

And I know that my small beginning is just the start of a beautiful journey!

Lately I've been inspired by:

• Jenny, or Jennibellie as she is known, has a bezillion (really, I counted!) free video tutorials on her blog.  She is a wealth of information and inspiration, all freely given.  I am currently riffing on her cereal box tutorial with my art journaling students, and we're having a blast.
•  Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's honest approach to her art journey and her prolific creativity are a source of inspiration for so many artists.  Her most recent podcast with Roben-Marie Smith and Samantha Kira Harding makes clear the synergies and creative stimulation that flow so generously in the blog world. 
•  I recently discovered Kristal Norton's blog, which is full of lots of great resources and good advice.  Kristal just published an e-book: "101+ Creative Journal prompts."  This is a terrific book;  I've used some of the prompts with my middle school art journaling class.   They love it.  I do too!
• Have you heard of "The Frugal Crafter?" Lindsay is a bundle of caffeinated energy.  She is always making things, and videotaping and sharing her process -- for free! 

• This music video of the song "Art."  It says it all!

Here are some arty things I'm looking forward to:

• Donna Downey's "Big 40" workshop this Saturday, December 15 in Ramsey, NJ.  I'm excited to take a class with Donna, and just as excited to be doing it with my friend Marjie Kemper!
• The next Stencil Test Drive on Thursday, December 20 -- test driving "Medieval Leaves" with Carolyn Dube, Corrine Gilman, Maria McGuire and Ronda Palazzari!  I've been playing with those leaves, and they're so versatile and fun!  I can't wait to show you what I've been working on!

And the winner of my Apples & Pomegranate stencil is Beansieleigh!  Email your snail mail address to jessicabethsporn(at)gmail(dot)com and I will send it right out to you.  Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.

PS - my apologies to all my PPF friends whose posts I didn't get to last week.  I will do better this week!

Fall Fearless & Fly Challenge 6 and Giveaway!

Welcome to Challenge #6, with an amazing contribution by guest artist Dina Wakley at Artists in Blogland.  Here are the prompts:

Headline Prompt:  Divided by God:  What does "God" mean to you?  How do you access"God" or the divine or the sacred in your life?
Color Prompt: Metallics - gold, silver, copper, bronze, or all of them!
Quote Prompt: "This is my simple religion.  There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy.  Our own brain, our own heart, is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."  The Dalai Lama 

I used all three of the prompts and worked on a canvas I had started in Flora Bowley's Bloom True class.  Here's what it looked like as of Friday morning!

 

Here's what it became, after many more layers!

I access the divine through my meditation practice. 

The lotus is a metaphor for the internal journey we take in meditation.  I painted three of them, to honor the three major world religions, and added gold accents throughout the canvas.

I used the Hebrew Calligraphy stencil to stencil the word "Shalom" in the dove (a symbol of peace) and above one of the lotus flowers (the last 4 characters from the bottom left of the stencil form the word "Shalom").  Shalom means complete peace: a feeling of contentment, completeness, wholeness, well being and harmony.  It is said to be another name for God.  Its true translation is comparable to the concepts of Nirvana and Shunyata or emptiness in Tibetan Buddhisim, Salaam in Islam, Namaste in Sanskrit, and the Holy Spirit in Christianity (I’m leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27)).

The way you get there, no matter what religious path you follow, is through kindness, compassion, and taking care of others.

In various places on the canvas, I hand lettered portions of the Dalai Lama's beautiful quote, which I try to live up to every day.

Check out what Carolyn Dube, my co-host, did with this challenge!  It's awesome!

Linking also to Mandarin Orange Monday, Inspiration Avenue (Peace), and Creative Everyday. 

Giveaway!  Comment below by Wednesday, December 12 for a chance to win  my apples & pomegranate stencil! 
 
Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.

Test Driving the Hebrew Calligraphy Stencil and a Giveaway!

Welcome to the start of the Stencil Test Drive, and my 100th post!

Today I am joined by Carolyn Dube, Michelle Rydell, and  Judy Shea to test drive the Hebrew Calligraphy stencils that I designed for Stencil Girl!

 

The text on both stencils is the same beautiful blessing:  

May God bless you and keep you

May God cause the divine light to shine upon you and be gracious to you
May God turn toward you, and grant you peace
(Numbers 6: 24-26)

A Little Background: The Hebrew alphabet is made up of  consonants only (22 of them), and emerged by the 10th century BCE.  It is closely related to Phoenician script, which gave rise to alphabetic writing in ancient Greece.  Both the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabets are believed to have evolved from script written in the Middle Bronze age!  For more information, here is a great article about the beauty of different typography and calligraphy from around the world. The Hamsa hand is symbolic of the protective hand of God.  When it faces upward, it is said to help keep away evil and misfortune.  When it faces downward, it symbolizes the giving of hope, peace and prosperity.

