SOUL SANITY

All day yesterday all I could think about was how my artwork saves my sanity. So, last night I got out my paints and sat down to my drafting table and just started to paint. This image is what I came up with, so far. When I get some more time to myself when I'm off work, I plan on adding some words and designs to the page. Creating art is my soul's sanity.

Over the weekend I created 2 more spreads in Karen BP's calendar journal. In the top spread titled 'The Calling' I created another one of my 'papermonzsters'. The words reflect how I have been feeling lately.
In the bottom spread, the photo I used on the left reminded me of my Auntie Gert's amazing flower garden she had out behind her house when I was a little girl. It was an absolutely magical place, and I meandered through it for hours and hours. Surrounded by incredibly vibrant colours, I would smell and examine all the pretty flowers, some of which towered well above me. What a lovely memory!

I received Karen BPs gorgeous ledger style journal this week to work in for the month of May. This is the first spread I've created in her book. I found the center image of Queen Elizabeth in one of my local newspapers Thursday and really loved the atmosphere of the photograph. Queen Elizabeth is currently visiting the US, so I thought since Karen lives in the US, and my family is from England, I'd create this spread around Her Majesty, The Queen!

I've been wanting to create a journal cover that is funky and full of colour, with lots to look at and touch. So today I sat down and played with a small 6 x 6 inch journal. I've been wanting to use a small book to do artwork and journal in. So this one was just the right size and shape to use for my idea. I've titled this art journal 'Perchance To Dream'. Woven into the spine is an armadillo. A flower, fish and dragonflies dangle from the fibers. On the cover are 3D flowers and ladybug, and an Inukshuck stone. I find Inukshuks fascinating works of art, and, they have a grand purpose behind them too! Life has thrown me some mean curves over the past 3 months, so hopefully this Inukshuk stone will give me good direction and guide me safely into the future....

The Inukshuk (pronounced IN-OOK-SHOOK) meaning "in the image of man", are magnificent lifelike figures of stone which were erected by the Inuit people and are unique to the Canadian Arctic. Standing along Canada's most northern shores, they endure as eternal symbols of leadership, encouraging the importance of friendship and reminding us of our dependence upon one another.
In the Baffin region of Canada's Arctic, the traditional meaning of an Inukshuk was to act as a compass or guide for a safe journey. The Inukshuk, like ancient trackers, helped guide people seeking their way through the wilderness. An Inukshuk on land with two arms and legs means there is a valley. At the end of this valley, you will be able to go in two directions. Today, this serves as a reminder that we always have a choice in the direction we choose to take in our lives.
Erected to make the way easier and safer for those who follow, an Inukshuk represents safety and nourishment, trust and reassurance. The Inukshuk guided people across the frozen tundra and gave them hope in barren places to handle hardships they encountered. These primitive, stone images showed the way ahead... pointing you in the direction you wanted to go. Had they been able to speak, I am certain they would have said... "Here is the road. It is safe. You can meet the demands that this path holds. You can reach your goals and attain your vision of where you want to be."

A CALENDAR JOURNAL FOR MY DAUGHTER KATE...
My daughters Tess & Kate have two friends that saw the calendar journals I got back home from various calendar journal round robins I've participated in, and they fell in love with them. So I offered to start one for the both of them. My daughter Kate mentioned to me on the weekend how much she would like a calendar journal from me as well. So, over the last couple of days I've been working frantically, without her knowledge, at readying a journal. These photos are of what I've done with a 'Paris' journal for her. The one spread with the orange floral background & two of my 'papermonzsters' are of Kate & her daughter Skyla. In the spread Skyla is pointing at her silly mommom monster. Sky will be three years old this June 17th. She calls 'monsters', 'monners'. lol Therefore, I just had to use the caption 'Monners, monners, everywhere!' in this spread for Kate.

After some daydreaming & allowing my creative mind to wander, I've decided to start a new project of my own. I am going to attempt to create my own 'mandala'. It is actually going to be in the form of a journal. The journal covers & pages will be in the shape of a flower. I am looking forward to this new journey of reunifying myself. I would like to incorporate my 'papermonzsters' as I progress along the path of my new self-discovery. My mandala will be in celebration of self, & also 'Earth Day', as I plan on making it kind of an earthy journal.

Mandalas can be used to refer to the 'personal world' in which one lives, the various elements of the mandala or the activities & interests in which one engages, the most important being @ the centre of the mandala & the least important @ the periphery. Depicting one's personal mandala in pictorial form can give one a good indication of the state of one's spiritual life.