Enough background!  Don't feel nervous about using these stencils because they are in Hebrew!  This ancient lettering is simply beautiful, whatever your background.  Use it as one of many design elements, or in its entirety.  Here's what I did:

1.  I collaged a 12 x 12 canvas around an image of a beautiful face I've had in my stash for years.  (I printed it from the internet, but don't remember the source.) 

2 & 3.  I scraped modeling paste over the calligraphy stencil with a palette knife, and left it overnight to dry.

4.  I decided I wanted to paint over the face.  So I loosely went over her features with black fluid acrylic paint, and made her hair curly like mine!

5.  first stages of paint -- hmmm - not sure I like that green and she's definitely too pink!

6.  many more layers of paint and I'm finally liking her skin tone and also the background.  As a final layer, I used some paint chips (because they're more flexible than a credit card) to scrape gold and copper paint over some of the raised letters, just to highlight them (7).  (The picture of the Madonna and Jesus was also in my stash and also from the internet.) 

8.  On my lady's garment, I wrote some lyrics from Jane Siberry's beautiful song, Calling All Angles. 

Even though the Hebrew calligraphy is no longer distinct, I think it gives an ancient feel to this canvas, and grounded my lady in another time and place.  I also really like the contrast between the smoothness of her face, and all of the texture in the rest of the painting.

Next, I decided to use the Hebrew Calligraphy stencil as the main design element.   My modeling paste was still out, and I had a cardboard box I'd been saving.  So, I reinforced the insides with duct tape and decoupaged the front and sides with old book pages.  Then I centered the stencil, applied the modeling paste and let it dry overnight:

I rubbed the entire box, including the sides, with Golden Acrylics Yellow Ochre and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold paint.  Then I sprayed Tsukineko Antiquing Solution in Walnut and Java and wiped the spray off of the raised letters and hamsa symbol while the ink was still wet.  I used a small brush to loosely paint Iridescent Gold on the letters, and Deco Art copper paint on the hamsa. 

 

Lastly, I used a fine brush to drip Java Walnut Ink into several of the crevices to age the piece even more.   

 

I look forward to giving this piece as a wedding or new home gift!

I also wanted to do some cards just using the Hamsa element of the stencil and glitter glue!  

1.  I pounced gesso onto ATC size cards.  When it dried, I sprayed them with Adirondack color washes and dripped on Liquitex acrylic ink.  I sprayed the wet ink with water and let the inks drip around.  As they started to dry, I blotted them with a rag.  The gesso resisted the inks, leaving a "ghost" of the design.
2.  These little cards came with their own pockets (how cool is that!).  I stenciled the hamsa and the lettering on each side of the pocket with copper paint.
3.  On some of the inky cards, I laid the stencil back down and filled the openings with glitter glue for some sparkle (important - if you do this, wash the stencil immediately!).   
4.  On some of them, I outlined the negative spaces with glitter glue.

Here they are with the edges trimmed and some stamping!
I hope I've given you some ideas for how to use the Hebrew Calligraphy stencil!  Wait til you see what Carol, Michelle and Judy did!  Please visit their blogs at:

A Colorful Journey (Carolyn Dube)

Inspiration Everyday (Michelle Rydell)

The Key to my Art (Judy Shea)

Join me on December 20, when Carolyn Dube, Corrine Gilman, Maria McGuire and Ronda Palazzari help me test drive the  Medieval Leaves stencil!

GIVEAWAY!

Have you been test driving the Hebrew calligraphy stencils?  If so, please add your url to the linky list below by December 19 to be eligible to win the starry night stencil, so you can join us for that test drive on January 10th!  

If you've been using ANY stencils in your work, feel free to link up as well and join our blog hop! 

The linky list will be open until Wednesday, December 19th, so you have lots of time to get the stencil and hop on!  Check here for the upcoming stencil drive schedule if you want to plan ahead and get some of the stencils!

Also, Stencil Girl Products has a great promo - 6 stencils for $75, or individual stencils for $14.  Free domestic shipping for orders over $50!  Click here for more info.

And the winner of my 100th post ATC giveaway is...

Terrie Purkey December 4, 2012 12:04 PM who wrote:  Your comforts are perfect - the same as mine! :) I might add curl up with a good book.... Love your bright and colorful ATCs and I think that's going to be something I add to my 'must try' list for 2013. I've been a long time follower, so go ahead, give me that second chance to win! :) Happy Holidays and congrats on that 100th milestone.

The ATCs are on their way to you!

Thank you for visiting! I read and treasure every comment and will answer any questions as quickly as I can.  Linking up to Art Journal Every Day, Paint Party Friday, Frilly and Funkie (light) and Try it on Tuesday (inky).